Blade Steel

[gardoggie]

I'm new to straight razors. I have bought several and am learning to use them.

I'm curious about the blades. Does anyone know what type of steel was used in the Sheffield blades like Wade & Butcher, the Solingens like Dubll Duck, the Wonderedge, etc? I wondering what grade/type of steel was used? I know some are carbon or alloy steels and some are stainless steels.

I have a Wonderedge that it almost looks like the blade was plated. It has a couple of areas that look like a thin blade coating/plating is flaking off.

Were any of the blades coated or plated or are they just polished steel?

Any help will be appreciated!

Thanks,
John

 

[johnmrson]

As far as I'm aware, no blades were coated or plated, all are solid steel either carbon or stainless. The vast majority are just polished carbon steel but there are a few stainless ones out there.
I'm my experience, Solingen steel is harder then Sheffield steel.

 

[Luc]

Welcome to B&B!

+1 to John's comments, most straights that I got from Solingen/Sheffield are carbon steel.

 

[Mr. Scruffy]

I believe some manufacturers would plate their blades with nickel. It was cheaper than trying to polish them to a mirror finish.

 

[onimaru55]

Blade steel was basically carbon steel that came from wherever the manufacturers could get it.
Sweden was a prolific exporter of high quality steel in 17th C & ironically a lot went to Sheffield contributing to British steel's rep.

Plating was occasionally on tang &/or top of spine. If you look at an old Droescher Gold Bug that's losing it's gold plate you might see a healthy nickel plate underneath.

Some of the old Genco/Genevas had nickel plated tangs too.

 

[gardoggie]

Thanks!

Here are some pics of the spots...

 

[wdwrx]

Looks plated to me.
I understand that, yes, there were plated razors. I had one for a time that I could never hone properly so I gave it away. Apparently, it was done on cheap razors. The one I had looked like a souvenir.

 

[Luc]

Thanks!

Here are some pics of the spots...

Is it a water spot or is it cracked? It looks more like a water spot to me but then the 3rd picture makes me unsure...

A metal polish should get rid of the stain no issues. I think it can be saved!

 

[onimaru55]

I don't think that razor is plated. If you look at it under magnification you will have a better idea. It could be an area of corrosion that has been cleaned up chemically or possibly in a brass tumbler.

 

[gardoggie]

Onimaru55, I think you may be right that is is an area of corrosion that was cleaned up. It definitely isn't a waterspot or stain - it is 3 dimensional with material missing...

Here are pics of the overall razor...

I'll have to look at it under a loupe...

Thanks.

 

[onimaru55]

Yep, that toe did look like previous corrosion. Hope you can save it.