On 2/24/2015 1:55 AM, Don Schwartz wrote:
> high carbon stainless steel.


Oh you  mean any of the heat treatable forgable 400 series stainless 
that has been selling for knife stock and as very expensive chef's 
knives from the fancy pants German knife makers for the last  few 
decades?  They have carbon in them.

I can fondly recall a double smelted under vacuum 400 series stainless 
out of Japan  that is no longer made which  is today still spoken of in 
reverential and fond terms around knife maker sites that was the bees 
knees for scuba knives.


Maybe this multiple smelting  high purity 400 series steel is back. I 
dunno.  But  recently I purchased a chef's style knife a tiny little 6" 
one for my missus from Mercer (their Genesis line).  It is Forged Carbon 
Stainless.

  I thought I was taking a chance on an unknown.  It was like their best 
knife and I only paid 30 sumpin bucks and got a FABULOUS knife the like 
and quality I hadn't seen for sale for well over  hundred dollars - - 
ever - - and only from those fancy pants German makers.

Blade holds an edge like any Hogh Carbon Steel I've used but  goes in 
the dishwasher just fine.


The resurgence in 400 steel metallurgy is no surprise since every single 
SST pot and pan you buy these days is made from 400 series in a 
misguided   ( but universal) effort to have all commercial kitchens 
ready for the Induction Revolution.

Apparently, we are all going to be cooking with magnets in the space age 
near future and all the pots and pans gotta be compliant.   So Carbon is 
part of the new wave.

It's kind of sucks because all 400 series steels will rust.
Get a small spot of corrosion and getting rid of it is a PITA.  Left 
unattended and it'll create a honkin huge cone shaped pit in no time.
A hot soak in strong citric will usually do the trick