Razorblade steel

EDWilson · Oct 10, 2003

If there is a steel with outstanding properties than it is stainless razorblade steel. Why does the knife community don´t get access to it?
Does anyone know how they put 13% Cr in the steel and get a fine strukture like in 52100?
If i see that the stainless steel with carbonsteel properties is already there or possible to make i don´t want to be excluded.
Maybe we can have stainless campknives if they make stainless low carbon razorblade steel.

Isn´t it a good buisness to sell us some raw material, since no one will grind their own stainless razorblades from it.
Any idea how to get this steel?

Razorblade analysis from a book:
C 1,01
Si 0,1
Mn 0,41
Cr 13,9
Mo 0,4
Ni 0,17
V 0,1

Protactical · Oct 10, 2003

I use a replaceable blade straight razor. It's embarassing really. However the steel while amazing does rust fairly easily. The blades are German, but I tried Wilkinson for one pack, and they were just terrible, so I returned to the German ones.

rdangerer · Oct 10, 2003

Seems like 13C26, a common Swedish stainless, has been mentioned as being used for razor blades.

See Sandvik's site:

http://www2.sandvik.com/sandvik/014...3e84de4fa71b03f541256713003a4c3d?OpenDocument

Low carbon (0.4% to 0.6%), 13.5% to 14% chrome stainlesses are quite easy to locate. 420HC, 425MOD, 420MOD are all examples.

Then tend to make very corrosion resistant, moderately hard steels that are just "ok" knife blades. Probably fairly tough for stainless... but that is all relative. Pretty brittle compared with simpler carbon or low alloy steels.

rlinger · Oct 11, 2003

The analysis looks good. That carbon content puts it as a high carbon steel.

RL

frank k · Oct 11, 2003

It appears that everything from 301 stainless to M2 is used for razors. Here are some of the more common Martensitic stainless steels -

http://www.specialtyblades.com/materials/heat_treated.html

It looks like the HI CARBON RAZOR BLD STAINLESS steel is similar to the steel composition posted by ED Wilson.

Heres the rest -

http://www.specialtyblades.com/

- Frank

EDWilson · Oct 11, 2003

I guess this was a stupid question because as you mentioned stainless razorblade steel can mean anything.
I will try to find a stainless replaceable razor blade that holds it´s edge as long as the carbon ones and shaves as well.

Thank you!

frank k · Oct 11, 2003

Not a stupid question at all Ed.

BTW, Welcome to Bladeforums.

- Frank

mete · Oct 11, 2003

It's like the term spring steel. Any steel that is used for springs is by definition -spring steel. But the properties that make a good razor blade steel don't necessarily make a good knife steel. Besides you're probably a young guy and not familiar with the progression. Even after straight razors it was carbon steel, chrome plated, platinum plated, teflon ,stainless steel and now a lubricating strip next to the blade .Choice of a steel by the maker ,who has different considerations, may not be the same for the user. But the nicest thing is that we have a great choice. A 440C is nice but the S30V is even nicer !