Like some here, I have both and use both. Never had a big problem with carbon blades in the woods
up here in the Northeast... except for snow ... which turns into water when it gets into a sheath,
as I learned last winter on a snowshoe hike. So ... in snow, I'll always try to carry a SS blade.
Same for salt water.
Tony

I live in North Carolina, and the humidity sometimes reaches 100% (honestly). You can't go out side unless you have gills. All of my Randalls are stainless, except one. I didn't read the description carefully on that one. I have several on order, and only one is carbon steel, a 12-13. I would gladly pay $100.00 bucks extra for SS if that is what it would be for a piece of SS steel that big.

I have had the same thing happen in one day with a carbon knife.The sheath was wet and when I got home I took the knife out and it was rusty.Still like carbon steel,but use stainless in wet weather.

David,
Have you used anything on that #5 ... like FLITZ ... to clean it up?
If you did ... any photos?
The experience I had while snowshoeing happened with my #15 in a combat master sheath also!
Not as bad as yours, but I got the spots out with FLITZ and put a coat of REN WAX on it.
Tony

i prefer carbon for performance but in italy many people prefer stainless for easy clean. i don't use randall for outdoor. in the future i bought a randall carbon for use in the wood.now i use folding beretta and nordic stromeg.is little time that i know randall and i don't never use.but it's performance is known!

Hey I am glad to see this thread because I have been wondering what the consensus is on this. I have a Randall dive knife that is, of course, Stainless. I haven't used it yet but plan to at some point, and it seems like stainless would be the only logical choice there.

My gamemaster blade is carbon, and I am glad it is, so I can try that and see how I like it. It already has acquired some staining and blueing from cleaning fish and cutting some food items. Pretty cool. I have not sharpened it yet, and have written about this in another post.

Couple of things here-- many say "carbon but if in the wet, use stainless". Seems to me, with a knife that will be the main user, you may never know when you might get wet , or be in the wet. Especially on a multiday trip or camp event. WIll it be that bad when the knife starts getting wet if it is not salt water? What do you guys do, carry two knives, and chose depending on the weather????????????

Why do so many prefer carbon? The look, sharpening ease? Sparking ability? Less brittle? Other things?

Most of my other "user" knives are stainless of one grade or another. They have been excellent and I have had little trouble sharpening them. They perform well and look great.

But I can see how the carbon blade can have it's own appeal.

Is the stainless harder, or just more brittle?

Thanks for all your inputs,
Doug P.

Hi all. I'm new to Randall but hooked nonetheless. With input from several of you (Tony, Guido, The Captain, Ken Lunde, and Gary Clinton), I currently own a 5-6 Angier, 3-5 stag, and #28.

I'm considering ordering a couple more knives and was trying to decide between .01 carbon and stainless -- and found this thread from last year.

While I understand the (obvious) benefits of stainless I don't really understand the benefits of carbon. The last poster (Doug) asked some good questions along this line. Input appreciated.

Thanks.
John