I understand that carbon steal blades are the easiest and quickest blades to sharpen. They hold an edge longer as well. The downside is that they have to be cleaned, dried and oiled immediately after being used because they rust easily. My sister has used carbon steel blades in her kitchen exclusively for years; she will not use any other kind of knives. She has told me numerous times that the extra time and effort it requires to take care of them is well worth her time and efforts.