Spyderco Forums

CPM154 has my attention. I have shaved with razors of that steel and give it thumbs up. I’ll add your suggestions to the list for sure.

I don't know enough about straight razors and steel properties to make any kind of educated guess what might be good.
My gut says something like 52100, but I'd be curious how a high chromium carbide steel like zdp189 might do. I'd also like to try something with a medium mo/w/v mix like M2.

Thanks jpm2. 52100 has always been one of my favorites. She is a fickle mistress of a steel unless the heat treatment parameters are fairly tight. 52100 is also capable of bainite structure. That the prototype is O-1 in bainite makes the transition to 52100 fairly easy on principle alone. Truthfully, I'd like to know how ZDP189 performs in a razor shape too.

Keep adding to my wish list.

Mike Blue wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 18, 2020 6:09 pm

Thanks jpm2. 52100 has always been one of my favorites. She is a fickle mistress of a steel unless the heat treatment parameters are fairly tight. 52100 is also capable of bainite structure. That the prototype is O-1 in bainite makes the transition to 52100 fairly easy on principle alone. Truthfully, I'd like to know how ZDP189 performs in a razor shape too.

Keep adding to my wish list.

I started shaving with my ZDP stretch before I bought a real straight. Went to like 8000 grit and stropped it on split hide and then smooth leather. I thought I was doing pretty good too. Then I shaved with a nice vintage full hollow razor and it was like night and day. I would love a ZDP straight razor but I also like your suggestion for cpm 154.

Thanks VashHash. The potential steels have been discussed for a couple years now. A considerable advantage when working with Spyderco is that nearly all the employees know steels and performance. They have their recommendations too. As the list grows I'm sure one or another steel will rise or fall in contention. For now, O-1 In Bainite has the lead to get this razor in the works. Sal can add to this, but the choice of O-1 is a traditional steel for razors and Sal wants to have a blade done to bainite microstructure. This opens the door to several branching paths.

I'm off for a few days to a Razor Meet/Hammerin in Burkburnett Texas. The people there do nothing but razors and I'm sure I'll collect a lot of feedback about what they think. Anyone is welcome to visit. PM me for details if you're interested.

Hey Mike...

any pics from the Meet might be nice? :)

Hi Stuart. There is too much to pull this way. Here's a link: https://sharprazorpalace.com/get-togeth ... -meet.html

Toward the end of those linked pages are the beginning of pics and video, mostly forging and grinding I think. This is one of the good sites for razor information anyway. I will be in Texas tomorrow.

Thanks for the links, Mike...
Enjoy your time there!

I’m curious about blade shape. Will there be a large hole, or tiny hole? I’m not even sure how you hold a straight razor...

I love that this keeps showing up, I hope sal notices

I'm hoping for an Irish point.

Either way, I'm excited!

Hi Koenigsegg,

I try to pay attention. I'm going to have to build it. Mike, Ed and Howard are building the Salt pot heat teat for me. This is our intro into straight razors so the plan is to serve those that will use them. I found it to be a great adventure shaving with a straight razor. You really have to focus and pay attention.

sal

sal wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 19, 2020 9:37 pm

Hi Koenigsegg,

I try to pay attention. I'm going to have to build it. Mike, Ed and Howard are building the Salt pot heat teat for me. This is our intro into straight razors so the plan is to serve those that will use them. I found it to be a great adventure shaving with a straight razor. You really have to focus and pay attention.

sal

I find it relaxing and therapeutic. I'll definitely pick one up. Any word on the grind? I'm hoping for a thin full hollow. I know round point is safer for most but I'd prefer a square or Spanish for precision.

I would like to see a Spyderco razor!
Seems to me our resident steel junkies are overthinking the steel question.. As far as i can remember, grandad's face was always smooth as a baby's behind, and he used this Erik Anton Berg jobbie. His father was barber at the second Cavalry regiment no less :)

Larry_Mott wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 20, 2020 10:58 am

I would like to see a Spyderco razor!
Seems to me our resident steel junkies are overthinking the steel question.. As far as i can remember, grandad's face was always smooth as a baby's behind, and he used this Erik Anton Berg jobbie. His father was barber at the second Cavalry regiment no less :)

Wow, that's a great heirloom razor, Larry! Do you shave with it?

I think the reason we're talking so much about the steel is that if Spyderco makes a razor that looks and performs just like all the others, there won't be much reason to buy it other than as a collector piece.

As much as I love Spyderco, I only buy knives that are new and unique enough that I'll use them. Obviously there are members on this forum who will buy anything with the hole and bug trademarks on them, but for a project that's this far into the niche it's going to need to be unique. I have a dozen razors that shave just fine, and none of them shaves better than a Feather disposable blade despite my (impatient) efforts with stropping compound.

I have no doubt that Sal could find an overseas manufacturer to make razor blanks, then assemble and hone them in Golden, probably for a similar price to what the German and French makers are selling razors for. But even if the gains in edge retention are only measurable in a few shaves, it seems to me that Sal (and Mike, and Ed) are most interested in blazing a new trail.

JacksonKnives wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 20, 2020 11:34 am

Larry_Mott wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 20, 2020 10:58 am

I would like to see a Spyderco razor!
Seems to me our resident steel junkies are overthinking the steel question.. As far as i can remember, grandad's face was always smooth as a baby's behind, and he used this Erik Anton Berg jobbie. His father was barber at the second Cavalry regiment no less :)

Wow, that's a great heirloom razor, Larry! Do you shave with it?



***

Mike, who else has been making Bainite razors? I did some snooping and saw that Howard Clark is at the hammer-in, what's his stuff like? I only know of his swords.

I don't. It's not sharp enough and i don't want to ruin it trying to sharpen it myself. I plan to take it to Eskilstuna some day, they have a museum where you can buy some old Eskilstuna knives and also get them sharpened.

Mike Blue wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 19, 2020 5:17 pm

Hi Stuart. There is too much to pull this way. Here's a link: https://sharprazorpalace.com/get-togeth ... -meet.html

Toward the end of those linked pages are the beginning of pics and video, mostly forging and grinding I think. This is one of the good sites for razor information anyway. I will be in Texas tomorrow.

Mike, who else has been making Bainite razors? I did some snooping and saw that Howard Clark is at the hammer-in, what's his stuff like? I only know of his swords.

[Edit: OK, Sal is mentioning Howard being involved in the heat treat. Didn't realize which Howard it was until just now. More excited with every post.]

Larry_Mott wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 20, 2020 11:38 am

I don't. It's not sharp enough and i don't want to ruin it trying to sharpen it myself. I plan to take it to Eskilstuna some day, they have a museum where you can buy some old Eskilstuna knives and also get them sharpened.

Good plan, I hope you can find someone with the skills to match your razor! Eskilstuna razors are well-known for hard, fine-grained steel, and it should give you an excellent shave.

I seldom shave now, except to clean up the edges of my beard, but every now and then I blitz the lot and start again, :)

I have tried over 50 different razors over the years, and I will happily buy a Spy Razor, what ever its steel type or profile, fixed or bendy...
BTW, I own around thirty razors, and I rotate them each time I trim...

My strop is horsehide leather, no abrasive...works just fine for me.

Remember folks, this is effectively a collaboration between Sal, Mike Blue, and Howard Clark...history in the making, with an EDGE... :)

Woodpuppy wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 19, 2020 8:27 pm

I’m curious about blade shape. Will there be a large hole, or tiny hole? I’m not even sure how you hold a straight razor...

The prototype has a larger hole. Not larger than 13mm.

I'd encourage looking around. There are numerous videos and websites to see about straight razor shaving, and those are designed to help beginners or the curious.