True, I just figured my opening post would explain the purpose of the title. I obviously assumed wrong, well we live and learn.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Carbon steel is great, stainless steel sucks.
- Thread starter TheEdge01
- Start date
True, I just figured my opening post would explain the purpose of the title. I obviously assumed wrong, well we live and learn.
Will do, thanks, and once again I’m sorry everybody.
Can’t do, guess I’ll ride it out.
So are you asking if we prefer carbon or stainless? Or if there is a "difference" between carbon or stainless? Or why someone would prefer one over the other?
Can you restate your premise or question, just forgetting everything that has been said before this point?
Maybe salvage the darn thing rather than just shut it down and leave us all thinking you are looking down on the opinions of folks who aren't as "expert" as you.
DocJD
Basic Member
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2016
- Messages
- 12,342
Well aside from all the sensitive feelings : You can experience why stainless got a bad rep if you obtain one of those swords or big knives made for ceremony / display . Made hard and brittle . Take and maintain a high polish . Scratch resistant but will shatter if you hit something hard .
So are you asking if we prefer carbon or stainless? Or if there is a "difference" between carbon or stainless? Or why someone would prefer one over the other?
Can you restate your premise or question, just forgetting everything that has been said before this point?
Maybe salvage the darn thing rather than just shut it down and leave us all thinking you are looking down on the opinions of folks who aren't as "expert" as you.
marcinek, I’m not an expert, that is why I’m here and why I enjoy this forum. I want to learn from people more updated and informed than myself. I’m not doubting or looking down anyone’s opinion about the subject. I feel things have already gotten out of hand and would rather close it down than make things worse by attempting to rewrite it. No offense intended
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2009
- Messages
- 11,813
IBTL!
Seriously though, That's the way carbon vs stainless used to be perceived. We've come along way since then.
It used to be that stainless was considered difficult to sharpen, but now diamond hones are much more readily available and more affordable. Carbon steels were believed to take a much keener edge, but edge retention was not as good as stainless, which was okay considering the ease of sharpening and pretty much any old stone would do.
Now we have much better stainless options, but carbon steels are still favoured by many for choppers and general outdoors type of usage.
Seriously though, That's the way carbon vs stainless used to be perceived. We've come along way since then.
It used to be that stainless was considered difficult to sharpen, but now diamond hones are much more readily available and more affordable. Carbon steels were believed to take a much keener edge, but edge retention was not as good as stainless, which was okay considering the ease of sharpening and pretty much any old stone would do.
Now we have much better stainless options, but carbon steels are still favoured by many for choppers and general outdoors type of usage.
Hickory n steel
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2016
- Messages
- 21,289
Stainless steel works for me as well as carbon steel, but I'm just settling for stainless steel with my knives that use it.
To me stainless doesn't have the soul an old worn carbon steel blade with patina does, so I while it works and I use it I just don't feel the same about it.
Btw I've actually more often heard the opposite, people hate anything that can rust and where I'm at there's no reason for it.
Out here in norcal it's just a matter of basic care, sure there are places where you might get rust no matter what but not out here.
To me stainless doesn't have the soul an old worn carbon steel blade with patina does, so I while it works and I use it I just don't feel the same about it.
Btw I've actually more often heard the opposite, people hate anything that can rust and where I'm at there's no reason for it.
Out here in norcal it's just a matter of basic care, sure there are places where you might get rust no matter what but not out here.
Last edited:
OK. One more try.
What were you trying to learn about by opening this thread?
I'm being sincere here.
IBTL!
Seriously though, That's the way carbon vs stainless used to be perceived. We've come along way since then.
It used to be that stainless was considered difficult to sharpen, but now diamond hones are much more readily available and more affordable. Carbon steels were believed to take a much keener edge, but edge retention was not as good as stainless, which was okay considering the ease of sharpening and pretty much any old stone would do.
Now we have much better stainless options, but carbon steels are still favoured by many for choppers and general outdoors type of usage.
Yup. Back in the 70's there was a lot of low-grade stainless coming out of Japan. But, those were hugely popular at the time...they were the "gas station" knives of the day. Buck 110 knockoffs. People loved them.
Ok, I have heard folks refer to stainless steel as junk because they developed an opinion that it has poor edge retention vs carbon steels. I’m not an expert but I have had the privilege of experiencing higher grades of stainless steel so I knew that better options did exist.
The purpose of this thread is to see if anyone one else has had a similar encounter. I did take the time to share with the person what I have learned.
See? How hard was that?
No, I have not. Every non knife person I have met likes stainless because it doesn't rust, and none of them even know knives are made in non-stainless steel.
Among knife nuts many say stainless sucks, many say carbon sucks.
So, "no."
Part of the anti-stainless feeling came from early pre 1950's stainless steel. There were challenges with hardening and tempering which lead to a problem called "retained austenite", basically oddly hardened soft blades as I understand it.
Fast foward that a few years, the stainless steels are very consistant now, but you run into a new problem of people not liking the consistent hardness these steels where capable of, so you wound up with the "too hard to sharpen" crowd.
Fast foward that a few years, the stainless steels are very consistant now, but you run into a new problem of people not liking the consistent hardness these steels where capable of, so you wound up with the "too hard to sharpen" crowd.
And the person who said that, you consider a "non-knife person"?
Maybe that is what is getting me confused.
Sounds like they are.
No "non knife person" I know who just has a knife and doesn't care about it knows, or cares, about edge retention.
So maybe that explains my "No" answer in the last post.
Yes, but that "too hard to sharpen" is the same as "good edge retention"....getting sharp and becoming dull are the same process.
Well, I have known the people I’m referring to for years, that’s why I said earlier that it wasn’t a blanket statement.
Not hard, I just felt like I either came across as offensive or simply opened myself up for attack. Btw, thanks for pointing out my poor opening statement, I need to be more attentive about how I come across to others.
Where did I go wrong? I answered you question about me considering the person I’m referring to as a non knife person. I told you I have known them for years.