Thread: Problems with Carbon Steel?

I shaved for a couple of decades with a straight razor at weekends, gave up and I am coming back to it now, fifteen years on.

In the meantime I have had some skin problems generally. It seems to run in my family, that psoriasis gets worse through our life-times. To put this into perspective, I can use a product for a year, and then suddenly - boom - without any warning I can never use it again with out bad irritation. This came to a head 18 months ago. I think I have solved it generally using DEs and Feather AC style shavettes. With good prep, the right products, a light touch, and a very sharp blade I can shave without discomfort and no issues.

I have bought a couple of carbon and stainless straight razors - Dovo and Thiers Issard. But shaving is not the same as it was 15 years ago. This time around I am struggling. My beard seems tougher and my skin much more sensitive.

Keeping all other prep and conditions identical, when I shave with a carbon steel straight razor, even for only one pass, my face reacts like it is on fire, turns bright and burns, burns, burns. I don't get this with the stainless SR blades, although I am having other challenges with these, getting them sharp enough.

I considered that it might be mineral oil on the blade, but I have been meticulous with both the carbon and stainless blades to oil them both in the same way, which means the only variable is the blade metal as far as I can see.

I have researched metal reactions on medical websites - there are health and safety considerations for carbon steel - it can cause a reaction but it seems that it is much more likely for skin to react to the chromium in stainless steel from what I've read.

Has anyone else experienced similar? Any advice?

If it is only one carbon steel razor, I would say that the honing is suspect. When I was reading I also thought that the chromium in stainless would be worse than carbon steel. I have met more than one person who reacted to chromium.

Interesting point about the honing - I will bear that in mind. It happens with razors from different sources, bought shave ready so I had discounted that but back in the day the razors I used had quite a bit of hone ware on the spine, and my memory of them is that they were sharper than the razors I am using now. What I don't know is whether my beard is tougher and my skin more sensitive, or whether the edge was very different.

Most razors don't come truly " Shave Ready ". They must be sent to a honemiester. I just honed one last night for a member who was struggling to get a descent shave. It was supposed to be shave ready....couldn't cut the paper wrapper off a stick of butter.. She's like shaving with a stick of butter, now. Real smooooth.!

Hell the bevel wasn't even close to being set and joined..

The only time I have heard of people having a reaction to metal was with the pins/screws used to hold breaks in bone together. In that case it was a reaction to the nickel in the stainless steel pins. I have my doubts that there would be a reaction from just passing a blade over your face but could be wrong on that.

My first thought, like bluesman7, is that the honing is off on the blade giving you trouble. I know when I first started to learn how to hone I could put an edge on a blade that would irritate the hell out of my skin. Too much pressure and a wrong angle really added to that really magnified the irritation. There is not a blade that is properly honed that won't make easy work of any beard type.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

The only time I have heard of people having a reaction to metal was with the pins/screws used to hold breaks in bone together. In that case it was a reaction to the nickel in the stainless steel pins. I have my doubts that there would be a reaction from just passing a blade over your face but could be wrong on that.

My first thought, like bluesman7, is that the honing is off on the blade giving you trouble. I know when I first started to learn how to hone I could put an edge on a blade that would irritate the hell out of my skin. Too much pressure and a wrong angle really added to that really magnified the irritation. There is not a blade that is properly honed that won't make easy work of any beard type.

Bob

I was thinking of nickel too, but it looks like stainless blades have their share of nickel too.

FYI
I have a skin condition (most likely psoriasis judging by the breakouts) and washing my face with natural goat's milk soap I bought from an Amish soap maker has really helped. If I go back to another soap I can see the red patches start coming back. Next time I go there I'm stocking up!

Originally Posted by JP5

I was thinking of nickel too, but it looks like stainless blades have their share of nickel too.

My bad! I was thinking of nickle allergies too. Not chromium though chromium is also a dangerous heavy metal.

Originally Posted by JP5

I was thinking of nickel too, but it looks like stainless blades have their share of nickel too.

FYI
I have a skin condition (most likely psoriasis judging by the breakouts) and washing my face with natural goat's milk soap I bought from an Amish soap maker has really helped. If I go back to another soap I can see the red patches start coming back. Next time I go there I'm stocking up!

I'd still have the blade that is giving you trouble honed by a reputable honemeister to be sure it is not the edge that is giving you grief. There are shaving creams/soaps made with goats milk too.

If you haven't tried Enstilar for your psoriasis it may be worth checking out. You may need a prescription to get but seems to work well for the boss. It is quite a bit cheaper if you can get it from Canada or England.

Bob

There is a pretty easy way to figure out if it is a metal allergy or your edge or a reaction between your skin, soap, and blade.
Run the spine of the blade across your dry face in one place. If you get a reaction, then you are allergic to the metal. If not then it might not be the metal.
Run the spine of the blade across a wet part of your face on the other side. If you get a reaction, then you are having a galvanic skin reaction to the metal. If no reaction then run the spine of the blade across a soaped area of your face in a third spot. I guess we know that is going to react, but if the other two tests above don't react then this will prove it is a reaction between the metal, soap, and your skin - changing soaps might be the answer.

Originally Posted by criswilson10

There is a pretty easy way to figure out if it is a metal allergy or your edge or a reaction between your skin, soap, and blade.
Run the spine of the blade across your dry face in one place. If you get a reaction, then you are allergic to the metal. If not then it might not be the metal.
Run the spine of the blade across a wet part of your face on the other side. If you get a reaction, then you are having a galvanic skin reaction to the metal. If no reaction then run the spine of the blade across a soaped area of your face in a third spot. I guess we know that is going to react, but if the other two tests above don't react then this will prove it is a reaction between the metal, soap, and your skin - changing soaps might be the answer.

Genius - thank you! I will try this.