The advantage of the older Stanley irons is that they are easier to sharpen, on whatever medium you choose. Oilstones, water stones, sandpaper on glass, or diamond stones. They don’t hold an edge as long as some of the newer tool steels, but if you refresh them and don’t let them get too bad, I’ve never seen that as a problem. If you absolutely hate to sharpen, then harder to sharpen but longer lasting may be an acceptable trade off for you.
