Please allow me to try to write a few things about the materials we use for our razors.
In this thread i will try to describe what is 316L stainless steel that we use for out SS razors, its advantages/disadvantages, where we use it, where we don't and why.
Stainless steel is divided into 5 classes, each class with a different crystalline structure.
1. Austenitic
2. Ferritic
3. Martensitic
4. Duplex
5. Precipitation hardened
Austenitic is the most common one and because of its crystalline structure it is non-magnetic.
We have 2 more groups inside austenitic class, which are 200 and 300 series.
300 series contain nickel whereas 200 series do not. This make 200 series a cheaper alternative.
The most common types of 300 series are 304 and 316.
I will not go into much detail here, these are information that everyone can source through wikipedia or elsewhere.
SAE 304 contains iron, carbon, chromium and nickel.
SAE 316 contains iron, chromium, nickel and molybdenum
SAE316L is same as 316 but with a lower content of carbon. In engineering circles this one is called the "marine version" of stainless steels.
Molybdenum has been added (2 to 3%) to increase corrosion resistance.
Someone might ask: All stainless steels are stainLESS, what's the point in adding something to improve corrosion resistance if corrosion is not going to happen?
This is false. No "stainless" steel alloy is indeed stainless in the real world. If you live in an area close to the sea you will understand that stainless steel can corrode and in some cases badly!
To sum it up in 2 sentences:
304 is mostly used in kitchen utensils
316 is used for medical applications
So, i can imagine your questions now:
1. So, what's the point to use 316L for a shaving razor?
2. Why is a razor made of 316L more expensive than a razor made of 304 or even lower grade alloys?
1. Your razor will last longer and will keep its shine and surface quality for longer. OK, i know shaving soaps are not anything too harsh for metals, but they can cause corrosion over time. Water+soap will cause corrosion without perfect maintenance. Again, there are only a few quasi-free-maintenance materials on the planet and this means that their reactivity is very low, so they will not react with oxygen, water or acids as much as the common "reactive" materials. Gold is the least reactive metal on the planet and there are quite a few reasons why it's so expensive!
2. A razor made of 316L is normally more expensive than a 304 counterpart for the following reasons:
Α) The material itself is more expensive.
B) It has a lower machinability rating compared to other alloys. The rating for 316L is 50-55% of the free machining mild steel. It's important to note here that there is a work hardening factor here which means that as long as you are machining this type of alloy, the harder it gets! Which means you need more time to complete the machining stages and you consume more carbide tools.
If we want to do a direct comparison between some popular stainless steel alloys we would get the following:
Machinability Ratings
AISI 316L: 50-55%
AISI 304: 70%
AISI 303: 150%
The baseline (100%) refers to common and plain mild steel.
C) It's more difficult to get a "perfect" mirror polishing surface on stainless steel.
I have attached an excerpt here from "Renegade Products" website:
"Stainless steel is the most difficult metal to polishing because of the inherent challenges in its structure. Unlike aluminum, stainless steel is NOT a porous metal and is generally much thicker and denser than aluminum parts. Due to this fact, the true struggle lies in heat generation and your ability to move and melt the surface of the stainless steel surface. Remember, essentially what we are doing is slightly melting the outermost layer of the steel and polishing using a combination of heat and our buffing pad and compound bar."
www.renegadeproductsusa.com
Thanks for the time you spent reading all the above!!
Kind regards,
Theodoros Dragonas
In this thread i will try to describe what is 316L stainless steel that we use for out SS razors, its advantages/disadvantages, where we use it, where we don't and why.
Stainless steel is divided into 5 classes, each class with a different crystalline structure.
1. Austenitic
2. Ferritic
3. Martensitic
4. Duplex
5. Precipitation hardened
Austenitic is the most common one and because of its crystalline structure it is non-magnetic.
We have 2 more groups inside austenitic class, which are 200 and 300 series.
300 series contain nickel whereas 200 series do not. This make 200 series a cheaper alternative.
The most common types of 300 series are 304 and 316.
I will not go into much detail here, these are information that everyone can source through wikipedia or elsewhere.
SAE 304 contains iron, carbon, chromium and nickel.
SAE 316 contains iron, chromium, nickel and molybdenum
SAE316L is same as 316 but with a lower content of carbon. In engineering circles this one is called the "marine version" of stainless steels.
Molybdenum has been added (2 to 3%) to increase corrosion resistance.
Someone might ask: All stainless steels are stainLESS, what's the point in adding something to improve corrosion resistance if corrosion is not going to happen?
This is false. No "stainless" steel alloy is indeed stainless in the real world. If you live in an area close to the sea you will understand that stainless steel can corrode and in some cases badly!
To sum it up in 2 sentences:
304 is mostly used in kitchen utensils
316 is used for medical applications
So, i can imagine your questions now:
1. So, what's the point to use 316L for a shaving razor?
2. Why is a razor made of 316L more expensive than a razor made of 304 or even lower grade alloys?
1. Your razor will last longer and will keep its shine and surface quality for longer. OK, i know shaving soaps are not anything too harsh for metals, but they can cause corrosion over time. Water+soap will cause corrosion without perfect maintenance. Again, there are only a few quasi-free-maintenance materials on the planet and this means that their reactivity is very low, so they will not react with oxygen, water or acids as much as the common "reactive" materials. Gold is the least reactive metal on the planet and there are quite a few reasons why it's so expensive!
2. A razor made of 316L is normally more expensive than a 304 counterpart for the following reasons:
Α) The material itself is more expensive.
B) It has a lower machinability rating compared to other alloys. The rating for 316L is 50-55% of the free machining mild steel. It's important to note here that there is a work hardening factor here which means that as long as you are machining this type of alloy, the harder it gets! Which means you need more time to complete the machining stages and you consume more carbide tools.
If we want to do a direct comparison between some popular stainless steel alloys we would get the following:
Machinability Ratings
AISI 316L: 50-55%
AISI 304: 70%
AISI 303: 150%
The baseline (100%) refers to common and plain mild steel.
C) It's more difficult to get a "perfect" mirror polishing surface on stainless steel.
I have attached an excerpt here from "Renegade Products" website:
"Stainless steel is the most difficult metal to polishing because of the inherent challenges in its structure. Unlike aluminum, stainless steel is NOT a porous metal and is generally much thicker and denser than aluminum parts. Due to this fact, the true struggle lies in heat generation and your ability to move and melt the surface of the stainless steel surface. Remember, essentially what we are doing is slightly melting the outermost layer of the steel and polishing using a combination of heat and our buffing pad and compound bar."
How to Polish stainless Steel
HOW DO YOU POLISH STAINLESS STEEL? Stainless steel is the most difficult metal to polishing because of the inherent challenges in its structure. Unlike aluminum, stainless steel is NOT a porous metal and is generally much thicker and denser than aluminum parts. Due to this fact, the true...
Thanks for the time you spent reading all the above!!
Kind regards,
Theodoros Dragonas
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