Thread: What makes Solingen and Sheffield so great?

And why do Solingen and Sheffield have such high reputations as outputting quality razors?

Is it a certain quality of steel that they have? And if so, what is that quality. Not so soft that it dulls too fast, not so hard that it is to brittle?

If you don't have time to expound to a newb, I'd love to be provided with good links.

Solingen, Sheffield, Spain, sweeden and japan all have a long history of steel production
Why there better then the rest, who knows.
Pride and competition is part of it, but (ok ill cut it short and just say i got no idah)

how easy it was to find the ore and how far from running water it was may also influence where they ended up

It would really take some digging through history to explain it properly. Basically Sheffield was one of the first if not the first place to make great cutlery due to advances in metallurgy at the time. Eventually later advances in grinding allowed Solingen to take off and then the high demand in the states and with the right people immigrating to the US allowed good razors from good steel to be made in the states as well. I'm not sure how Swedish steel has fit into the mix but they have many outstanding razors as well......then of course Spanish razor are great too.

Originally Posted by TheRedlines

It would really take some digging through history to explain it properly. Basically Sheffield was one of the first if not the first place to make great cutlery due to advances in metallurgy at the time. Eventually later advances in grinding allowed Solingen to take off and then the high demand in the states and with the right people immigrating to the US allowed good razors from good steel to be made in the states as well. I'm not sure how Swedish steel has fit into the mix but they have many outstanding razors as well......then of course Spanish razor are great too.

A great digging through history is exactly what I'm looking for. Know where I can find a good read on the subject?

American steel was really good too. Some of my favorite razors are from the USA.

Do you know what it is about the steel that makes it better for shavers?

I personally don't know, cause I don't know much about steel. The forge in the workshop section would be a good place to ask.

I'd assume it's the right alloy and the right heat treat for a razor that will hold an edge without being brittle and isn't so hard you can't hone it. It's also the skill of the grinders to be able grind the razor evenly and finely without running into heat issues or otherwise damaging the blade. As I understand it, razors are among the most difficult implements to make.

some of the secret of good steel is knowing what you got.
One big advantage they had was not having to import, therfor getting the chanse to learn how to treat it properly

I am no historian, but a quick search produces some results. Solingen was a center for sword production in medieval times. Naturally, when swords fell out of favor, the city adapted to crafting razors, razor blades, and cooking cutlery.

Sheffield is an incredibly important city with regard to steel. Many innovations to steel came from that city including the invention of stainless steel.

At one time, Sheffield was the cutlery capital of the world. In time, Solingen took its place. Now, who knows if there is a "cutlery capital of the world?"

As far as razor steels go, you have high carbon steel and stainless steel (usually 440C stainless steel). Nowadays, the stainless steel used in custom razor manufacturing can get complicated. I'll let our custom razor guys chime in on the properties of the steels.

Some helpful links:

Solingen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sheffield - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Carbon steel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stainless steel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Straight razor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Heres a few history links:
Straight razor history 1500-1820
Straight razor history 1820-1850
Straight razor history1850-present day
history straight razor - Google Search