Stainless steel was a marvel — bet it in knife-making or otherwise. With its rise, stainless steel knives predictably became one of the most popular materials for knives, and it still continues to be.
Given the low maintenance requirements and corrosion resistance, many presume it’d be every kitchen’s first priority. Yet, many users, especially professional chefs, still rely entirely upon carbon steel knives. Yes, the blades that require you to wipe them off with literally every usage!
Well, today, it’s our turn to figure out why many people still prefer carbon steel knives even now.
Fundamental Distinctions between Stainless Steel and Carbon Steel Knives
Let’s discuss the elements which make Carbon Steel and Stainless-Steel knives special for many. We’ll talk about the distinctive elements along the way.
Carbon Steel
I’ll be using high carbon steel and carbon steel interchangeably here. All knives contain carbon, but the ones we refer to by carbon steel mean high-carbon knives. Metallurgy aside, they achieve their properties because they have a higher amount of carbon (enough to harden them the way we do, usually .55 to 1 percent).
This material has no stainless properties, meaning it is prone to rust. Furthermore, it reacts to the corrosive nature of many acidic ingredients (many fruits, for instance).
The steel also has a color change, which is known as patina. And given how easily it corrodes, users must be on their toes regarding maintenance. That includes thorough cleaning and keeping the blade dry and free of moisture. Another crucial property of this material is that it’s comparatively more brittle.
Stainless Steel
On the other hand, stainless steel contains a high amount of chromium. Usually, most steel has around 10-13% of it (it can go higher). This element reacts with the oxygen around it and creates a form of a layer that prevents rusting.
The stainless steel used for kitchen knives also contains a relatively high amount of carbon. Otherwise, manufacturers wouldn’t be unable to treat them for the necessary hardness levels.
This material has excellent rust resistance accompanied by little to no maintenance. Furthermore, it doesn’t react to ingredients with acidic properties. The lower amount of carbon results in lower hardness in most cases (more on that later).
Note that there are other materials out there. Many manufacturers even create a combination of stainless and carbon steel — known as high-carbon stainless steel. There are even knives made out of ceramic these days.
Nevertheless, most of the market’s share is still dominated by either stainless steel or carbon steel.
Why Carbon Steel Is Still a Preference for Many?
Now that you have an idea about what gives carbon steel its characteristics, let’s move on to the brass tacks.
Superior Edge Retention
As mentioned, carbon steel contains a higher amount of carbon. This allows the steel to be heated at an extremely high temperature — increasing the overall hardness of the material. However, it’s very brittle at this stage.
That’s why the steel then undergoes a tempering process that retains the hardness but lowers the brittleness.
Knives made with carbon steel can maintain their edge for longer — all thanks to this hardness. On the other hand, stainless steel options are comparatively softer and must be sharpened more frequently.
Carbide particles are a crucial factor for this, and carbon steel includes a higher number of them. However, as expected, stainless steel has comparatively lower carbide content, resulting in poorer edge retention.
This makes a massive difference for regular knife users, whose frequency of sharpening is already higher than typical users. Moreover, people who use their knives outdoors and can’t touch them up frequently also prefer them.
In my experience, a quality carbon steel knife barely requires a few passes of a sharpening rod once in two weeks. The necessity for a sharpening stone is far less frequent. Of course, this is assuming that you maintain the knife properly.
Note: Edge retention also has a lot to do with edge geometry. How thin the edge is and how thin the blade is beyond the edge are all crucial aspects. These variables can affect the blade’s retention. And even though the advantage of high-carbon steel fluctuates with those factors, carbon steel still comes out ahead.
Sharper Edges
The superior hardness allows for another property — sharper edges.
Essentially, the sharpness of a blade’s edge depends on how finely you can grind it. Thanks to the toughness of this material, you can hone the knife to achieve extremely sharp edges.
A sharp knife makes prepping ingredients much more accessible, especially with delicate ones. For instance, that edge will always give you an edge (pardon the pun) when cutting fish for sushi. These ingredients require precise cutting with intricate detailing and control, which is impossible without superb sharpness.
I can make paper-thin slices of anything with a correctly sharpened high-carbon steel blade. The lower resistance it ensures becomes crucial to many users’ experiences, as it makes cutting smooth and increases accuracy.
Again, this edge is partly affected by the geometry, including the bevels or the edge grind.
Carbon Steel is Easier to Sharpen
Stainless steel might be wear-resistant, comparatively flexible, and less susceptible to chipping — but sharpening it requires way more effort. A higher quality stainless steel with decent sharpness does alleviate that pain, but not entirely.
This is a more significant concern if you’re a regular user of knives. That’s because the more you use a knife, the quicker it loses its edge.
On the other hand, carbon steel knives take to sharpening much more efficiently. So, in addition to the fact that it doesn’t require sharpening as frequently, carbon steel is one step ahead of most competitors.
This experience does vary with the manufacturer and steel’s quality. Still, my overall experience puts carbon steel knives far above the rest.
And if we were to compare niche materials like ceramic, the sharpening process becomes far more arduous.
Longevity
This may not be crucial for some, but a quality carbon steel knife can last you for generations. For instance, many German or Japanese knives are passed down for generations.
More importantly, this shows how durable and robust carbon steel knives are. Even though they might be more brittle than some materials, their strength is remarkable. This is helpful in terms of durability and longevity and in processing larger, heftier ingredients.
Some People Like the Patina!
This may come as a surprise, but many prefer the character that a carbon steel knife achieves over time. The green and brown marks and the uniqueness of the blade’s appearance — these hold value to many users.
Remember that this is very different from corrosion or rusting. A patina will appear on a carbon steel knife, no matter how well you maintain it. And I can sympathize — having a generic-looking shiny knife is something I don’t prefer either.
Final Thoughts
It’s necessary to remember that carbon steel still isn’t the be-all and end-all of knife materials. Many tasks would need to suit this material better.
But the exceptional sharpness, buttery experience, and edge retention on a carbon steel knife are why many prefer it over stainless steel knives. Then there’s its unique appearance, which also matters to some users.