How come modern folders don't come in carbon steel?

L

LedZep13k7

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Mar 21, 2011
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My grandad always told me "Stainless steel is for people that can't take care of knives." Naturally, I picked up on his love of the carbon steel blade and traditional knives. Anyway, I was thinking about maybe getting a modern knife with a pocket clip and one hand opening just to try it out. Well I go looking and no one makes one with a carbon steel blade....why? And also why is carbon steel fading out in any kind of knife?
 
mooremaker has a one-hander with clip in 1095.

Carbon steel is alive and well in traditional designs.

Suppliers tend to supply what the market wants. Maybe what you want to ask is, "would you buy a modern design in a straight carbon steel like 1095." Then remind the responders that CPM M4 is not a carbon steel. It is an alloy steel. It just isn't stainless.

For myself, I tend to carry both a traditional (in carbon steel) and a one-hander (in stainless). I carry a one-hander for tougher jobs that require the greater edge retention of something like 440C. I carry the traditional to handle the 99% of my cutting needs that don't require outstanding edge retention, just the very sharp edge that 1095 provides.
 
LedZep13k7 said:
Anyway, I was thinking about maybe getting a modern knife with a pocket clip and one hand opening just to try it out. Well I go looking and no one makes one with a carbon steel blade....why?
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I think I read that Spyderco has a Clipit with an M4 blade... was it the Gayle Bradley?
 
LedZep,

Your grandfather is entitled to his opinion. I grew up in a house full of carbon steel knives and we took good care of them, too. The blades would literally stink after cutting an onion. Back then you could have edgeholding or stainlessness, but not both. Today we can have both and most users seem to prefer this, even if it costs more money than either the edgeholding or stainlessness alone.
 
knarfeng said:
mooremaker has a one-hander with clip in 1095.

Carbon steel is alive and well in traditional designs.

Suppliers tend to supply what the market wants. Maybe what you want to ask is, "would you buy a modern design in a straight carbon steel like 1095." Then remind the responders that CPM M4 is not a carbon steel. It is an alloy steel. It just isn't stainless.

For myself, I tend to carry both a traditional (in carbon steel) and a one-hander (in stainless). I carry a one-hander for tougher jobs that require the greater edge retention of something like 440C. I carry the traditional to handle the 99% of my cutting needs that don't require outstanding edge retention, just the very sharp edge that 1095 provides.
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Thanks for the tip! I found the one hand opener on Moore Maker's website. Its actually pretty cheap...I'm just the kind of guy that prefers something easy to sharpen over something that will hold an edge forever and never get an edge back on it. I bought a D2 knife and I still can't get the thing sharp.
 
Its simple demand. Most knife users would rather not have to take the time to wash and oil their knives after each use and dont want to worry about corrosion. To the best of my knowledge carbon steel is going strong in fixed blades because of the inherent toughness and in traditionals because well, its traditional. But the hatred of corrosion and the laziness is also why so many carbon fixed blades are coated even though the majority of us collectors seem to prefer uncoated blades. The average user wants a knife they dont have to worry about maintaining.
 
When you own one or two knives maintenance isn't an issue to keep them from rusting. When you own dozens (or more) it would be a full time job to maintain carbon steel knives.
 
LedZep13k7 said:
... I was thinking about maybe getting a modern knife with a pocket clip and one hand opening just to try it out. Well I go looking and no one makes one with a carbon steel blade...
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The Spyderco Gayle Bradley, a modern one hand opening knife with CPM-M4, a powder metal technology carbon steel. With carbon fiber scales as bonus.

gaylebradley3.jpg
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"Stainless steel is for people that can't take care of knives."

I think that's a dated view... I've got some Japanese carpenter folders that are carbon and they're great, but stainless alloys have come a really, really long way. D2 might be overkill though. vg10 is an easy stainless to get shaving sharp and edge retention is beyond 1095.

I don't think carbon is fading out in any kind of knife. there are a lot of fixed blades and traditional cooking cutlery that use carbon.

to play devils advocate: stainless = lazy about cleaning/oiling, so carbon = lazy about sharpening?

still i wouldn't mind owning a good carbon folder, just need to find a design i really like.
 
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LedZep13k7 said:
My grandad always told me "Stainless steel is for people that can't take care of knives." Naturally, I picked up on his love of the carbon steel blade and traditional knives. Anyway, I was thinking about maybe getting a modern knife with a pocket clip and one hand opening just to try it out. Well I go looking and no one makes one with a carbon steel blade....why? And also why is carbon steel fading out in any kind of knife?
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Never say no one. This one is O1 steel.

Linerlock003.jpg


Linerlock004.jpg


Linerlock005.jpg


Linerlock006.jpg
 
BITEME said:
boker makes ceramic folder!always thought about getting one
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don't bother, they chip with even the most conservative use. mine chipped slicing through a lemon and drawing through to the maple cutting board. really too bad too, i really liked that knife.
/threadjack ;)
 
LedZep13k7 said:
My grandad always told me "Stainless steel is for people that can't take care of knives." Naturally, I picked up on his love of the carbon steel blade and traditional knives. Anyway, I was thinking about maybe getting a modern knife with a pocket clip and one hand opening just to try it out. Well I go looking and no one makes one with a carbon steel blade....why? And also why is carbon steel fading out in any kind of knife?
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That view is very dated and with the stainless steels we have available today I wouldn't even think of going with a carbon steel in a custom blade unless it was a high alloy like CPM 10V, K294, CPM 15V, K390.

At least with those I can get max edge retention and very high hardness for the trade off of being non stainless so they are worth it.
 
Ankerson said:
That view is very dated and with the stainless steels we have available today I wouldn't even think of going with a carbon steel in a custom blade unless it was a high alloy like CPM 10V, K294, CPM 15V, K390.
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That bias against stainless steel is like continuing to believe cars are a passing fad and "smart" people still use horses for their transportation.
 
Stelth said:
That bias against stainless steel is like continuing to believe cars are a passing fad and "smart" people still use horses for their transportation.
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so carbon steel lovers are the amish of the knife world?

I like a good stainless steel but i also love the traditionalness of carbon steel. The maitennence of the carbon steel creates a more personal investment or even a more personal relationship with the knife. Plus the patinas carbon steels develop build a character and individuality with each knife, that just scratches and sharpening wear on stainless steels just dont come close to matching IMHO.
 
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