1095 steel question

Les said:
Does not mean it is impossible.
Click to expand...

No, it doesn't. Doesn't mean D2 is the best steel for every purpose, either. The reason that 1095 has hung in there this long is that it's tough. I have nothing against D2 -- in fact I think it's pretty good as a slicer -- but it's not as good as plain ol' 1095 for some other things. I think my ideal would be a Becker BK-2 made from Infi, but that's never going to happen.
 
dawsonbob said:
No, it doesn't. Doesn't mean D2 is the best steel for every purpose, either. The reason that 1095 has hung in there this long is that it's tough. I have nothing against D2 -- in fact I think it's pretty good as a slicer -- but it's not as good as plain ol' 1095 for some other things. I think my ideal would be a Becker BK-2 made from Infi, but that's never going to happen.
Click to expand...

;)
Agree!

So many things other than just the steel has to be given consideration against the intended useage. A2, D2 or 1095 in a thick convex will take on about anything that can be thrown at it. One is better than the other two at edge retention and corrosion resistance.



I like the idea of an INFI BK-2! :D
 
Les said:
;)
Agree!

So many things other than just the steel has to be given consideration against the intended useage. A2, D2 or 1095 in a thick convex will take on about anything that can be thrown at it. One is better than the other two at edge retention and corrosion resistance.



I like the idea of an INFI BK-2! :D
Click to expand...

And I have to agree with you, too. That's why we have different tools for different purposes, and any of those steels in a good convex are really good. One thing 1095 is not the best at is corrosion resistance.

And yeah, Mr. Becker's baby in Infi would be so-o-o sweet.
 
Les said:
The pic has floated around the internet and forums for a while.
It is not hard to damage ANY knife, then take a picture of it.

Thin hollow ground blades are cutters, not pry bars.
Click to expand...
It is DOZIER K37, it cut a hardenss wood like a thumb according to it’s owner from china ; I think it’s weight is heavy, the hardeness is high(maybe 62hrc) than others and the edge is very thin. not abuse
 
guoxin said:
It is DOZIER K37, it cut a hardenss wood like a thumb according to it’s owner from china ; I think it’s weight is heavy, the hardeness is high(maybe 62hrc) than others and the edge is very thin. not abuse
Click to expand...

The K-31 was really designed to be a cutter, and for taking animals apart.
It shines in that useage.
It's not designed to be pried into deep cuts of bone or hardwoods. There are steels and blades designed for that purpose.

I hope people do not discount using a Dozier just because it is not the best choice of every application. Because in doing that, they would be missing out on something truly special.
It would be similiar to discounting a Busse because it does not slice meat thinly or do fine woodwork well.
 
Last edited:
I really like this forum, but its so hard for a noob like myself to figure anything out for certain. Some people say 1095 will take a finer edge than D2, Others say D2 with take a finer edge, toughness, edge retention.

So which one is it? I thought D2 was a stainless steel? I was under the impression that carbon steels took a better edge than stainless. Is that not correct?
 
fisheric said:
I really like this forum, but its so hard for a noob like myself to figure anything out for certain. Some people say 1095 will take a finer edge than D2, Others say D2 with take a finer edge, toughness, edge retention.

So which one is it? I thought D2 was a stainless steel? I was under the impression that carbon steels took a better edge than stainless. Is that not correct?
Click to expand...

Howdy and welcome!

Kind of yes and kind of no.

Part of the reason for the different answers is different folks use different standards of sharpness, and different sharpening techniques. It makes it hard to compare one fella's results to those of another fella. Also, some keep their blades at the factory bevels, so the performance is colored by edge geometry. Others change the edge bevels, but may not sharpen all their blades at exactly the same angle. Geometry differences can cause an alloy with run-of-the-mill edge retention to outperform an alloy with premium edge retention. So in comparing alloy performance one must compare blades that have the same geometry.

I change all the factory angles to my own angle. I do so with diamond hones. If taken to the same level of sharpness, D2 will hold that sharpness longer than 1095.

It is my opinion that with fine enough diamond hones and diamond powder strops you can obtain as fine an edge with D2 as you can with Carbon steels. However, without those diamond hones and strops, Carbon steel takes a finer edge, and does so with much less effort.

I think that Carbon steel has a reputation for taking a fine edge because it is so much easier to obtain that fine edge with Carbon steel than it is with stainless. But with the right tools and enough effort, you can obtain the same level of sharpness with most stainless alloys as you can with carbon steel.

Hope that helps,
Frank
 
knarfeng said:
I think that Carbon steel has a reputation for taking a fine edge because it is so much easier to obtain that fine edge with Carbon steel than it is with stainless. But with the right tools and enough effort, you can obtain the same level of sharpness with most stainless alloys as you can with carbon steel.
Click to expand...

Excellent post. To share my experience with D2 in larger blades. I re-profiled my Kershaw D2 OutCast as it came from the factory with a bevel better suited for an axe than a knife. The Kershaw D2 OutCast sharpened up OK but it took some effort eating two course hones as well as every other stone in my Gatco system before I switched to diamond hones. (I have since switched to a EdgePro sharpening system). The Outcast performed well trimming the branches off of some smaller trees I had cleared. However by the days end the whole length of the blade had small chips in it. Requiring that I repeat the grueling task of re-profiling the blade. Thankfully by than I had a the EdgePro so it did go quiet a bit quicker. Still not a process that I want to do regularly. So while the D2 does sharpen up nicely with some effort and may very well be an excellent steel for a pocket folder or small fixed blade it does not do well with impact like chopping or hacking in larger blades as it seems to be pretty brittle

In contrast on the EdgePro system my Beckers (BK2, BK7, BK9) all 1095 sharpened up quickly and easily, probably because it is not as hard as D2. I have used the BK2 almost daily including days trimming limbs off of cleared trees and it has held its edge well even after cutting copper battery cable, along with a multitude of daily chores. When 1095 does need to be touched up which is not often it is because the edge is dulling/ rounding off not chipping. So of course getting that razor edge back is no problem. Had I not cut metal with the BK2 I doubt it would need more than a touch up on the strop. None of my other Beckers have needed to be sharpened since I have owned them. Of course because 1095 is not stainless you do want to keep a fine coat of oil on them and pay attention to keep your finger prints and body oils off of the blade.

IMO both steels are good knife steels depending upon use. I agree sharpness depends upon your patience, what you sharpen with and the profile you use on your knives. Edge retention will also depend on what you are cutting as much as the metal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top