Carbon vs Stainless St8?

**Arkwell** · 04-06-2011, 05:45 PM

Ok guys, all things being equal how many more shaves do you think you can get from a Stainless compared to a Carbon St8 before honing?

**SamG** · 04-06-2011, 11:45 PM

Two identical straight razors, one carbon and one stainless, both hardened to the same hardness, properly honed, maintained, and stropped...should provide nearly identical results. Edge durability between two steels of the same hardness has more to do with stropping/shaving technique and beard prep than whether the razor is stainless steel or not. Stainless steel used for straight razors is not completely "stainless" either, and moisture left on either kind of blade will corrode it and trash the edge.

P.S. St8=state, not straight

**fccexpert** · 04-07-2011, 07:04 AM

Actually, you will probably get more from a carbon steel razor than a stainless one. Stainless steel is actually not as hard as carbon steel and will thus dull sooner. Practically, however, high quality martinistic stainless steels have a hardness close to that of the best carbon steels so you will probably not see much real difference.

**Thebigspendur** · 04-07-2011, 07:50 AM

In general if you took a bunch or either and compared them they would last the same. I have some carbon steel razors that go way longer than any stainless but they are the exceptions.

**Seraphim** · 04-07-2011, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by fccexpert

Actually, you will probably get more from a carbon steel razor than a stainless one. Stainless steel is actually not as hard as carbon steel and will thus dull sooner. Practically, however, high quality martinistic stainless steels have a hardness close to that of the best carbon steels so you will probably not see much real difference.

But stainless has higher wear resistance, even at lower hardness, so it is debateable as to the actual tradeoff.

I have found them both to be comparable in my actual useage.

**Chimensch** · 04-07-2011, 10:47 AM

I only had one stainless steel razor, a Dovo #41. It gave great shaves but the edge never lasted very long so I never got another one.

**fccexpert** · 04-08-2011, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by Seraphim

But stainless has higher wear resistance, even at lower hardness, so it is debateable as to the actual tradeoff.

I have found them both to be comparable in my actual useage.

No, it does not, martinsitic stainless will be close to carbon steel, but not equal, austenitic stainless will dull much quicker (but no quality razor will be made of this type of steel).