Thread: Damascus Custom Set - need help please.

Shaving well does not equal durability. When I think of some qualities of a good razor, shaving well tops the list. My second concern is how long that razor will shave well. If I have to rehit the hones every other shave to keep it shaving well, then it's not a good razor.

Edge durability is directly affected by edge geometry. The wider the angle, the more steel you have supporting the edge. This helps the razor maintain that good geometry for longer. Also if you were to ding a 13 degree razor and a 22 degree razor on your faucet with the exact same amount of pressure, the resulting ding would be worse with the 13 degree razor.

If a 13 degree razor and a 22 degree razor both shave equally well, then we should choose angles based on the durability of the shave. Were I designing a razor, I would probably go with a 17 degree angle or so. This might make the spine thicker , but in my book that's a good thing. A thicker spine means more weight, and generally I like shaving with a heavier razor. that's why wedges are popular with many people.

I don't think an extra 0.75 millimeters on both sides of the spine is going to make a huge difference cosmetically, and it would make the razor more durable as well as giving the added advantage of weight.

So, I'm still sticking with Philadelph. if you have a 17/16 razor (27mm), then I would say at least 0.250" thick at the spine.

In addition, it depends on how well your guy can control the heat treat of the razor. If the hardness of the razor gets too high, then the steel is more brittle, and as a result chips easier. Chippy razors are no fun to hone; just ask anyone who has struggled with one (for example, a Wacker). Thicker angles give additional edge strength, and help resist chipping. I have a spyderco pocket knife in S30V steel, and if I sharpen it at 15 degrees per side it chips easily, but if I go to 18 degrees per side I have no problems. That's a difference of six degrees, but it goes to show that thicker = less chippy.

I think the numbers you posted should work fine for a razor.

My next question for your maker would be about exactly what kinds of steel would be in the razor, how he plans to heat treat it, and what rockwell hardness (C scale) number would he be striving to achieve.