Yes, the second out of 11 new SR's. Thiers-Issard report that about 15% to 25% of their SR's crack during initial honing or early use. It is just accepted as part of the manufacturing process. Nothing can really be done economically to reduce this occurrence.
It is very rare for a vintage to crack as they have already been through the "mill".
You info on TI failure rate - can you link us to where they say that? I can’t find it anywhere and can’t imagine any business staying afloat sending out dangerous failures like that.
I shaved with my Satur SR this morning for the first time. This blade had previously been given a Method edge. I stropped the blade as normal. Checked the edge and all looked good. The shave went well, not perfect but very good.
After the shave I was wiping the blade clean when I noticed that it was cracked!
This can happen with any heat treated SR from any supplier and normally occurs during early use. The crack was not there after stropping and I didn't feel it while shaving. The crack must have occurred while either shaving or wiping clean.
I contacted the supplier and they immediately offered a free replacement, even though their 7-day return policy had expired.
For my subsequent Satur shaves, I will substitute my Vesperum SR. The Vesperum SR passes the FPT with easy so it will be a good benchmark to compare the other SR's in my M7DS.
Maybe I'm just harder on blades than I should be. After all, I've only been SR shaving for a little over 6 months.
No. I don't need to grind the shoulder.are you grinding down the shoulder to help set the geometry? sent you a pm
I agree that it is most probably a tempering issue. I have access the RH testing and all of my blades come in at about 58 to 59 for HCS and ACRM-2, 62 for the VG10-HZ and 68 for the ACRO (one only).The razors could crack easily if not properly tempered which is probably the issue with the mentioned razors.
Getting the steel hard is not so difficult - properly tempering it to suit the needs of the tool is more difficult.
Proper heat treat is a must.
I would guess that these may not actually be tempered at all seeing as they are near mid 60s to 70 Rc.
You may be correct. Always learning.According to your the number of crack, and the fact that other shavers including me myself, do not really have a chance to see a crack personally, I would suggest that maybe your sharpening and honing method has some issue.
YMMY.
I agree that it is most probably a tempering issue. I have access the RH testing and all of my blades come in at about 58 to 59 for HCS and ACRM-2, 62 for the VG10-HZ and 68 for the ACRO (one only).
I don't consider cracking an inherent problem with any blade. It is something that can happen with any blade steel that is heat treated to the extent and "thinness" of SR's. This heat treatment can and does build up internal stresses within the steel that cannot always be fully removed without overly decreasing the blade's hardness.And you have quite a few Sheffield and Solingen blades that were tested?
To gain any useful data you need a test group, not 1 or 2 razors.
I re-read your review of the Titan.
There is no mention of blades cracking. If this is an inherent problem I would include that in your review as this is not ever an issue with any other blade.
Just saying.
TI published their history about 15 years ago. It was in that publication that they stated their rejection rate. From memory, it was about 25%.I can only think that having such a high percentage of cracks and subsequent time and hassle for replacements can not be worth the savings. A crack like that can really damage your face.
Due to the nature of the products use, I would see such a percentage as a large inherent risk in buying such a brand.
as to the TI‘s - I’ve never heard of them having such failure rates, neither published nor spoken of in the forums so it is surprising to me.
luck you managed a shave without injury. Be careful with the others
Yes, I agree. For less than one fifth of the price for similar, I take my chances. So far only 2 Titans down out of 11 and both of those two were quickly replace at no cost to me and no hassle. All I had to do was send an email with photo and each vendor shipped me a free replacement the same day, no questions asked.It sounds like TI rejects 25% of blades as part of their QA process so that faulty TI blades are virtually unheard of for end users. This makes sense for a high cost product were the brand has inherent value and the testing and rejection rate can be factored into the price. With a 25% rejection rate it sounds like TI tests their products well above the impact levels that they are likely to be exposed to in regular use. With a Titan you take your chances.
Tbh, havent really heard of a current production western razor with this issue, does that make it moot?
I don't consider cracking an inherent problem with any blade. It is something that can happen with any blade steel that is heat treated to the extent and "thinness" of SR's. This heat treatment can and does build up internal stresses within the steel that cannot always be fully removed without overly decreasing the blade's hardness.
Most cracks are discovered during the initial honing of the blade by the manufacturer. There is no visible indication that a blade might crack due to residual internal stresses. It is just something that happens occasionally. Chips, even a micro chip, in the blade's edge can also act as a stress raiser that can commence a crack in the blade. That may be the cause of this latest crack in one of my ACRM-2 blades.
In effect, I would say that all heat treated SR blades have residual stresses within. For the same steel, generally the softer it is, the less residual stresses.
No. I don't need to grind the shoulder.