Thread: So tell me is this W&B shot?

If those are heat lines (which they look like to me) you are probably screwed... if it's something else you may have a snowballs chance... the only way to be sure is to hone

If it got hot enough to change to that color, it got hot enough to ruin the heat treating of the blade (two stage process involving first hardening, then tempering, or drawing as some say) .... anyway long story short is that if it was a heat problem I believe you are screwed.

Only one way to find out... ever honed before?

Not yet.... lol I'm still trying to figure out if I am going to love or hate shaving this way. Waiting for the last piece of the puzzle.... a T. Miller strop hope to have it by Saturday. Might treat myself to my first shave with my Red Man Sunday morning. Here's a link to my recent aqusitions....

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ok-plunge.html

I may just leave the W&B for a little while. Or I may just send the four worker blades to Bob let him hone the three and maybe restore the W&B if he see's that it is worth it.

For right now though I'm gonna go with the Red Man and see how this works out.

Originally Posted by firefighter

So Tom before I go deep into that article are you thinking there may be hope fr the blade?

I am thinking there is a chance and that a trip through
the honing process will quickly tell you what the verdict is.

The annealing/tempering of old blades did vary over wide ranges
and this one while over tempered may prove easy to hone and
strop. You may not get 500 shaves out of it between honing
but you may find that the shaves you get are good ones.

#begin-opinion#
One thing that a strop does after pulling the edge straight
is work harden the edge. Work hardening may compensate
for a less hard temper and still yield a good shave for your face.

The only way to test this is to hone and strop it up.

Wipe it with some bleach, alcohol a couple of times.
Rinse well in hot tap water then hone and strop it up....
No need to sand it or buff the blue off the surface.

Do lightly oil it, the alcohol and bleach will remove
any protection from rust that it had.
#end-impossible-to-prove-opinion#

If it is too screwed up buff it up and take it to
the next honemaster gathering and start a pool
on who can get it the sharpest

There are always beginners that want a
blade to practice honing and stropping with.
Buzz a "XXX-temper-busted-XXX" warning
on it and donate it to a beginner to use
then pass along.

Heck what does a soak at dry ice temperature do?
Wrap the dry ice in the want ads then wrap that
and the blade in the Sunday paper and place in
an ice chest and check it in a week. I guess I
could look up what this might do but I like playing
with dry ice and need an excuse to buy a block.

It is also possible to try to re-harden and temper it.
While that is a long shot, a sack of charcoal or a
hand torch and a bit of homework might make it
possible. -- and luck -- I did say long shot.

where are you located firefighter?

Originally Posted by Del1r1um

where are you located firefighter?

Tampa FL....

Why do you ask. I should probably update my profile while I'm on the subject.

Off to do that now.

Yikes!!! What a shame.Sorry about your loss.

Originally Posted by Blackstangal

Yikes!!! What a shame.Sorry about your loss.

Meh... it cost me like $15 I really like the style though it it ends up being no good I gotta find another one like it.

I'm going to take a chance on it. I'll sand & polish it up and get new scales. If it doesn't hone up well I'll just remove the scales and chalk it up to a learning expierience. I'll let you guys know what happens.

Thanks for all the advice and opinions guys.

How thick is the blade?
I can tell you for certain the blade got too hot, and the temper is ruined...
If you are interested in rescaling, and the blade has enough body left, you might be able to get another heat treat out of that blade, but you have to use a low oxygen fire like propane, or re heat treat in a molten salt bath...
and there is a pretty good chance the blade will warp or crack...
If it was me, I'd go ahead and do another HT, what do you have to lose?
also with the fresh HT, you can draw a harder temper on it, and have a blade that will stay sharp for a very long time.

It looks like a scale donor to me.