Thread: Diamond Like Coating - why can't it be used on straight razors?

Diamond like carbon based coatings (DLC) have been used on tools, files, chisels and engine parts, not to mention surgical implements. Why can't they be used on straight razors? It'd vastly improve the hardness of the blade, not to mention make it smoother(0.1 drag co-efficient - better than teflon, course the spine wouldn't be coated). You potentially wouldn't even need to strop a razor that had a coating on it, it would simply keep its edge for years and years. This is already being used on some cartridge razors..

Note that this is a 5-10 nanometer coat. (is the blade even finer than that at the edge?,)

any reason why it hasn't been done (to my knowledge)?

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/beeway-to...5520&l=f&fid=1 <-- more info

Razor blades are 0.45-0.55 micron wide at the edge. A 0.5 micron coating would increase that to 1.5 microns wide at the edge, which is pulling-hair-out-by-the-roots dull.

and then when sharpened it would be honed right off or messup out hones. Nice idea though... if you talk to one of the custom guys like Joe Chandler and Robert Williams they might be willing to give it a try and see for sure though. Sure would cut down on rust.

I emailed the guys at a DLC coating place in texas, they informed me that the size of the carbon modules is 5-10 nanometers so it'd be un-noticible. I am currently working out costing.. it is interesting at the very least.

I'm not sure how I'd actually see any benifit from this. Only the edge basicly touches my face, so the only drag is the edge running into hair. I dry my razor on a towel so rust has never been an issue even with storing them in my bathroom drawer. Stropping takes less than thirty seconds and I doubt this would prevent the razor from needing re-honing on a semi-anual/anual schedule. I just don't understand the point.

Originally Posted by Wildtim

I'm not sure how I'd actually see any benifit from this. Only the edge basicly touches my face, so the only drag is the edge running into hair. I dry my razor on a towel so rust has never been an issue even with storing them in my bathroom drawer. Stropping takes less than thirty seconds and I doubt this would prevent the razor from needing re-honing on a semi-anual/anual schedule. I just don't understand the point.

It would prevent the razor needing honing..

And then what happens when you get a chip or some other imperfection in the edge?

Ever feel like your wasting your breath . . .

Originally Posted by keljian

I emailed the guys at a DLC coating place in texas, they informed me that the size of the carbon modules is 5-10 nanometers so it'd be un-noticible. I am currently working out costing.. it is interesting at the very least.

That website you sent doesn't really indicate a 5-10nm thickness, the thinnest coating I found on there was 5 microns even if the individual particles are smaller. I never heard of DLC before though so I'm probably just missing something there.

Sure, try it out on a sharp, sharp razor and let us know what happens. But I'd send them a junker for the experiment. If it doesn't work it sounds like there's no way to remove it.

And if you ding the razor it might be trashed, the DLC sounds like it will eat a hone for lunch.

Hi Rohan,
The DLC surface is simmilar to a superfine cobblestone road. The carbon nodules have a size of 5-10 nanometers, so maintaining smoothness is not an issue. We
The price per blade is related to the number of blades you need coating on.
What do you use the blades for?

Thank you,
Mugurel

direct reply to the email I sent