Thread: Frozen blade anyone?

Originally Posted by yoshida

When I heat the steel and then cool it fast the connections in the steel don't have time to adjust and so remain "under tension", one way of making them go back to equilibrium was to put them on the freezer, or so it was what I've been told.

Have you used this yourself in some other application?

That sounds like the tempering process that makers would harden their blades with: they would heat it (red hot, so it turns amagnetic), the immediately cool it with a bath of some sort. This will harden the blade so it will take edge. Could be that sticking them to freezer/cryogenically freezing might relieve the stress from the process. Other thing I've heard is that they are heated to some lower temperature and let to cool slowly to remove brittleness. Do notice that I'm not a smith or a metallurgist.

Whether you would need to do it after shaving? I dunno... The usage temperature is a fraction of the tempering temperatures, even if you stuck it to a freezer. I certainly won't be trying it with my razors =)

I never did that, basically I just did the heat treatment part and used several cooling methods to assess the different results in the steels properties. Cryogenic temperatures, I believe, would be so extreme as to ruin the intended treatment that razors received by their makers. My reasoning is help the steel recover just by using freezer like temperatures.

Did you also learn about elastic versus plastic deformation of metals?

If the metal is deformed elastically, it will go back to it's original condition quite rapidly, no need for it to "rest" 24-48 hours.

If it is deformed plastically, it will never go back to it's original shape no matter how long you let it rest, or what kind of freezer you put it into.


It's a barbershop myth, which has about as much validity as a fishing story or a used car salesman's word of honor.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

I'm not talking about metal deformation, I'm talking about molecular arrangement. If it's a myth then it's a myth, I have no problem with that. It's just what I've been reading, also in Dovo's website they say:"After the razor has been carefully rinsed and dried, it should not be used again for at least 24 - 48 hours because the fine "fin" on the cutting edge straightens up again extremely slowly."

Still, stropping might be quite harsh to fins in any case, and that happens just before shaving.

Yes I agree, they also say:"If the razor is stropped too soon (or stropped incorrectly by moving it backwards and forwards without turning it over), the "fin" which is necessary for a close shave breaks off. Between six and fifteen shaves are possible without stropping in between."

Then again, it might just be fairy tales.

Originally Posted by yoshida

I'm not talking about metal deformation, I'm talking about molecular arrangement. If it's a myth then it's a myth, I have no problem with that. It's just what I've been reading, also in Dovo's website they say:"After the razor has been carefully rinsed and dried, it should not be used again for at least 24 - 48 hours because the fine "fin" on the cutting edge straightens up again extremely slowly."

The boys in Solingen are still laughing about that one!

Yah und vee kan get zem to buy even more rrrrazors if vee tell zem zat zey must let zem sit for 48 hours before zey kan use dem again! Anyvon vant anudder Beer und snitzel?

Originally Posted by yoshida

Yes I agree, they also say:"If the razor is stropped too soon (or stropped incorrectly by moving it backwards and forwards without turning it over), the "fin" which is necessary for a close shave breaks off. Between six and fifteen shaves are possible without stropping in between."

Then again, it might just be fairy tales.

Look closely again at the above statement. Any validity they may have had flew directly out das fenster with that comment.

I'm not advocating one way or the other, I just asked a question!
I fail to see why they lose credibility, I'm pretty shure I can shave at least 6 times without stropping, it won't be a great shave, but possible, (that's what they say, they don't advocate it). In spite I agree that they want to sell, I also believe thay want to sell, so why would they give wrong advice if in the long run it's worse for them?

Originally Posted by TheBaron

funny, my testicles seem to also work on that same logic. Although I'm sure my instrument produces a much different sound than your trumpet when played.

Nifty, cold is not a problem when you use silver solder and Baron, thank you, for your reply, ungentlemanly, but a reply none the less.