Thread: A. See Brand Voltage Temper??

Any info on this company or the process of tempering a blade using voltage? Just picked one of these up and wondering about it. My wife is gunna kill me for buying all this crap

Sounds like another crazy early 20th century attempt at Gee Whizzing you into buying their product. Just think if the blade was tempered in an electric oven,...well that's voltage tempering. It's just a fancy round about way of saying something.

I've never heard of the particular razor though so that's my guess.

Stuff is not crap to those who want use it and need it.
Just to those who see no use for need or want.

I do believe that there is such things as voltage tempering of steel. I am an aircraft maintainer in the Canadian Forces and spoke with a few of our ACS Techs. They've told me that Antonov, the Russian aircraft manufacturer, uses the process but that was the extent of their knowledge. I've found on the Antonov website that there is, in fact, use of this process during production but no explanation of the process mentioned.

I can see why it would work, pumping electrons through metal heats it up, it's how light bulbs with filaments work. I suppose if one was to put enough voltage through a blade it would heat up, increasing the voltage to acquire the correct temperature after quenching and prior to re-quenching?

I suppose that this might not be commonly used for the production of razors?

Anyhow, just seeking some info

There have been some odd things attempted over the years for blade steels.

I have seen videos of high explosives used for forging/pattern welding.

Some things are probably gimmickry, others may be novelty, others may be legitimate discovery of valid processes. In the end few of us really buy razors purely for function...it's often about other factors (intrigue, nostalgia, artistry, exotic materials or processes...you name it).

In that regard, try lots, and enjoy what you enjoy even if its just a story of a neat process that yields the same results that can be equalled with much simpler means.

I know they temper saw teeth via electrical current... Saw it on how it's made. I imagine it could be done for a razor. I've actually pondered this because I really like my razors made by the Electric Cutlery Co. and have been curious as to the origins of the company name.

I love my electric also. I always figured it was a play on the 'electric razor' idea...but they made more than razors and I'm pretty sure they predate actual electric shavers.

You might be onto something..,

I'm pretty sure that saw teeth are hardened (or not hardened) by "induction heating".

That's a process that puts the saw into a really strong electro-magnetic field, which induces currents (and voltages) in the metal. Those currents are strong enough to heat the metal.

So you could (for example) start by hardening the whole blade and the teeth of a saw, using conventional heat-treatment techniques. You could then pass the blade of the saw through the field, and leave the teeth _outside_ the field.

The result would be an annealed blade, and hardened teeth -- a very nice combination.

The problem, with a razor, would be _controlling_ the process. The thickness of the blade varies quite a bit, and you'd have to adjust the process "just right" to slightly soften the spine and body of the blade, and leave the edge hard.

I'm sure some of the metal-smiths here have a better idea of what happens, than I do.

. Charles

I'd also like to hear from a metallurgist or other such knowledgeable person. I was thinking of just short-circuiting through the blade, not induction. Dunno. Since current follows the path of least resistance, which would be the part of the blade with the greatest cross-sectional area, you'd get most current through the spine. Would that also mean the most heating, or would the greater mass of the spine work against that factor? And how would you get even current flow through all of the blade's narrow sections?

Maybe the simplest answer, put up by thebigspendur, is the best, that they just used electric ovens. It goes along with my favorite Einstein quote: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler."

Originally Posted by roughkype

I'd also like to hear from a metallurgist or other such knowledgeable person. I was thinking of just short-circuiting through the blade, not induction. Dunno. Since current follows the path of least resistance, which would be the part of the blade with the greatest cross-sectional area, you'd get most current through the spine. Would that also mean the most heating, or would the greater mass of the spine work against that factor? And how would you get even current flow through all of the blade's narrow sections?

Maybe the simplest answer, put up by thebigspendur, is the best, that they just used electric ovens. It goes along with my favorite Einstein quote: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler."

Exactly! I would speculate that you would have to somehow shunt from the heel to the toe without addressing the tang (otherwise the tang would glow like a filament before you even heat the thicker blade). I am not sure, but you would probably also see a preferential path of electrons through the spine (where it is thicker) and not at the edge....and possibly harden the spine while leaving the edge soft (i.e. pretty much the opposite of what you would want for a knife).

There there is the potential for arcing to happen at the shunt connections...which would probably knock holes in the blade.

In retrospect...wouldn't it make for a better story to heat treat near/with a volcanic lava flow? You could call it the "Hades" or something neat