Thread: Advice for killer edge on friodur

Originally Posted by KristofferBodvin

Stainless softer than carbon?? I tought it was the opposite?

Some carbon steel razors are pretty soft, and some are extremely hard. But stainless razors can't be made quite as hard as the best carbon steel razors. They seem harder than they really are because chromium promotes carbide formation in the steel, and carbides are very abrasion-resistant. Also because stainless is ductile and tends to smear around instead of scraping off nicely.

IME stainless tends to need more time on the finer grit hones, and I also think that stainless responds very well to a pasted strop since the flexible surface of the pasted strop is capable of just honing around the carbides instead of having to laborously grind them down.

I agree! Friodur's can be a challenge. Mine wouldn't hold it's edge through-out the shave. I went back to the Shapton 1K and VERY deliberately set a uniform bevel. I took a LONG time honing it. Hours on a Belgium combination stone, more Shapton's, an Escher and finally finished with at least 25 laps on my 30K Shapton.

It shaves very well now. Super smooth edge under the microscope. I think the problem I encountered was a simple lack of patience the first time I honed it. Setting the bevel can't be understated!

Don't feel alone. I have resented every SS Friodur I have ever honed plus I have gladly sold everyone that I have had.

Some people swear by them, some swear at them.

Originally Posted by BigBubba

I can only assume that Ken meant that the ideal angle of the bevel on a stainless blade is softer than the angle on a carbon blade.

Nope, I mean a steeper angle on the edge and I find as a rule SS softer then quality carbon steel. Glen (gssixgun) has the right of it. I spend more time on the finer grits with SS. Tim Zowada did a great study about taping the spine and how much it changes the angle. The Friodurs that I have had to wrestle with have been the large 7/8 or 8/8. A layer of tape changes the angle very little on a wide blade. One layer of tape on a 5/8 is comparable to about three layers on a lager blade because of the distance between the edge and the spine. The wider the blade the less effect of tape. The first part of this month, I did a Friodur for a member was a real problem child for him. I honed it with four layers of tape and I shaved with it for a week. It shaved very well all week long. Under the microscope showed that it was holding a very good edge. I was pleased that it also gave a comfortable shave. SS tends to give me a less then comfortable shave compared to my carbon steel blades. The Friodurs will eventually work, you just have to figure out what will take to get it right.

FWIW, I bought a 7/8 Friodur from Tstebins months ago. It was one of the sharpest razors I have ever encountered. I PMed him and asked him what he had used to sharpen it and he said it had come to him as it was from Japan and he didn't know who sharpened it or how they went about it.

I would bet it ended up on diamond paste or spray. I have an Ellis ATS 34 that I couldn't get to the level of sharpness I wanted and the same with a TI Damascus. I went through the Shapton pros from 1K to 15k and then hit them on the felt strop from Lynn with the diamond spray and they were golden.

Anyway the point is that the Friodur has the potential and I am sure you will get it there.

That is so funny Jimmy.I was actually thinking of wich pasted strop I should get today.I was also thinking of getting some more shaptons and stuff.Anyways, I try to buy everything I need at one place.Because of the steep shipping cost to Norway.The problem was that I could't get 0,25 diamond paste/spray at SRD, but I really wanted to try Lynns strop
But it seems that the 0,5 spray will be good enough, am I right?

Originally Posted by KristofferBodvin

That is so funny Jimmy.I was actually thinking of wich pasted strop I should get today.I was also thinking of getting some more shaptons and stuff.Anyways, I try to buy everything I need at one place.Because of the steep shipping cost to Norway.The problem was that I could't get 0,25 diamond paste/spray at SRD, but I really wanted to try Lynns strop
But it seems that the 0,5 spray will be good enough, am I right?

I would say it is. I don't use diamond paste or spray unless I have a really tough blade. When I do use the diamond I always felt I got a smoother shave if I followed it up with chrome ox. That hasn't been necessary with the 0.5 diamond spray from SRD. It has left me with a very friendly feeling edge on the razors I have used it on.

Don't disparage stainless as a whole based on the results you get with a Friodur.

I had two Friodurs, and had difficulty in getting excellent edges on them. I purchased a Dovo Renaissance stainless and that took a fantastic edge within 5 minutes flat, just went right through the progression. Took a fantastic edge and held it. Same with my Dovo #41 Stainless.

They also shaved much smoother than the Friodurs.

It's the Friodurs that are tricky beasts, not stainless as a whole.


I no longer own those Frios...

Hmmm. But isn't selling a razor consider a sin?

Originally Posted by KristofferBodvin

Hmmm. But isn't selling a razor consider a sin?

You can do penance by buying two for every one that you sell.