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brooklyn1

On Fri, 9 Apr 2010 20:54:06 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
Pope) wrote:

>john hamilton > wrote:
>
>> I can understand one type of steel being harder than
>> another. and so keeping an edge longer. But i don't understand
>> why carbon steel can be made sharper (keener); since any steel
>> can be reduced down to a couple of atoms on its' edge, so thus
>> would be equally sharp, wouldn't you say?
>
>This seems logical, but I do believe the common wisdom that carbon
>steel can take a sharper edge is correct. I've love to hear
>a scientific explanation of this.
>
>Steve

Same as there are many stainless steel alloys there are also many
carbon steel alloys. In the configurations utilized in kitchen work
stainless steels are primarilly engineered to prevent corrosion,
whereas carbon steels/tool steels are primarilly engineered for their
ability to receive a sharp edge. In order for a stainless steel to be
capable of taking a sharp edge it would need to be configured too thin
for kitchen work.. stainless steel blades are fine for shaving hair
but then need to be too thin for kitchen work and other heavy bearing
cutting. Straight razors are still made of carbon steel, stainless
steels at that thin configuration would quickly dull and couldn't be
re- sharpened. For stainless steel razors to work the blades need to
be of a very thin foil-like ribbon, that's why they are disposable.
There's a lot more to cutting tools than material alone, configuration
and usage plays a great part. I've never seen stainless steel wood
cutting tools, certainly not metal cutting tools. Most pro food
workers resent having to use stainless steel cutlery but health laws
dictate they need to. Fishery workers get to use carbon steel knives.