Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Knife steel-Why D2?

I'm seeing all kinds of wonderful handmade knives made out of D2.

Why would you choose D2 steel over other (more modern "stainless") steels...

I wouldn't

I use CPM 154CM stainless and forge W2...love em.

There is an article in the current Blade magazine on D2 that is worth a few minutes to read.

D2 is not a bad steel. It makes a pretty good knife, if you are willing accept some of its qualities. Ten years ago my brother and I at Twin Blades used D2 for our blades nearly 100% of the time (unless we were forging a blade.) But we found that blades we were making of D2 were developing deep pits and we had to scrap them. That was the major reason we quit using D2 and started looking for another steel.

We switched to CPM S30V and have been very pleased with the results. In our experience, CPM S30V holds an edge much better, is more corrosion resistant, takes a better polish, isn't a problem to heat treat and is more impact resistant. It isn't perfect as a blade steel, but it is close enough.

So, is S30V really that hard to sharpen? I hear guys say all the time it won't stain but you can't sharpen it. What is your thought???

They don't need much sharpening if they are properly maintained. We have had hunters bring their blades back to us after several years of use and a pass or two with a fine diamond stone will have it hair popping sharp. A knife that has been really been used until it is dull might take a lick or two on a stone that is a little more coarse to set up the edge prior to going to a fine one. Most customers that ask us about sharpening the knives don't have a problem once they get the proper stones. We are glad to recommend the proper stones as well as explain how to use them to develop the kind of edge the customer wants.

We do offer our customers, that don't want to sharpen their own knives, a free sharpening service if they will bring the knife in to the shop or ship it to us and pay for return postage. We get the knife back in the mail on the next business day after we receive it and sharpen it while you wait if you bring it in. We will also show you how to do it yourself while you are here if you want us to.

I have seen some attempts at sharpening blades that stop just short of turning your stomach. It doesn't have much to do with the steel, it is technique that is causing the problem. The best technique is to not allow the blade to get dull. After use, a quick backwards strop or two on the edge of a folded over piece of cardboard will help maintain the razor sharp edge and really prolong the necessity of a serious sharpening. Maintaining a proper angle seems to be the problem most people have when trying to sharpen a knife. Using a Lanskey Sharpening system (diamond stones only) can relieve this problem. They work best if you use super glue to fix the blade in the clamp so that it doesn't shift while you are sharpening. They don't tell you this in the instructions, but it makes a world of difference in the results. Finish up by stropping backwards on cardboard or a strop made by loading a backed piece of leather with polishing compound. Scary sharp is the result.

There are steels out there that are much harder to sharpen than CPM S30V and people don't have a problem with them. CPM M4 comes to mind. Using a couple of good diamond stones of the proper grit will go a long way towards making using these high performance steels a real joy.

Harry,great post, that was great explanation on sharpening. Maintenance is what I try to tell my customers as well. Even extremely wear resistant steels like S90V and CPM 10V can easily sharpened with regular maintenance. Some of the guys I have dealt with around home think that since the knife costs so much more than a knife at Wal-Mart it should never get dull, but that is only with unobtanium. I rarely touch a knife to a stone anymore, but I will strop on loaded leather a few times a month and that keeps the knife ready to cut whatever is needed.

I wish more people understood this. Most people want to get out their gran daddy's worn out, old, sway backed, whet rock and go at it, while trying to balance it all in their lap and at the same time watching a ball game on TV. Then they complain about not being able to sharpen what ever kind of steel it is the knife is made of. It is obviously the fault of the steel. I mean that whet rock has been sharpening knives for three generations...

Proper maintenance of a knife will greatly extend the life of the edge. It would surprise most people how long a properly heat treated, "simple" carbon steel blade would hold an edge if it was taken care of. Charlie's knife is one he made of D2 12 years ago. The edge on it is thin enough that you can flex it with your thumb nail. That blade is scary sharp and looks brand new even though it has been through a pile of game you couldn't see over. It has been taken care of, but not really sharpened that much. It just doesn't need it. A similar knife made today of CPM S30V would hold an edge better and not be as likely to stain, but most knife users would never notice the difference between the CPM S30V in it and the D2 in his knife.

If I saw a knife that I liked and the blade steel was D2, I would talk with the maker about the heat treatment to get comfortable that he knew what he was doing. If he started talking about some secret process that only he knew about, I'd pass on the knife. If he seemed to be open about using conventional methods of heat treatment, or maybe he is using a commercial facility that has experience heat treating knife blades, I'd buy it.

D2 is still more expensive than most of the modern stuff but it's like the 1911,, been there,done that,and still here.

Like Zebco 33's and Remington 870's...old faithfuls.

Some just like sticking with something that they have had experience with. When a customer request D2 then that's what they get.

By American made d2 you will get more constant results.buy several small lots and do some testing . when you find the the lot that's working buy several,years worth

Love me some D2!

Can you suggest a "good" diamond stone?

I made my first 20 or so knives out of D2 because my friend who started me knife making recommended it. I have been going 5 years now and have done D2, A2, and 440C. I am waiting on CPM D2, CPM 154, W2 and 1095 from the Aldo Bruno the Steel Baron of New Jersey. I got my 5 gallons of Parks 50 quenching oil and the fun is about to begin!

My friend Dean's Grandfather was a blacksmith. His Father was a PHD metallurgist, and he grew up in his Grandfather's shop. He always used D2 so he sold it to me on the merits that it is a high carbon steel that is almost (almost) stainless. It takes a good edge - not great, but holds it forever. It is very rust resistant for a high carbon steel, and you can beat on it.

I made skinning knives for my friends. My best friend has skinned out a couple dozen deer with his and hasn't sharpened it yet. I use a Benchmade mini Griptillian in 440C. I sharpen it every time I use it. It's fairly obvious the difference is profound.

I tossed a 2nd from my little shop in my tackle bag 5 years ago. It's been in a wet bag in the back of my truck for all these Summers and there are rust spots on it. I think a 1095 knife, by comparison, would be dust by now. The knife has never been sharpened and it has gutted a lot of fish and scales dull knives.

You've got to like the fact that they make commercial cutting tools out of it. It's tried and true.



The Blanchard ground stuff from the supplier has rust spots on it. After it is polished, I've yet to see more than little specks on it, and they clean off with steel wool pretty quick.






A 36 grit belt. This will turn something most people think of as "steel" such as a lawn mower blade to a pile of dust in a very short time. It might take 20 passes to take a 5/32" blank down to a 20/1000th edge for heat treating. It's annealed, but it's still hard!





This is an 80 grit and it will take a while to remove the scratches from the 36 grit. It might be hard to see, but leaving a little beef at the edge and making a secondary bevel is a sturdy way to make a knife someone might need to beat on in an emergency situation.



I made this knife for a kid in my club who does the mountain man reenactments. If he doesn't lose it, it will last him the rest of his life. I made this one 3 years ago, I think, and I haven't gotten it back to sharpen yet!

I like the DMT Dia-Sharp bench stones. I mostly use the fine and extra fine stones

I prefer D2, it sharpens easier and is pretty damn close to stainless.