Thread: Stainless Steel Help

Originally Posted by altshaver

Hello All,
.....
I was wondering what people's impressions were of stainless steel razors. I have read up on stainless steel razors and have found that people say the edges last longer on them and that they are less prone to rusting. I have also read that they are much harder to hone.
......
Thank you for any help you may provide.

Stainless steel is interesting stuff. It does
not machine and grind the same as normal steel.
A machinist once remarked that he put a tiny back bevel
on the cutting edge tool steel because stainless would
grab, chatter and tear and leave a bad surface if he did not.
And in the 60's when Buck and Puma began shipping hard
as heck stainless blades the rumors about honing
stainless began.

The key in the 60's was that the old Arkansas stones no longer
did the job. Stainless was too hard and too tough
to hone with Quartz/Novaculite hones. The toughness
bit might be the biggest issue.

With todays high carbon stainless steel and modern
man made water stones this is no longer the issue.

If you are a natural hone guy, stainless and some
super hard carbon steel razors may not be for you.

Simply put...
A modern stainless str8 should be a fine razor.
Unless it is from Pakistan.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

Stainless steel is interesting stuff. It does
not machine and grind the same as normal steel.
A machinist once remarked that he put a tiny back bevel
on the cutting edge tool steel because stainless would
grab, chatter and tear and leave a bad surface if he did not.
And in the 60's when Buck and Puma began shipping hard
as heck stainless blades the rumors about honing
stainless began.

The key in the 60's was that the old Arkansas stones no longer
did the job. Stainless was too hard and too tough
to hone with Quartz/Novaculite hones. The toughness
bit might be the biggest issue.

With todays high carbon stainless steel and modern
man made water stones this is no longer the issue.

If you are a natural hone guy, stainless and some
super hard carbon steel razors may not be for you.

Simply put...
A modern stainless str8 should be a fine razor.
Unless it is from Pakistan.

A really coherent post with good information and advice.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

Stainless steel is interesting stuff. It does
not machine and grind the same as normal steel.
A machinist once remarked that he put a tiny back bevel
on the cutting edge tool steel because stainless would
grab, chatter and tear and leave a bad surface if he did not.
And in the 60's when Buck and Puma began shipping hard
as heck stainless blades the rumors about honing
stainless began.

The key in the 60's was that the old Arkansas stones no longer
did the job. Stainless was too hard and too tough
to hone with Quartz/Novaculite hones. The toughness
bit might be the biggest issue.

With todays high carbon stainless steel and modern
man made water stones this is no longer the issue.

If you are a natural hone guy, stainless and some
super hard carbon steel razors may not be for you.

Simply put...
A modern stainless str8 should be a fine razor.
Unless it is from Pakistan.

Great info but tho Arks are not really suited to SS & hard steel I wouldn't judge all natural hones to be the same... if that's what you meant

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Great info but tho Arks are not really suited to SS & hard steel I wouldn't judge all natural hones to be the same... if that's what you meant

Spot on. All natural hones are not the same.
The garnets in Coticule are harder than quartz
by a lot. However in the '60 they were rare stones
so rumors began, which was my point.

Natural hones can be almost anything and commonly
need to be evaluated in the context of the razors
being honed. No 'general' comment will cover
the complexities associated with natural hones.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

And in the 60's when Buck and Puma began shipping hard
as heck stainless blades the rumors about honing
stainless began.

Man, ain't that the truth, I remember when I first got my hands on a Buck 110 and later a Puma 972 Game Warden. Sin dipped in misery to hone those compared to the Case XX high carbon I was used to.