Stainless Steel Razors Scratch Easily?

[shevy_14]

Hello,

I recently got my first stainless steel razor (REX Ambassador) and I managed to put some light scratches on it after less then a week of ownership when cleaning it with a soft toothbrush.

Some of my other razors (Edwin Jagger DE89 & Merkur Futur) are all ‘chrome plated’ and don’t really scratch as easily.

Is this something typical with SS razors that I’ll just have to get used to?

How do you guys maintain your SS razors?

Also I know SS razors are long lasting but what are some of their advantages when compared to razors that are say chrome plated etc?

Thanks for your feedback!

S

 

[eaterofdog]

I am reasonable sure it wasn't the toothbrush. Nylon isn't that hard. Maybe something on the toothbrush?

The nice thing about polished stainless is you can polish off any light scratches. Matte stainless, you pretty much have to live with it.

 

[THall]

Go to YouTube and look up refinishing brushed stainless watches. It is fairly simple to fix. Yes, stainless will show scratches but light buffing etc will fix that.

 

[Ridgeback]

Try some Flitz metal polish on the head...It should clean the scratches and leave a protective coating so "stuff" won't stick to it.

 

[Fred D]

Never had a toothbrush scratch any of my razors, stainless or chrome.
Probably an easy fix like the previous poster mentioned.

 

[Scaramouche]

A word of caution if you use any type of metal polish on a machined finish - if you only use it on one area it will leave a polished surface that looks different than the surrounding finish. Brushed or matte metal surfaces require special finishing. You can finish an entire component - like the entire top cap - and make it look good, but spot finishing will leave a dissimilar surface. Or use a bead blaster if you have access to one. Light sanding with fine grit W/D paper can restore a brushed finish if done carefully, taking care to finish in the direction of the grain.

 

[romsitsa]

Compared to plated zamak or plated brass?
It’s more durable than zamak, no advantages over brass.

 

[ERS4]

Chrome layer is harder and more brittle than stainless steel, to protect the fragile zamak.
So yes, stainless steel is indeed relatively prone to minor scratches (and has better toughness and stiffness) ; but it is also easy to recover and usually does not need to mind.

In terms of maintenance, there is no need to clean it often with a brush; I only rinse it with clean water after each use, and only clean it carefully at the end of each month and add a little mineral oil.

Feather also produced the stainless steel razor "AS-D2" with a matte chrome layer (it's not sandblasting), which has the advantages of durability, scratch resistance and fingerprint resistance.

 

[Tomo]

Stainless steel is pretty easy to scratch but over time it will leave a beautiful Patina of thousands of tiny little scratches. Go with it and don’t stress.

 

[NPK]

I have daily carried a stainless steel flashlight in my pocket for well over 5 years. I doesn't have any scratches. Perhaps the grade of materials used is different.

 

[Ridgeback]

I hit the head of my Rex ambassador hard with Flitz before I used it...There was no noticeable difference in the brushed finish...Just a bit of extra sheen was added.

 

[BigJ]

IMHO the key decision is, ”Are you are a collector or a user?”

If you are a collector, then scratches matter and be sure to keep the packaging.

If you are a user, not to worry, your SS razor is a ‘tool’ that you can pass to the grandchildren.

Either approach is just fine!

 

[Invicta]

Dings and minor scratches will be inevitable during the working life of the razor. Chrome finish is much more resilient to scratches but you cannot compare the two finishes.

 

[samhain666]

Don't know what it was but it was not the toothbrush. I gave my Rockwell pretty hard toothbush scrubing 3 weeks ago and I just removed the soap scum

Also if it doesn't affect the shave or life expectancy of a razor...why bother?

 

[BaldShaver09]

Hello,

I recently got my first stainless steel razor (REX Ambassador) and I managed to put some light scratches on it after less then a week of ownership when cleaning it with a soft toothbrush.

Some of my other razors (Edwin Jagger DE89 & Merkur Futur) are all ‘chrome plated’ and don’t really scratch as easily.

Is this something typical with SS razors that I’ll just have to get used to?

How do you guys maintain your SS razors?

Also I know SS razors are long lasting but what are some of their advantages when compared to razors that are say chrome plated etc?

Thanks for your feedback!

S

I stopped using toothbrushes on all my razors 7 months ago. They will scratch your razors. I don't care if it's soft bristle it not, they will still leave marks behind. Now I just use a micro fiber towel to dry and clean my razor. No more scratches. And make sure you clip your nails regularly. I left a small scratch on my 4 day old Ambassador when I was pushing that bottom pin thing back in so I could put the razor back together.

 

[Iridian]

Stainless Steel razors can be scratched, but they are pretty resilient. And they don't have a coating that can go away, which is a plus.

Titanium, while harder, scratches interestingly more easily. Aluminum is (by far) the easiest to scratch material of the three just mentioned.