Rust is a weird thing. I know people who never bother maintaining their O-1, which should be fast-rusting, and never see the slightest rust. Other folks, even in the same area and climate, report seeing rust with even the slightest let-up in maintainance.
Here's my story about Cold Steel's Carbon V, although I've never heard anyone else report similar results. About 8 years ago, I bought 2 SRKs, one for my buddy and one for myself. Both knives were very sharp when I bought them. I probably tested by touching the edge with my thumb, or doing a quick shaving test on my arm. Note that both these tests cause localized skin/blade contact, but not contact along the entire blade. A year or so later, neither my buddy nor I had used the knives. He takes his out of the box, then calls me up to complain that I gave him a dull knife. So I take mine out of the box, and sure enough, the edge is dull. Micro-rusted right in the box, is the only explanation I can think of.
Despite that experience, I love Carbon V and the way it performs. You didn't say how you're going to use your knife, but if it includes lots of hard use and actual cutting, I'd go with Carbon V, provided you're willing to do some light maintenance. If you're going to throw it in your car and forget about it for long periods of time, 8A might be the better choice.
Joe
