Thread: Why are some stainless steel razors acceptable, but not others?

I have become curious as to why many members find some stainless steel razors good shavers, but not other stainless razors. The mass-produced razors found on Ebay for example are 440 stainless, sell for about $10, and are unanimously shunned. What makes the more acceptable stainless razors better? Is there a difference in the grade of steel or something?

I think it has more to do with the purity and quality of it instead.
Alot of the Paki made razors are made using recycled steel.
In alot of the cases, you dont know whats been mixed in

I originally bought one of those $10 pieces of garbage on ebay and it wasn't sharp at all. The ones on Straight Razor Designs and Vintage Razors are better quality stainless steel and are professionally honed.

Steel that would be fine for a knife (although not great) isn't good enough for a Straight razor. The steel is either too brittle or just not the right composition to hold an edge. When it's too brittle you have micro chipping and a very uncomfortable feel on your face. Or it just won't get to the point where you have a sharp enough edge to shave with.

Even though I have experience as a steel buyer for manufacturing companies, I was silly enough to purchase one of these blades off the bay. Oh well, lesson learned and it does make an interesting knife for opening boxes of REAL straight razors that come in the mail.

Basically, regardless of the chemical composition of the steel, one can change it's internal molecular structure via tempering and cryo hardening etc. I'd be surprised if the cheaper razors underwent good heat treating. The more expensive razors I would think went through very professional heat treating.

Thank you for all the responses. The heat treatment and lack of purity or uncertain composition sound like reasonable enough differences between the stainless blades.

They are just cheap razors. I don't think the SS purity is so much the issue as poor heat treatment, poor grinding and workmanship in general. In the end you get what you pay for.

Originally Posted by khaos

Basically, regardless of the chemical composition of the steel, one can change it's internal molecular structure via tempering and cryo hardening etc. I'd be surprised if the cheaper razors underwent good heat treating. The more expensive razors I would think went through very professional heat treating.

It is actually the crystal not molecular structure that is modified by heat treatment, and this only works up to a point. For example, there is no way you will get an austenitic stainless steel hard enough to make a good razor (or knife for that matter).