Thread: Stainless Steel or Carbon Steel

I heard a representative of Smokey Mountain Knife Works telling a customer the other day " Carbon is softer and will dull faster but is easier to sharpen, a stainless blade is a little harder to sharpen but will maintain a cutting edge much longer". Carbon does need to be oiled more often as carbon steel is more prone to rust, but then again like another user that I agree with......

Hawkeye5
"As far as oiling, it depends upon local humidity. I don't think guys in Wyoming have as much to worry about as someone in southern Mississippi. Also, how often the razor is used is a consideration. I don't oil any of my razors that are in rotation."

Originally Posted by cotdt

My stainless steel razors hone just as easy, last longer, and shave better than my carbon steel razors, although carbon steel feels smoother on the skin. Is there any non-custom razor better than a Friodur?

It's ironic, because stainless steel razors are made out of 440C which in theory is the worst steel possible for razors due to large grain size. 13C26 "razor steel" would be better, it is much more fine-grained than 440C and can reach hardnesses up to 63 hrc. The Friodur at 57 hrc already outlasts the carbon razors between hones.

Bottom line, the reason why I prefer stainless is not because they are lower maintaince or because they last longer between stropping/honing, but because they shave better.

Interesting stuff.
Thanks for sharing.
I really like my Friodur too.

Bart.

Originally Posted by Bart

My experience with stainless steel razors is that they hone about the same as any razor. The grind (wedge, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and full hollow) and the width of the bevel (which is correlated to the grind and the honing history of the razor) makes for much bigger differences in honing than the type of steel. Stainless steel is supposed to be more abrasion resistant than many carbon steel alloys, but at the same time it can't be hardened to the same levels as most carbon steel razors. The former might be compensating the latter. Either way, I never had a need for special hones or procedures when honing stainless blades as opposed to regular carbon steel ones.

I oil my stainless steel blades, just like I oil the rest of them. Stainless steel does corrode, albeit far less than non stainless steel. Still, the extremely thin apex of the very edge does not need much micro-corrosion to loose definition. I'm in the habit of oiling my razors after the shave anyway, so I don't really bother with making an exception for the stainless ones.

Best regards,
Bart.

I think the same as Bart just wrote

plus 1

One of my favorite sayings is that it should be two words, Stain Less not one word Stainless....

The answer to the oiling question depends partially on the nature of the climate you're living in with particular regards to proximity to the ocean. If you're on the shore, oil often! Here in central Massachusetts I rarely have to oil a carbon steel blade and it sits in the bathroom cabinet. Bathrooms are the highest humidity rooms in many homes.

Stainless can be looked at as "stain less" and not "stain free" so my advice is to clean it after use, keep it dry, and keep an eye on it to see if any discolorations or spots are forming. To remove water absolutely from a wet blade, dry it and then wipe or douse with alcohol. Alcohol displaces the water and that procedure is used in many laboratories to clean glassware.

While I don't have a stainless razor I'm familier with sharpening stanless knives of different makes of steel. With carbon steel I have found that I get a sharper edge that drops off sharply once it starts to dull. Stainless doesn't get as sharp but holds that lower edge a hair longer than a carbon steel edge does. I believe it has to do with the oxidization of the edge, when it comes to how fast it dulls. Carbide grain size has alot to do with it as well, but that for its sharpness at the start. I have a few knives with fine grain that still don't quite make the edges of my carbon steel edges.

I also think personal style and use effect how steel, from one side to the other, perform on any given day. I'm not a fan of stainless steel, I rather hate the stuff... and it don't like me ether

At the moment I only have one stainless kitchen knife that I use. One of Butch's monster kitchen knives. It's fun to scare the other cooks with

My carbon steel blades easily take an edge from regular stropping and some passes on the 4 sided pasted paddle strop which has Chrom ox pastes on them.

My staineless steel blades need passes on the diamond pastes strop side to sharpen up. My Chrom ox pastes take a long time to sharpen up the stainless steel blades, while the diamond pastes takes a fraction of the time.

I like cleaning up all the razors real nice after using them, but if I didn't all I would buy would be the stainless steel razors.

Pabster

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I think the same as Bart just wrote

plus 1

One of my favorite sayings is that it should be two words, Stain Less not one word Stainless....

One of my faves is actually a Rust Less....