Thread: Types of Steel

Hey all,

A friend of mine is a machinist who dabbles with edges. He made knives for years, which he loved, but never could pay the bills doing so. We were talking about razors the other day and he asked what types of steel are being used in modern razors. He then started talking in terms and specifics that sounded a lot like Klingon. I told him I had no idea, but I knew a place that may hold some answers. He made his knives from raw steel and metallurgy seems to be his second language.

If anyone has any information, I will pass it on to him. We have frequent run ins at the local brewery.

Thanks,

Sitka

Old razors are simple carbon steels that are either eutectic or hypereutectic low alloy materials.

Modern razors can be made of any available steel on the shelf as long as it will harden sufficiently to provide a subjectively efficient cutting edge for the end user.

The upper limit of this efficiency is that some steels can be too hard or too abrasion resistant despite having an "ooh and ahh, unobtainium or wunderstahl" cool factor that makes them a rarity. Far more straight razor users, hone their own blades (or will eventually), or have them done by proficient folks. Neither group wants to polish their stones (rocks can be expensive) on a blade that will increase the work of honing.

The KISS rule tends to rise to the top of the list in the end.

That makes sense. And, knives and razors are not the same animals. I often am surprised by the sound that straights make. They almost sound like glass. If you drop a razor there's a chance it will shatter. Not a quality you look for in a knife.

Cheers Mike