Steel quality?

I have many razors and have spent six years learning to hone well. And I get some amazing shaves from some of my razors. Others work well but the shaves just aren't that mindblowing. I am quite confident in my honing skills. Usually use a chosera 1k to norton 4/8k with coticule and escher or jnat finish. I am wondering why certain steels (all from germany, scandinavia, us) just don't do it for me. I find stainless particularly harsh. What gives? What is the chemistry behind all this? Or am I just imagining distinctions that aren't real?

A quality steel is just that and the origin should not matter and that includes stainless too. Having said that I find definite differences in razors from one to another and sometimes you can have two of the exact same razor and they can be very different. Why? A good question. I always thought it had to do with certain razors just being perfect like the car that comes off the assembly line perfect with no issues at all. Maybe with some it's perfect tempering and perfect grinding and perfect honing and finishing. Though I get great shaves from all my razors some are just a cut above and I think everyone who has a good number of razors will tell you the same thing. As far as the stainless question goes I have several and all are as good as any carbon though some can take bit more to hone properly but by the same token the most difficult razors I have when it comes to hone are select carbons not stainless.

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Originally Posted by instantcrow

I am wondering why certain steels (all from germany, scandinavia, us) just don't do it for me.

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I take it you're a fan of Sheffield steel? :p

+1
As someone who has quite a few razors :p and very few different styles ie: I target 5/8-6/8 Full to Extreme hollow grind Spike point razors, and at least 80% of my collection falls in that category...
Basically most of the differences in my razors fall too the steel, and there are differences, just like TBS said I get great shaves from all, but there are certain ones that just give the Whoa !!!!! shave... (some of the Whoa shavers are SS too)

I agree with thebigspendur. There are certainly common, good and premium grades of steel. And within grades there can be a fair degree of difference due to many variations in processing of the blade. Razor manufacturing is a technical process but there is still a large amount of "art" involved.

OP mentions harshness with stainless. I find that after finishing with the hones, stainless can frequently take more work with stropping. I find that well finished SS can give some of the best, smoothest shaves but it can be work getting there.

Forgot to list UK. Some sheffield are fantastic, others are so so. Quite a mystery.

Another factor with vintage razors in particular can be if corrosion has affected the edge steel.

This is what makes the straight razor business interesting. There is not exact truth...we just tinker and enjoy.

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Originally Posted by instantcrow

... I am wondering why certain steels (all from germany, scandinavia, us) just don't do it for me. I find stainless particularly harsh. What gives? What is the chemistry behind all this? Or am I just imagining distinctions that aren't real?

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The country of origin razors you mention above, along with US Steel, are typically a harder steel and hollow ground. I have a bunch of razors from many different origins and get great shaves from most of them. The razors that don't quite match up to the rest were usually honed in my early days of straight shaving. I find that if I take them back to the hones with what I have learned since I last honed them I can get them into the same shave class as the rest. There are razors that I have that exceed most in shave quality. These are usually hammer forged or cryo treated metals of which some are stainless steel. I believe some of the differences in edge quality relate to the techniques learned and the hones used. Since you already have a bevel pretty much set I would suggest picking your favorite of the non performers and go back to the 1k. Use very light pressure following the process I describe in this thread: http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...me-help-2.html , post #11 and hone at least a minute per side at a constant rate forget about counting laps. Try cutting one arm hair at a time at several points along the edge. The hairs should not pop but should fall over dead right on the spot. Once you get to this point you can move to the next hone. After the 8k go to the coti, same process. Finish with your Escher or Jnat. Give it a shave test. After a bunch of shaves with that razor go to back to the Escher or Jnat, which ever you didn't use the first time and run the razor through the same process. One finisher may give better edge on that particular razor over the other. Let us know how you make out. Good luck.