The recent thread about Go To Stainless made me wonder what most people have in their collections. And I'm also curious where people classify semi-stainless. I generally think of it as more stainless because it needs less immediate care, but I'd guess others see it differently.
Poll: What's the ratio of carbon to stainless of your knife collection?
- Thread starter toddnmd
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BillHanna
Gotta get ready for ARM
Right. Semi-stainless seems to guide you in a direction, but for some reason semi-carbon seems like marketing mumbo jumbo along the lines of “HIGH CARBON STEEL”.
Does stainless clad count as stainless?
I would count it as carbon if the core is a low alloy steel. I always count the core.
I would answer differently if the time frame was 'last 2 years' vs. 'my entire adult life'. I'm about half and half, but recent purchases have been predominantly carbon steel knives. I can't believe I didn't try one earlier... definitely a different feel than stainless.
I use two knives for the most part. One is stainless clad carbon and the other carbon. Not sure how to categories the clad knife in your poll.
My knives are about 60% carbon (using the @big_adventure definition) and 40% stainless or semi-stainless. I tend to prefer stainless for knives <200mm and am open to either for longer knives.
I'm in the 'mixed but more carbon' bucket if we're counting semi-stainless as stainless and stainless clad as carbon. That's excluding the big block of stainless beaters.
I have about 50/50 - but that's counting beaters, which are mostly all stainless. Counting good stuff, it carbonises a fair amount. 
This is counting cores only, though, more of my carbon knives have reactive cladding as well.
This is counting cores only, though, more of my carbon knives have reactive cladding as well.
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I'm 7:2 carbon:stainless, and the stainless are both serrated bread knives.
Out of 21 KKF worthy knives (all 240mm Gyutos). 7 stainless.
Admittedly for pure performance stance .. in a western country ... those that put more stainless/ all almost all stainless are way smarter than I.
Those that have Majority Carbon are more collectors ... if you dont agree fight me.
Admittedly for pure performance stance .. in a western country ... those that put more stainless/ all almost all stainless are way smarter than I.
Those that have Majority Carbon are more collectors ... if you dont agree fight me.
Jason183
Senior Member
Only 1 full carbon slicer(reserved for specific tasks to prevent rust), 2 stainless/semi stainless, the rest 5 of them are all stainless clad carbon. I used them all
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Usually I favor carbons. Right now ratio is 3:3 but counting two Victo Chef as SS knives. J-Knives are 3C 1SS as it stands. I have one AEB-L that should come by me in April I guess. By which time I suppose a couple more carbons will come, a couple more will be sold. And so on. But I've pretty much made my way through most knives I wanted to try, so I'm actually looking at stones more often than knives now. More of these I still want to try.
Depends on time of what year and what has been sold and bought. The knife I use most of the time is carbon clad in wrought iron.
All of my knives are carbon even the stainless ones except one which is stainless, but is not carbon that one is nitrogen.
groovecat
Member
My work current work kit is 3 carbon, 2 stainless. It was 2 and 2 for a while. The ratio can vary widely, all depends on my mood or what tasks I need to do.
Overall though, slightly more stainless.
Overall though, slightly more stainless.
YumYumSauce
Senior Member
Right about 60% stainless 40% carbon
8 stainless(2 semi)
5 full carbon
Planning on aquiring more full carbons, stainless clad carbon, and semi's than full stainless moving forward.
8 stainless(2 semi)
5 full carbon
Planning on aquiring more full carbons, stainless clad carbon, and semi's than full stainless moving forward.
That one is gorgeous and looked amazing indeed.
99% carbon
At the moment I’m full carbon but there are two stainless knives on the way from the US that will change this, let’s see for how long 
NO ChoP!
Old Head
Work: 36/44 carbon or semi or clad
Home: 22/24 stainless
Home: 22/24 stainless
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Almost all carbon. But I do use an Ashi Ginga stainless petty/suji a lot.
For me, knife classification is determined by the metal used for the business end, that is, the cutting edge. That said – thank God the ratio in my knife drawer is 5 to 1 stainless because if I'm not paying attention the carbon knives, when used, end up sitting with the rest of the wet hand-washed plates and utensils, and the next morning I'm busy scrubbing away with the rust eraser.
