Abstract: A method of forming or modifying the cutting edges of razor blades, and apparatus for carrying out the method. The method comprises subjecting a stack of razor blades (12) to ion bombardment from two ion sources (13, 14) in a vacuum chamber (10), the ion sources being located on opposite sides of a plane (15) which lies within the stack and parallel to the major surfaces of the blades and the ion sources having the axes of their ion beams directed at the edges of the razor blades in the stack.

Abstract: A method of making a cutting edge, which comprises coating a substrate cutting edge having a defined cross-sectional geometry, with a material which is harder than the material of the substrate cutting edge by a vapor deposition or sputtering process, if necessary in the presence of gaseous or vaporized molecules of another element or a compound of another element where it is desired to form the coating of a compound, at a pressure of less than 10.sup.-2 m bar, while simultaneously subjecting the cutting edge to ion bombardment with ions of sufficient mass and energy to cause sputter removal of the deposited material at a rate which is less than the rate of deposition, whereby a cutting edge formed of the deposited material and having a defined cross-sectional geometry and ultimate tip radius, is obtained.

Abstract: A process is provided for the formation of metal and metal compound coatings on cutting edges by chemical vapor deposition in a deposition chamber, the improvement wherein a static electric field is established between the cutting edge and a counter electrode positioned in the deposition chamber, the field potential and gas pressure being such that glow discharge does not take place and the field potential additionally being such that a dense adherent coating is obtained.