As far as I am concerned carbon has no benefits. It rusts and stains so easy, pretty much every time you use it you will be able to see something. Carbon sharpens faster than stainless but I don't always see that as a benifit as it is a little softer. They are both tough as nails in the field. I have battoned both through seasoned white oak and they held tough.

I have nothing against carbon but I see no advantage.

I think the high carbon steel is marginally harder near the edge than a high carbon stainless blade; it would be interesting to do a Rockwell test on both. Perhaps there may be some difference in toughness as well. Why not call Randall and ask them?

Regards, Neil Tucson, AZ

I am 99% sure the rc is 56-57 on the carbon and 57-58 on the stainless

Hmm. dont realy know but it's easy to harden high carbon steel to 58-60 hrc and even harder.. The stainless Randall I have seems to be a little bit softer in steel than the o1 steel.

I am no Randall collector nor do I have the vast knowledge as most of you here, but when is the last time you saw a failure with carbon blades. I cant recall any. Guys like the late Ron Hood (survival instructor) used his carbon 8 inch model 1 hard with out failure. The story is it was a replacement due to him breaking a stainless model. Anyway, stories are just that unless seen first hand. My first hand experience was with a model 14 in stainless. No matter how hard I tried I could not keep it sharp. Finally sold it to an Army Captain who put it in his safe. Carbon trumps stainless anything in performance, strength and ease of sharpening. Period.

I like carbon blades, but do have and use some stainless blades too. I do like the character that the patina gives a carbon blade.

I like stainless for flyfishing, steelheading, and duck hunting when everything is likely to get wet at some point. My knives are usually on my belt, so wading does get them wet.

I have never had a issue sharpening my Randalls, but my buddies have noticed that they sharpen theirs more than I do mine during the season. My #23 and #11 really hold an edge, and so does my old #8 (stainless) with popcorn stag (which I gave to my buddy last year).

Alan Grombacher
RKS#5531

Unless a Randall is totally wacked out, my experience has been using a good steel or the Diamond Edge, will bring back a Randall edge almost immediately. Done it many, many times on game and just using them, whether it be carbon or stainless. If you get them real dull, then, I agree, it is difficult, but after obtaining a Warthog sharpener, it is no problem any longer. Once you try one, you will throw rocks at your Landsky.

Pap

I use a Norton professional natural tri stone set. Very handy and works great

I have several carbon blade knives, some several years old. NO RUST SPOTS and the blades look new on most of them. Then I have purchased from others knives like a model #27 or a AG Russell numbered knife that had tiny rust spots or rust cracks in the blade. I doubt if either of those knives were ever used so what is the deal?

Tom Vaught