Search the internet for 'Frost Clipper Knife'. This knife comes in either stainless or carbon steel. I have a friend who has one (stainless steel) and he is very impressed with it, but I have heard that Carbon Steel blades are better? Discuss...
There are different grades of Carbon Steel. A good grade is much harder than Stainless Steel and will stay sharp longer. It is also many times harder to get an edge on than Stainless Steel. I have had both and prefer the Stainless Steel because eventually the Carbon Blade does get dull, and you will wear out a Whet Stone trying to put the edge back on it. The Stainless Steel holds an edge an acceptable amount of time and is easier to sharpen when the time comes. Putting either knife through a can opener sharpener will ruin the edge and make it almost impossible to put another edge on the knife. Look closely and determine the angel of the bevel, then lay the knife bevel flat on a good whet stone and try to take a thin slice off of the stone. Turn the knife over and do the other side so you keep the edge centered on the blade. Keep turning the knife over and taking thin slices until it is sharp. Dress with a good quality sharpening steel.
If your talking about a folding pocket knife, I think that it's basically six one way and a half dozen the other. I actually do prefer stainless for my pocket knives. I don't want to oil a knife to the degree I feel carbon requires, only to then stick it my pocket to attract dirt to the knife and oil to my pants. I'm the exact opposite on sheath knives though. I like 1095 carbon steel, plain edge sheath knives. I'll thrash on them HARD, and I rarely have major edge problems. Of course, I require them to be coated with some kind of powder coat or the like, because they can rust, but I do try and keep them clean and dry when in the sheath, so they won't pit the uncoated edge. My reasons for this sheath knife preference is multi-fold. First, these knives are simply affordable. I don't spend $80 dollars on a outdoors sheath knife. I use the tool too hard to want to spend more. I don't like the more traditional stainless steels such as AUS-8, 420HC, and 440C (not to mention the HORRENDOUS 440A) because I feel that the all else being equal, a stainless blade will bend before a carbon blade will break. I also think that carbon holds an edge at least as well, if not better, than traditional stainless, and it's much easier to hone. I don't know much about these new laminates, other than the very hard, but not so tough. They seem to be POSSIBLY too brittle for my use. That, combined with the fact that they cost a FORTUNE, means that I just won't be considering them.
