TI steel

I saw a TI Silverwing being offered in the BST thread not long ago, RAD kicked in and now I'm looking at buying a new razor and in quite honesty I do like TIs. Even if their QC is not always on par, their blades can be really good shavers, plus I really like their shoulder-less blade designs.

I was looking at some razors and I noticed there are still older razors from TI to be found that says Sheffield Silver Steel and I think that was the steel they used before the C135 steel.

So I'm not sure what I would want to buy a Silver Steel or the C135 steel razor. Maybe there's not much difference, but I was was wondering if anyone has both these type of razors and what your opinions are about these blades?

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Thanks in advance!

I believe they make one model they call Sheffield silver steel, It's still C135, still C135 is excellent steel extremely hard stuff holds a great edge.


Blade Finish: Sheffield C135 'Singing' Silver Steel, fully hollowed with a mirror polish and real 24k gold etch wash.

Blade Dimensions: 7/8'' Round Nose

The etch wash illustrates the heads of a wolf and a sheep with text of 'Sheffield Best Silver Steel Guaranteed'. The tang is stamped 'Thiers-Issard Made In France'.

I also found this info from someone who had already contacted Thiers.

I did get a response directly from TI, and they said that the "Sheffield Silver Steel" is a cosmetic etching only and that the blade material is the same as their other C135 blades. So, it's not from Sheffield, it has no silver, but it is steel.

Thanks!

That sounds pretty good, I hear good things about that steel, takes some times on the hones but once you put that finish you like on 'em they shave mighty fine and last for a good time!

It´s not important for you choice, since obviously both blades are made from the same steel.

But maybe it is interesting for future purchases:

C135 is a pure carbon steel, which means it is only alloyed with carbon. The alloy is 1,35% Carbon, (+ small amounts of manganese, silicone) rest iron.

"Silversteel" nowadays is 1.2210. It´s a low alloy cold work tool steel (but often also called "carbon steel" even if it´s not to 100% correct) The alloy is: 1,2% Carbon, 0,7% Cr and 0,1%Vanadium (+small amounts of manganese, silicone) , rest iron.

Both steels are excellent for razors and the differences are negligible. The c135 might be slightly harder after tempering, while the 1.2210 should be a bit more wear resistant due to it´s fine chromium and vanadium carbides. As long as the heattreating and hardening is done properly, both will give great shaving results.

best regards,
Ulrik

Aha! That is interesting, thanks for the knowledge!

I see Vanadium stamps on my working tools, the more you know

A lot of normal working tools are made from "chrome vanadium steel" but in that case it is a steel with far lower carbon content, because such tools have to be rather tough than hard. It´s more like 0,35% Carbon, 0,7% Chrome and 0,1% Vanadium.

best regards,
Ulrik

Apparently, at some point in time, someone actually tried making steel will silver in it. The silver improved the ability of the steel to take a mirror finish, but it was detrimental to the ability of the steel to take and hold an edge. Thus, silver is no longer used. But someone figured that "silver steel" would be a great marketing slogan. Thus, it is often used for any steel (C135 included) that will take a mirror finish. I love razors with highly polished steel.

FWW
For some time, "silver steel" has been synonymous with tool steel in the UK. What we would call O-1 and 0-2.
~Richard

Somewhat in the same area of conversation.

I got one of those older Grelots that were sold under TI, I got this one from Martin at Rasurpur a he put a Japanese finish on the razor, first time shaving with a Japanese natural finish, hot dayumn, that's a mighty fine edge.


Anyways, is this steel also harder steel or is there much known about the steel in these Grelots?

When the Silver Wing came out they advertised mightily it was a different steel than any of their other razors which were marked as silver steel. Once the initial silverwings came out folks complained they were hard to hone because the steel was harder so they modified the next batch oakwings as I recall to make them easier to live with.

I have several older TI's and an oakwing and I had a silverwing and I'll tell you the wings are way different than the regular models. They shave differently and the honing takes a little more time. The original silverwing was a pain to hone.

I do not think you have an option if you are looking at a new razor or one made in the last several years. As far as I know TI switched their production to a new steel they advertise as C135 or carbonsong.
Before then they often advertised their steel as 'silver steel' and used 'sheffield'. They had a limited run of pattern welded damascus and in the distant past they made stainless steel razors too. Of course, there is also the TIPTLE series with steel purportedly from the 1800s forged by Pierre Thiers himself.
I am not sure if they still use lead baths in their heat treatment, but they used to do that before the c135 days and marketed it as a very special traditional way for which they've obtained special exemption from the EU regulations.

In any case if you want something different from C135 at this point you have to look at the secondary market.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RayClem

Apparently, at some point in time, someone actually tried making steel will silver in it. The silver improved the ability of the steel to take a mirror finish, but it was detrimental to the ability of the steel to take and hold an edge. Thus, silver is no longer used. But someone figured that "silver steel" would be a great marketing slogan. Thus, it is often used for any steel (C135 included) that will take a mirror finish. I love razors with highly polished steel.

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This is simply not true.

Silver steel was the invention of James Stodart and Michael Faraday. They published their papers on the subject between 1818 and 1821. The sequence of alloys they tried was quite broad and included some extremely exotic (for the time) metals such as palladium, iridium/osmium and rhodium. They felt the exotic materials produced the best steel alloys, but they were cost prohibitive.

The material they were most excited about was imported steel from India mixed with a very small amount of silver.

This caused a long-running debate with Sheffield steel refiners, but in the end most ended up adopting the process.

Yes, they used real silver. No, it was not just a marketing slogan.

The process was still used up to about 1900. It was as simple as including a single shilling coin in each bar of steel (less than %1 by mass).

Stodart and Faraday claimed it improved the workability of the steel as well as added corrosion resistance.

Whether or not it really improved the steel is entirely debatable -- but whether or not silver was used in the refining of Sheffield steel is not debatable. It was. There are eyewitness accounts.