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Hello All,
I am looking around and doing my research for my first new sr8. Have a few used ones which are working out great. For those of you that have a sliver steel razor is there any advantage to them? Quality, shavability (is that a word?), honing, etc.
Any opinions are appreciated.
Thanks,
John
Many of us feel it was just a gimmick to set the razors apart from the heard. I am not aware of any razors being sold today using that term so that should tell you something. Isn't hind sight great! :)
It's just Carbon Steel. I know of nothing that really distinguishes it from say Swedish Steel. It's probably all the same. I guess one of our metallurgists will chime in with the technical skinny on it.
Hello Joed,
Dovo currently sells a 5/8 silver steel razor with ebony scales.
Also, the reference to Sheffield silver steel and French straight razors
here
would seem to indicate that TI razors are made of silver steel (just not marketed as such).
Thanks,
Mike
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joed
Going by memory, because I'm too lazy to look it up, Michael Faraday, better known for his contributions to the science of electricity, developed Silver Steel. Back in the early 1800s he began experimenting with alloying small amounts of silver into cast steel with the intent of finding a more rust resistant alloy.
It wasn't a success and it is doubtful that the process was continued but the marketability of the name didn't escape the notice of the razor makers. Before you knew it many of them began etching and stamping their blades as Silver Steel.
TI marked blades as being of Silver Steel until fairly recently when they went to what they claim is a new alloy. The long and short of it is there is no particular benefit AFAIK in having a razor so marked. Nothing wrong with it either. I've got some old Greaves, among others marked silver steel and some TI razors. All good shavers.
Great advice guys. That definitely helps in making my decision.
Yes, hindsight is great.
Thanks again.
Some of the newer silver steel has a little better rust resistanse then the 10** or "plain steel" types
Silver steel means it contains over a certain persentage of silver
All different steel have small differences in feel (dont know this in peticular)
Its a good name to sell sinse its known as a prechious metal (and may sound exotic)
Here is a blurb from a bio of Faraday found on google books by Thompson ;
Faraday's scientific activities in the year 1820 were very marked. New researches on steel had been going on for some months. It had been hoped that by alloying iron with some other metals, such as silver, platinum, or nickel, a non-rusting alloy might be found.
This idea took its rise from the erroneous notion that meteoric iron, which is richly alloyed with nickel, does not rust. Faraday found nickel steel to be more readily oxidised, not less, than ordinary steel. The platinum steel was also a failure. Silver steel was of more interest, though it was found impossible to incorporate in the alloy more than a small percentage of silver.
Nevertheless, silver steel was used for some time by a Sheffield firm for manufacture of fenders. The alloys of iron with platinum, iridium, and rhodium were also of no great use. But the research demonstrated the surprising effects which minute quantities of other metals may have upon the quality of steel.
Occasionally in later life Faraday would present one of his friends with a razor made from his own special steel. A paper on the use of alloys of steel in surgical instrument making was published in the Quarterly Journal in collaboration with Mr. Stodart.
That was my first razor. Great shaver.Quote:
Originally Posted by mikey
Same here and I just bought another Silver Steel Blade... I hope it's not a gimmick!Quote:
Originally Posted by markevens
--Shoki
If the house starts burning, I'm grabbing my Peaso 25 Silver Steel on my way out the door.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zorro
All of my razors are sharp enough to effortlessly slice through my beard. The Silver-Steel seems to tip it's hat and offer a hushed "excuse me, please" as it does so.
Man, I love that razor.
zorro,
IIRC silver steel now refers to high carbon bright steel to e.g BS 1407:1970
Silver Steel BS1407 Chemical Composition
Analyis Range (%)Typical Analysis (%)
C 0.95 -1.25 /1.13
Si 0.40 max / 0.22
Mn 0.25 - 0.45 / 0.37
P 0.045 max/ 0.014
S 0.045 max./ 0.018
Cr 0.35 / .45. - 43
Have fun !
Best regards
Russ
Actually no "silver steel" contain silver. I donīt know if the historical one do, but I have serious doubt.
What actually is called silver steel is the steel 1.2210. Here are the incredients: Silver steel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It is very good useable for straight razors, because of its high hardness and the fine grain. It is good to polish but not more rust resistend, than any other no-stainless high carbon steel.
Actually there are some razors that do contain silver. A few manufacturers (just after Faradays formulation of the steel) made razors from it - one even a published a paper to advertise the fact. I can't remember the company, but the reference is in the SRP archives from the last time it was done to death - quite a while ago now.
The name survived however and apart from those early examples 'silver steel' merely denotes a bright tool steel now.
Regards,
Neil
I would too if it were handy. I have two (not sure if they are silver steel though) and they are great shavers.Quote:
Originally Posted by mbaglio100
Well, sorry to p*** on the silver steel parade but the one razor I have that says silver steel is not to my liking... Tends to pull. It is beat up so maybe at some point it lost its temper... get it... lost its temper.
Great info gents. I have some homework to do, with pleasure of course!:beer2:
I have an old Flic razor made of Silver Steel. It is an amazing shaver. After my honing process it produces a smooth and close shave with very little effort. I really like it. I took a chance since it was rusty, but it has cleaned up well and performs perfectly!
Information available for silver steel here:
Silver Steel Knife Steel Composition Analysis Graph And Information Details
I do not know if this is the same steel used for razors or not though.