What is that? Saw knives on the web for sale called high carbon stainless.

I know stainless and I know high carbon. I thought is was an either/or deal.

I only use high carbon due it’s edge taking and holding ability. Yeah, it rusts without special care but it cuts.,

Any steel with high enough carbon and chromium percentages to be classified as both high carbon and stainless.

That’s what rates steels as stainless or any other category. It’s the percentages of what’s in the steel. That’s why there are wildly different qualities of steels that may all be stainless or high carbon. Plus one companies knife could be garbage compared to another brands knife made of the same steel type because they might have heat treated it differently or the geometry is wrong for that steel or some other reason.

I’m using industrial high carbon hacksaw blades. But they are much thicker than a home hacksaw and I prefer them to billets.

I’ve done a lot of the Jantz Supply stainless blades and just slapped craft wood handles on them. They’re ok for home use and sets of steak knives.

I don’t care for stainless or HC stainless for a hunting knife. Lots of other knife applications like EDC or kitchen use but I want a hunting knife to be scary sharp, hold the edge well and be easy enough to sharpen. Stainless just doesn’t check enough of those boxes. Some people are just fine with it though.

There's plenty of stainless steels that have good edge retention though.

Here's an interesting article on knife steels

https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10...edge-retention-and-corrosion-resistance/

Stainless hunting knives are good for folks who have a habit of not paying close attention to their equipment's follow up care. My experience is that's the majority of hunters.

Magnacut stainless checks every one of your boxes and is basically corrosion proof. Easy to sharpen, takes a wicked edge, holds an edge well above average and is also very tough. Regardless though no matter the steel always a good idea to clean up your blades properly.

I have a magnacut hunting knife that will typically do 8 big game animals before it needs touch up with the ultrafine hone (1200 grit) and only takes 3 or 4 strokes to get back to hair popping sharp. That 8 animals includes 1 or 2 bears that require me to baton it through the breast bone. Also have a magnacut fileting knife that will do 100+ fish before it needs a touch up on the ultra fine hone.

Hatchets and blades over 12 inches i am with you and prefer 5160 or 80CRV2 for those applications.

For commercially produced knives MagnaCut is great. The OP is making knives and that stuff is so hard on belts and other materials I will not work with it. There are certain belts that can be used that allegedly work better but the process was a PITA for the only one I made. I’m guessing the OP wouldn’t want to deal with it either.