This is also true WRT knife steels. Old, simple carbon based steels are much stronger than most stainless steels. They tend to bend rather than chip or break (when abused). They do rust and do have less edge retention than some stainless steels (such as S90V), but otherwise they are generally stronger.
Totally. Just curious why the above wanted a stainless bike. If you want a steel road bike with disc brakes and thru-axles you can absolutely order one right now. I myself ride a Soma Wolverine with Tange Prestige Cr-Mo tubing, flat mount disc brakes, and thru-axles.
If you wanted a bike that didn't necessarily need painting, you can order a bike like that in titanium tubing instead.
Thanks for that - Titanium bikes look amazing when bare metal.
That's just not true, though. Stainless (e.g. AEB-L) is up to four times tougher than simple low-alloy carbon steel (e.g. 1095). See https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10/19/knife-steels-rated-by... for example.
High hardness simple carbon steels do have their place in knives, but what you're saying is factually incorrect.
Toughness is not the same as strength.
Strength very rarely matters in knife blades, unless you use knives as pry bars (strength determines the force required to either break the blade or cause a permanent plastic deformation of the blade, i.e. to permanently bend the blade).
What matters is the compromise between hardness (good for edge retention) and toughness (required to avoid chipping).
Many alloyed steels (especially with chromium and vanadium) allow a better compromise than simple carbon steels, i.e. either a higher toughness at equal hardness or a higher hardness at equal toughness.
When you do not specify simultaneously hardness and toughness, simple carbon steels may seem good enough, because they can be made to be either very hard or very tough.
If you cut only very soft things, like fish meat without bones, a very hard carbon steel blade (like a traditional Japanese yanagiba) will not have any disadvantage versus an alloyed steel blade. When you want a more versatile knife, an alloyed steel blade will be superior.
"Stainless (e.g. AEB-L) is up to four times tougher than simple low-alloy carbon steel (e.g. 1095). See https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10/19/knife-steels-rated-by... for example."
I'll guarantee my UHC 1080 cleaver will slam a good distance through your stainless steel knife edge-on. Your chosen steel has toughness but it lacks in actual strength.