I have to assume that you are using the words "carbon steel" to refer to the non-stainless varieties of steel. Frankly, the only advantage that a "stainless" steel has over a "non-stainless" is the level of care/maintenance.
Over the last decade or so, the choice that knife buyers make has leaned heavily towards the "flavor of the month", that meaning that more individuals purchase a knife based on the "cool factor" of the steel used, rather then how well it fuctions as a knife. I am reminded of the period of time when a material called Talonite was all the rage because it was different and the "mall ninja" crowd thought it was so cool. After that it was CPMS30V.....I actually produced a number of knives from that particular steel, and found it to be some of the most troublesome steel that I have ever used. It was very difficult to work, and to this day, many of those S30V blades come back to me on a regular basis, simply because the owners can't sharpen them.
Knifemaking, and knives in general is all about trade offs.... there is no "ideal" steel for a knife, that covers all the "wants" of everyone. Each individual must decide for themselves those characteristics they value most, and seek a steel that most closely provides those characteristics.
Time and experience has taught me that the major factors most knowledgable buyers/users value in a knife are edge retention, toughness, and EASE OF SHARPENING. In all of those catagories, the favor falls to "carbon steel". Speaking personally, there are only two reasons that I can see why a person would choose a stainless blade.... 1. Their primary concern is minimal maintenance. 2. Bragging rights about having a blade made of the "latest and greatest" steel.
Right, wrong, or indifferent, what I spoke about earlier.... The Cool Factor, is currently the biggest selling point for most knife buyers, particularly in the tactical arena. An example is... most of use have seen the "multi-grinds" that are all the rage these days (a single blade that is partially hollow ground, partially flat ground, etc.) From a using standpoint, these blade are next to useless, but they sell very well because they look "cool".
What I foresee is that the current trend towards more and more stainless steel will continue for a while....but as the masses of a new generation discover its short comings for a blade, the focus will shift towards carbon steels again. I've been at this long enough to have seen this cycle take place before.....the only thing that changes are the names of the stainless steels.
