Thread: Blade Steel types for razors

The 5xxx series, which includes 5160 and 52100 have chromium in them. Chrome is notorious as a carbide former. But, the excess carbon/carbides will dissolve if you're at the right temperature and anticipate soaking a little longer than might be normal for say a 10XX steel. That way you can get maximum performance out of a tricksy steel because you're quenching from maximum carbon input rather than partial.

Those pesky little minor alloying elements don't have to be present in large quantities to make big effects. Steel is a good teacher. Sometimes good teachers are pains in the butt-ocks.

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

The 5xxx series, which includes 5160 and 52100 have chromium in them. Chrome is notorious as a carbide former. But, the excess carbon/carbides will dissolve if you're at the right temperature and anticipate soaking a little longer than might be normal for say a 10XX steel. That way you can get maximum performance out of a tricksy steel because you're quenching from maximum carbon input rather than partial.

Those pesky little minor alloying elements don't have to be present in large quantities to make big effects. Steel is a good teacher. Sometimes good teachers are pains in the butt-ocks.

O1 is another one with some chromium, which kind of ties this thread in with another discussion we've been having.

Josh

Originally Posted by Philadelph

Thanks Josh. That starts a nice explanation for me. Do you use bar for stock removal? That's basically what I think I'd get into for now. I'm having a tough time finding carbon steel stock bars though. Stainless is on all the knife supplies places, but that's most of what I can find besides Forging steel. I found O1 which I actually knew about since I read your thread about it.

Start with a simple high carbon steel 1075 or higher in the 10xx series, or W1 I love W1 for my carving tools, it responds a lot like 1095. simple water quenching steels will be easier to use than exotics (stainless) for the beginner.

Have anyone tried AEB-L? It's supposed to have a fine grain and is said be for cutting applications e.g. knives, razorblades and scalpels (sounds ideal for what we are doing, doesn't it?):

UHB Stainless AEB-L offers sharpenability and edge retention that satisfies extremely demanding requirements. UHB Stainless AEB–L is a hardenable stainless steel with an ideal chemical composition that ensures good results in blade production.

Also found this:

1905 - The first cold rolling mill was ready for production, first deliveries to Gillette, USA

(It's not about AEB-L but about Uddeholm strip steel. Cool to see they used Swedish steel )

AEB-L is the Uddeholm equivalent of 12C27 from Sandvik. Forgeable stainless steels and very good for knives/razors I would suspect.

Is there a reason razor makers don't use commonly use 440?

Originally Posted by RobertFontaine

Is there a reason razor makers don't use commonly use 440?

I have looked around a bit and found that 440C/AEB-L/12C27 are considered to have very good "edge holding" proprties. I don't know the reason why they aren't used for razors.

The 440 series has typified the problem with either a blade is too hard and not tough enough, or too tough and not hard enough. I've seen vastly more broken 440 series steel blades in my life than any other steel and especially in thin blades. Either way it also got a reputation as hard to sharpen.

To answer one of his questions... just purchase some flat bar stock steel, 1/4" x 1" or 1 1/4". I purchased 1095 stel from Admiral and from 3 6ft lengths I cut 30 7" razor blanks a few days ago.
The heat treating for 1095 is a bit picky and do not use water as a quench or you will learn what a cracking blade sounds like. Use a fast oil as a quench. I will be posting about how Parks 50 quenching oil works in the near future.

I finally finished building my grinders and now have them at home. Now to set up my workshop here and finish grinding some razors I started last year!

Randy,

You'll love the Parks 50. It has made heat-treating seem rather uneventful, which is good but a little boring... There are no flame-ups and very little smoke. It almost seems more like rinsing the blade off than quenching it. Cracking has been a non-issue so far for me.

Josh