Thread: Help! What should I do?

I just received my first straight razor from straight razor designs. a 5/8" Dovo Tortoise. Everything is good apart from the fact that it says "stainless" on the blade. I EMailed Don and he said it was a factory miss stamp and I could return it if I wanted too. Is there anyway to check if it is stainless steel or carbon steel? ( it is magnetic) and if it is a miss stamp is it more valuable? I really just want a good shave and I have heard that stainless razors are less freindly to newbees? any thoughts??

Thanks

Jon

Speaking from remembering my feelings on recieving my first razor,,,I would keep it and go to town shaving. Mis=stamping or not, it has a purpose and that is to shave your face. As far as the value, it certainly wouldn't take value away and probably not add to either. Why send it back and lose all the time in between biting your finger nails just to recieve the same razor back without the stamping. Go enoy it. Just my 0.02

I don't know if it applies for the metal in in razors, but stainless steel generally doesn't respond to a magnet. If yours does, then maybe it is a mis-stamp.

Does anyone here know if their stainless steel razors respond to a magnet?

If it were my razor, i would send it back. A new razor should be perfect, IMO.
Of course, if you've already bonded with it, perfectly normal, then my opinion is a mute one. :-)

Good luck,

Mac

I don't think I have "bonded" with it yet! I am now more than curious how to tell if a blade is stainless steel or carbon steel, I believe that high carbon martensitic stainless is used for razors and cutlery and this is magnetic, but austenitic stainless has a higher chromium content and some nickel which makes it non magnetic, so how to tell if a blade is stainless or carbon steel???

I really have never seen a Dovo Tortoise in a Stainless blade. Very unusual. Not that one couldn't exist (I have been wrong before.....lol) From my perspective though, there really isn't much difference in honing or performance between the Dovo Carbon and Stainless. Few extra polishing strokes on the Stainless if needed. The Stainless is also a little more resistant to rust. Both are nice shavers.

If you do decide to shave with it, check out the First Shave article in the wiki.

Have fun.

Lynn

You could always dunk it in a saltwater bath and see if it rust within the day. If you have rust you have a carbon steel razor. Just kidding. I really wouldnt worry weather it is SS or not. Unless you are worried about honing it then i hear SS gets to be a real booger. Otherwise if it shaves well and you like the razor then it doesnt really matter what it is made of IMO. But hey its your razor, and your the one that has to shave with and look at it every day so if you arent absolutly in love with it send it back.

If it will bother you that the razor is either sort of a hybrid or may be mis- stamped then send it back. If you're concern is that it may be difficult to shave with or to hone I wouldn't worry about it. I have some stainless razors and I don't really notice any difference in the quality of my shave versus a carbon blade (other than I don't really worry about waterspots with the ss razor ). As far as honing goes, I haven't really noted that much difference between CS and SS.

If it were me, I would just start using it. Just my opinion.

The magnet test isn't conclusive. Some stainless steels contain quite a bit of nickel and these will not attract a magnet but there are common stainless steels that will. The rust test obviously works but I wouldn't fancy trying that on one of my razors. Your best bet is probably the Copper Sulphate test - make a strong Copper Sulphate solution and rub it on the blade, carbon steel will give a dark or coppery colour whereas stainless will not react at all (the colour should polish off easily but it's at your own risk). Unfortunately the Copper Sulphate test isn't conclusive either (unusual stainless steels ie ferrite containing) might show postive. In practice the only definite way to know would be with some kind of spectroscope - and if you had access to one of those you wouldn't need to ask.

Welcome to SRP

After reading this thread I got curious about this magnetic issue. I have a number of stainless razors including 2 Dovos. I tried the magnet and it stuck to all my stainless razors. This sure surprised me knowing what I thought I new about stainless.

As mentioned, both stainless and carbon steels are good. The stainless will normally cost more and has less rusting issues, that can be a big plus.

What other numbers are on this Dovo razor? Maybe that will help us understand what you have so we can help you.

Good luck,
Rick