Thread: Autoclavable razor?

Hi, I've been asked by a friend to build a razor that he can autoclave for use in a tattoo parlor. I will scale it with aluminum and use stainless steel washers inside and out. I'm pretty sure that German silver will pass the test for pins but I'm really not sure if the blade will withstand the torture of high temperatures on a daily basis. Does anybody have any experience with autoclaving straight razor blades or have reason to believe that this is a bad idea from the start?

Claves get up to maybe 280 under pressure, I see no probs

My hair cutter said they had to use disposable straights, you couldn't use the same from one customer to the next (a law, Penna)
Seems like a lot of work (autoclaving) for each use...

You're pretty much out of luck on an autoclave. These things get hot enough to start messing with the temper of the blade. In our dental office, hand instruments have to be replaced every year or so since they get soft and fatigued in no time at all. A razor in the autoclave wouldn't make it two months....tops.

Originally Posted by red96ta

You're pretty much out of luck on an autoclave. These things get hot enough to start messing with the temper of the blade. In our dental office, hand instruments have to be replaced every year or so since they get soft and fatigued in no time at all. A razor in the autoclave wouldn't make it two months....tops.

I'll bet you could do some sick carvings with some of those dental bits... On scales...

Make the razor out of some good stainless, and the autoclave won't hurt the temper. Some stainless steels have a much higher tempering temperature than the working heat of an autoclave, so I can't see how they couldn't be used, worth a shot.

HSS steel drill bits get hot every use, but if you don't reach the tempering temp. than it will stay just fine forever, and wont get soft, this is true for every steel, not just HSS.

HSS is a bad example because it is a specialty steel specifically designed to be extremely wear resistant and able to work at high temperatures.
However it is correct that many stainless steels have a higher tempering temperature than carbon steel.
250 Celsius is not uncommon, which is high enough that autoclaving temps will not hurt the temper.