Thread: Any way to understand if a straight is stainless steel?

Hi,
I'm told that stainless steel straights require different material for honing. Is there any way to understand if a razor is stainless? Thanks.

Stainless razors dont require different materials for honing, but they do sometimes require a slightly different number of strokes on the hones, as you can read in this pyramid honing guide.

Lynn has said that stainless razors seem to do better with slightly more polishing strokes at the end of the honing. But you can use the same hones for them.

In terms of telling them apart, some of the newer razors (DOVO for a start) actually mark the razors as stainless. But other than that, I'm not sure how to tell them apart. Hopefully one of the steel guys will chime in here!

Good luck and keep us posted!

Some brands are marked Friodur, Rostfri, or SS. Off the top of my head I would say that most have some designation on the tang marking them as stainless. A big exception being custom razors.

Try a magnet. Most (but not all) stainless steel isn't magnetic.

Brian

Originally Posted by Benthic

Try a magnet. Most (but not all) stainless steel isn't magnetic.

Brian

The high-carbon stainless used in quality cutlery will still be magnetic.

This reminds of some old posts here on SRP.
What was said then was that you can put a drop of orange or lemon juice in the blade (for example in the back of the shank or in the tail) - if it's carbon it will change color, if not it's stainless.

Here are a few rules of thumb. If a razor is vintage, it will virtually always say "stainless", "Inox" or "rostfrei" on it. If it's made anywhere else, it's almost certainly high carbon steel. A drop of lemon juice or vinegar will turn high carbon a dark color where it contacts. It could take a few minutes, though.

Care for it as though it's high carbon steel and you'll do just fine. It doesn't require any different hones or different strops. You just have to hone them till they're sharp enough to suit your fancy. I think high carbon steel will take a better edge, but that's just one man's opinion.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Some brands are marked Friodur, Rostfri, or SS. Off the top of my head I would say that most have some designation on the tang marking them as stainless. A big exception being custom razors.

Are all Friodurs stainless? I thought that was a tempering, freezing process and not an indication of material.

Goog

Originally Posted by ferroburak

Hi,
I'm told that stainless steel straights require different material for honing. Is there any way to understand if a razor is stainless? Thanks.

For razor steel today use the same hones and
care for them all the same.

When stainless entered the knife market in the
mid 60's a lot of us with American Arkansas hones
had a heck of a time with the new steel. And
the rumors began.... but remember knives and
razors are different.

Razors have always been harder than knife steel
so little has changed. Modern man made water
stones all have very hard and sharp abrasives so
there is no problem...