| When it comes to selecting a knife for use | | | | If you use it for fishing or live in very humid |
| outdoors, the type of steel the blade is made | | | | locations a stainless steel blade may be preferable. |
| with can be a very important factor. You have | | | | You would not have to do so much maintenance |
| the choice of the standard high carbon steels to | | | | with stainless, just wash it off and dry it. A |
| Stainless Steel and some of the newer exotic | | | | common carbon steel would be 1095 which is |
| ones. Of course the steel is not the complete | | | | considered a tool steel which is tough enough, |
| picture, you must consider the construction of the | | | | holds an edge well and is not too expensive. |
| knife and was the steel properly heat treated. | | | | A good compromise between high carbon steel |
| Of course many people prefer the high carbon | | | | and stainless would be D2. It is a high carbon steel |
| steels because they are easier to keep sharp | | | | with a little higher percent of chrome. This gives it |
| where stainless steel may keep its edge longer | | | | more corrosion resistance and toughness that |
| but can be harder to sharpen. Also consider what | | | | many may prefer with out going to stainless. You |
| you might be putting your knife through and the | | | | see many different grades of stainless steel for |
| environment you live in. Being high carbon steel is | | | | blades and each has its own stain resistance and |
| less corrosion resistant you may get one with a | | | | toughness. |
| coating on it to help preserve the steel. | | | | |