I think CS is easier to sharpen, for the most part. One reason I like Kiwi is that they are stainless, but behave like CS.
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The problem you describe is mainly a problem with new carbon blades. Ones the patina has settled, reactivity is no longer a problem.
Cut some red meat, some onions or som cooked chicken the first couple of times. And your patina has settled for most carbon steels.
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Now lost in history, I once had a small Henckels paring knife with a stamped carbon steel blade, a dark wooden handle (probably stained beech), and a blade under 3". The point had a gentle curve. It was a wonderful little tool. Henckels used to make knives that were very different from their current offerings. They denoted their upscale stuff with twins and their less expensive, but still marvelous, offerings with only one little stick figure. If you happen across one of their carbon blades, forged or stamped, in decent shape and for a good price, I certainly would encourage you to snap it up (assuming, of course, that you have been looking for such a knife and are not just buying to amass stuff).
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I don’t have any insight, unfortunately. But then, I’m only familiar with Forschner over the last 20 years or so, making their earlier techniques obscure to me. @kaleokahu might have more in-depth insight into their traditional-vs-contemporary production methods?
I’m sorry, I don’t. I think all the Forschners I’ve ever handled have been stamped and ground.
The ones you inherited, too? Just curious.
Yes.
It is possible someone could forge a blade, and then finish grind it in such a way as to make it indistinguishable from a stamped or barstock relief manufacture. You’d likely never know, and it wouldn’t matter.
Sure.
Very true. Since it’s easier to make cheap stamped knives than it is cheap electro-forged knives, most of the low quality knives that everyone’s familiar with are, by default, stamped.
If anyone’s interested, here’s a video of Wusthof’s factory process, that includes both electro-forging and stamping prior to lots of grinding. Since the video’s now 10 years old, I’m sure even more of the processes are automated.
I’ll add that some steels (like the D2 I use) are actually not recommended for forging processes.
Man, is THIS statement ever true! LOL. I’m working on a specialty blade right now, and having some back-and-forth communications with the steel mill’s engineers. The requested steel is a stainless tool steel specifically targeted at plastic injection molding applications. Because of the knife’s specialty design, the mill’s engineers suggested hardening before a lot of the cutting and grinding was performed. (They’re not all that familiar with using this steel for knives in general, and especially not with what I’m trying to do now.) I had to object on the basis of how long it would take to carefully grind all of the now-hardened steel to insure not negating the heat treating! (This steel will also get cryogenic hardening as part of the heat treating process.) They understood my concern, but now I’m a bit nervous…
This blade I’m working on now is the first one I’ve ever put into CAD! Because of the requested design, it’s the first one I’ve done that I can’t hand-cut out of the plate stock I usually order. (I can either plasma or water jet cut it, or have it machined.) But, to your point, yes, it’s what happens after the outline is shaped that really nets the desired results. 
Yep! 
When I was old enough to leave home and buy my own cookware, I thought Revere Ware (with the copper plated bottoms) was the top choice!
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I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought this!
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Add me to this list, too.
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My mom gave me one when I moved to college.
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We all loved it. The copper may not be much, but they were still nice pans.
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I invariably come across stamped blades in other homes and in vacation rentals. Put a decent edge on them, and they do pretty much what their forged counterparts do.
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Some friends of mine have a mountain rental and every year they have me sharpen their rental’s thrift store knives. They say the “such sharp knives!” are the single biggest compliment they get year after year! 
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Mom’s fave when I was growing up!
As you say: MAINLY a problem with new carbon blades.
I don’t want to have to oil my blades too often.
One of my chef friends bought a couple of Aogami Super Gyuto and Nakiri knives.
He babied them while still bringing them with him for his daily service at the restaurant he works in.
Sharpened them on his two stones daily just to keep them ultra sharp. Oiled the blades after service.
He used them daily for a year or so and loved them.
Then he went on a vacation trip for 5 weeks and when he came home from that vacation his Aogami Super knives had rusted quite badly because he forgot to oil them before going on his vacation trip.
Case in point - even a high quality Aogami Super knife will develop rust if not taken care of properly.
This is the problem, IMO.
Better than babying would be to force the patina and relax. The edges can be touched up as needed. Cindy Crawford’s mole…
Unless your friend was living in a very corrosive marine environment (e.g., on a sailboat in the Tropics), oiling should not be necessary. Did he keep them in a roll? I once did a huge set of carbon steel butcher’s tools in L6 that someone kept in a roll, in an ambient cabinet, in Hawai’i. He did not check on them. Guess what happened? Condensation was the culprit.
Dry and store in open air is usually enough. Many of my carbon steel knives live within 20 feet of salt water 24/7/365.
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He lives in Copenhagen, Denmark as I do.
We have VERY high humidity levels here during our summer and in general. Almost on par with Thailand.
I think the same high humidity levels were the reason why all my Darto CS and my De Buyer Mineral B Pro pans developed rust spots from just being stored out in the open on top of my kitchen cupboards.
He stored the CS knives out in the open on a kitchen magnet.
He still has the same knives, they have now developed a very nice patina. He oils them once a week.
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