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Can D2 steel be sharpen with a work sharp machine? Pro or con?

Thanks in advance.

Lou

My guess is yes. The con to me is that I don't use a belt sander unless I'm creating a profile for the first time on a knife I'm making. I don't see a reason to unless you have done serious damage to the blade that needs to be fixed. I see no reason to be grinding away metal with a belt sander when there are better ways to sharpen that won't cause you to loose so much metal.

It's no big deal if it's on a cheap knife you don't care about, or on a knife that actually needs re profiling because it has a stupid thick edge designed so idiots won't chip it when batonning it through knotted hickory stumps 10 times larger than anyone has any reason to try to baton with a freaking knife.

Whew,got on a roll there.
What kind of knife is it,and why exactly do you think you are having trouble keeping it sharp with conventional methods? Exactly what conventional methods are you using. I prefer a well used red DMT for harder steels and I think D2 responds very well to one.

R_H,

Thanks for the promptly reply, this is not a cheap knife is a Gene. I feel that the knife has lost the edge due to use, until now I didn't had the need to even touch up the edge. Sunday, I was processing a hog and noted that the blade has lost the edge the knife felt like a dog having to struggle to get It to cut. I use the work sharp in all my other store acquired knives, none of them are D2. I have few Arkansas stone in medium fine and the Lansky(sp) system. Will that work?

Regards

Lou

Yes D2 or any other steel can be sharpened on a Work Sharp.
First you will have to re set the edge grind from what you have to what the WS gives you.
Once you use the WS, it would be best to stay with that process on that blade.

Start with fresh belt. Probably 120 grit.
Stay with that belt and side until you roll a burr the full length of the blade.
Go to second side till you roll a burr.

Drop grit to medium. Like 320 or 400.
Same process as above.

I then go to around 600 t0 800 grit to smooth out the edge.
Same process as above.

I finish with an impregnated leather strop.
You can re touch up the edge with that strop, as needed in use, multiple times

When time to go back the the WS, you should not need the 120 again for a long time.

I do think that steels high in Chromium (440C, D2 etc) react a slight bit different to abrasives.
For lack of a better term, I think the high Chromium makes it a little "slippery" and "gummy" when machining etc.

However, if you have a Lansky then use it on this knife.
Just remember to keep your stones fresh and clean.

I normally use the WS for kitchen and fillet blades and the Edge Pro for hunters, etc.

Just my 2 cents.
Tim

Since you have the Lansky,give it a try first. The problem with a powered belt sander is that you can do more than you want or is necessary very quickly. Since the knife hasn't been abused and it already has a good thin edge geometry,I bet the Lansky will work wonders,as long as the stones aren't dished out or gummed up.

I use a Bob Dozier YPS for most hunting -skinning chores. It is D2 as well and should be very close to your Gene Ingram in hardness and geometry. My favorite sharpener for it is a well used red DMT stone. I would highly recommend picking one up. If you do,just use it a bit on kitchen knives or whatever until it stops shedding grit. At that point it will be just right and a couple passes should restore your knife to shaving sharp with a nice toothy cutting edge. The diamonds on a DMT will cut harder steels much better than an Arkansas stone which is basically for polishing an edge. Your Arkansas might work well too though since you likely don't need much.

The main problem I see most people have when free hand sharpening is that they don't use a steep enough angle and never actually touch the edge,but only the shoulder of the secondary angle. You can color the very edge with a sharpie if you need to,and examine the edge with a magnifying glass to help learn the angle for free hand sharpening. I recommend learning free hand sharpening or getting a good guided tool like the Edge Pro mentioned over a Work Sharp. Yes,the Work Sharp will make a sharp edge but it's not a superior method to free hand or guided sharpening,and it could ruin a good knife a whole lot quicker when done wrong.

I have a KO Worksharp. I am sure it will sand/grind any steel you put in it. For some reason, I can't get hunting style knives as sharp with the WS as I can with a stone. It will make my kitchen knives sharp, but it scratches up the sides of a tall butcher style knife. I also don't like the convex edge, as it is not easily compatible with hand sharpening. I will not run one of my nick knives through it.

Guys,

Thank you for sharing your Wisdom with me. I will give the Lansky a try. Hopefully I will be able to get red DMT stone so it can be ready available for the next time.

Regards

Lou

Did you mean to say it's a Gene Ingram?? All you have to do is send it to him with a check for return shipping and he'll put the new edge back on it for you. I've sent several back to him. If you didn't mean it's an Ingram....never mind.

Yes is from Gene Ingram, I know I can send it back to him and I have done so in the past. I just want to do it my self this time. I took the Lansky to it and I go it back in top shape with a nice wicked sharp edge. Thanks everyone.

You can also use a leather strop loaded with some green compound if you want hair popping sharp. It really isn't necessary and I find that such a smooth edge isn't as good for animal cleaning needs as a toothy one but it will sure make one scary sharp. Just use some Weldwood contact cement to glue a 2" wide strip of smooth leather on a board. I like mine about 10-12 inches long. You can get the green buffing compound from any knife supply like Jantz. I've found that it even works well with really hard and wear resistant steels like CPM D2, normal D2, CPM 3V,and it will take 1095 to real straight razor levels.

Like I said though, it's not really necessary and more useful for impressing folks as to how sharp your knife is than anything else.

Yeah, I was going to use a leather strop but is not needed is sharp enough without. I thing the edge will last longer with out using the leather strop.


Regards

Lou