Putting this thread in the DE razors section as the most popular section though it could go in either the DE or SE razors area.
So far as I know the first stainless steel razor was the Darwin, introduced in the 1930s from England. A beautiful art deco design razor which now seems to go for circa $1000 when they appear on ebay. A DE razor design.
I discovered a second vintage razor that by my tests is also stainless steel today. It is a last model (that I know of) CV Heljestrand lather catcher style wedge blade single edge razor. I bought one on Ebay and it arrived Wednesday, a 7 blade boxed set in almost NOS condition except missing the strop and stropping blade holder. I noted the finish was high polished metal and did not look like silver, Nickle or Chrome plating. Being curious I grabbed a strong niobium magnet and was surprised to see that it was slightly attracted to the razor, both the handle and the razor head. Similar attraction as to my new stainless steel Asylum Evolution DE razor which is 303 stainless per the maker.
I know of no material other than some alloys of austenitic stainless steel which is this lightly magnet attractive. Other types of stainless steel are more magnet attractive and some grades of Austenitic stainless steel are almost entirely not attracted by a magnet such as 316L stainless. Aluminum, zinc alloys and brass as used in other razors are totally non magnetic at all.
Included are some photos of my stainless steel CV Heljestrand razor. No photos of a Darwin as I do not own one but lots of photos available via a Google or B&B search.
So far as I know the first stainless steel razor was the Darwin, introduced in the 1930s from England. A beautiful art deco design razor which now seems to go for circa $1000 when they appear on ebay. A DE razor design.
I discovered a second vintage razor that by my tests is also stainless steel today. It is a last model (that I know of) CV Heljestrand lather catcher style wedge blade single edge razor. I bought one on Ebay and it arrived Wednesday, a 7 blade boxed set in almost NOS condition except missing the strop and stropping blade holder. I noted the finish was high polished metal and did not look like silver, Nickle or Chrome plating. Being curious I grabbed a strong niobium magnet and was surprised to see that it was slightly attracted to the razor, both the handle and the razor head. Similar attraction as to my new stainless steel Asylum Evolution DE razor which is 303 stainless per the maker.
I know of no material other than some alloys of austenitic stainless steel which is this lightly magnet attractive. Other types of stainless steel are more magnet attractive and some grades of Austenitic stainless steel are almost entirely not attracted by a magnet such as 316L stainless. Aluminum, zinc alloys and brass as used in other razors are totally non magnetic at all.
Included are some photos of my stainless steel CV Heljestrand razor. No photos of a Darwin as I do not own one but lots of photos available via a Google or B&B search.