Thread: Blue steel?

Being a victim of RAD, I've been looking at a lot of razors on ebay. Every once in a while, I see a razor made of "blue steel." What is blue steel? What are its characteristics? I presume it's a type of carbon steel. Is it better or worse than other carbon steels?

There is a japanese steel known as blue steel or aogami. It is a very good non stainless steel. It comes wrapped in blue paper, hence the name. There are two other steels white paper (shirogami) and silver paper (?). I think there are subdivisions of these blue 1 2 etc but i am not sure on that. I think blue differs from white in having tungsten added.

There is also a surface treatment called bluing or blueing. I would call this blued steel, but i have seen it referred to as blue steel too. Some razors are blued, but it is not really to my taste.

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what is the benefit of bluing steel or is there one?

Thanks for the replies, gents. So German blue steel razors, like this one would be blued (surface treated) steel, rather than being an alloy including tungsten?

The technique used on gun barrels to make them dark (a blue black) is called blueing. That razor doesn't look anywhere near that color. I wouldn't think that blueing would be a good idea for a razor because the blueing will slowly come off, but maybe I'm wrong.

I have heard that the steel used in "Bulldog Brand" knives is known as blue steel or old blue because in time, after much handling, it takes on a bluish hue.
maybe some steel experts can confirm whether there is any truth to this, or whether there is such a steel?

Originally Posted by Howard Newell

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Are you sure that's not "Magnum"?

I think the razor you have may have at one time been blued but has either worn off or was taken off. I have a few blued razors. They are easy to care for because they don't rust like gun bluing they are protected. Its also possible the razor you have is just one of those razors with a gee whiz name that means nothing but at one time impressed the public.