Quote Originally Posted by JimmyHAD View Post
I'm no expert but my impression is that there are many different alloys of steel as well as variations in forging and heat treatment. The alloy will have an effect on the characteristics of the blade relating to stain resistance, toughness and sharpness. How hard or easy it is to hone and how long it holds an edge. At least that is my impression. I could be wrong. I was wrong once before.
Gotcha. What makes steel different are the percentages of certain elements. Ie, Silver steel generally has more carbon than "regular" steel. Stainless has chromium and nickel and other elements "carbon steel" doesn't have. Different types of stainless steel can have differing amounts of carbon %. The carbon % is what gives the steel its brittleness and hardness. Its a tradeoff. More carbon = harder steel, but more brittle. Usually the difference is really small, so in reality, the difference in steel is actually smaller than most people think.

So theoretically, the higher carbon %, the longer the edge will last. In theory. How much longer? Probably not that much because carbon percent is measured in fractions of percent.

So what really matter? The heat treatment maters. Its also the hardest thing to get right when making sharp pointies.