Thread: Stainless blades

Nubo, you don't have to baby carbon steel just make sure it's dry and don't store it in the bathroom or anywhere it will be bobarded with constant humidity. I can't remember the last time I oiled my carbon blades, I just dry them well, leave them out while I dress, and put them up when I leave the house.

I am so lucky to live in NV. I could leave my razor wet when I was done and it would be completely dry in ten minutes, looking as new as the day it was purchased!

Ok, I have picked up a another stainless just yesterday. I have a new Dovo Master's coming in. I will let you all know how that one carves turkey.

Friodur steel should be as good as any carbon steel. Can anyone verify that?

Originally Posted by Jock

Friodur steel should be as good as any carbon steel. Can anyone verify that?

Some would say better lol. IME Friodurs are fine blades and shave right up there with the best carbon blades. I'm not sure I'd say they're better, but defintely not any worse.

Originally Posted by Cgm

And I know stainless is harder then the carbon, but did not imagine I would feel it on my face.

Just a technicality but stainless razors are 'tougher' rather than 'harder'. They would usually be tempered like a 'softer' carbon steel razor. SS is abrasion resistant tho so can take a little bit more honing.

Originally Posted by Ryan82

Some would say better lol. IME Friodurs are fine blades and shave right up there with the best carbon blades. I'm not sure I'd say they're better, but defintely not any worse.

Good to know, since I'm bidding on one

The metallurgists on this forum may take issue with characterizing stainless or carbon as "harder" or "tougher" than another. The formulations and characteristics of stainless or carbon steel are complex and dependent upon many alloying factors not the least of which is the tempering process.

I know less about the exact composition of my SR steel than I do my hunting and pocket knives, but there are some key physical characteristics needed to make a good razor. That main two are HARDNESS and TOUGHNESS. Hardness, like the Rockwell standard, is a measure of compression taken with a very hard probe. Most knives and razors come in at 57-62 Rockwell. Most of our razors come in at this level. This is actually one of the easier parameters to achieve by way of heat treating, and it is hardness that determines potential sharpness. But too much can make it too brittle resulting in a very fine edge that breaks off like glass while shaving. Toughness, is a measure of flexibility (to bend and return to its original form). This is a very important parameter for retaining a fine edge while shaving. This is accomplished by tempering. The process comes after the HIGH heat hardening step by reheating to a lower temperature ~400-1200 F depending on the alloy, followed by a quenching quick cool in water, oil, dry ice (stainless), or even wet mud (Japanese). Dovo and Thiers Issard quench carbon blades in a 1200 F degree bath of liquid lead.

Both carbon and stainless can exhibit excellent hardness and toughness. But in general, stainless is more likely to snap when bent due to the chrome alloy, although today's stainless alloys are much more resistant to breaking than in the past. Carbon can generally be made much tougher than stainless and is the preferred alloy for tool steel. Laminated or Damascus carbon steel knives are incredibly tough able to be bent to 90 degrees without breaking.

If made properly, both stainless and carbon steel can exhibit ideal properties for a SR with stainless having the additional advantage of rust resistances.

Originally Posted by tiddle

Nubo, you don't have to baby carbon steel just make sure it's dry and don't store it in the bathroom or anywhere it will be bobarded with constant humidity. I can't remember the last time I oiled my carbon blades, I just dry them well, leave them out while I dress, and put them up when I leave the house.

Aye, there's the rub. I can't be bothered to store my razor in a different room, if I have a reasonable alternative.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Just a technicality but stainless razors are 'tougher' rather than 'harder'. They would usually be tempered like a 'softer' carbon steel razor. SS is abrasion resistant tho so can take a little bit more honing.

That's what I heard - that they take extra effort to hone. I have enough trouble as it is with carbon razors....!!

Originally Posted by rum

That's what I heard - that they take extra effort to hone. I have enough trouble as it is with carbon razors....!!

Excuse me for sweating the details, but it is the HARDNESS of stainless that makes it both more scratch resistant and more difficult to hone.

TOUGHNESS is related to flexibility (ability to return to its original state after being bent or torqued).