Is Stainless Steel Worth The Wonga?

CjH

CjH

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Location
Bedford
Hi Everyone.
How's everyone coping?

So I have 9 DE razors now. 5 vintage 4 new.
All different, some butterfly some 3 piece. Aluminium, brass, etc.
But I'm yet to buy or even try a stainless razor.
I have my go to's gillette slim adjustable, the new king C Gillette is giving quite a nice shave, then I like my Yaqi melon cob with an ebay brass handle.

Is it worth getting a stainless one or are they pretty much the same?
Appreciate your feedback Gents!

Thanks.
 
Will they outlast a vintage brass razor that is plated? No, but outlast the plating then yes. Both will outlast zamak however. As relates to the "wonga" factor that depends on your wants/needs as well as the fact that almost all current artisan razors are SS. You decide whether you will buy a reasonably priced SS one or go total "moonbat" crazy and take out a 2nd mortgage for a Wolfman. ;)
 
Whilst not a direct answer to your question, I believe my post below is still relevant:

Is There Such A Think As A Must Have Razon ?

I now have only 4 Razors Feather AS-D2s Rex Ambassador Ikon B1 OSS and the Rockwell 6s In Black. i love the top 3 for many different reasons but i haven't tried the Rockwell yet as i'm still working in Norway and it got delivered to my house 2 days after i left. what's your Best Razor ...
www.theshavingroom.co.uk www.theshavingroom.co.uk

I often hear purchases of stainless steel razors justified by their longevity. Let's be honest - our bathrooms aren't exactly tough industrial environments. A well plated zamak razor and aluminium razors should easily outlast us. There'll always be the odd poorly manufactured one that slips through the net though.

Just for context, I have loads of stainless razors. I own these because I'm a complete razor whore though, which I feel is sufficient justification.
 
No not really, but they will open a new can of worms for you to contend with such as........

They are heavy

The finish, bead blasted finish can feel less smooth in use, brushed is smoother, and high polished is even better but can cause inconsistent tolerance in parts, if the manufacturer has accounted for this finish properly before hand that won't be an issue but will cost more.

Blades, I've had to use different Blades from my usual to get a better shave with stainless razors.

Soaps as above but with Soaps :rolleyes:

Cost, your going to spend some extra dosh finding that perfect setup, unless your lucky.

The voyage of discovery is what drives us along however. I've picked up some new knowledge, and products that I wouldn't have otherwise used because of Stainless Razors.

Kind regards John.
 
TobyC said:
Brass is heavier than stainless and doesn't feel as cold, and copper alloys absorb heat more quickly. Rinse under warm water = warm brass razor.
Click to expand...

Is brass easier to machine than SS, which is why the latter are more expensive?

For my other hobby - guitars, I've been going through a Ry Cooder phase recently and I've bought a few slides in the last few years. Generally, the brass variant over a SS one will be more expensive.

So what relevance does this whether SS razors are worth the wonga or not?

I genuinely have no idea, but it's that kind of day so I will post my inane ramblings.
 
Modern brass is made up of copper & zinc (usually) and copper is not cheap. Stainless steel is about a third the price of copper, unless of course you're buying some exotic sintered stuff. U.S. spot prices 24 Dec. 2020:


Aluminum$0.9172 lbDec 24, 2020
Cobalt$15.486 lbDec 24, 2020
Copper$3.5348 lbDec 24, 2020
Gold$1872.55 ozDec 24, 2020
Iron Ore$123.54 mtSep 25, 2020
Lead$0.8875 lbDec 24, 2020
Nickel$7.6888 lbDec 24, 2020
Palladium$2373.00 ozDec 28, 2020
Platinum$1045.00 ozDec 28, 2020
Silver$25.780 ozDec 24, 2020
Zinc$1.2778 lbDec 24, 2020
 
donnie_arko said:
Is brass easier to machine than SS, which is why the latter are more expensive?

For my other hobby - guitars, I've been going through a Ry Cooder phase recently and I've bought a few slides in the last few years. Generally, the brass variant over a SS one will be more expensive.

So what relevance does this whether SS razors are worth the wonga or not?

I genuinely have no idea, but it's that kind of day so I will post my inane ramblings.
Click to expand...
SS is much harder to machine and to polish. It takes more time and effort to get rid of tool marks. Dull and broken cutters + extra labor = more expensive.

The price of copper has gone up considerably in the past few years, but most brass alloys are easy to machine.

I only have "wonga" for a silver plated Double Ring!
 
Is Anything worth the wonga ?
in my eyes money is fairly relevant,
Will a stainless Razor give you a better shave ?
probably not but did you buy a house that was just bigger than your last one,
did you buy a better car that done the same job as the car you had before.
I think everyone (that's) in to wet shaving should try a vintage if nothing else so we can compare how they were 50,60,70 years ago and i get razors today are not any better however there is better materials, better engineering and possibly better thought in to the DE Razor of today.
in answer to your question it's all down to preference and what you can afford.
i have three stainless, Two are made and machines whilst the last one is injection moulded stainless which to me is a far cheaper way of doing it but not the best
 
Mike Smart said:
there is better materials, better engineering and possibly better thought in to the DE Razor of today.
Click to expand...

I disagree, the only thing we have that may be better is blades, or their coatings in particular. There has been no improvement to razor geometry since the Double Ring, and many modern razors fall short of the mark with poorly supported blades and the occasional deformed top cap, not to mention zamak.
 
donnie_arko said:
Is brass easier to machine than SS, which is why the latter are more expensive?

For my other hobby - guitars, I've been going through a Ry Cooder phase recently and I've bought a few slides in the last few years. Generally, the brass variant over a SS one will be more expensive.

So what relevance does this whether SS razors are worth the wonga or not?

I genuinely have no idea, but it's that kind of day so I will post my inane ramblings.
Click to expand...
Try a glass slide.
 
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