I have been DE shaving for about 2 months now and have become very interested in crossing over into straights. However, I am confused by the different types of steel used. So far I have seen carbon, stainless, manganese and silver (the latter 2 on older blades). I am leaning more toward the purchase of a vintage razor because they seem to have more style and character in an affordable price range (sometimes) but I don't want to get one that is going to be difficult to get sharp and keep sharp. It seems that I need to look for the German, French and Sheffield blades but it seems I had read somewhere about Damascus blades. Are they forged in Damascus and stamped into the blade or is it a company name and is etched onto the blade and are they of good quality? So many questions...