What Are Carbon Steel Knives?

Almost all knives were made of carbon steel before the mid 1900’s, around when stainless steel took over the cutlery industry. Stainless was a perfect match for the average consumer, who tended to leave knives overnight in a sink or dishwasher and not mind when they dulled. People were promised a nearly “maintenance-free” product, ignoring the sharpening issues that an intentionally-inexpensive steel would present. Fortunately, many modern stainless steels have been improved, but are difficult to work with and harden appropriately while keeping costs low.

Today, many well-known and experienced chefs (especially those who prefer Japanese chef knives) are opting for carbon steel once again, due to its excellent edge retention and ease of sharpening over its modernized stainless steel counterparts. As long as a good heat treatment and proper edge geometry are used by its maker, a carbon steel knife will rival many modern alloys available.

Unfortunately, the ease of being keenly sharpened comes with a trade-off: carbon steel is more susceptible to the destructive force that is rust.