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

[wesessiah]

like some of the others in here, I like carbon for fixed blades, and stainless for folders. go to one of the bushwacker (whatever it's called) sites and someone is a heretic for wanting a stainless fixed blade... so there are definitely camps.

 

[davek14]

Over time as I have accumulated more and more knife knowledge and experience, I've started to gravitate towards harder heat treatments and lower alloyed steels. Yes, high alloyed steels will hold an edge longer overall, but, since I'm proficient at sharpening and I tend to do more intricate cuts with knives rather than use brute force, I'm more interested in steels that hold a fine edge longer. To put it another way, while some knives can hold a usable edge for 1,000 cuts on cardboard/carpet/dirty rope I'm more interested in knives that can hold an extremely fine edge for 1,000 cuts on soft protein/vegetables.

This means that I'm starting to gravitate towards steels that are don't focus on stain resistance.

Interesting.

You are saying you're gravitating to carbon 'cause it holds a razor edge longer?

An expert I am not, but that's why I like carbon I guess.

I don't have a ton of experience with high end stainless. I have some but I like a more budget knife for daily work. I hear a lot of talk about, say, Rough Rider stainless being "decent". I think a lot of day to day knives are very similar steel.

To me, you can get it sharp enough but it dulls to "working sharp" in a cut or two. I want a knife in my pocket which will "snick" through a box when I open it.

 

[C_Becker]

I usually prefer fine-grained, easy to sharpen steels. That includes simple carbon steels like 1095 or SK5, but also AUS8 or the Sandvik 12/13/14C. Just love the edge that they can take. But for some reason I really like the D2 on my Boker Rold, I think they did a real good HT on that one.

 

[davek14]

I usually prefer fine-grained, easy to sharpen steels. That includes simple carbon steels like 1095 or SK5, but also AUS8 or the Sandvik 12/13/14C. Just love the edge that they can take. But for some reason I really like the D2 on my Boker Rold, I think they did a real good HT on that one.

Yup, like AUS8 also. Seems like AUS8 can be great or just OK depending on the HT. Thought I'd like 8cr13MOV and I kinda might, but it's on probation. It might need a small, more obtuse secondary edge but then be (just) OK (I'm guessin' here).