Mark D wrote:
> From what I understand, and think, the phrase High Carbon Steel can mean
> that it is actually a Carbon Steel Knife, with Stainless Steel added as
> a rust preventitive.

Your thinking couldn't be more backwards. "High Carbon" can be
descriptive of any steel (carbon is what makes iron steel), even
non-stainless steels can be 'high carbon', in fact they can contain
more carbon than stainless steels and typically do... most tool steels
contain significant carbon... which is why they can be made to have a
superior cutting edge. Stainless steel is already an alloy of steel
(may be high carbon, may not), stainless steels are not added to
(alloyed with) other steels. In actuality the term "High Carbon
Stainless Steel" is a marketing ploy used by the knife manufacturers...
there is no such actual alloy named "High Carbon Stainless Steel"..
"high carbon' is merely a relative term... higher carbon than what. In
fact the term high carbon stainless steel means in effect "almost
stainless steel". Carbon in no way makes steel immune to staining,
pitting, oxidation.... the "high carbon" tag signifies the _lowest_
grade of stainless steel. Conversely, the higher the grade of
stainless steel (the more impervious the alloy) the less propensity
for fabrication as a cutting edge. Bottom line, all steel is carbon
steel. Stainless steel cutlery came into popular use when it was
realized that the typical home cook was incapable (or unwilling) of
properly caring for fine carbon steel cutlery, and in the commercial
arena improper care of carbon steel cutting tools escalated the spread
of food borne pathogens, which is why the USDA does not permit even
butchers the use of carbon steel knives. Today's delis have a problem
because they must use stainless steel blades in their meat slicers,
they don't cut nearly as well nor can they be sharpened in house, like
the chrome plated carbon steel blades from years ago. Most home
slicers had to resort to using serrated blades because carbon steel is
prohibited and home slicers have toy r us motors and small diameter
blades.... serrated slicer blades suck big time, don't ever buy such a
machine... they rip rather than slice, and because they require
excessive force they are dangerous.

For veggies stainless is fine (especially since the fercoktah term
"chopping" came into vogue), real cooks *slice* veggies. But for meats
(raw and cooked), for me only a carbon steel blade will pass muster...
I don't care if that super-duper iceberg cured, lava flow tempered,
diamond lapped, mirror finish stainless blade cost a thousand bux, for
slicing meats it can't come close to any carbon steel knife. Idiots
who buy thousand dollar hunting knives with stainless blades are buying
handles, not blades... for dressing game stainless may as well be balsa
wood.

M-W

steel

1 : commercial iron that contains carbon in any amount up to about 1.7
percent as an essential alloying constituent, is malleable when under
suitable conditions, and is distinguished from cast iron by its
malleability and lower carbon content
---

Sheldon