question 1. What is the differene between steel and stainless steel as far as care and durability?
Relatively easy. Stainless steel stains LESS.
But still needs care. Steel needs lots more care to prevent it from becoming grey or worse, orange-brown from rusting. In simple terms, keep steel blades dry and wipe down every time they get wet, and stainless steels you wipe down once a week if they got wet.
Durability: depends what you mean by durable.
If you mean how long would it take before a knife is worthless because of rustingproblems, the answer is a VERY long time. I have a bowie from 52100, and I think it can survive a few years in water before it will be gone. Stainless steels usually last 10 - 20 times longer. High carbon steels with no chronium last about one year in water.
question 2. Is the quality the same?
All current industrial steels, stainless as wel as carbon steels, are very good in quality, but the stainless steels are usually produced with a smaller margin of error.
in general: no difference if you get your steel trough a reputable and honest dealer.
question 3.Why would a person decide to use one as apposed to the other?
Because carbonsteels usually outperform all stainless steels, if not by better edgeholding, then by better toughness or both. The catch: they rust and thus become uglier when used in moist conditions. Basic rule: if you don't mind the care or don't intend on going salt-water diving, carbon steel will be your first choice.
question 4.When you order a blade or steel stock how do you know if it is stainless or not?
Put a drop of apple juice or vinagre on it and watch it closely. If the steel under the drop get's grey, it's not stainless. How fast it get's grey is a good indicator of how much chrome is in it.
question 5. Can you send your blade somewhere to make it stainless?
No. You can cheat however. You can try to burn out all the carbon on the surface. You can also have a blacksmith forge a layer of 18/8 around your knife blank, or you can have it coated with something, ranging from titanium-nitride to teflon like on Benchmades with BT2 coating.
greetz & thanks. Bart.
You can mail me any time if you want to discuss this further, because there are some other people who probably won't agree with what I said. The only real rule is find your own preferences and then chose your own favourite steel. Mine is 52100.
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