Thread: Oldest stainless razors?

Thanks Bob! That is the first time that I have seen an article that really partially uncovers the subject beyond the much later claimants.
~Richard

Originally Posted by Geezer

Thanks Bob! That is the first time that I have seen an article that really partially uncovers the subject beyond the much later claimants.
~Richard

You are welcome. I have come to the conclusion that about the only thing definite you can say about the origins of stainless steel is that it is about 100+ years old.

Bob

You have to be careful cause there really is no such thing as "stainless Steel". It's really a series between Nickel Steel and Chrome Steel and can have all kinds of trace materials in it so I would guess the stuff from 1910 is radically different from the stuff from the 1960s.

It's kind of like years ago people referred to their refrigerator as a "frigidaire" even though that's a brand only.

I think it looks like that several formulas were around earlier, but that none were particularly successful until about 1910-1920.

As far as the phrase "stainless steel" (or rustless steel) I don't only think "stainless" is vague. "Steel" is too. Pure steel is actually among the purest iron around. It usually has more iron in it than pig iron or cast iron for instance, and also higher percentage of iron than most "gold" contains gold. So if carbon steel is actually nearly pure iron, why don't we call it iron or high carbon iron I do realize that the carbon content is important for hardness, but more carbon seems to make it "iron" again (e.g. cast iron). Ha ha

I know nothing about steel. All I can say is that steel commonly referred to as stainless steel/rost frei/inox can indeed rust/stain but at an extremely slower rate than other commonly used carbon steels in razor making. As a user of straight razors that is about all I need to know to make stainless steel razors favourites of mine. I have yet to see a badly pitted stainless steel razor including the two 80-90 year old examples I have. I can't say the same for some regular carbon steel razors I have come across.

Bob