Are there high carbon steel guys and stainless guys or does everyone like everything?

R

Rsgort

Joined
Jul 19, 2012
Messages
27
There doesn't really seem to be "camps", does there?

Do you have a preference?

Which roles do you like for high carbon steels and in which roles do you prefer stainless?
 
Growing up with stainless Buck knives, that was all I knew. Getting into different ones now, I certainly have preferences. I can tell the difference between how sharp I can get one of my high carbon steel knives and my stainless ones. I also notice that the high carbons stay sharper, longer. So, for pretty much everything that I do, it is worth it for the extra-maintenance for the high carbon ones.

That being said, the one knife in my bug-out bag is a Fallkniven F1 (VG-10 stainless).
 
Personally, I like stainless, with the super steels you can get the quality of high carbon with the ease of maintainence of stainless...

Or

Words like stainless and high carbon are just marketing gimmicks used to sell knives to mall ninjas, there is no difference, they are all the same...
 
Um, for my kitchen knives it's all high carbon.

stainless for folders.

marketing gimmicks, lol.
 
I like everything as long as it will take a good edge and keep it.

If I'm doing work that I know that I'll sweat a lot, I would prefer stainless. I've had D2 rust in my pocket before...

If I need that extra sharpness, I would pick high carbon or super steel like M390.

I've been picking up old carbon blade slip joints at fleamarkets and I've been pleasantly pleased by their performances.
 
There are definately camps. People do chop & change a bit.
I prefer SS, though I like 3V, which technically isn't stainless.
There have been some long discussions in the traditionals forum revolving around this issue.

Although the blade is the heart of the knife, it isn't everything. If I really like a design, the blade steel isn't going to kill it for me.
 
Everyone knows that a proper knife is forged by hand out of high carbon steel, preferably wootz, and that anything else is just a step above a ginsu special.


No, seriously, high carbon steels, stainless steels, and many other types of steels that can't be so usefully categorized that way have their attractions and advantages, and disadvantages, so for me certainly it isn't either or. One of the joys of knives and swords is the variety and trying new things, and refining or discovering old things. I love a great forged 52100 by a Wally Hayes or an Ed Fowler but I love my Busses in Infi, or Lightfoot in BG 42 or even a Tichbourne in 440C, which aren't new or sexy materials but still wonderful when done well.
 
I'm a tool and high speed steel guy but I do like some of the new stainless super steels ( S90V, CTS 20CP, S110V, and M390, etc.)
 
depends on application,
I carry a spyderco sage 2 with s30v stainless and it is great for edc. I also carry a cv case and it is very easy to sharpen and get very sharp. For kitchen knives, I have a shun that is vg 10 layered and I love it, the rest are carbon. Thinnder kitchen knives in carbon are easy to get very sharp, and as long as they are cared for they last a very long time. for larger heavy application knives, I'd go for carbon steel, like a becker bk7 or 9. 1095 is great steel when it is treated right, and can do everything reasonable that the latest supersteel can do. That said, the edge holding on some of the nice stainless steel is great for edc folders and small fixed blades.
 
"High carbon" is a bit of a misnomer, since most carbon or alloy steels have much less carbon than stainless steels because stainless steels need higher amounts of carbon to offset the amounts of chromium needed to make a knife "stainless".

I used to be a supersteel junky, but in the past few years I've been using traditional knives and have come to enjoy the simplicity and ease of sharpening that you get with basic stainless steels and old fashioned carbon steels. I don't really carry a modern knife as a "user" anymore, but I've been seriously tempted to try something in M4 or Superblue or M390. If only Benchmade would produce a M4 940. My favorite stainless steel is VG-10 (as done by Spyderco). Although it doesn't have the wear resistance of more recent supersteels, there's no stainless steel that I've ever come across that I can get as stupidly sharp as VG-10, and with little effort.

And then there's H1. Apart from my Cybertool 29, there's no knife I've carried longer than my Tasman Salt PE (preceded by other Salts), which isn't the best at holding edges, but is impervious to any sort of corrosion that I can throw at it.
 
I honestly think that, given the dizzying array of steel we have and the degrees of corrosion resistance that they offer, the classifications of carbon and stainless are becoming less and less useful. I have uncoated D2 blades that have never spotted at all and AUS8 folders that will spot up from a day or two of pocket carry. I have a knife in 5160 that's mirror polished and I find that all I really have to do with it is make sure it doesn't get put away dirty or wet and rust is basically no issue. Basically, I've started thinking more about the properties of the individual steel, the finish on the blade and what I'm going to do with it more than if it's "carbon" or "stainless".
 
I don't use my knives nearly enough to really notice a difference in performance between types of steel.
Sad (to some) but true.
 
I think it is less steel camps and more knife preference, which often it seems to me that stainless or non-stainless steels tend to be the more common material. ie. Moder folders are typically stainless, while traditionals are more likely to be carbon.
 
crowmagnon said:
I don't use my knives nearly enough to really notice a difference in performance between types of steel.
Sad (to some) but true.
Click to expand...

I wish there was a ratings system on this forum so I could give you positive points. I found that bit of honesty to be quite refreshing. I suspect their are many more like you yet they just wont admit it. Honestly I wouldnt be able to tell you what steel a blade was made out of unless it was stamped in it. I do have my favorites but really the only factor that comes into play with me is ease of sharpening.
 
Well I'm not much of a knife collector so my opinion is based on the knives that I've owned and used a lot. In my experience, carbon steel holds an edge better and has been less likely to chip or roll an edge. I don't think stainless is bad, I just find carbon steel better in almost every way. The only real downside to carbon steel is the need to maintain oil on the blade or it will rust. You could do a patina or allow one to form naturally to help with rust prevention, but it's never going to be quite as resistant as stainless steel (not saying stainless won't rust, it will).
 
Can it take a very sharp edge? More importantly can I put that sharp edge on it with my sharpening skills? Will it last long enough to be of use?

If the answer to all 3 above are yes you have my interest and I will most likely like that steel. I mostly deal with more budget oriented knives right now and the most wear resistant steels I have would probably be among the carbon steel opinel, 8cr13mov and aus-8, lets just say I don't have high standards in that category and I don't mind sharpening my knives.

After owning an Opinel for several months I don't have a spot of rust or discoloration and the thing has never seen a drop of oil unlike all my other knives. I am starting to think I might clean my knives too often for rust to even remotely be a concern and I intentionally neglected this knife more to see if anything would happen.
 
Stainless for folders and carbon for fixed blades.

Carbon steels are no-nonsense and I like that. They sharpen easily, they take a fantastic edge and most of them hold it for a good period of time. I also enjoy the patina of carbon blades.

For stainless, I prefer the tried and true steels as opposed to whatever the latest and greatest super steel is. Stuff like S35VN and CPM 154 is just fine for me. They take a great edge and are just as easy to sharpen as my carbon blades.
 
Planterz said:
"High carbon" is a bit of a misnomer, since most carbon or alloy steels have much less carbon than stainless steels because stainless steels need higher amounts of carbon to offset the amounts of chromium needed to make a knife "stainless".

I used to be a supersteel junky, but in the past few years I've been using traditional knives and have come to enjoy the simplicity and ease of sharpening that you get with basic stainless steels and old fashioned carbon steels. I don't really carry a modern knife as a "user" anymore, but I've been seriously tempted to try something in M4 or Superblue or M390. If only Benchmade would produce a M4 940. My favorite stainless steel is VG-10 (as done by Spyderco). Although it doesn't have the wear resistance of more recent supersteels, there's no stainless steel that I've ever come across that I can get as stupidly sharp as VG-10, and with little effort.

And then there's H1. Apart from my Cybertool 29, there's no knife I've carried longer than my Tasman Salt PE (preceded by other Salts), which isn't the best at holding edges, but is impervious to any sort of corrosion that I can throw at it.
Click to expand...

FWIW, Super Blue is a carbon steel. A very high end carbon steel but nonetheless, it behaves like one. Easy to sharpen, gets stooopid sharp and holds its edge very well.

It's a lot more simple than people may think so don't be afraid to give it a try.

You might be aware of all this but I just figured I'd chime in cause I saw you group it in with M4 and M390.
 
Personally, I prefer tool steels like D2, CPM M4 etc. Stainless just hasn't impressed me that much. I have a variety of knives in different steels:
Two in D2
One in CPM M4
Two in 1095
2 in AUS 8
One in ZDP-189
Two in VG-10
3 in S30V
One in ATS-34.
My kitchen knives are JA Henckel High Carbon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top