Thread: Help getting details on this blade

Hello everyone,

I just purchased this blade from eBay and I am a little confused about it: the seller states that it is a stainless steel razor, which I assume is correct since the blade looks like that, however, there are no markings on the blade about this. Usually, you find either "Inox" in some variations, with or without a "no stain" whatever. I dont' know how important this is, but the twins are stamped paralel to the blade.

Now, my assumption is that this may be a razor from the early days of the Friodur production, but I am only guessing (and not even an educated guess).

So, I would very much appreciate your help and thoughts about this.




PS: I also bought a Henckel #17 Friodur blade, with the number 17 stamped on the tail of the blade, similar to this one, with the same color on the scales, the same geometry, almost the same size, but with "Inox. No stain" stamped on the blade.

The version of the twins can help you narrow down the production date. There's some info here (https://shavelibrary.com/w/J._A._Henckels) and probably more on the net.

Some more info here STRAZORS.com - all about classic razors - Zwilling J.A. Henckels AG, Solingen. .

If the blade is not marked as stainless steel I would have my doubts that it is stainless steel because makers like to brag about special features of their blades and would mostly mark it as such. You cannot go by the looks of the blade as a polished regular carbon steel blades looks like a stainless steel blade. You also cannot tell by testing if they are magnetic or not. I have tried using a magnet on various German stainless steel blades from German makers, including Henckels, and they are all magnetic as are the regular carbon steel blades.

Even if it is not stainless steel, it is in very nice condition, NOS even.

Bob

I maybe wrong, but I don't think the Henckels 17s were stainless I believe them to be carbon blades.

I have 17’s both in the Friodur and carbon steel. It seems to me that if it not marked Friodur on the blade it is carbon steel. It also seems to me that the Friodur blades came in the faux ivory and the carbons were all in black scales. Of course there is variations on everything, scales get swapped etc etc.

Are they a high grade stainless that is not magnetic? If so that would be a way to tell.

Originally Posted by bouschie

Are they a high grade stainless that is not magnetic? If so that would be a way to tell.

My Henckels Friodurs are magnetic. So are all my other German made stainless steel razors.

Bob

I’ve never checked any of my stainless razors.
Good info though Bob. It sounded like a good idea.

Originally Posted by RezDog

I’ve never checked any of my stainless razors.
Good info though Bob. It sounded like a good idea.

Just checked mine today because of this thread. There are certain types of stainless steel that are non magnetic but I don't know if they are used in the making of straight razor blades.

Bob

I also have a 17 stainless/Friodur, they made them both ways.

I doubt that the OPs is stainless though, it should be stamped as such, but there were oddballs over the decades.