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Hi all. I have been wondering the difference between stainless and carbon steel. What i am wondering about is the quality of the shave? Is there a big difference? I'm new to this, I just now am shaving regularly without having to touch up with DE. Thanks.
Don't own a stainless. Carbon works great for me.
Even my pocket knives are carbon steel. GOt some stainless knives. They work too, but carbon steel is my preference.
My Colt Commander that I carry every day is stainless. ;)
Let me preface with I do not own a SS razor, but I have heard there is not a major difference feel wise. SS on the other hand is more corrosion resistant and will also take a few more strokes to hone up vs carbon steel. As for edge retention I honestly don't know. I have read arguments that say SS holds an edge better but others that say either steel will have same edge retention. I am sure its far more complicated than just SS vs. Carbon for edge retention; things like tempering and steel type variants come into play there as well. I am sure an expert will weigh in shortly. I hope to grab a SS blade soon, but it is not something seen often in cheap vintage razors.
I would say there is a somewhat distinctive feel, having had one of the Dovos & now loving the Friodur. Just from the variety of different preferences, certainly some will not like the feel, but I do. The Dovo actually made me want the Friodur, which I bought from a member here. I'd do it again - and will likely get another.
I have and use both types of razors. In use I don't find a whole lot of difference between the two types. They hone up very similarly too for me. Stainless is a little more rust resistant and that can be a benefit in humid environments. That said I do like my stainless blades for some unknown reason.
Bob
Just my take, back in the '60s and '70s stainless pocket knives were harder to sharpen, did not hold an edge as well IME. So I developed a dislike for stainless. Razors from that era seemed to be a different animal, not displaying those characteristics. Fast forward a couple of decades and stainless pocket knives dominate the scene, and have vastly improved in their edge holding ability.
Whether vintage or current, I've had nothing but good luck with a variety of stainless razors. I still have mostly carbon, but the half dozen or so stainless razors I've got all shave equally well. I think if it is from a known quality maker, honed and maintained properly, one is as good as the other.
I have both types. I can't say that one is better than the other. Nor can I say stainless feels differently from carbon. All of my blades feel differently. I think this depends on a host of factors, including the grind, the thickness of the spine, the width of the blade, the type of steel and the tempering/forging. Anyhoo, I don't focus on stainless vs. carbon when I buy because you can get a great shave from either.
Like Jimmy said and the others have stated, the newer stainless steels are as good as any carbon steel for edge retention and they're not prone to rusting or staining. That is the up side to stainless.
I've got a Buck 110 pocket knife that I carried in Nam. It was made in '71. That thing will wear a carburundum hone. It's got some HARD steel in it. I've cut the edges off several of my friends knives with it. It's made from 440A. Most makers use 440C now or variations of 154CM. I own knives made from all 3. They're all great knives and I see no reason why that stuff won't make a great razor.
Only reason I have no stainless razors is primarily that all of my razors are vintage. I prefer it that way. IF perhaps someday I run across a stainless blade that way under priced, I might grab it just to have one in the mix.
Only difference I find is in the honing. The stainless steels are a bit tougher than the carbon and usually take a few, to many more strokes on a hone at each later level. If they are not very sharp at 1K you will play hell getting an edge at all on later hones. Do not depend on later hones to remove any material at the edge as we often do on carbon steel blades. They do hold nice and pleasant edges though. HESS, Wapi, Böker are good, in my experiences.
A good razor is a good razor!
~Richard
Yea I'm with the others. I find no difference shave wise with stainless. if I was blindfolded I couldn't tell the difference.
It might take a few extra passes on the hone but I've had carbon steel razors that took way more passes than any stainless.
Gentlemen,
I have both stainless and carbon steel razors and find no measurable difference in the honing and the shaving. Although stainless steel razors are a wee bit easier to maintain — my travel razor is a Friodur INOX — I still clean and oil them as I do carbon.
Obie,, we should all have your maintenance habits :<0) It looks to me like the OP has been answered in that if there is a difference you would be hard pressed to notice it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Obie
+1
Agree completely.
Although, when I caught my Henckels Friodur SS virus, the second Friodur I found proved extremely difficult to put a nice edge on.
I bought this one as new old stock (NOS) from a specialty knife/razor shop in Europe and believe it was produced towards the end of the Henckels straight razor production era. It came in a small metal coffin with Henckels instruction leaflet, but strangely does not carry any model number on shank or tang.
In the meantime, I managed to tame this one too and most of my shaves are now SS Friodurs, followed by carbon Austs as close second.
@JimmyWetshaver
Sounds like whoever ground the blank didn't temper it afterwards or didn't temper it correctly.
I have Ralf Austs in both carbon steel and stainless. I cannot feel or see any difference. They both are great shavers. I'd say it's your choice as to which you want.
I'm a carbon kind of a guy. I find at the very pinnacle of your honing ability, carbon takes a very slightly keener edge. Is the difference worth worrying about? No.
Of course, stainless is much lower maintenance around water.
I have both types and I prefer the stainless. IMO stainless is a bit harder to dial in on the hones, where carbon seems to fall in place for me. Stainless seems to hold it's edge better and need less touch ups .
Thanks Guys, I am so much in awe of the knowledge available on this site. History, metallurgy, honing and shaving. All in one place, amazing. Now how can I tell one from the other, remember I'm a Noob. I ask because I have a Clauss, a Jung, and a Worchester. All shave well (my limited opinion) two pull and tug while the other one feels much smoother. All honed by experienced honers. All have close to the same blade size. Is it possible it's the steel? Or just me. Lol
carbon they are easier to hone and get a keener edge.
All honed by the same guy? Also different razors have different feels and need different techniques at times. I prefer the feel of heavy grinds myself.
Saying "carbon" vs "stainless" is kind of like saying Ford vs Chevy. There are many different types of both "stainless" and non-stainless. There are too many factors as others have already mentioned to say that one is better than the other. Basic "carbon" steel is iron with .5% to 1% carbon added to it. This allows it to be heat treated so it will hold an edge and be flexible. It also gets a very fine (thin) edge relatively easily. As other elements are added to the steel they can change the way it behaves. For instance if they add about 13% chromium, they then call it "stainless" as it resists corrosion quite well. The chromium also increases the wear resistance which can make it hard to sharpen and can also increase its ability to hold an edge. There are endless possibilities, but as already mentioned, other things can have an even greater impact on performance such as grind and heat treatment.
Yup, Stainless steel simply has Chromium added to the steel for corrosion resistance. Tool steel is also higher in chromium but not high enough to make it stainless. Now also keep in mind the name, it is Stain Less steel, not no stain or no corrosion. Under the right conditions will stain/corrode. Most stainless is softer on the Rockwell hardness scale than carbon steel and it tends to take a less keen edge. The key is how it is tempered. The good stuff is ice or cryogenic hardened. Most of my stainless knifes are cryo hardened and have a 58-62 hardness.
I have both, and as long as it is a properly treated stainless it will give you a good shave. As others have noted they can tend to take a few more passes on the hone but tend to hold their edge better. Now is that the hardness of the blade or simply because the steel does not oxidize like carbon steel so the edge stays fresher longer, I dont know. You will get a good shave from either and if you live in a high humidity location or do something silly like keep your blades in the bathroom where they get steamy and stay damp then stainless would be a very good option.