Thread: Shaving with Queen Steel #25?

Hi all, I have this knife here: HELP??? QUEEN #25? - Knifeforums.com - Intelligent Discussion for the Knife Enthusiast - Powered by FusionBB I think the steel is 440C. I've read that some good razors are made from this steel. I want to sharpen it so I can shave with it. The problem is, it is not hollow ground. Any tips on how to properly sharpen it for shaving? Can it be done? Thanks.

For starters, don't buy those junk razors you linked to in your first post.

Some men shave with a straight razor maybe even a DE. Others prefer using a rock and I've seen vids of men shaving with a pocket knife. Best thing I can tell you is, don't do it. It might be great for showing off but you would be better off getting a real straight from someone in the classifieds.

Of course, there just might be someone out there that thinks shaving with a pocket knife is the bees knees.

Many of the razors to avoid (Logistics linked to the list in another thread of yours) advertise that they are made from 440c steel. Now, I don't know anything about steel or heat treatement or anything like that. What I do know is that I have never seen a razor that can be bought for $10 or less that will hone well, take a great edge, and deliver a great shave. On top of that, the item you have linked to in your post is not a straight razor; that is a pocket knife. So I highly doubt it will take a shaving edge.

If you are interested in straight razors for shaving, I would suggest reading through our Beginner's Guide here Straight Razor Place Wiki:Books/Beginners Guide - Straight Razor Place Wiki and then asking questions about things in there that you don't understand.

If you would prefer some more one on one help, please feel free to drop me a Private Message (click my name to the left, and choose "Send a private message to holli4pirating") and I'll answer any questions as best I can or refer you to someone else who I think could do a better job.

Dylan

I've just read that some good brand name razors are made from this same 440C steel, so in theory this pocket knife should be able to take the same edge. Of course, I don't know if they apply the same heat treatment to pocket knives as they do to razors, but I would think it would be pretty close as they would try and get the most out of the steel. But they might want it less brittle for a knife.

How did people shave 200-300-400 years ago, before all this fancy refined stuff came around? I bet they didn't spend 200+ dollars for a setup.

Thanks.

It seems there are a lot of unknowns. Is 440c good steel for razors as a base? What HT does it take to get 440c there, if it can be done? Is that 440c steel that the razor is made from? What HT does it have?

After all that is said and done, it is still a knife, not a razor, so it is not designed to be shaved with. That doesn't mean you can't shave with a knife, much like you can use a wrench as a hammer.

The question as to how people shaved 200-300 years ago is largely unknown, though I'm not sure how that pertains to this thread.

Originally Posted by time2shave

Hi all, I have this knife here: HELP??? QUEEN #25? - Knifeforums.com - Intelligent Discussion for the Knife Enthusiast - Powered by FusionBB I think the steel is 440C. I've read that some good razors are made from this steel. I want to sharpen it so I can shave with it. The problem is, it is not hollow ground. Any tips on how to properly sharpen it for shaving? Can it be done? Thanks.

+1 on previous posts.

This is a going up the down stair case type of question.

You will be hard put to get a quality razor edge on it.
You might get it sharp enough to shave with
depending on your whiskers.

60HRc is possible but it is unlikely that is the hardness
of this folder. Hardness is only part of what it takes to
make an edge but low 60s is common in razors
and uncommon in pocket knives.

The most difficult part you will find is setting
and maintaining the low angle bevel. By design
straight razors have a sharpening/ honing guide built
into the design. Many knife sharpeners use guides
and if you can find one that gives you the 15 degrees
we commonly expect and hold it with precision
you have a chance.

The next part is the quality of hones used.
Most razor folk hone with finer than a 8000
grit finish hone while most knife folk stop at 600 grit.

Cr carbide content in 440C can make a good slicer
but bad razor depending on the grain size. What make
a good knife slice is not what a shaver's face
wants run over it.

Some individuals can sharpen a pocket knife to
"razor sharp" but this is a skill on the order of
running five snooker tables in a row. Some can
most cannot.

Low precision angle, fine hone, light touch...

Henckels Friodur were (are?) made of 440C. I think they are supposed to be good razors.
Heat treatment and the machining are the unknowns that might make a knife unsuitable for shaving.

There is nothing wrong with wanting finer things in life. After all, that is the driving force behind progress. I just think that it is possible to get a satisfactory shave with far less than what many people deem necessary. And it is good to go back to the basics every now and again.

I hope no one spent $200 on a razor 300 years ago. That would be a fortune when adjusted for inflation.

I will let you in on a secret,you do not need to spend $200 for a setup today either. Just don't tell any one that I told you.

I would imagine people had similiar setups 200-300 years ago. No hollow ground razors, but razors nonetheless.

It sounds like your heart is set on shaving with a pocket knife, so go for it .

I don't have to shave with a knife, I just want to know if it's doable. And if not, why.
And I would not attempt to shave with a kitchen knife made of some junk stainless steel. But 440C should be suitable for razors, if properly treated.

So then, less than 60 Rockwell is no good for razors?

I have no idea, but here is a video of someone shaving with a paring knife.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...ing-knife.html

Originally Posted by time2shave

I don't have to shave with a knife, I just want to know if it's doable. And if not, why.
And I would not attempt to shave with a kitchen knife made of some junk stainless steel. But 440C should be suitable for razors, if properly treated.

So then, less than 60 Rockwell is no good for razors?