Radioactive?

This may be a dumb question.

I found a James Frost Chicago razor which reads "Radiumite" on the blade. It did occur to me that at one point radioactivity was believed to be harmless if not good for your health. They used it in many products, even "health tonics." So, was radium actually used in the manufacture of this blade? Or is it just a marketing line, like calling things "turbo" that have nothing to do with turbines? My instincts say it should be the latter, but I am still hesitant to clean it up and use it.

Radiumite is a mineral composed of Gummite, Pitchblende, Uranophane. The "mite" in the word is the giveaway. It's not radioactive. :-)

Your good to go hoss, after a few months of shaving youll never have to do it again.

And when the feathers start to grow in, it's a really interesting sensation.

It's the Delta Rays. Like Godzilla's breath. They mow down the whiskers ahead of the blade.

It's just marketing hype, nothing more.

What, you don't have a home geiger counter to check your blade? :rofl2:

Hey, what's so funny about having a home geiger counter to check your blade??

It would be a neat conversation piece if it was radioactive. Still an interesting name.

Would that mean it glows in the dark?

If it came from an estate sale of a man who died prematurely of cancer, bury it in concrete quick.

You're all wrong, except PCG, who is 1/2 right.

Radiumite, as a mixture of minerals, is indeed made from Gummite, Pitchblende, & Uranophane.

However, all three of those minerals contain Uranium. As I'm sure everyone is aware, all minerals containing Uranium are inherently radioactive to some degree.

Pitchblende, also known as Uraninite, is mostly UO2 along with varying concentrations of other Uranic oxides, and associated elements/compounds. Gummite is a mixture of various Uranic and related minerals, the majority typically being Uraninite. Uranophane is a neosilicate that incorporates UO2 as part of it's crystal matrix.

If this blade or it's scale contain Radiumite, rather than that just being a trendy name for a particular line of product, it is almost certainly radioactive. However, with that being said, the amount that was incorporated into the razor, and the fact that it is a mixture of 3 naturally occurring minerals, rather than a synthetic or enriched isotope, means that the radioactivity of the razor, above background levels, is most likely quite small and rather safe. It most likely has no more radioactivity than a typical granite countertop, and probably less than what one would find in a smoke detector.

If you have any serious concerns, you could take it down to your local high school or community college and I have no doubt someone in their chemistry department has a Geiger counter that you can run over the razor to determine its level of radioactivity.

Excellent reply! And the bottom line is that the driving unknown is what amount, if any, of Radiumite was added to the carbon steel of this razor. I suspect it's all hype & grand marketing, and that none was ever contemplated, but as you say, a quick sweep of a Geiger counter would clear up the mystery.

Paralel, that's your first post. Hope you stick around!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Paralel

You're all wrong, except PCG, who is 1/2 right.

If you have any serious concerns, you could take it down to your local high school or community college and I have no doubt someone in their chemistry department has a Geiger counter

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by pcg

....but as you say, a quick sweep of a Geiger counter would clear up the mystery.

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Whoa, wait just a second here! I do believe that I was the first to mention a Geiger counter, so I can't really be lumped into the "you're all wrong" crowd. A little credit here, please... :roflmao :w

Oh, and welcome to SRP, Paralel!