Favourite steel?

So my friends, wheres your favourite type of steel from?

We have good ol' Sheffield, Swedish, Solingen and Japanese, I know a few of you are partial to some American steel from Little Valley NY too. Then we have more modern steel like 02 and Bőhler from Austria.

I maybe bias but Sheffield steel is about as good as it gets, not too hard so easy to hone and just feels great against my chops.
However, If I could only shave with one steel it would be Tamahagane. It takes an edge to a sharpness that I cant achieve with Sheffield and edge retention is second to none. Most of all with my girly like skin and wire beard it suits me perfectly. Every shave is blissful.

Thoughts?

Vintage Sheffield all day long..
Saying that though, I do appreciate vintage steels from all countries..

Cast steel from late 1700s, to early 1800s are my favorite, but I like um all. As for modern steel.....Tungsten.

Never really thought about that. Really any steel that can give me a shave I like and that is pretty much any I have tried so far.

Bob

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JOB15

Vintage Sheffield all day long..
Saying that though, I do appreciate vintage steels from all countries..

---

Vintage Sheffield has that familiar feel like an old friend, wonderful steel indeed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by outback

Cast steel from late 1700s, to early 1800s are my favorite, but I like um all. As for modern steel.....Tungsten.

---

I'd love to try some cast steel, it's been on my hit list for a while, one day.

I too like Tungsten, I only have a RigaRazor made from it but it feels nice, reminds me a bit of Sheffield, much nicer than O2. O2 feels very clinical to me, I have to strop the life out of it for it to give me a nice shave.

I like the old cast stuff like Mike. But also enjoy the American stuff of early 1900s. The two are so much different im not sure what it is that brings me to them.

I'm with you Mark...
If I had to pick just one, Sheffield gets the nod...hands down.
There's just something special about it.

Pete <:-}

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gasman

I like the old cast stuff like Mike. But also enjoy the American stuff of early 1900s. The two are so much different im not sure what it is that brings me to them.

---

I'm ashamed to admit that I still haven't tried American steel, again, one of these days.

I'm also a Tamahagane fan, as my Japanese Tamahagane razors consistently give me the best shaves. A close runner up would be Swedish steel. I know that I'm in the minority, but I've never cared for Sheffield steel for some reason. The harder steels just seem to give me the type of edge that I prefer.

Tamagahane for me. All I have used for the last 4 months.

Other steel would be 02 Tool Steel

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by petercp4e

I'm with you Mark...
If I had to pick just one, Sheffield gets the nod...hands down.
There's just something special about it.

Pete <:-}

---

Yep, it will always have a place in my heart. As you say, Pete. There's just some thing special about it.

You guys are forcing me to buy a Tamagahane Iwasaki ...Please stop :)

I think several years ago I asked the question, on this site: if you were blindfolded and an assortment of blades made of all different steel types and subtypes were put before you, could you tell the difference while shaving or being shaved by someone else?

Personally I couldn't care less what the material is. It's the shave that matters.

I've tried 'em, all -- own(ed) 'em, all -- and it's Sheffield steel... with nary a doubt.

I think the best steel I ever got was an NOS Henckels 14 in carbon steel for $60.

I’m also a big fan of 19th century Sheffield steel. But lately I’ve really been getting into my American blades, too. Really hard steel, but there’s something really interesting about it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by evnpar

I'm also a Tamahagane fan, as my Japanese Tamahagane razors consistently give me the best shaves. A close runner up would be Swedish steel. I know that I'm in the minority, but I've never cared for Sheffield steel for some reason. The harder steels just seem to give me the type of edge that I prefer.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rolodave

Tamagahane for me. All I have used for the last 4 months.

Other steel would be 02 Tool Steel

---

I feel Tamahagane epitomizes steel. Historically and culturally significant, the production of making Tamahagane captivates me, its a process between man and nature that has a spiritual connection and that almost defines a country.

never paid any attention, or doubt that i could tell. there are some razors that i haven't been able to get a shaveable edge on (a kamisori and a fili) so there are steels that i know i don't like.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I think several years ago I asked the question, on this site: if you were blindfolded and an assortment of blades made of all different steel types and subtypes were put before you, could you tell the difference while shaving or being shaved by someone else?

---

Damn right I could. Not every subtype, but I clearly can make the difference between most "big types". Each steel has a different feel.

Back to the topic, my favorite is one not talked about yet in this thread : vintage French Haute Marne high grade steel, like you would find on a Ch Guerre or a Malaingre. The closest thing is the Sheffield silver, but the high grade Haute Marne has that je ne sais quoi which can produce some extraordinary razors. Hence I also love Sheffield silver. And also am very fond of Tamahagane and Swedish steel.

I hate a lot of late French steels, like everything Thiers Issard produces (strangely, even the "Loup et Belier" which is apparently made with SS, go figure), Le Grelot or Pradat Brun.

My experience mainly with Sheffield, Thiers, Solingen, Japan and Eskilstuna: with quality steel from any country it's the honer's skill that counts most. But for me vintage Swedish and Japanese White Paper 1 seem to have a head start. Maybe it's my honing style, what do I know? Have never tried Tamagahane. The only American steel has been with two older Torrey's which produced amazing edges. So much to do and so little time :D

“But for me vintage Swedish (Eskilstuna) and Japanese White Paper 1 seem to have a head start (And Tamahagane)”

Add to that, the legendary Little Valley, NY makers of the early 1900, most all of them made with great steels & superb grinding, and Vintage Thiers.

Interesting how these little clumps of Cutlers, Eskilstuna, Little Valley, Solingen, Thiers, Sheffield and Japan had a synergistic effect on quality and production on the cutlery industry.

Vintage Thiers ?

Vintage Thiers has been considered subpar for most of the 19th century. Subpar compared to Sheffield, off course, but also subpar compared to Nogent or Langres, in the Haute Marne I was refering earlier.
I mean, they did have some respected brands like Dumas, but they had been making cutlery since the 16th century AFAIK and French cutlery in early 19th century was such crap that Napoleon had to simultaneously
- Ban importing foreign cutlery and severerly punish smuggling
- Invest massively in French cutlery
- At the same time smuggle his own cutlery from Sheffield.

I appreciate them all (edit: all that I have tried that is. There are so many variants that to imply I have tried "all" would be dishonest) but they have different characteristics. It seems to me they each work better with a specific grind...unless I've just been in the paint booth too long.
I'm another for the Sheffield though. My one razor to take into space or on a desert island would be a toss up between 3: 2 W&B's and a Westby.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Euclid440

[I]Add to that, the legendary Little Valley, NY makers of the early 1900, most all of them made with great steels & superb grinding, and Vintage Thiers.

---

Re: Little Valley: oh no, not another rabbit hole (but thanks much! :))

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Aggelos

Vintage Thiers ?

---

My Thiers razors come from first half/middle of the 20th century (Le Grelot, Le Jaguar, Thiers Issard, and others). Not sure if that time period qualifies them as vintage or not but they're a joy to hone and shave with. My 19th century French razors (Nogent, Laguiole etc) are equally delightful but mostly with softer steel and heavier grinds. There are great deals for French razors on eBay France (shouldn't have said that :)).

Most of my razors are vintage Solingen carbon steel. I find them to have a nice middle ground hardness. Of course the grind is also a big factor, my preference being for hollower grinds.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Badgister

Most of my razors are vintage Solingen carbon steel. I find them to have a nice middle ground hardness. Of course the grind is also a big factor, my preference being for hollower grinds.

---

I'm glad someone likes vintage Soligen the most. Your right, grinding is a big factor in the feel of a razor and no one does grinding quite like the Germans, every vintage Soligen razor Ive used the grinding has been impeccable. The fit and finish is wonderful too. Rezdog loves Henckles, and for good reason to, they are just great razors.
For me, Soligen razors just don't flick my switch and I don't know why. I have a Globusman that is perfect in every way but doesn't evoke the same feelings as a nice old Sheffield (which is absolutely ridiculous as they are just stupid bloody razors, but I'm bloody stupid so there we have it)

I can only describe it like a car. The Porsche 911 vs Aston Martin DB5. Yes the Porsche has it all but the Aston just oozes style.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

I can only describe it like a car. The Porsche 911 vs Aston Martin DB5. Yes the Porsche has it all but the Aston just oozes style.

---

Spitfire vs Me 109 comes to my mind. Beauty vs beast.

Bob

F6F Hellcat vs Supermarine Spitfire. The Hellcat flew the socks off the Spitfire but it was not at all a sexy plane like the Spitfire was.

Here's a thought: in the same way that a bat can't see squat but it has this crazy echo-location sense maybe the razors from different steel from different regions were ground a specific way, intentionally or organically according to the nature of the steel.