Thread: What steel do stainless steel razors use?

Anyone know what steel stainless steel razors use? I know Dovo's say "INOX" but I don't know if that refers to a specific steel or just any stainless steel.

Most production razors use 440C stainless.

Custom makers also can use some of the newer high tech steels.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Most production razors use 440C stainless.

Custom makers also can use some of the newer high tech steels.

Isn't 440C a terrible choice because of all the 20+ micron carbides breaking out of the edge?

Here's a pic of the Dovo Renaissance stainless at 200x.



Any variation in that edge is roughly 1 micron or less. The Dovo stainless are nice and smooth in my experience.

That is freshly honed though, right? In my 440C knives with an acute edge, by the end of a day's work the edge looks like a sawblade under a 100X.

Originally Posted by cotdt

That is freshly honed though, right? In my 440C knives with an acute edge, by the end of a day's work the edge looks like a sawblade under a 100X.

That may be, but just look at what you are doing with a knife. The toughest thing your razor comes up against is a little stubble. And there is very little pressure straight down on the cutting edge, unlike any work likely to be done with a pocket knife where you are essentially forcing the edge into hard objects.

I'm not a smith or anything, but I feel like 440c may be poorly suited to knife applications while working just fine for a razor. Again though, just my thoughts.

Inox is the french word for stainless steel.

Originally Posted by Yahoochiewatchie

Inox is the french word for stainless steel.

Yup, comes from inoxidable (cannot rust)

Originally Posted by Yahoochiewatchie

Inox is the french word for stainless steel.

Inox however can be summarizing for different kinds of stainless. Some inox steels are really good.

Here is an archived thread kicking this topic around and here is another that might be of some interest.