Thread: Straight Razor Quality

I originally posted the below paragraph on Yahoo Groups SRP.

From reading a lot of these posts and some other articles I have
come to the conclusion that the main difference between a good
straight razor and a bad straight razor is the different qualities in
the steel used for the blade.
Just exactly what are these different qualities? What brand
razors usually use good steel in their razors?

Maybe what I should have asked was what is the difference in hardness of different types of steel and other qualities of steel used in the blade of razors.
Bill

I don't know that there is any simple answer to your question. Most quality razors made in europe use either swedish or silver steel. I don't know what was used in the vintage U.S made razors. Its easier to say what razors to avoid, as we all know the pakistani stuff, I don't know what they use. It probably can be said that what makes a good razor is certainly quality steel of the appropriate type, working of the metal including forging and hardening and a skilled person grinding the edge. No matter the steel quality if the rest is poor the razor will be poor.

I suspect that most of the vintage stuff made in europe in a particular region only had a very few suppliers of steel so most of those razors have the same steel or maybe a very few grades according to the model of the razor.

But then again slight differences in trace amounts of minerals is what differentiates one steel from another heck I'm no metalurgist so I really probably don't know what I'm talking about anyway!

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

...we all know the pakistani stuff, I don't know what they use.

When the Russia/Afghanistan war was over, Afghanistan decided to recycle all those burnt out Russian tanks and spent ammo, so they sold it to Pakistan for scrap.
You never know what you're gonna get... Some of the stuff even glows in the dark.

BTW, repeating stuff like this is where urban legends start.. LOL!
Parry

Originally Posted by newdovo

When the Russia/Afghanistan war was over, Afghanistan decided to recycle all those burnt out Russian tanks and spent ammo, so they sold it to Pakistan for scrap.
You never know what you're gonna get... Some of the stuff even glows in the dark.

BTW, repeating stuff like this is where urban legends start.. LOL!
Parry

Laughing out loud!

Once again a disclaimer, my experience is maily w/knives. The only steel I have ever really had trouble with is Pakistani. I don't know what's metallurgically wrong with it, but I do know that the edge crumbles before it ever gets sharp (verified by feel & jeweller's lupe). I've had much better results from Chinese & American made knives. (Never owned a European knife but I've heard good things about them). My razor is a BudK stainless steel, probably Chinese metal (judging from the price). It took a sharp edge with no problems.

Any time I see a cutting implement that says "made in Pakistan", I will throw it in the lake rather than engage in the Sisyphean self-torture of attempting to sharpen it. Maybe one day the Paks. will get it together, but right now, their metal is a disaster.

Originally Posted by str8razor

I originally posted the below paragraph on Yahoo Groups SRP.

From reading a lot of these posts and some other articles I have
come to the conclusion that the main difference between a good
straight razor and a bad straight razor is the different qualities in
the steel used for the blade.
Just exactly what are these different qualities? What brand
razors usually use good steel in their razors?

Maybe what I should have asked was what is the difference in hardness of different types of steel and other qualities of steel used in the blade of razors.
Bill

Most of the fine razorsuse equivalent steels. The difference is how it is hardened tempered by the razor manufacturer. For example, TI has a lead hardening process that produces a superior edge. See http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecent...azorsinfo.html.

I read somewhere, can't remember where exactly, that some Pakistani steel glows in the dark.

I will throw it in the lake rather than engage in the Sisyphean self-torture of attempting to sharpen it...

Wow. I thought that was a cool phrase even before I had to look up that word to see what it meant.