All knives are not created equal. Most are made of carbon steel. They hold an edge well, but they are tough to care for. When washed, if they are not promptly dried, they will easily stain. On the other hand they are the easiest to sharpen.
Knives made of stainless steel are the easiest to care for.
In contrast to a carbon steel knife, the stainless steel knife is hard to sharpen, due to its excellent wear- resistance. Always on the cutting edge, knife manufacturers have combined beauty with function to come up with a steel alloy known as high-carbon stainless steel. These knives of the future combine the sharpening properties of carbon steel with the stain-resistant qualities of stainless. Simply stated, sharpening a knife involves grinding the steel blade against something abrasive like a sharpening stone. While there are a myriad of sharpening devices on the market, the most effective is the whetstone.