Thread: Stainless or Carbon?

I have been shaving for a few weeks with a Dovo Shavette and have gotten to the point where I can get a very close shave with no cuts or nicks, and only slight razor burn with new blades.

Over the past couple of months, I have been constantly on the site looking for advice and reading the forums. During this time, I saw many people voice the opinion that a real straight razor, properly honed and stropped, can give a cut like a new blade on a shavette with the forgiveness that shavettes have after 7-8 shaves.

After spending some time with a Shavette, making sure that straight razor shaving really was something I was interested in, I'm hooked and ready to make the jump and purchase my first real straight.

Before I make my purchase, is there any real difference between a carbon steel blade and a stainless steel blade? What are the benefits of each?

Thanks in advance.

From my limited use of both stainless and carbon steel blades there is no great practical difference, a sharp edge is a sharp edge. They both shave equally well when equally sharp. The stainless is much easier to keep from rusting/staining than carbon steel is.

Bob

I own both so I have some credibility.

BobH is correct. Either one can provide an exceptional edge and shave results.

Rust prevention is the main reason to go stainless. Other than that single characteristic it has no advantage over carbon.

However, carbon is much more "user friendly" in my opinion for routine maintenance. Stainless can be very hard and difficult to maintain on a day-to-day basis. Carbon wins on all points in this regard. Perhaps that is why carbon is still by far preferred over stainless by most straight razor connoisseurs.

I use my stainless for travel and carbon at home.

Enjoy

I have both carbon and stainless blades and both shave well, if properly honed and stropped.

The biggest difference is that given normal care, stainless does not spot or rust. Even with normal care, carbon blades must be checked for spotting, rust, and patina.

Quality stainless costs more than carbon, may be a bit slower to hone, but may hold an edge longer. Carbon may be easier to hone and get a bit sharper.

My stainless blades are Friodur and Dovos. The opinion of persons who have professionally honed and tested 1000s of razors may be the best opinion on this question. The relevance of the difference is small compared to having a shave ready razor, learning to shave, strop, and eventually touchup/hone.

Originally Posted by sheajohnw

The biggest difference is that given normal care, stainless does not spot or rust. Even with normal care, carbon blades must be checked for spotting, rust, and patina.

Quality stainless costs more than carbon, may be a bit slower to hone, but may hold an edge longer. Carbon may be easier to hone and get a bit sharper.

I'm a complete rookie straight shaver, but my decades of experience with other kinds of cutlery agree 100% with what sheajohnw said.

Stainless for ease of care would be my recommendation. Carbon steel has always been better for ease of honing, but will also need to be touched up sooner than a SS blade. The SS blade will take a little longer to bring back up to speed when it does need a touch up. Both will shave you equally as well.


Mick

I consider stainless steel razors to be low maintenance. They don't rust or spot as easily as carbon and they hold their edge much longer than most carbon razors. In terms of honing it probably takes a minute longer; honestly I haven't noticed any difference. There are very hard carbon steels (i.e Thiers Issard, Heljestrand) out there that take much longer to hone than stainless steel. Both stainless and carbon shave well.

I vote for SS, maintenance is my primary reason. I can tell no difference in the shave. Honing, seems to take a little more to get an SS to where you want it, so I imagine it'll hold an edge a little longer too. That might equate to less time on the stones later? or at least less frequently?

Thanks for all the input. I plan on having any razor I buy professionally honed for a while since I am new and do not have any honing experience.

Would having a stainless steel blade as opposed to a carbon blade make any difference with stropping?

I never found any difference when stropping either stainless or carbon steel blades.

Bob