Thread: Razors made of Stainless Steel

Gentlemen,

Do razors made of stainless steel keep the edge sharp longer than carbon steel?

Thanks.

If memory serves me right, the short answer is "yes". The long answer is as follows:

Stainless can hold an edge longer, but is a bit more difficult to re-sharpen than carbon steel. Also, stainless tends to....stain less. So if you're in a humid region, stainless might be the way to go.

But in the end, all straights will need to be honed every few months (dependent upon shave frequency, obviously).

+1 with what Kasperitis said. Stainless is a bit of a pain to get sharp initially, and god help you if you put a chip in the bevel, but it will last marginally longer.

That said, the feel of stainless can be a little different (I suspect due to the hardness of the steel).

Mark

Originally Posted by Milton Man

That said, the feel of stainless can be a little different (I suspect due to the hardness of the steel).

Mark

Is that a positive or a negative?

do most people find the "different" good or bad?

Red

I think this is a total YMMV situation, and also razor dependant. The alloys used in the manufacturing process of different stainless steels affect it's ability to hone, keep an edge, and how it feels. Only one way to really find out though - give it a shot!

Mark

Any opinions on the Dovo Inox 5/8"?

Originally Posted by bbsupersport

Any opinions on the Dovo Inox 5/8"?

Generally I recall hearing good things, but check out the review forum or do an advanced search on "Dovo Inox" - that should pull up a few things at least.

Mark

FWIW I had a shave with a vintage Henckels stainless that I honed myself and it was smooth as butter. No pasted strops either (which supposedly is good to use on stainless). Some Henckels' could be considered the standard stainless blades since they are much more common than some others.

Dovo INOX 5/8 blades are excellent shavers! My #41 blade is top notch, and low maintenance.