In search for the most rust resistant razor blade

[esee]

Hi, I am hoping to find the most rust resistant safety razor blades. Most people don’t like rust on their blades, and most people take care of their blades well enough not to get rust in the three days that they use their blade. From my research, there is about one person in a thousand who complains of rust. Yet, I believe rust is one of our great environmental destroyers and the transition to higher-quality stainless is very important.

Most of the stainless blades appear to be inferior stainless. That the manufacturers use inferior stainless is very concerning. I get the whole planned obsolescence where one thinks they’re getting a good deal for a product that gets thrown away after a few uses. Yet using blades that rusts is a health/skin issue as well.

From these inferior blades, the better ones have a coating on them that protects the blade from rusting while they are in the package. Some of the better inferior blades include the Feather Platinum Coated Hi-Stainless, Rockwell Swedish Stainless, King C. Gillette, blades, and the Vikings, Swedish Steel + Platinum Coated. Yet all these blades use a coating to stop the blade from rusting. I want a blade that is inherently rust resistant. A blade that one can use, wash, keep in a shower and still nor rust.

There is only one blade which I have found that appears to use quality stainless and does not rely on a coating to stop it from rusting. This blade is the KAI Stainless Steel blade. The KAI Blade is quite expensive but highly rated. I am sure there are some other no name Chinese blades out there that use higher quality stainless, but I am not capable of finding the higher quality chines ones at the moment.

I understand that every razor blade will act differently with different safety razors. The width of the blade compared to the width of the safety razors will affect how far the blade protrudes from the safety razors. The thickness of the blade will affect the blade gap, and the KIA blade appears to be wider and a little thicker than the standard safety razor blade.

I am researching and ordering supplies for my first go at DE shaving. I already ordered some safety razors which include one vintage brass, one 1962 vintage Gillette slim adjustable, one Chinese all 316 stainless steel, and one highly rated cheap chrome plated razor.

Aside from ordering some KIA Blades, I would like to get some other options of blades that are quality stainless. The adjustable safety razors can accommodate many blades, as I can adjust the width to my liking. Yet, I may need to experiment with other blades for the nonadjustable holders.

 

[geneaut]

Vintage P74

 

[njpaddy]

I toss all my blades after one use, so all my blades are rust resistant. Even my most expensive blades at $1 per, are far cheaper than a cup of coffee, so I never understood risking a bad shave prolonging a blade to save a few cents.

 

[AndyPanda]

Are you looking for a blade you can leave wet in your razor for a week? Can't help with that. I clean my razor and rinse my blade and blot the blade dry after every shave so any modern stainless blade will last me without rusting.

All the Carbon Steel blades I've tried seem to have already rusted away their edge before I even open the package.

 

[EdHeart]

Interesting mission. If you're not necessarily held to DE specifically, have you considered single edge? Gem makes uncoated pure stainless blades.

I'm curious please, do you have an issue with the coatings in and of themselves? Or, is that you just want an all stainless uncoated blade?


I have a 8-12 oz plastic lidded container that once contained moisturizer, repurposed to hold my spent blades. It's been in use a bit over a year. I've multiple blades, all coated in some form or other (Persona, PAA, Wizamet, Permasharp, Rapira and a couple of others I can't recall trying.) One of the first blades I put in it was a Treet carbon (used once I think, too draggy for my taste), potentially the worst of the lot with regard to rusting.

This container sits in the bathroom with the lid on and there is considerable volume of air in the container relative to the volume of blades stacked upon each other.

The one thing I didn't want was to have these blades rusting and ending up with a nasty mess to deal with later on. I just went to take a look at the condition of the blades. You can easily see the residue of the shaving soap, surprisingly after all this time I see no rust at all on any blade including the Treet.

The one thing I am careful with is to ensure that after I use a blade it sits out to dry off before putting it in the container.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

I’m curious how you came to the conclusion that “most of the stainless blades appear to be inferior stainless”.

 

[psfred]

Razor blades are made of one or two (maybe three) formulations of stainless that are designed to have very small carbides at the edge. Super resistance to rusting isn't a consideration (306 or 316 stainless is far better, but too soft to hone an edge on).

I have never seen much more that a little rusty stain around where the razor blade is clamped in my razor, and that was after something like two years or weekly use. I have never felt or seen any edge deterioration from rust (oxidation). They do wear out eventually, but not from corrosion!

The rusty spots around where the brass razor clamps the blade are probably due to galvanic corrosion and re-plating to restore the nickel layer will prevent that. In any case, it's harmless.

 

[helicopter]

I’m curious how you came to the conclusion that “most of the stainless blades appear to be inferior stainless”.

Perhaps he means 'inferior [corrosion resistance compared to 316L marine chrome steel ].'

I am not convinced corrosion is a widespread or important problem for modern stainless razor blades, but I am.always happy to learn something new.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

Perhaps he means 'inferior [corrosion resistance compared to 316L marine chrome steel ].'

I am not convinced corrosion is a widespread or important problem for modern stainless razor blades, but I am.always happy to learn something new.

But that’s not what he said. He just made a generalization that “most of the stainless blades appear to be inferior stainless”.

 

[NorthernSoul]

If you are concerned about rust, you can just remove your blade after each shave, rinse it and then hang it to dry on a magnet someplace safe and out of the way. Stainless steel is corrosion resistant, not guaranteed totally rust proof.

 

[Frito Ray]

From these inferior blades, the better ones have a coating on them that protects the blade from rusting while they are in the package

The coating is there primarily for comfort, not rust resistance. A lot of manufacturers offer the same blade with different finishes (like platinum or stainless) for the same price; it is just a matter of personal comfort.

I think you are putting the cart before the horse worrying about this. Blades are meant to be disposable and while some guys get 150 shaves out of a blade, most change it after 3 or 4.

If by some chance rust were to become a problem for you, you could dismantle the razor and dry off each part, or just swish your razor in some rubbing alcohol after each shave to displace the water and store it in a dry place when not in use.

Take a few minutes to go through this thread and pick some blades from the left (sharp), middle (medium), and right (mild) and give each a chance. Some guys can shave with anything, some have a preference for one type over the others. You won’t know till you try.

Blade Sharpness Research Project

Published blade sharpness measurements leave something to be desired. I couldn't find anything on a bunch of current blades, so I decided I want to be able to measure sharpness myself. An edge on up industrial tester with BESS certified test media takes more commitment than I have to this, so I...

www.badgerandblade.com

Don’t forget to have fun.

 

[esee]

Vintage P74

Thanks, I’ll look into the Personna 74. The only one I see is over $35 for five blades

Are you looking for a blade you can leave wet in your razor for a week? Can't help with that. I clean my razor and rinse my blade and blot the blade dry after every shave so any modern stainless blade will last me without rusting.

That would be a stress test. In reality, I plan to put a little fractionated coconut oil on the blades between uses. Fractionated coconut oil helps lubricate and protect the blades.

I'm curious please, do you have an issue with the coatings in and of themselves? Or, is that you just want an all stainless uncoated blade?

Truth be told, I hope to turn the KIA blades into a semi permanent blade. I want to sharpen them once in a while. The only way I can sharpen the blades is if the blades are quality stainless.

I have a 8-12 oz plastic lidded container that once contained moisturizer, repurposed to hold my spent blades. It's been in use a bit over a year. I've multiple blades, all coated in some form or other (Persona, PAA, Wizamet, Permasharp, Rapira and a couple of others I can't recall trying.) One of the first blades I put in it was a Treet carbon (used once I think, too draggy for my taste), potentially the worst of the lot with regard to rusting.

This container sits in the bathroom with the lid on and there is considerable volume of air in the container relative to the volume of blades stacked upon each other.

The one thing I didn't want was to have these blades rusting and ending up with a nasty mess to deal with later on. I just went to take a look at the condition of the blades. You can easily see the residue of the shaving soap, surprisingly after all this time I see no rust at all on any blade including the Treet.

The reason you see no rust in your used blades is that the protective coating is still on them. Give your old blades a good scrub and see if they remain rust free.

I’m curious how you came to the conclusion that “most of the stainless blades appear to be inferior stainless”.

Under harsh conditions, almost all modern blades rust. 3oo stainless almost never rusts. Even if you don’t see rust, the corrosion is happening, ruining the edge.

Razor blades are made of one or two (maybe three) formulations of stainless that are designed to have very small carbides at the edge. Super resistance to rusting isn't a consideration (306 or 316 stainless is far better, but too soft to hone an edge on).

If the companies took corrosion into consideration, the blades will last ten times longer. There are plenty great 300 stainless blades. Disposables are arguably the epitome of planned obsolescence. Well, maybe modern subscriptions take the cake.

Perhaps he means 'inferior [corrosion resistance compared to 316L marine chrome steel ].'

I am not convinced corrosion is a widespread or important problem for modern stainless razor blades, but I am.always happy to learn something new.

That one must take diligent care in order to avoid corrosion shows that corrosion is a well know issue.

If you are concerned about rust, you can just remove your blade after each shave, rinse it and then hang it to dry on a magnet someplace safe and out of the way. Stainless steel is corrosion resistant, not guaranteed totally rust proof.

I hope not to throw out my blades and sharpen them like they did yesteryear. In order to do that, I need some quality steel, not the junk that is prevalent today. Although I may end up biting the bullet and using some of the junk.

 

[helicopter]

I had some wilkinson sword classics with rust on the flats right from the tuck, so avoid those.

Honestly, if I were worried about coatings and corrosion, I would probably just get a stainless straight razor and be done with it.

A new uncoated blade every day would also solve the problem.

Ironically, your best bet in finding uncoated blades is probably non stainless carbon steel blades.

 

[NorthernSoul]

I hope not to throw out my blades and sharpen them like they did yesteryear. In order to do that, I need some quality steel, not the junk that is prevalent today. Although I may end up biting the bullet and using some of the junk.

You might be happier with a straight razor, IMHO. Get a good one and you can maintain it for a very long time.

Stainless DE blades are made to be disposable. That's the business model. They can be made to last more shaves, but resharpening won't restore them to like new condition. The manufacturers tried uncoated stainless blades years ago and customers did not accept them, finding them uncomfortable. Only after adding coatings did they become successful.

There were some sharpening gadgets way back when for carbon steel blades, but they really just honed the edges to extend blade life a bit longer, AFAIK.

 

[helicopter]

Seriously. Get this stainless straight razor and be done with it.

 

[EdHeart]

You may still be able to minimize the necessity of purchasing blades as often with the stainless blades that are uncoated.

There is a way to strop them after each use or a couple of uses to realign the folded metal. Since the blades will be uncoated anyway drying them, stropping and then storing them should extend the life of the blade for much longer.

Just a thought.

 

[esee]

You may still be able to minimize the necessity of purchasing blades as often with the stainless blades that are uncoated.

There is a way to strop them after each use or a couple of uses to realign the folded metal. Since the blades will be uncoated anyway drying them, stropping and then storing them should extend the life of the blade for much longer.

Just a thought.

Yes, quality uncoated stainless blades are exactly what I’m looking for. The only quality uncoated stainless blade I found is the KAI blade. I have some KAI bales ordered so I can take them on a test run, but I am hoping to find some other quality uncoated stainless blades as well.

Stropping is pretty much what I have in mind. My first go to is running the razors through a pre-angled ceramic kitchen knife sharpener. These sharpeners are very similar to stropping, as one removes almost no metal, and there is almost no learning curve. If the kitchen knife sharpener doesn’t work, a “Honing Guide Tool” can definitely help one strop the blade at the right angle.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Yes, quality uncoated stainless blades are exactly what I’m looking for. The only quality uncoated stainless blade I found is the KAI blade. I have some KAI bales ordered so I can take them on a test run, but I am hoping to find some other quality uncoated stainless blades as well...

Just putting this out there...

A box of 100 Personna Lab Blues was available at $13.50 last time I got some. They are good quality DE blades with PTFE and metallic coating.

If you do the math that's 13.5 cents for about seven shaves, or 2 cents per shave. Yearly cost would be around $7 or $8. It would take maybe 15 years worth of these blades to add up to the cost of a nice straight razor.

 

[NorthernSoul]

You may still be able to minimize the necessity of purchasing blades as often with the stainless blades that are uncoated.

Which stainless blades are actually uncoated? You have to go back decades to find that. Even if the marketing does not explicitly call out a coating, you can be pretty sure there is some combo of metallic and PTFE coating on modern stainless DE blades.

 

[psfred]

300 series stainless doesn't harden (not enough iron) so you won't see any razor blades made from it. 400 series (specifically 440 variants) do harden and are often used for knives, but only for straight razors, and those wouldn't be exceptional.

Stainless steel DE razor blades do not corrode on the edge enough for anyone to ever notice, and I would know, I usually get quite a few shaves. They wear out from deformation and chipping, but I've never seen an EM photograph of corrosion.

Stains on the body of the blade are meaningless in terms of shaving, all that's involved in shaving is the honed edge and bevel within the diameter of your beard hair. Discolored soap scum is not corrosion either,

Razor steel were developed for long lasting keeness at the edge and corrosion resistance, and will only rust by galvanic corrosion in razor use.

You should post pictures of what you are calling rust before we continue this conversation, I'm not going to participate in arguments intended to start flame wars, it's against site guidelines.