Meaning of the term "chemical steel"

Hi there,

I recently bought my first japanese, western style, razor.

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The seller believes that the razor was made of Yasuki steel, since this was written on the wrapper the knife came in.

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I have doubts myself but after searching for the explanation of the term "chemical steel" i did not come further that this meant simply 'imported' steel.

This did not make me any wiser on the matter so i hope some of you can tell me some more on the steel used for this Nile 17

Regards,

Erwin

All steel is chemical steel since it is made up of chemicals or elements. I would guess it's the same as calling a razor manganese steel or chrome steel. Just something to make it seem different.

Who knows if it means anything other than marketing trick to sell more razors.
I have a Japanese "Starlet" that is stamped "Silversteel", but the box says "Sehffield Steel" :shrug:

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It's a nice looking razor.

I'd say that it was "marketing". Maybe the Japanese translation of chemical steel sounds a lot better.

Where did you see the term "chemical steel"?

From the description of the razor, it appears to have been made from carbon steel (charcoal iron materials) which is produced by the Hitachi Yazuki (or Yazugi) steel mill. Hitachi is known to produce some fine blade steels, but since various grades of steel are produced in the plant (often identified as yellow, white and blue) , you do not know which was used in the razor.

You have a similar situation with Solingen, Sheffield and Swedish steels. For example, any steel produced in Solingen, Germany can be called Solingen steel, yet you have no clue as to the carbon content or alloy composition.

When you see the steel listed as C100, C135, 1095, 52100. D2, O1, Hitachi blue, etc. you can look up the specifications for the steel. However, even that does not tell you the hardness of the steel after heat-treatment unless the razor manufacture indicates the Rockwell hardness (HRC) of the blade. The alloy composition is only part of the description of the steel.

The Japanese have a long history of making high-quality blades, so I presume your razor was produced from a suitable high-quality steel, but unless you can find a more specific description of the steel, you may never know what was used. Just relish the notion that you have a wonderful razor that should hold a wonderful edge and give a wonderful shave.

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Originally Posted by RayClem

Where did you see the term "chemical steel"?

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It is stamped on the tang of the razor

Agreed with the above. It's only carbon steel. I have one stamped the same, hones and feels much like any Sheffield steel I would say. Welcome, and enjoy your razor, it's a fine looking piece indeed.

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"Chemical Steel" was a precursor to stainless steel and contains aluminum to "supposedly" make the steel more resistant to chemical breakdown (oxidizing and rust).
Maybe it is 1% less likely to rust than plain carbon steel but to me it rusts just as quickly if not dried immediately.