URGENT!! Help needed with Puma Gold

I'm posting this question in two places since I need as much help as I can get as quickly as possible. Sorry if this is inappropriate; mods, feel free to delete one of the threads.

I have only 3 days to send this razor back. It looks as though some idiot touched a flame to it at some point. Take a look at the spots I posted pictures of. They didn't come off after emery compound or Maas.
Should I return this razor?
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/w...b/IMG_0988.jpg
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/w...b/IMG_0989.jpg
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/w...b/IMG_0990.jpg
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/w...b/IMG_0991.jpg
See the yin yangy pattern in that circle I drew? You have to look close. One part of the blade (the stained portion) looks like that and will not clean up.

Usually when the metal has turned blue it would be by heat and has annealed (softened) the metal. The blue on your blade does not look like it was caused by heat since the ink on the blade is not damaged. What does the back of the blade look like? It also looks like it is away from the edge so if caused by heat the edge damage may be minimal. Not sure what may have caused this coloring unless it was blue before the blade was 'painted' or was caused by a chemical.

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Originally Posted by Joed

Usually when the metal has turned blue it would be by heat and has annealed (softened) the metal. The blue on your blade does not look like it was caused by heat since the ink on the blade is not damaged. What does the back of the blade look like? It also looks like it is away from the edge so if caused by heat the edge damage may be minimal. Not sure what may have caused this coloring unless it was blue before the blade was 'painted' or was caused by a chemical.

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Is there any way to test the edge damage? I could try honing it up lightly even though my honing doesn't give me the best edge, but I don't know if that'd give me an indication of how well the razor will hold its edge.

Sorry, I don't know of any that would not damage it more. Do be aware that if you do any work to the razor you may not be able to return it if that is your intent.

IME, Heat damaged blades will not hone up. Check with Max...
+1 Joed, If you hone it, You can't return it...If you have doubts, I'd return it....

The blade could have also come into contact with a sulfide of some sort... +1 to seeing how the blade takes a hone to give it a test.

I cannot, of course, say for sure... but that looks to me like some of the stains that I have seen lather leave on blades of mine. Again, though, if you are really concerned I would return the blade.

Like Benjamin, I have seen those sort of stains left by lather and/or selective parts oxidising for some unknown reason.

I don't think that you can easily tell if the blades temper has been affected by other agencies, though, short of honing and test shaving - soft steel will take an edge (of sorts), but it will not hold up.

Why not explain your concerns and go ahead after agreeing a sort of 'nothing ventured, nothing gained' sort of thing?

Regards,
Neil

if temper has been changed then that blade is useless. go head return the blade and stay on safe side.
hope this helps.

well, the only way to know is to hone it and see, however you should check with the seller before you do that.
if they don't allow you to, you should decide whether the risk is justifiable to you.

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Originally Posted by gugi

well, the only way to know is to hone it and see, however you should check with the seller before you do that.
if they don't allow you to, you should decide whether the risk is justifiable to you.

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I'm thinking about whether to hone it or not. I already left the seller feedback before doing a close inspection of the razor (never doing that again:boohoo:), so I'm just hoping he'll still uphold his 3 day return guarantee. It may just be a safer bet to return this thing and wait for another one to come by

I've also seen them with lather stains that had yellow and or blue colors. :shrug: Hard decision. Maybe if you explained the situation to the seller and asked if you could hone it a bit and test the edge. Explaining that it wouldn't do it any harm one way or the other.

well, of course that's the safer bet.
but honing a razor is altering it significantly, so he may refuse to take it back unless you get permission first.

a return policy is a return policy and you shouldn't be using feedback as a leverage to get what you want anyways. if they refuse to honor their policies, that's something that ebay should be dealing with.

but this is all way too much speculation for no good reason. you should have already contacted them with your concerns and not just presume they will be uncooperative.

If you ask me, the odds of this being heat damage, in just that particular spot is really slim. I would bet that discoloration is superficial. I'd take a deep breath :)...and hone it.

And BTW, you already Maas'd the goldwash off. I doubt you can still return it.

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Originally Posted by RayG

If you ask me, the odds of this being heat damage, in just that particular spot is really slim. I

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I think Ray is right about this.

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Originally Posted by BKratchmer

I think Ray is right about this.

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+1 if it was heat damage it would extend to the thinnest part of the blade wouldn't it ? Here is a Joseph Rodgers wedge I picked up before honing the chip out. Lather staining near the edge turned out to be just that. A knifemaker friend saw it and suggested it might have been exposed to heat but it honed up great. ( you can see the different color from the edge running up from point to heel.)

I would want to see the side of the blade opposite this blueing, Its in a thin section, and if there were pitting indications on the back of this bluing I would say it could have been buffed out and overheated. I have seen first hand the bluing slowly seep through the metal over to the other side. Even if you splash water on it, its already heating through the steel, and no longer on the side being buffed out.
First hand experiance I blued the back of a blade on the side oppisite I was working on. It can happen.