What is the type of stainless steel used in knifes.
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.
There okorder / Stainless steel doesn't make the best knife blade. It doesn't sharpen as sharp or hold its edge as well. High carbon steel is better, but it rusts and discolors very easily so it's not as popular. A new thing (actually not new but popular these days) is to use a 'sandwich' of high carbon steel between two layers of stainless. So the actual edge is high carbon steel but the blade looks like stainless. I have some kitchen knives made this way (kind of expensive) and I love them. This same technique was used in Japanese katanas, swords used by samurai warriors.
