Is a Feather Stainless Steel Really Stainless Steel ?

[superspot]

I "engineered" magnetic brush holders to keep from buying stands. (Neo Magnets and Fender Washers) So I thought I would come up with something for my Feather D-1 & D-2 but for some reason a magnet does not stick to these razors. I carry a Stainless Steel 45 auto and the magnets will pick the whole thing up. It makes me kinda wonder if this is Aluminum or something else rather than Steel. Would some of you other guys check your Stainless Steel Razors with a magnet and see what the results are and post them please ?

Thanks Guys !

 

[Miesterio]

Are you sure you 45 is 100% stainless? and true stainless... you will have a hard time picking it up. not to mention that stainless is also a type of finish. source i work with architectural metals. I'll often order iron with a stainless finish. you can stick magnets to that stuff all day long.

 

[jasonb8736]

I "engineered" magnetic brush holders to keep from buying stands. (Neo Magnets and Fender Washers) So I thought I would come up with something for my Feather D-1 & D-2 but for some reason a magnet does not stick to these razors. I carry a Stainless Steel 45 auto and the magnets will pick the whole thing up. It makes me kinda wonder if this is Aluminum or something else rather than Steel. Would some of you other guys check your Stainless Steel Razors with a magnet and see what the results are and post them please ?

Thanks Guys !

Superspot...If I recall correctly from my days of slinging appliances, stainless steel items can come in degrees (or quality, if you will). For example, we were told that a magnet would stick to a low quality stainless steel appliance, such as the massively produced mystery appliances that come from China and land in big stores like Costco. The better the degree (or quality) of stainless steel, the less chance that a magnet would stick.

I could be wrong...my wife tells me I'm wrong quite often...but your firearm may have stainless steel components or may only be a percentage of stainless steel.

 

[Haegar]

There are stainless steels that are magnetic, but there are no rusting steels that are not magnetic.

 

[Dave_D]

I haven't had a stainless D.E. razor but had a few stainless straights that could stick to a magnet.
There are multiple types of Stainless Steels from 300 to 400 series (and most are corrosion resistant, not corrosion proof) Some series are magnetic and tend to have better strength (generally used for blades, etc) others are non magnetic and have less strength but better corrosion resistance. Martensitic stainless steels are magnetic, Austenitic stainless steels are non-magnetic. fyi.

 

[VerbaVolant]

Is a Feather Stainless Steel Really Stainless Steel ?

Yes it is. Plated stainless steel.

 

[superspot]

Thanks for the info guys. : )

 

[JimK]

Whether a stainless steel alloy is magnetic or not has NOTHING to do with its quality! That is a function of which of two broad groups a particular stainless alloy belongs to, and there are exceptions even within that generalization. Some alloys are better at formability, machinability, weld and plating characteristics, heat treating ability, and even suitability for use in induction heating applications. They are all stainless steels! Various firearms are made from magnetic, as well as non magnetic alloys, depending upon which other characteristics are more important to the engineer. The same with razors.... Some cookware intended for induction cooktops are made of magnetic stainless steel, but only the stove really cares.... A magnet is not a quality test for stainless steel.

 

[TLoki]

Feather razor likely used austenite stainless steel (nonmagnetic). The magnetic version of stainless steel is ferrite stainless steel.
Here some research information:
Wikipedia
quantum-mechanical reason

 

[cb91710]

Whether a stainless steel alloy is magnetic or not has NOTHING to do with its quality! That is a function of which of two broad groups a particular stainless alloy belongs to, and there are exceptions even within that generalization. Some alloys are better at formability, machinability, weld and plating characteristics, heat treating ability, and even suitability for use in induction heating applications. They are all stainless steels! Various firearms are made from magnetic, as well as non magnetic alloys, depending upon which other characteristics are more important to the engineer. The same with razors.... Some cookware intended for induction cooktops are made of magnetic stainless steel, but only the stove really cares.... A magnet is not a quality test for stainless steel.

Where's the "This Guy Knows His Stuff" button?

 

[Shave A Buck]

I am so glad your 45 is magnetic. Otherwise how could lower end security systems detect an evil doer with one and not an honest citizen such as yourself exercising his rights.

that being said I highly doubt from the get go that a company such as Feather would even do such a thing as to market an item falsely.

 

[Rainlover]

I had thought of doing the same thing. You've seen my pictures of the magnetic brushes. I cannot get a magnet to stick to my tradere razor. In fact where I work we use a magnet to test if something is stainless to which a magnet will not stick.

 

[AKASL]

Your .45 is more than likely made from 17-4 Stainless steel which can hardened and is magnetic, where as your razor is most likely made from a 300 series stainless steel which can not be hardened and is nonmagnetic.

 

[DrAwkward]

I had thought of doing the same thing. You've seen my pictures of the magnetic brushes. I cannot get a magnet to stick to my tradere razor. In fact where I work we use a magnet to test if something is stainless to which a magnet will not stick.

As Rainlover said, a magnet will not stick to a Tradere (although there is a very weak magnetic pull on the handle). Both the Feather and the Tradere are solid stainless, but neither is magnetic.

 

[velocityboy]

At my grandpa’s brother's old homestead out in the boonies you’ll find a faded green Ford Pinto sitting long since dormant in the small pasture out behind the house. (Old Bill had sent away for what he thought was a pony he’d found for sale in the Daily Gazelle but when this funny lookin’ car showed up instead he refused to drive it but was too embarrassed to send it back. So there it sat from that day forth, just behind the hay barn with the tire swing in the loft and near the water trough he’d made from an old 45 gallon drum cut in half, longitudinally of course.) Anyway, from a safe distance, gently lob your razor so that it lands on or even near the rear bumper of the Pinto. If the car explodes into a huge fireball then you’ll know the razor is stainless steel. If however the Pinto remains intact and the head of the razor pops clean off then you’ll know that it was made of pot metal just like so many other modern razors.

 

[superspot]

Well Guys, I have to say I have learned a lot these last couple of days. I think I'll be quiet for a while now.

 

[Copierguy]

Well Guys, I have to say I have learned a lot these last couple of days. I think I'll be quiet for a while now.

One of the great things about this place folks come here to share their knowledge. Not a day goes by hardly without picking up something here.

 

[intotheforge]

You can always tell when something is real stainless because a magnet won't stick to it. The magnet will only stick if there is some iron in the alloy - which most stainless is not supposed to have. If it sticks, then it isn't what I think of as stainless.

edit: I see i should have read the thread before posting. there are more knowledgable posts than mine above. Please ignore.

 

[hon]

I had thought of doing the same thing. You've seen my pictures of the magnetic brushes. I cannot get a magnet to stick to my tradere razor. In fact where I work we use a magnet to test if something is stainless to which a magnet will not stick.

Our heads are also demagnetized before they leave the factory as a precaution.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...has-arrived!?p=4466004&highlight=#post4466004

I remembered from an old thread that mentioned about tradere head was demagnetized. Not sure about the handle.
Maybe the whole feather SS razor was demagnetized in the factory too.

 

[Haegar]

You can always tell when something is real stainless because a magnet won't stick to it. The magnet will only stick if there is some iron in the alloy - which most stainless is not supposed to have. If it sticks, then it isn't what I think of as stainless.

edit: I see i should have read the thread before posting. there are more knowledgable posts than mine above. Please ignore.

This is a too common misunderstanding (or should I call it myth) to be ignored, sorry for picking up this one.

This is a rare earth magnet sticking to the nickel plated brass door of my Gillette Flare Tip:




But the same magnet sticks much better to a pack of stainless steel DE blades than to the relatively thin nickel plating of butterfly razor doors (of course):




And here a not magnetic stainless steel spoon (an Alessi espresso spoon - no, these are not made of aluminum, hahaha!):




I truly hope that these pictures say more than 1000 words.