1095 High Carbon Steel

The bushcrafter's steel. 1095 is tough, takes a hard edge, and sharpens easily in the field with whatever stone you have on you. It will patina and it will rust if you neglect it. Wipe it dry, oil it, and it will outlast you.

1095 is a simple carbon steel, and simple is the point. There is no chromium in it holding the edge hostage, so a few passes on a pocket stone bring it back, which is exactly what you want when you are three days from a power outlet. The trade is corrosion: leave it wet and it will show.

Patina is not rust. A grey or blue film that forms with use actually protects the steel underneath. Orange, flaky and pitting is rust, and that you scrub off and oil over. Compare the steels in the Steel Guide, or look at D2 tool steel for edge retention, Damascus for pattern, and rasp steel for a carbon steel with its own history.