Whats the difference between steel that is high carbon and low carbon?
The amount of carbon in steel and how it is treated determines the metals hardness/softness and thus it purpose. Low carbon steels are less able to be sharpened but are more resistant to impact. For example, lawn mower blades use low carbon steels so that if a rock hits the blade while it is spinning it bends and loses sharpness rather than shattering into pieces. A high carbon steel is able to retain a keen edge for cutting and but is more prone to snapping when stressed. Surgical scalpels and utility knives are good examples of high carbon steels. In a knife, often heat treatments are applied, where different regions of steel are heated at different temperatures to maximize the life and function of a blade. This is a process I use for the bolines I make. The athames I craft use low carbon steels because they are easier to engrave and are a bit more durable.
