What is your preference for your pocket?

[huntnfishin]

Thought it would be fun to do a quick poll. What do you carry most days - stainless or carbon? And no carrying both doesn’t count. I carry a sak most days with whatever else I have so both would be an easy answer. Pick one…and say why if ya want.
I bet this has been covered before but doing a search I didn’t find anything similar in the last decade.
I was a dyed in the wool stainless guy. Fruit I could taste the metal hint from carbon. Lately I have been switching sides…I just use the Sak for fruit.

 

[Jsega51]

No preference, I switch it up daily it seems.

 

[Scott J.]

I might prefer stainless, but some my favoeite knives are 1095, my GEC 23 gets a lot of use and yes I can taste the metal, particularly on tomatoes, it's an acquired taste
Edit to add recycled photo.....

 

[Old Hunter]

Probably in the 50/50 range with a slight lean towards CV because I like to carry a lot of older Case. I deliberately choose SS blades for most hunting and fishing purposes though. OH

 

[guy g]

Most of what I own is stainless , but otherwise, either is ok.

 

[dsutton24]

My every day knife for 20+ years has been a Henckels stockman with carbon steel blades. I really don't prefer one steel over another, I carried stainless Bucks for years. The only difference has been that the Bucks were lost, and so far the Henckels hasn't been.

 

[sf fanatic]

For the last couple of months it’s been these .
oh yeah, stainless.
View attachment 1659951View attachment 1659952

 

[kamagong]

I like natural materials for the covers of my spring knives, so I like a blade steel that will age along with bone, stag, or wood. I don't have acidic sweat, don't sweat that much anyways, and live in a dry climate so rust is a non-issue for me. Most of my spring knives have carbon steel blades.

 

[Scott J.]

Blade Forums must be using that new fangled math.

 

[longbow1968]

I like both, but still say if we had not had stainless until 2021, folks would think Case Tru-sharp was sent from heaven…

 

[conrad gutierrez]

I like both, I use the carbon ones a lot more just because of the numbers, of my 12 most frequent users only one is stainless.

 

[TheChunk91]

I prefer carbon generally. It works, is old fashioned, has more character, and I like it.

I’m glad sak’s are stainless. I can use one and put it back in my pocket without wiping it down or giving it any attention other than use for days on end and never have a spec of rust.

 

[jc57]

Really doesn't matter much to me one way or another. I am probably about 50/50.

 

[afishhunter]

I prefer carbon steel, but most of my knives are stain less, for the simple reason the brand I have the most of, didn't make any carbon steel knives at the time.

I carry both.

 

[black mamba]

I carry both, but regardless of what my main knife is, I always carry an SAK, so I'm probably at least 75% stainless. Today I was 100%.

 

[MolokaiRider]

All my traditionals that I carry are carbon, with the exception of my Swiss Army knives.

I personally enjoy the way they sharpen, the patina and pepper spots, and that little bit of extra care needed.

It gives me an excuse to fondle my knives just that much more.

 

[Elsilrac1]

I prefer carbon!

 

[sitflyer]

I really like the performance and ease of maintenance of carbon steel, but live in a hot humid climate that makes my sweat quickly turn the blades to pitted rusted mess. So in summertime I usually carry SS, and in winter months carry carbon. It's nice to have choices. I also have had 440C stainless blades develop deep rust spots on me unexpectedly. Sometimes you just can't win, my sweat seems to be extra corrosive to any steels and I cycle frequently.

 

[dantzk8]

Carbon steel exclusively. Stainless steel is a deal breaker. I can get both carbon and stainless sharp but for the edge keenness carbon steel is better.
Though i live in a forest which grows on a bog with very few sunny days i don't have any rust problems. I lubricate the joints and spread the oil excess on the blade and on the spring in the well and that's all. However i like stainless for cars hubcaps.

Dan.

 

[Just Tom.]

I definitely prefer carbon.

It’s probably just my poor sharpening skills, but I can’t seem to get as good an edge on stainless. I also like to use my knives for whittling and such, and it’s hard to explain (and may just be my imagination), but for some reason carbon steel just feels smoother and better than stainless when cutting wood.

I also really dislike the look of highly polished stainless.

When I was younger, stainless steel knives were generally viewed as inferior, and some of that thinking may have carried over to the present day as well.

Having said all that, my stainless Case lockback saw several years of hard use with no issues. Not really a pocket knife though.