What is special about stainless steel?

[beachape]

I've seen several posts about wanting stainless steel DE razors. Just wondering what is special about stainless steel? Is it just better because you don't have to worry about the plating chipping off?

Also, why are stainless razors so expensive? Is steel really that expensive these days?

Thanks!

 

[gobeavs]

Never rust or corrode, and no plating to eventually come off, I'm guessing.

And yes, stainless steel is that expensive.

 

[michiganlover]

I honestly don't understand the obsession with Stainless Steel razors. They are functionally no better than a standard plated razor. It's all just a matter of aesthetics.

By the way, it is more accurate to say stainless steel is rust resistant, instead of saying that it can never rust.

Yes, stainless is expensive but in the small quantities used in the typical razor, I don't think the cost of materials alone justifies the huge price premium. However, casting parts out of stainless steel (rather than machining them) requires specialized equipment, and is thus very expensive.

 

[cooncatbob]

I honestly don't understand the obsession with Stainless Steel razors. They are functionally no better than a standard plated razor. It's all just a matter of aesthetics.

By the way, it is more accurate to say stainless steel is rust resistant, instead of saying that it can never rust.

Yes, stainless is expensive but in the small quantities used in the typical razor, I don't think the cost of materials alone justifies the huge price premium. However, casting parts out of stainless steel (rather than machining them) requires specialized equipment, and is thus very expensive.

Stainless Steel and Brass bar stock are comparable in price.

 

[nickelsig229]

I'm no expert. In terms of hardness, there is no comparison between brass, or nickel for that matter, versus stainless. So the tooling and labor to mill stainless has to be far more expensive. The time in man hours and wear and tear on cutting/polishing tools is higher.

Brass also conducts heat quicker then Stainless. So your brass razor heat up quicker but by the same token dissipitate heat faster. Brass was used prior to alluminum for heat sinks. Stainless requires more time to heat up, can handle higher temperatures (doubt that matters when shaving since you have to hold it in your hand) but when heated will stay hot for a long time in comparison. So when you soak your razor before shaving, the stainless will maintain that heat where as the brass will loose it durring the shave. I don't know if that even makes a difference, but I know everyone is always preaching heat durring a shave.

The retention of precision measurements due to its rigidity gives Stainless the nod on alot of modern sea vessels. A short drop of a brass razor falling 6 inches into your sink could bend much easier then the stainless counterpart. A brass razor is actually more corrosion resistant then Stainless, I don't believe brass rusts. However, the nickel plating does. Brass and Nickel also lend towards storing acids and reacting to them, where as stainless pretty much laughs. Ever see "fogging" or "water marks" on an old razor that is almost non exsistant on most stainless steels. One of the reasons they are used in chemistry and medicine for tools.

But in all reality, for shaving it's most likely a personal preference to the aesthetic of the razor. Some people have as much joy from driving a commaro as others do drying a murcielago.

 

[spindlecone]

The diff in the price of a razor between plated brass and SS would be measured in pennys,(meterial cost)
SS is far more Diff to machine, thus the extra cost.
All SS has carbon steel in it, it will rust given time.

 

[luvmysuper]

Stainless is a magical metal, such that when whiskers see the Stainless Razor coming, they jump off of the face voluntarily without a fight.
While holding it in the hand, it channels energy from the cosmos into your soul, and creates an aura about you that is invisible, yet makes all who see you think you are the greatest man on the face of the earth.

Either that or its hype.

Not buying the "rust free" storyline, I've seen rusty Stailess Steel, and nickel plating is every bit as "rust resistant". Lets not even talk about how resistant to corrosion Gold is.

Weight? Maybe.
But I've seen some pretty chunky and heavy razors that were not stainless, and some pretty wimpy light looking ones that were.

Is it a harder and sturdier base material. Sure!
You can drop it and maybe the guard won't bend. But then again - don't drop it.
I don't see anyone advocating replacing fine wine glasses with Stainless ones, and I bet there are a lot more dropped wine glasses than there are dropped razors.

If you want one, fine. Go for it. More power to you. Your choice. YMMV.
But it isn't the end-all, be-all that some people just can't seem to avoid trying to make it be.

 

[spindlecone]

Gold will not corrode, is 100% inert. aqua regia is the only chemical that will damage gold

 

[Swashbuckler]

Remember that if you are using a CNC machine to make parts from stainless then the carbon/tungstide tools used will need replacing more aften also. Now they are expensive!

 

[Ski-Patroller]

Stainless Steel and Brass bar stock are comparable in price.

The raw material may be similar in cost, but the casting or machining is much different.

Brass and zinc allows can be die cast, so precision castings are possible, and economic in large quantities. SS cannot be die cast, it must be sand or investment cast. Sand casting produces rough castings which must be machined for most uses. Investment casting is quite expensive, but can produce finished parts in many cases.

Brass is one of the easiest metals to machine, and it is easy to get very good finishes. SS is much more difficult to machine and it requires more work to get high quality finishes.

The term Stainless Steel covers a huge variety of materials, all of which are based on steel but are vastly different alloys and have vastly different properties. Some are tough and soft, some are very hard, some are magnetic, some will precipitation harden, some can be quenched and tempered like carbon steel.

 

[ouch]

I want a titanium razor.

 

[BBrad]

Gold will not corrode, is 100% inert. aqua regia is the only chemical that will damage gold

That, or a mixture of hydrochloric and sulfuric acids . . .

 

[Ski-Patroller]

That, or a mixture of hydrochloric and sulfuric acids . . .

Which is aqua regia.

 

[Doctor Love]

I don't think Gold is impervious to Nitric Acid either...


...although I could be wrong.

 

[mark_mw]

Just think of how many more great looking classic razors would be around today if they had been made of stainless steel!

(there would be enough for several more CFM types on the bay)

 

[talibeard]

It is partly hype and partly the small numbers that are made; the old Polish Lux razors proved that making a solid SS razor doesn't have to be expensive at all.

A lot of people seem to think an SS razor is indestructable but in fact SS will corrode a lot faster then Chrome plating.

 

[Longsword]

I've seen several posts about wanting stainless steel DE razors. Just wondering what is special about stainless steel? Is it just better because you don't have to worry about the plating chipping off?

Also, why are stainless razors so expensive? Is steel really that expensive these days?

Thanks!

You know what happens to people who think for themselves don't you?

 

[stvince71]

You know what happens to people who think for themselves don't you?

LOL!

 

[Uncut]

I want a titanium razor.

Depleted uranium would be a better choice! <---other then the burnt skin!

 

[Longsword]

LOL!

I bet you didn't expect them, did you?