I honestly don’t know if it will make a difference. I would take a butane lighter and slowly heat the entire blade to the point where touching the edge with fingers is uncomfortable. This should be way below the temperature it would take to alter the temper.
Perhaps making the razor hot might allow it to be more easily straightened when the blade is put in a vise.
FWIW, I have tried this with knives that were dropped and bent. I’ve had zero luck. The amount of pressure to get the steel to retake its shape normally breaks the steel.
Perhaps making the razor hot might allow it to be more easily straightened when the blade is put in a vise.
I doubt that it would do so in a meaningful way. If you google “yield strength vs temperature carbon steel” diagrams (or “reduction factor”, or “tensile strength” they would be related) you’ll see that regardless of steel type, not much changes between room temperature and, say, 300ºC and that’s getting close to tempering territory. It makes sense that softening the steel happens at temperatures at which we lose the harder forged steel microstructures (=losing the temper)
I’ve had zero luck. The amount of pressure to get the steel to retake its shape normally breaks the steel.
As to heating up, what temps are we talking about as to not interfere with the tempering?
I honestly don’t know if it will make a difference. I would take a butane lighter and slowly heat the entire blade to the point where touching the edge with fingers is uncomfortable. This should be way below the temperature it would take to alter the temper.
But then what would be the benefit?
Perhaps making the razor hot might allow it to be more easily straightened when the blade is put in a vise.
FWIW, I have tried this with knives that were dropped and bent. I’ve had zero luck. The amount of pressure to get the steel to retake its shape normally breaks the steel.
I doubt that it would do so in a meaningful way. If you google “yield strength vs temperature carbon steel” diagrams (or “reduction factor”, or “tensile strength” they would be related) you’ll see that regardless of steel type, not much changes between room temperature and, say, 300ºC and that’s getting close to tempering territory. It makes sense that softening the steel happens at temperatures at which we lose the harder forged steel microstructures (=losing the temper)
😬 Yeah, that’s the risk
I thought as much, but figured I’d ask. Thanks!
Tempering is usually done at around 500°C, so you’d definitely want to stay far away from those temps.
I have consumer-grade kitchen ustensils, and I doubt that even with fat, I will get much above 300 degrees (assuming I don’t set fire)
A regular kitchen gas stove is about 2000°C, and a crème brûlée torch even more, so yes, avoiding fire might be a good idea :)
No gas here, only induction. But I didn’t know that a small torch provides the power of the sun 💥