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This is to straighten out the manufacture process of the Damascus razors of Thiers-Issard here in France. We hand forge two very high quality and VERY SIMILAR ROCKWELL metals (this is very important), sandwiching them together making the complex damascus design. It is tempting to use not similar rockwell metals for the two different base materials as this gives a nice design but this will not give a good razor! What we use are some very excellent carbon steel that hardens each to a very similar 60-62 rockwell, we hand forge these two into a razor form with the basic form that closely resembles what the razor will eventually be. This is very important also, as some other attempts to do damascus razors have been done with a knife form without resembling really a real razor. Our damascus razors are formed as real razors and then we grind them down (and that is not at all a piece of cake!!) to the thinness required for a real finished razor, obeying to the requirements of a normal razor! Now at this stage we protect the edge of the razor with a small varnish layer (this is what you think of as a different piece of metal right at the edge but it is not!) We do this so during the process of acid bathing which shows or "reveals" the wonderful damascus design on the razors, the edge is not "revealed". We do this because after long experimentation, we have come to the conclusion that it is better to have an edge that is formed of the two layers of steel mixed "croissant-like" in the damascus forging process, but without the "breaking" of the damascus revealing process so as not to weaken the edge. In this way we get an absolutely beautiful razor with all the strength and wonderful rockwell, (just ask those who have sharpened and used)of a fine edge. And of course there will be discussion in terms of metallurgical terms as to whether or not the hand beating of the layers of steel during the folding process further improves the quality of the steel. So know you know basically how our razors are made.
Some other points:
1. If we mixed layers of different rockwell materials, say 55 and 60
rockwell layers, than we would get beautiful decorations but the edge
would not be good as we would get some softer and some harder regions
on the cutting edge. The secret of our razors (and which makes them
very difficult to work) is the extreme hardness and similar hardness
of each layer worked together.
2. We only use carbon steel never stainless (as do some other
companies who have tried to make damascus razors.) Just as we do for
our normal razors, we just don't feel that stainless steel works for
a razor. Of course it tends not to rust but it just does NOT CUT IT!
That is all we feel she wrote. It is our opinion, but also those of
our customers, who plebiscite our quality and material choice.
3. Also, please note that our damascus razors are hand-forged not
merely made out of laser-cut industrial damascus or made out of
industrial damascus which has been banged a few times or "lengthened"
under a forging hammer and called thus "hand-crafted". Our damascus
is truly made in very small number and carefully worked each piece.
We never have used industrial damascus of any kind. It means that
the product is not cheap but it also guarantees an excellent quality
and that each piece will be individually beautiful.
I do hope that the above improves the understanding of our products.
Please note however that we are always seeking to improve our
products and are constantly experimenting to improve these razors for
you our customers.
David Loft for Thiers-Issard **** Elephant
But still a very good razor - I shaved with it again this morning and found it smooth and comfortable.