Warner Straight Razor

[JonnyAngel]

Ive contacted Frank Warner about a custom razor. However, he told me that he has trouble getting a Damascus steel to take a shaving edge. Im am quite confused cause I have seen many Damascus razors around without any trouble at all. Can anyone offer some reason for this?

 

[Garrett]

He may not be familiar working with Damascus and that is why he has a tough time making it work - it is a very difficult metal to use for a razor - it gets so fragile at the edge it has a great tendency to microchip.

A few guys know how to work it well - Livi, Zowada, Chandler, etc. but it is not a metal for everyone to work. IT takes special knowledge of the metal and forging to get it to old an edge.

Given the issues and difficulties with Damascus for razors, some guys have just chosen to basically stay away from using it. Frank may be one of them. I have never seen a Warner Damascus.

 

[crankymoose]

If not done right there is a problem with micro chipping on the edge of Damascus blades

In reality a Damascus don't shave any better then any other quality razor with a quality edge, but they are not as common and look much cooler

 

[Kit Walker]

A true damascus process produces multiple thin layers of high and low carbon steels fused together. If you consider the drastic difference in hardness between layers, you will gain some idea of the problems involved in the manufacture and honing of a razor. The blank must be ground so that the center layer is one of the thin high carbon layers, and it must be honed such that the cutting edge remains within that thin layer and not in the low carbon layers to either side.

In addition, if the center layer has any ripples, the blade could have portions of the cutting edge that are low carbon steel.