JR3 (Do you have a name you go by?)
Everyone has their favorite choice in steel, except "me". I prefer stainless in Florida and for marine / wet condition work...Period. It just makes sense, "BUT" (There's that word again) , I also know how in the hell to sharpen a knife! I do an excellent job...really! Everyone at the huntin' camp. All of my mates, when I was commercial fishing, to the man, put me in charge of the knife sharpening.
If folks don't know how they need to do one of 3 things:
A) Switch to something soft enough to sharpen
B) Learn how to sharpen properly
C) Don't let your stainless get too dull!
Of the "3"...umber 3 makes the most sense...and not just for stainless. I laugh at the guy who brags about skinng out an elk and still being able to shave hairs from his arm. If you want to shave hairs from your arm...buy a Bic Razor! Keep a nice, keen 17-20 degree edge on your blade...keep it tuned up and you won't care (or know) if you're using stainless or carbon.
With every whitetail that I dress, skin, gut, butcher, etc. I touch up my Randall (or Randalls...sometimes I use more than one) several times. "Keeping" it sharp makes it easy to "sharpen".
Also,JR3(?), you mention vinegar. I pickle all of my Randall carbon users (photos below). Pickling, vinegar, etc. retards the rusting, corroding, spotting process to the point that it is almost non-existant. When you mentioned no spotting on your carbon Randalls at first, you didn't mention the vinegar.
Below are 2 of my favorite Randall "pickled" knives. My #3 and #5, both with 5 inch blades...and "KILLER" stag.
Stay sharp, Capt. Chris