This is a lot of how I think also. Here is the skinney. 01 was designed for edged tools. It is tough, it sharpens easily, and it will hold an edge very well. If you wash an 01 knife in the sink, then sit it beside the sink while you put away the dishes forgetting to wipe it dry, it'll rust before you're done. It is one of the fastest rusting steels. That said, I am a wipe the knife on my pants before sheathing guy, and I've never had pitting on any of my 01 knives. My Recluse lives by the woodpile in my garage in its sheath. It has a patina, but no 'rust'. It was the very first Recluse. I use it to make the kindling for our fires.
The stat sheets make it seem like crucible steels blow everything else away. And its true. They are tougher, and WAY more wear resistant. But they are a DEFINITE PITA to sharpen.
I consider my sharpening skills an 8 out of ten with Ban Tang being a ten. Some of you are at Ban's level some of you are not even at my level. Lets just say I get a lot of knives back to re-sharpen. Many have not even attempted it, others have mangled it. Here is the point. If you can't get 01 sharp, then the problem is you, not the steel, not the grind, not the heat treat. Its also easiest to sharpen in the field, in the kitchen, and even on a boat with a goat.
Think of this. 01 is a VERY popular blade steel for high end chef's knives. How could this be? Wouldn't kitchen use destroy it first day? The reason can be found at the cutting edge. Imagine the routine the chef goes through to maintain that knife without it rusting. It has to be cleaned and dryed each time it is used. They'd keep fingerprints off of it, and prevent anyone but themselves using it. This would have to be made clear to everyone else in the kitchen. A newb that picked that knife up would get tought to never make that mistake again.
Now why don't those chefs use CPM M4 like the cutting competitions? Or the every loved 3V? Why not 3V? Its because of the sharpening process. Plain and simple.
