Anyone work with M2?

T

thombrogan

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Nov 16, 2002
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How difficult is it to produce a blade out of M2? Do those of you who work with it perform your own heat treat? If you ship out M2 for heat treatment, to whom do you send it?

Many thanks in advance!
 
I have not yet seen on this forum, over the time I have been here, any mention that I recall of one of us using M2 for a blade. I do not know why except that it is a high speed steel and perhaps there is a brittleness problem. That, however, is only a guess of mine. I have never worked with M2 except to use end mills factory made of it.

Roger
 
It is a very tough, and high heat work steel. You can get it red hot, and it won't lose temper. If you have it tempered in the 61RCH area, it will be a good blade. If you get it into the 65RCH area, it will be brittle.
If you buy this steel in the annealed state, great!, If it is already hardened, it is almost impossible for the average maker to anneal it.

Their is a thread at USN, in the makers forum about M2. You will have to look back a month or so, or just punch in M2 in the search feature.
Good luck.:D
 
That's good information concerning RC value of M2. Thanks. But, I am wondering now Mike; why is it that it is not seen much for blades (and I have not yet seen it for that)?? Is it because it is hard to find in annealed state, or what - wondering??

thombrogan,

I have HT info on M2 if you want.

Roger
 
I know that benchmade uses it for some of their production knives and it has earned quite a following.
I remember reading about it quite a while ago here in shoptalk, someone got ahold of a bunch of old mills and cutters (big ones)free and wanted to take try forging, don't beleive that it panned out.
 
Originally posted by rlinger
That's good information concerning RC value of M2. Thanks. But, I am wondering now Mike; why is it that it is not seen much for blades (and I have not yet seen it for that)?? Is it because it is hard to find in annealed state, or what - wondering??

thombrogan,

I have HT info on M2 if you want.

Roger
Click to expand...


I don't know why it is not seen more. Possibly the other popular tool steels used for blades are just more practical, easier to use, and heat treat.

I have not used it, although I had a couple of bars. It was tempered to RCH66, and was used for planer blades in the mines here. There was a guy that used to make knives out of them, here, but they were extremely brittle.
I gave mine away, as I could find no practical way to anneal them, and didn't want to use them in the state they were.

Others that have used M2 have said it is very hard to work, but when done, and heat treated properly, it holds a great edge.

M2 is available in the annealed state, you would just have to find someone that sells it.
 
M-2 is great for a "Using Blade" been making knives from it for about 3 year's , mostly hunter's , utility type , a couple of warncliff's . yes it is a hard metal to work and finish but i think the customer is the winner, beacuse this stuff does hold a edge ! it is hard to find and at least as expensive as D-2, i have taken "Chipper bar's" and used them to Cut Steel, yes you can hurt a finely ground Hollow grind if you try hard,a flat grind with a secondary bevel is as tough as it get's.:)
 
Thanks guys.

Roger,

I'd love to know the heat-treat info and what is beside you in your avatar photo.

Pinoy-Knife,

Your knives and a few from Benchmade and Gary Bradburn had me wondering about how difficult or easy it is to work with. Do you do your own heat-treat on it?

Thanks again.
 
Right now its no problem to proudly answer your question about what I am holding in my avatar. It is my first turkey!!! a rather small, as they go, fall hen. Got it with my free floating 10/22 at about 63 yards - in the neck. I aimed there because I expected the bullet to drop into the base of neck area. Darn lucky, I'd say - even for a marksman as I.

I'll get out the HT of M2 and post it here, but not now. I will soon - tonight or tomorrow.

Got things to do and I want it verbatim without mistake. Remember though, I have not HT'ed M2 myself yet.

Roger
 
Posted by Jerry Hossom, on another forum.

Crucible gives the hardening temp for M2 as 2100-2225F. Tempering at 1025-1050F for Rc 62/63 to get maximum toughness and stress relieving.

I made some blades in M2 last year and it was the most difficult steel I ever worked.


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Posted by R.J.Martin, on another forum.

Rob is correct. M2, being a true high speed steel, requires 2 furnaces to HT it properly. The first is run at preheat temp, and, the second is at Austenizing temp (temp from Jerry's post). The soak times for M2 are VERY short and are absolutely critical-you can ruin the blade in just a minute or two. Several years ago,
I did perhaps 30 blades from it-I had mine salt bath treated by a specialty HT shop. It gets wicked hard, but, you have to be careful with the blade geometry and how you use the knife, because it doesn't do well with bending or torsion. For pure slicing, it's a killer.

RJ Martin


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Stay Sharp,

RJ Martin
www.martinsite.com
 
I am sorry. I suppose I spoke to soon without checking properly. It seems I only have tempering specs on M2. I am rather impressed as I look at it. It seems 900 F. temper achieves 65RC. I thought I had it but it appears I do not.

Roger
 
Thanks, Mike and Roger! Congratulations on your turkey, Roger.

Well now I know why not many people offer M2 these days...

Thanks again!
 
I've got a whole bucket of M2 (die punches from a forming line), had it for a couple years now but just the difficulty level has held me back. If anyone wants a couple pieces to play with, let me know.

I think there was an article on forging M2 in an old Blade Mag. I'll have to go back and check my clippings.
 
Wow! Mike Hull-You actually saved or retrieved my post? I'll have to be more careful about what I say from now on! <G>

A few more thoughts-M2 doesn't finish out or polish worth a darn. Even 120 grit after HT for regrind is a bitch. It'll just laugh at your belts as it burns them up. Sand blasting is a do-able finish, but, M2 rusts very easily. This leaves powder coating as the best option, IMO.

I wouldn't recommend in-house HT, unless you're ambitious and have the time and blades to expend to get the process down. You're better off with a good vacuum HT house that can go to the high heat required.
Finish grind your blades before HT, have them vacuum treated and pray they don't warp.

The stuff cuts great, no, really great once you get it sharp.
Good Luck!
 
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