In search for the most rust resistant razor blade

[Virgil Sollozzo]

So, are you saying that I shouldn’t get as many brand blades as I can get my hands on, and crack each blade in half, or cut a hole in each blade in order to expose the bare metal? Why would anyone want to do something so preposterous? I would have then left the blades in a pool of half water, where the blades stay wet while exposed to air, and recorded which blades rust and how long it took for each blade to rust. You're saying this is a bad and pointless idea, right?

I’m sure nobody experiences rust after proper maintenance. Rust is just one of our great environmental destroyers. One can do an experiment by planting some plants. They can take three pots, in one pot they will mix some rust dust into the soil, in the next pot they will keep the soil bare, and in the third pot they can mix some copper dust into the pot. They will then see which plant grows best. If my information is correct, the one with rust will barely grow while the one with copper may thrive. Of course there are more variables to the equation, but you should get my point.

Did you know that iron didn’t always rust? The Vikings never had to worry about using a rusty blade to shave. It was only after molten iron/steel came around that iron became synonymous with rust. It was at the same time that cancer appeared. Although rust doesn’t equal cancer, just because cancer became prevalent at the beginning of the industrial revolution.

Rust has existed since at least the beginning of the universe. When metal is exposed to oxygen and moisture, iron oxide (rust) is created. The earth is mostly iron. Most places you see earth that look red, that's rust. This is also the reason that all of the type weapons you mention that were ever created largely no longer exist.

Cancer has existed since cellular beings have existed, also.

I think any of the testing you want to do is worthwhile, especially if you have an interest. I have never had a rusty blade (or razor for that matter) but I always store them in what is considered controlled room temperature and when used they are used immediately and repeatedly until I am done with them and then they are trashed.

 

[esee]

Rust has existed since at least the beginning of the universe. When metal is exposed to oxygen and moisture, iron oxide (rust) is created. The earth is mostly iron. Most places you see earth that look red, that's rust. This is also the reason that all of the type weapons you mention that were ever created largely no longer exist.

Cancer has existed since cellular beings have existed, also.

I think any of the testing you want to do is worthwhile, especially if you have an interest. I have never had a rusty blade (or razor for that matter) but I always store them in what is considered controlled room temperature and when used they are used immediately and repeatedly until I am done with them and then they are trashed.

There are swords, and daggers from mid evil times that have no rust till today. Some old science books mention how iron doesn’t rust. Any science book written before the 1900 will say iron doesn’t rust. It usually takes science around 50 years to upgrade their textbooks and by the mid 1900s, most science books stated that iron rusts. Today, iron is the definition of rust.

Natural iron oxidises and corrodes but doesn’t rust. There is a difference between an oxide layer and rust. Almost nobody knows that forged iron, and iron ore doesn’t rust. Here is a link to a person trying to understand why his forged iron didn’t rust.I've made pure iron that doesn't rust, even in salt water (photos) - https://www.scienceforums.net/topic/80008-ive-made-pure-iron-that-doesnt-rust-even-in-salt-water-photos/

I remember reading a book from the late 1800 to early 1900 and the author was stating how cancer is on the rise because a few people from a certain city got the dreaded disses. The numbers have been steadily rising ever since.

Anyway, I am not here to start drama and people seem to be very defensive about the inferior metal that some companies are using. Rust is a serious issue, even if one can avoid rust with proper maintenance. Many of the rust prone blades appear to come from the Gillette brand blades, but my knowledge only comes from the internet scourging. But as I am making lots of people nervous, I will probably stop posting on this thread.

 

[NorthernSoul]

There are swords, and daggers from mid evil times that have no rust till today. Some old science books mention how iron doesn’t rust. Any science book written before the 1900 will say iron doesn’t rust. It usually takes science around 50 years to upgrade their textbooks and by the mid 1900s, most science books stated that iron rusts. Today, iron is the definition of rust.

Natural iron oxidises and corrodes but doesn’t rust. There is a difference between an oxide layer and rust. Almost nobody knows that forged iron, and iron ore doesn’t rust. Here is a link to a person trying to understand why his forged iron didn’t rust.I've made pure iron that doesn't rust, even in salt water (photos) - https://www.scienceforums.net/topic/80008-ive-made-pure-iron-that-doesnt-rust-even-in-salt-water-photos/

I remember reading a book from the late 1800 to early 1900 and the author was stating how cancer is on the rise because a few people from a certain city got the dreaded disses. The numbers have been steadily rising ever since.

Anyway, I am not here to start drama and people seem to be very defensive about the inferior metal that some companies are using. Rust is a serious issue, even if one can avoid rust with proper maintenance. Many of the rust prone blades appear to come from the Gillette brand blades, but my knowledge only comes from the internet scourging. But as I am making lots of people nervous, I will probably stop posting on this thread.

You don't have to stop posting, just don't post things that are false. People are not defensive, they just prefer facts to pseudoscience.

Rust is simply a type of corrosion. It has existed as long as elemental iron, water and air have had an opportunity to meet. Older steel weapons could be protected from rust using different types of treatments such as oils and greases. Stainless steel is simply an alloy containing iron and carbon with a high percentage of chromium. The chromium creates a passivization layer that prevents rust from spreading beyond the surface level. You don't have to worry about rust on a razor blade that is only used a short time and tossed.

Cancer has existed probably as long as cellular organisms have. More cancer is observed in modern times because people live longer lives, there is greater opportunity for it to manifest. Modern life does have more exposure to carcinogenic substances, but this is not the root cause of cancer, it makes it more likely to occur.

 

[str8six]

I think the distinction between iron(III) oxide and iron (II, III) oxide eg. between Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 is an interesting one and worth understanding for both pure curiosity and its practical application to maintaining such diverse items as cast iron pans, BBQs, and straight razors.

 

[esee]

You don't have to stop posting, just don't post things that are false. People are not defensive, they just prefer facts to pseudoscience.

Rust is simply a type of corrosion. It has existed as long as elemental iron, water and air have had an opportunity to meet. Older steel weapons could be protected from rust using different types of treatments such as oils and greases. Stainless steel is simply an alloy containing iron and carbon with a high percentage of chromium. The chromium creates a passivization layer that prevents rust from spreading beyond the surface level. You don't have to worry about rust on a razor blade that is only used a short time and tossed.

Cancer has existed probably as long as cellular organisms have. More cancer is observed in modern times because people live longer lives, there is greater opportunity for it to manifest. Modern life does have more exposure to carcinogenic substances, but this is not the root cause of cancer, it makes it more likely to occur.

I still might post a bit on other threads as there is other information I still want. Information like how thick is the Graham-Field blade? I think the Graham-Field blade might be the blade I came on this forum looking for. Yet, before I purchase 250 of the Graham-Field blades, I am going to need to find out how thick they are. I need the Graham-Fields blade thickness, as my theory is that people don’t know how to use the Graham-Field blade. If the Graham-Field blade is super thick, then the thickness may reduce the shavers gap to nearly zero. The gap issue should be easy enough to solve with an adjustable razor. The Graham-Field blade may also be uncoated, which will make the blade much stronger. Heating a blade to put on the plastic coating reduces the metals hardness. One can get the uncoated blade to glide smoothly with a good solid saturated fat, such as lard, butter, or palm shortening. As far as blade sharpness goes, the Graham-Field may actually be sharp, but I would have to see it to know, and sharpening it shouldn’t be too difficult.

Anyway, your above comment makes me scratch my head and wonder if people actually believe the Propaganda you just said about cancer and longer life span. If you take out war and famine, one will realize modern lifespan is no longer than yesteryears. Most people associate rust with iron. They associate oxidation and corrosion with all other metals. It’s amazing how we make sense of our world with things that actually make no sense. But once the connection is there, everything is Ok.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

According to their literature, the Graham-Field is .004", so the standard thickness.

https://shop.grahamfield.com/nosync/productimagesV2/ProductAdditionalInfoItemOriginal6933.PDF

 

[NorthernSoul]

Anyway, your above comment makes me scratch my head and wonder if people actually believe the Propaganda you just said about cancer and longer life span. If you take out war and famine, one will realize modern lifespan is no longer than yesteryears. Most people associate rust with iron. They associate oxidation and corrosion with all other metals. It’s amazing how we make sense of our world with things that actually make no sense. But once the connection is there, everything is Ok.

Let's not argue about it. It's clear you are firm in your convictions. Perhaps it's best to stick to shaving.

 

[esee]

According to their literature, the Graham-Field is .004", so the standard thickness.

https://shop.grahamfield.com/nosync/productimagesV2/ProductAdditionalInfoItemOriginal6933.PDF

Thanks. you might have just saved me $38 plus tax.

Let's not argue about it. It's clear you are firm in your convictions. Perhaps it's best to stick to shaving.

Good idea. Unless other people have some good things to add, I’ll try to post again at the start of the rust test for the 4 planned blades. My plan is to put each cracked blade in their own little jar with a little tap water in each jar. The reason I plan to crack the blade is to expose the bare metal and see if the metal itself is rustproof. I plan to change the water every few days. I think I’ll make a cutoff time in 30 days. If no rust is on the blade at day 30, I’ll call that blade rust proof.

 

[Brutus]

Let's not argue about it. It's clear you are firm in your convictions. Perhaps it's best to stick to shaving.

+1

Amen.


I never was one for new joiners starting off by lecturing long-time members on the error of their ways.

As a moderator (non shaving related forums) I thought it reeked too much of trolls and 90-day wonders who swamp us with their posts and then as quickly disappear into the sunset when they don’t find a captive audience for whatever truth they are peddling.



B.

 

[Captain Coconut]

my knowledge only comes from the internet

This is the real root of the problem.

 

[Legion]

Reading the very early Gillette instructions (when all DE blades were carbon steel) they said to remove the blade after each shave and pat dry on a towel.

Problem solved!

Back to getting 100+ comfortable shaves from each blade.

 

[HoosierTrooper]

These tests will be useful for the members who store their blades in an aquarium.

 

[Albert V]

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.

I do exactly the same. Never saw any rust.

 

[JoeGent33]

Good luck in your research. After reading the comments here I was wondering if there is a simple way (Beyond the visual inspection) for the regular shaver to know that this blade might be more prone to rust/corrosion if may be left sitting in a razor?

Especially important for people like myself trying out vintage DE blades for the fun of it and pairing them with expensive razors like the timeless for example. Or that combination is not recommended

 

[esee]

Good luck in your research. After reading the comments here I was wondering if there is a simple way (Beyond the visual inspection) for the regular shaver to know that this blade might be more prone to rust/corrosion if may be left sitting in a razor?

Especially important for people like myself trying out vintage DE blades for the fun of it and pairing them with expensive razors like the timeless for example. Or that combination is not recommended

I did a mini version of my rust experiment, which included two blades, and the experiment only lasted one week. At the end of the week, neither blade showed any sign of rust. The two blades I tested are the Astra SP and the KAI blade. I chose these two blades partially because these are the first two blades got, also these two blades represented two ends of the blade spectrum. The Astra blades are part of the Gillette family and seem to have a higher proportion of people complaining of rust. Since Gillette’s business philosophy stands on planned obsolescence, I figured Gillette may use rust prone blades as part of their business model. KAI prides themselves with using quality stainless and I was pretty sure the KAI won’t rust.

I cracked each blade in half and used the sharp end to scratch the PTFE coating. I then placed each half into a small Mason jar filled with a little water. After a week, no rust showed on either blade. I concluded that these two blades and probably all stainless double edge blades are rust resistant. This conclusion leads me to believe that the people experiencing rust are because of galvanic corrosion. Even if the razor holder is stainless steel, the stainless in the holder is usually more noble than the stainless blade. In these cases, the blade acts as a sacrificial anode and rusts while the razor holder remains rust free, but the razor holder may get stained from the rusty blade. I am not sure if the rust sitting on the stainless holder can actually start growing on the stainless holder itself, but most times, with a little acidic solution, one can easily clean the razor holder and discard the blade.

I anyway like to coat my blades with a little palm shortening after I dry and strop my blades. One can use any butter instead of palm shortening, such as Shea butter, or cocoa butter. Some more industrial people like to coat there blade within little mineral oil. I think butters are the better coating, as the butters adhere to the metal better and give a better glide to the shave.

For stropping, I just run my blade inside a glass cup. Running the blade inside a glass cup works remarkably well for the single edge stainless gem blades, but also works on the modern double-edged blades. Overall, I agree with the previous posters that say that rust is not a major concern. The ironic part is during my search for the most durable blades I ended up buying some old school carbon steel blades that are extremely prone to rust, such as a three hole Gillette blade and a rustless finish Valet blade. Oh well, I guess I am going to have to coat the carbon blades with grease between uses.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

I cracked each blade in half and used the sharp end to scratch the PTFE coating. I then placed each half into a small Mason jar filled with a little water. After a week, no rust showed on either blade.

Were they completely submerged?

 

[esee]

Were they completely submerged?

Partially, but I left the jar covers on which may have reduced the airflow. I opened the covers about once a day to look at the blades. After a week I got board as carbon steel rusts where I am in a day or two. There was not a speck of rust on either blade at the end of the week.

 

[esee]

Years ago I bought American line industrial razor blades that have a double bevel, are .012 inches thick and are a high carbon steel product. I pulled them out today and the metal looks similar to the stainless blades. I tested the blades and am amazed to find that they sliced through paper easily, requiring no sliding motion. I have a feeling that if I put these blades in water for a week, they won’t rust as well. Now I am really confused as these double bevel industrial blades seem sharper than the Astra's.

 

[psfred]

Carbon steel with rust. Stainless steel usually won't unless in contact with something corrosive.

I think you are making a mountain out of a mole hill -- the only "rust" I've ever seen on stainless razor blades is iron stains from my very hard tap water (which has free iron in it) in the soap scum that collects over 120 shaves or so.

Industrial razor blades are much stiffer than DE blades and will therefore cut paper much more easily. Cutting paper isn't a measure of razor blade quality. Cutting paper will definitely ruin the edge for shaving.

 

[esee]

Carbon steel with rust. Stainless steel usually won't unless in contact with something corrosive.

I think you are making a mountain out of a mole hill -- the only "rust" I've ever seen on stainless razor blades is iron stains from my very hard tap water (which has free iron in it) in the soap scum that collects over 120 shaves or so.

Industrial razor blades are much stiffer than DE blades and will therefore cut paper much more easily. Cutting paper isn't a measure of razor blade quality. Cutting paper will definitely ruin the edge for shaving.

You are right. Part of me hoped that the thicker industrial high carbon blade was a low grade stainless. I put the industrial carbon blade in water and it rusted in under 12 hours. I redid the test this time comparing a 3 facet stainless gem blade that I have been using for a week, and another industrial carbon blade in another jar. Once again the carbon blade rusted in under 12 hours, and a day later the stainless blade has no sign of rust.

I am calling off my search for the must rust resistant, durable razor blade. As for now, I can only find 400 series stainless blades in straight razors. The most durable safety razor blades are the gem single edge blades. As the Gem blades are over twice as thick as the DE blades and one can easily re-edge a Gem blade. Maybe some day someone will make a 400 series DE blade that is 0.012inches thick, meant to be re-sharpened and stropped. But for now, one always has to be mindful of galvanic corrosion with the 200 series stainless blades. If only the blades were 400 steel, the hardness would increase and the chance of galvanic corrosion drastically decreases.