The Stainless Dilemma

[Cobalt]

As a long time Spyderco fan, and I mean very long time, lol, I have always wondered what that majority of people prefer in a folder. I have always been on the fence on this. So the question is in a folding knife which do you prefer a stainless steel or non stainless(your pick). My general preference has always been stainless because it maintains easier in the hard to reach areas, but I generally prefer non stainless blades in all other situations. When the Tuff came out, I jumped on it. One of the tougher non stainless steels available for sure. So what is your preference? I will add a poll here.

[gbelleh]

I pretty much always prefer stainless. There's never been anything I need to do with a knife that a good stainless steel can't do, without any extra maintenance or concern.

[palonej]

Another stainless vote here.

[bearfacedkiller]

I think most of my favorite steels fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Stainlessness isn't black and white. D2 and Cruwear are almost stainless and while M4 will rust quickly it isn't 1095 either. ZDP is kind of sort of stainless too and it rocks. That said, corrosion resistance is pretty far down on my list and it is only a factor if the application requires it. I use 1095 in my kitchen and also while camping without issue. I also appreciate that the Ladybug Hawkbill Salt that lives in my watch pocket everyday is totally maintenance free in that sometimes warm sweaty area. I like a lot of steels. Today I am carrying S110V, Super Blue and H1. Variety is what I like.

[Surfingringo]

I think most of my favorite steels fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Stainlessness isn't black and white. D2 and Cruwear are almost stainless and while M4 will rust quickly it isn't 1095 either. ZDP is kind of sort of stainless too and it rocks. That said, corrosion resistance is pretty far down on my list and it is only a factor if the application requires it. I use 1095 in my kitchen and also while camping without issue. I also appreciate that the Ladybug Hawkbill Salt that lives in my watch pocket everyday is totally maintenance free in that sometimes warm sweaty area. I like a lot of steels. Today I am carrying S110V, Super Blue and H1. Variety is what I like.

Pretty much what Darby said. Stainless vs. non stainless is pretty low on my list too except in certain applications (Like my kayak fishing) where it gets bumped up to the very top of the list. Outside of that harsh environment though, I am able to maintain my knives easily whether they be stainless or non so decisions get based on other properties.

[farnorthdan]

Like others have said, I could go either way. I like stainless for ease of maintenance but I also really like a good patina. Couple of my favs are cruwear and super blue. I especially like how SB patinas.

[elena86]

Cruwear like steels so how should I vote ? :confused: :p

[Cobalt]

Cruwear is not stainless so not stainless

I guess I do go either way as well, but after having been in some severely corrosive environments that have corroded a few barely stainless blades, I get hesitant. And it is more of the areas that I cannot easily maintain. Unlike a fixed blade. But I am always a sucker for a nice folder with a quality non stainless steel. Mainly because it is rare to see that.

[bh49]

I strongly prefer stainless. I hate patina. A knife with patina looks a dirty to me.

[Cujobob]

It depends on the knife and intended purpose of that knife.

For kitchen knives - stainless, don't want flavor ruined nor do I want to have to worry about wiping down the knife constantly while cooking/prepping

For others, it varies. I like the different options we have with different steels. Sometimes you want something tough with good edge retention, other times it's light duty. Sometimes, the knife is more for show than use.

[Jazz]

It's 2015 - stainless, though I don't mind the odd carbon steel blade. You just have to take care of them if you use them.

[LC Kid]

Hi Folks!


Another 'Either One' vote here. :D

That said, I'm sure if I have to choose a nonsense hardcore use knife I'll go stainless for sure. :cool:

[bdblue]

I like both. I think the qualities of a carbon steel suit some knife styles and the qualities of a good stainless suit other knife styles.

[Evil D]

My favorite steels are stainless, but I don't fully prefer one over the other.

Another way to say it is, I do prefer stainless, because my favorite steels happen to be stainless, but I don't dislike carbon steels.

Patinas are fun. As long as you keep your pivot protected, even outright rust won't ruin your knife. I have this box knife that I've carried for 15 years, and it has rusted from moisture in my pocket, but the constant wear and use has rubbed the metal to a dull shine. I think this finish is beautiful and if I could deliberately reproduce it on a carbon blade I would in a heartbeat.

[awa54]

My *favorite* steels are high carbon, but mostly because that's what my favorite *knives* are made of... Believe it or not Spydercos are a close second to hand forged Japanese kitchen cutlery in my opinion. For EDC/pocket/utility I'll gladly go for a good stainless blade.

[BTG]

Like others, I'll take blade steel into consideration for what I'll be doing that day, but not for which I'll buy, I like and use both, today Elmax, s110v, and as always the LBHB H1 also...but keychained.

[Ruarch]

I voted stainless because I always default to a stainless steel when possible. Sometimes it doesn't matter to me though and I like options and to experience all the steels out there so I will not strictly buy stainless knives.

[3rdGenRigger]

I like both...they tend to have different properties, and I enjoy being able to use both depending on what I'm looking to do. Side note, I consider there to be 3 categories, Stainless, Semi-Stainless, and Non-Stainless, because some "Non-Stainless" steels are quite corrosion resistant unless you really neglect them while exposing them to not optimal conditions. Surface rust spots that rub off on your thumb are a lot different than proper rust.

[The Deacon]

For me it's stainless all the way and I do wish that, since we can no longer be confident that any new steel Spyderco uses will be at least reasonably stainless, that they would provide Q fog data comparisons for the steels they use and have used.

[demoncase]

Steel choice on a Spyderco is never a deal breaker.