Buck 118 D2 Steel

M

Meadowlark

Joined
Jul 3, 2024
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I know D2 is supposed to be hard to sharpen.

I've heard that the Buck 440C blades that were reprofiled to the Edge 2000 were easier to sharpen.

I have a 118 in D2 and I'm wondering if the profile is Edge 2000 and if that would make it easier to sharpen than other makers knives?

Strange question, I know. Anybody have an answer?
 
If you have the box or know when you bought it, if new, year 2000 or later would Edge 2000.
I've had D2 steel and didn't find it that much harder to sharpen. That said, I'm sure that whatever you use to sharpen and the angle you hold makes a difference. I use diamond stones and/or a Sharpmaker at 15 degrees.
Check the sticky on sharpening...https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/buck-sharpening-methods.1774588/
 
The one I have definitely didn't conform to the Edge2000 specs. I suspect it was pre-2000, as its factory edge was pretty thick and didn't cut very well. I put my own edge on it to suit my preference, doing that on DMT diamond hones. And even then, it was a pretty long project, removing a lot of steel near the edge. Finished with a nice, thin, subtle convex. It's a much better slicer now. If I can track down the box it came in, I'll see if I can confirm in what year it was made.
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I added a photo of the label on my 118's box to my earlier reply. I incorrectly assumed it was pre-2000. Label shows the mfr. date as 08/15/2008. I'm remembering now, how that struck me strange at the time I found it. As compared to all the other Edge2000-spec'd Bucks I have, the edge geometry on this 118 was clearly different and more reminiscent of the 'old school' grind on Buck's knives.

I think(?) the product number on the box indicates mine was a build-out knife (product# 0118B01-B) at the time, which has me wondering if the build-out utilized a pre-2000 blade (if any were made pre-2000 - I honestly don't know). Just speculating here, but it does make me wonder.
 
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Obsessed with Edges said:
I added a photo of the label on my 118's box to my earlier reply. I incorrectly assumed it was pre-2000. Label shows the mfr. date as 08/15/2008. I'm remembering now, how that struck me strange at the time I found it. As compared to all the other Edge2000-spec'd Bucks I have, the edge geometry on this 118 was clearly different and more reminiscent of the 'old school' grind on Buck's knives.

I think(?) the product number on the box indicates mine was a build-out knife (product# 0118B01-B) at the time, which has me wondering if the build-out utilized a pre-2000 blade, if any of these were made pre-2000 (I honestly don't know). Just speculating here - but it does make me wonder.
Click to expand...
I have one from 2010 0118B03-B with gray handle and one from 2014 0118BKSBR-B black handle--both D2.

I wish I were expert enough to tell if they are EDGE 2000 by looking at them.

For what it's worth, both grinds look more narrow than the grind in your picture by just eyeballing it.
 
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