Thread: Stainless Steel Razors

Howdy all

hope your having a good one today. I wante to ask all the straight razor users out there what they thought of stainless steel blades.

How do you guys feel they compare against the regular steel?

I just got a restored henckels 401 in the mail today and the blade blows my new friodur out of the water. It just slices through hair on the hht while the friodur doesn't even come close.

Is this something you have also experienced or is my friodur just not as sharp as I think?

Hi Basil,

I have but one stainless steel razor so I can’t make any global pronouncements- Oh, heck yes I can…

A properly designed, crafted, and maintained stainless straight razor will shave with the best of regular steel razors.

I have a twenty year old Henckel’s Friodur (#50 ½) that was a so-so shaver before Lynn worked it over about five years ago. Since then I’ve been able to tweak the edge to suit my own face. Shaves great. Any better than regular steel? Nope. But no worse either. Wish I had a bag of them...

Keep in mind that there are many Friodurs kicking around (the 7/8s and the 8/8s) that were never final ground or assembled by Henckel’s. These blades are something of a mixed bag depending on who ground them and put them together.

Hope this helps,
LG Roy

Hello, Basil:

I have both stainless steel and carbon razors. To me, they make little difference in the way they shave. I strop, clean and oil both the same way. I understand the stainless steel is a little more difficult to hone, but it does keep an edge. It's a question of preference.

Regards,
Obie

Any I've had have all been good. I don't know that I could accurately rate one over the other.

I really like my stainless blades. I find them just as good as the carbon, though they may feel a little different. Can't quite say how & it may just be my imagination. It's like they're not quite as gentle on my face. Feels fine after the shave, just a little different during.

The Friodur is a 5/8 and I bought it new off of Nashville knife shop. So I assume it's one of the newer ones on the market.

I ordered the blade pre sharpened but it just never felt that way when I used it. It dragged on my face badly. I touched it up on a coticule and it since has shaved better but I guess not to the best of it's ability. Maybe I should send it ti get re honed.

Friodur steel is stainless.

"IT BURNS US!!!"

Once you get the edge set properly I'm sure stailess blades would serve you well.... They just don't like me at all...

I have a number of them and if you blindfolded me I couldn't tell the difference when shaving.

Basil,

Sounds like all your Friodur needs is the attention of a honemeister.

I'm curious, is there a model number (or any number) etched or stamped on the tang of your Friodur? An inquiring mind...

LG Roy

PS: Let us know how the razor performs if you get it honed. So far there is not much conventional wisdom on these new Henckel's