Thread: What's the best stainless steel to use for a straight?

Well the title says it all. I am wondering what the best variety of stainless steel to use for making a straight razor is?

Thank you.

Depends on the exact hardness you want in the end, who is working it and how.

"It depends." is the correct answer.

I have a Japanese straight that I'm pretty sure is ATS-34. Nowadays that is old hat, passe', boring. But, it shaves as well or better than I could ask for.

My good friend Knip has made a few razors of the US particle metallurgy version of that steel, 154CPM, and I'm sure it will give very good to excellent service.

There's really no need to run off after the wunderstahls. The old stuff hasn't been played out yet.

Thanks for the replies. More than helpful.

INOX is a very good stainless.
Aritsugu uses stainless steel (Ginsanko), that produces one of the most durable edges ever, unfortunately no one really knows what exactly steel is that.

This has some good info:
Knife Steel FAQ

Originally Posted by Mike Blue

"It depends." is the correct answer.

I have a Japanese straight that I'm pretty sure is ATS-34. Nowadays that is old hat, passe', boring. But, it shaves as well or better than I could ask for.

My good friend Knip has made a few razors of the US particle metallurgy version of that steel, 154CPM, and I'm sure it will give very good to excellent service.

There's really no need to run off after the wunderstahls. The old stuff hasn't been played out yet.

+1. I have razors in both these steels, have shaved with both and honed both and find them to be really good in all categories. They hone up well and are very nice shavers.

Lynn

just had a question, i've made a couple knives out of old metal files wondered what you all thought about maybe using one for a razor?

Normaly file steel is good useable for razors. More important is the correct heat treating process. For that it is usefull to know, what steel exactly the used in the file. For normal knives the exact hardness and fine grain of the steel is not so important, like for a straight razor.

Originally Posted by Buddel

Normaly file steel is good useable for razors. More important is the correct heat treating process. For that it is usefull to know, what steel exactly the used in the file. For normal knives the exact hardness and fine grain of the steel is not so important, like for a straight razor.

+1, although if you or your heat treater are capable (knowledge and tools) of controlling the grain, that is a good thing to do.