I like my new Mooremakers but they threw me for a loop

[john keyes]

I cut up a lot of fruit at work with mine and since the blades were silver I thought they were stainless.  pretty soon they got splotchy which is cool with me but it did confuse me at first. 
My dad (RIP) carried a carbon Puma pocket knife, you had to take care of it but it was apparent from the git go that it was not stainless.

I'm not worried about the blade changing colors, but I don't want the springs and hinges gettin funky.
I have yet to sharpen it and just looked at the Mooremaker FAQ

Q: My knife is rusting, is this normal, and how do I keep it from happening?

A: Yes it is normal for Moore Maker knives to rust and or discolor over time if they are not kept clean and/or oiled.  This is due to the high Carbon content in our knife steel.  Carbon steel will hold a sharper edge for a longer period of time than most other knives, and can be honed to a razor edge, unlike many stainless steel knives.  The trade-off for sharpness and edge durability is lack of corrosion resistance, but if you keep your Moore Maker oiled regularly with either knife oil, vegetable oil, or cooking spray it will last a lifetime.  Even with proper oiling your Moore Maker will darken over time as the Carbon in the steel migrates toward the surface, this is called seasoning, and after a knife is fully seasoned it will not rust or corrode nearly as easily.

do you guys believe this or think it is BS.....
thoughts?

[saddlebum]

It's true.
It's the same controled oxidation that was used on guns before bluing. That's why old American muzzle loaders are brown....Same thing. Just oil it once in a while. Same as any other carbon steel knife.

I have a large Moore Maker two blade trapper with yellow scales. I like it alot!

[Joel]

While I hardly believe the comparison of carbon vs. stainless edge holding, based on my own experience with both, the rest is quite true. I've a number of carbon kitchen knives that have "seasoned" themselves to a gray/black patina and they do resist rust a bit more than when new.  There are people who speed the process along by wrapping the blade in vinegar soaked towels or coating the blade with mustard which etches the blade and causes that color change.