Best Metal? Any Machinist, or Engineers here.

[DesertIguana]

Modern Razors are made of Ti, Brass, Bronze, Stainless, or Alumium?

Most gave minimum of Screw & Thread. Adjustable have few more moving parts.

Question is what is Best Metal? Know Ti is very rust resistant.

Stainless is heavy, Alumium is lightest.

Wonder if guy with metal knowledge could chime in to talk about what they would build next super duper Razor with, and why.

Back during Vietnam War I worked with there metal build aircraft parts. Spent about two years learn rope to become Tool & Diemaker.

Decided workin indoors was not the place I wanted to be.

So I moved to something else.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

@Rosseforp

Your the guy to answer this question, as you have been a professional machinist.

Having said that, I, ( somebody who has never been a pro machinist ) have an opinion on the matter.

I am not the biggest fan of aluminum. While its true that coated aluminum doesn't rust, and is corrosion resistant, IMO, it is just too light. Its a soft metal though, and I am sure a machinist has an easier time CNC'ing it then steel.

Now, I do love stainless steel however. Stainless steel is far stronger then aluminum, much more durable, and as long as the coating is strong, and doesn't get damaged, it will last for a very long time. The only bad thing about steel is that its heavy, some folks may not like that, but I appreciate its heft. No doubt, steel requires a bit more machining time, due to it being a denser metal.

IMO, titanium is the best metal. Titanium doesn't rust or corrode that I am aware of, so being that a razor makes contact with water, thats a good thing! Titanium is also the goldilocks when it comes to weight. It weighs less then stainless steel, but it weighs more then aluminum, making it a great middle ground material. I have heard that titanium is the hardest to machine however, and eats up CNC bits.

Brass is another one of those metals that weighs more then you'd think, and lasts a good long time, as long as the coating is intact. But brass is not as strong as steel or titanium I don't think, but I could be wrong.

Then there is copper, oh yes, some razors are made of copper, and I own a copper razor infact, and I love it as well. Good solid heft to it, and its got a rose gold coating applied to it, which gives it excellent corrosion resistance, and patina resistance. Yes, in my house, patina is futile, I want it to stay shinny lol.

And then this brings us to Zamick. Oh my gosh, if you want my opinion, stay away from Zamick, its a cheap pot-metal material, it never really lasts. Coatings are not strong on them, as soon as you get even the slightest pin-***** in the coating, the whole razor will corrode away. Sometimes its not good to be a complete penny pincher, and what can happen to zamick razors, is a great example of spending a few more dollars.

Then there are the plastic razors, for which I have 0-interest in.

 

[slimshavy]

I think gallium is the best metal. Very giving. You have to shave with cold water, though, and should probably wear insulated gloves so it doesn't melt in your hand.

This is much better than cesium, however, which has the same melting problem but also the added problem of exploding in your face when you try to shave with it.

 

[ZeelandsRoem]

Stainless steel is far stronger then aluminum, much more durable, and as long as the coating is strong, and doesn't get damaged, it will last for a very long time.

Stainless steel alloys do not require additional coating to prevent heavy rust formation. This being said, stainless steel can rust, although in normal conditions, the rust is superficial and the razor should last many generations. A 316L, for instance, has very good rust protection and it’s unlikely to form rust in this case.

I have heard that titanium is the hardest to machine however, and eats up CNC bits.

There are different grades of titanium, also different titanium alloys. Each one has different properties, so it’s not that simple.

 

[velocityboy]

I used to love Kryptonite but I finally realized that it was really slowing me down.

 

[Yuritau]

I'm not a professional metals guy, but I know enough in passing to know that the answer to "What is the best metal?" depends entirely on two things:

1. What properties you want the product to have.
2. What, precisely, do you mean by "best"?

As an example, corrosion resistance. Aluminum, Stainless Steel (316L for argument's sake), Titanium, and Brass all have varying degrees of corrosion resistance within the general environment that wet shaving takes place (hot soapy water). They can all survive that environment fairly well, particularly if dried after each use. None of them is the "best metal" for corrosion resistance, however. For that look at something like Iridium (just don't let your wallet look at it).

For use as a razor, you can pretty safely use the subjective factors (cost, feel, weight preference, appearance, etc) to decide which metal is best for you and as long as you put at least some effort into taking care of it, you can expect it to last a very long time. Heck, you can find folk around here that have had plated pot metal razors last decades.

 

[RayClem]

I am not sure there is any "best" metal. It primarily comes down to your preferences. Do you like a heavy razor or one that is lighter? Do you want a razor that is resistant to corrosion or do you like one that develops a patina with use. Do you want a razor that is smooth and shiny, or do you like a satin finish? Do you want a silver color, or is your preference for darker shades? Can you afford a razor made from rhodium, iridium, gold, platinum or silver, or is copper, stainless steel and aluminum a better fit for your budget?

Of course, if your nemesis is Superman, you might consider using a Kryptonite razor.

 

[blethenstrom]

I think gallium is the best metal. Very giving. You have to shave with cold water, though, and should probably wear insulated gloves so it doesn't melt in your hand.

This is much better than cesium, however, which has the same melting problem but also the added problem of exploding in your face when you try to shave with it.

Gallium is a great metal for razors, but I prefer, especially for wet shaving, sodium. They do have a short life however and you have to store them in kerosene, but other than that it is great. You do have to get a fair amount of them though, because you only really get one good shave out of them. Besides you don't really need a scuttle to heat up your shaving lather either. The razor will do it for you.

 

[gpjoe]

Having worked on and around Abrams tanks for 35 years at General Dynamics, I vote for depleted uranium (armor plating)...now that's a heavy razor, and as a bonus - in hostile bathrooms - resistant to RPG fire.

 

[FarmerTan]

Does brass or bronze have antiseptic properties?

 

[Big_T]

In a former life, I did some aircraft turbine engine maintenance. Due to the cost of some of the components we were sure they were made of unobtainium. That stuff would probably be great for high-dollar razors.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Titanium is obviously rather passé now. The thing we want is tungsten. It’s durable and has a nice weight to it. I don’t want to hear any excuses about difficulty machining it - that’s just negativity and it has no place among achievers like us.

 

[Yuritau]

Does brass or bronze have antiseptic properties?

It's called the Oligodynamic Effect. Not completely reliable by itself, unless you want to be like the Romans and put water in a silver pitcher and let it sit for many days before using it.

Oligodynamic effect - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Danuhoh]

Heavy metal is the best !

 

[Calyshaver]

Heck, you can find folk around here that have had plated pot metal razors last decades.

Case in point, the Gillette Tech etched caps are plated zinc alloys.

 

[Wombat ESQ]

Damn !
I would hate to be not able to discern who is taking the mickey or I be trying some of those suggestions?

Pot metal/Zamak [yuck] Zinc Aluminium Magnesium Copper alloy, fine if the nickel is intact, but any error in plating leaves microscopic holes, or damaged plating means once it starts to corrode good luck. I blame magnesium, after all it is the most common sacrificial anode in hot water heaters, followed by zinc, used on boat hulls as a sacrificial anode as well.

Brass/Bronze, alloy of copper and tin [bronze] or copper and zinc [brass],,, leads to copper...

Copper, anti microbial [mentioned above] but toxic to your kidneys in large doses, ingestion of toxic amounts of copper can be from using copper pots with vinegar EG: pickles.

As a suggestion, no mickey, High Cobalt Steel, based on ''have you seen the freakin price of Darwin razors lately''

 

[akortekaas]

I think gallium is the best metal. Very giving. You have to shave with cold water, though, and should probably wear insulated gloves so it doesn't melt in your hand.

This is much better than cesium, however, which has the same melting problem but also the added problem of exploding in your face when you try to shave with it.

My gallium razor goes through gillette aluminium-plus blades like nothing though.

 

[DesertIguana]

Titanium is obviously rather passé now. The thing we want is tungsten. It’s durable and has a nice weight to it. I don’t want to hear any excuses about difficulty machining it - that’s just negativity and it has no place among achievers like us.

Tungsten is very hard, and brittle. Wonder how cost effective it would be, and what could you work it with. Meaning cutting tools?

 

[Ron R]

Question is what is Best Metal? Know Ti is very rust resistant.

Stainless is heavy, Alumium is lightest.

You have to look at the past what was used for vintage razors and the metals they used was best with coatings, Stainless steel is a fairly new metal when it comes to metals used in the past razors.
As a machinist stainless steel is ideal for razors and looks and cleans well. When it comes to bronze there is so many grades of it and it also is another great metal and can hold up well in daily use.
Titanium comes in different grades also and I'm not a fan really because it expensive and prone to thread galling from my experiences, but it is approximately 1/2 weight of steel and can be dented or nicked easily like other razor metals.

To make certain razor handles lighter look at hollowed out ones for brass, bronze and stainless if possible. Machinists can also add threaded tips to the handle made from bronze or stainless with the barrel hollowed out and that would be a great handle and can be made to looked very nice and keep the weight down for the operator and not have any problems but you pay a little more for those added features. @Rosseforp makes nice custom handles for folks on this forum if a person likes those added features.
Another thing I will mention when you have a polished handle or handle with no knurling you can just moisten your fingers and use a little Alum and it will not feel slippery at all.

 

[Ron R]

Tungsten is very hard, and brittle. Wonder how cost effective it would be, and what could you work it with. Meaning cutting tools?

You also forgot to mention it is very, very heavy and I think tungsten works well as a thread insert in aluminum razor heads where the handle is treaded into, Henson razors uses tungsten threaded inserts in their aluminum razors at one time and still do I believe. They also have a life time warranty on their product because they thought out any issues that might arise over time!