Buck 118 D2 Steel

M

Meadowlark

Joined
Jul 3, 2024
Messages
201
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.
 
Meadowlark said:
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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They should be EDGE 2000, but if you post a clear photo, we might be able to help answer for you. The fine angle of EDGE 2000 makes sharpening easier and cuts with less resistance. Someone more knowledgeable could probably tell you the specific sharpening angle it utilizes.
 
Generalist said:
They should be EDGE 2000, but if you post a clear photo, we might be able to help answer for you. The fine angle of EDGE 2000 makes sharpening easier and cuts with less resistance. Someone more knowledgeable could probably tell you the specific sharpening angle it utilizes.
Click to expand...
One way to roughly gauge the edge angle is to use a device like the Sharpmaker for reference. Mark the bevels with a Sharpie pen. Then draw the edge between the SM's rods at the 30° inclusive setting and see where the ink is being removed from the bevels. The Edge2000 spec is 13°-16° per side (26° -32° inclusive). So, if you can see ink being removed at the apex itself or flush to the full width of the bevels, that would at least indicate the angle is within the Edge2000 spec at 30° inclusive or lower. If the ink is only being removed high on the bevels, at or above the shoulders of the edge grind, then that would suggest the edge angle is probably outside the Edge2000 limits.

There might be other spec differences too, like the thickness of the primary grind of the blade behind the edge bevels. But checking the edge angle as above can at least show if it's even close or not. Might also be worth doing the same check with the SM's rods at the 40° setting to see if it's even within that limit.
 
Generalist said:
They should be EDGE 2000, but if you post a clear photo, we might be able to help answer for you. The fine angle of EDGE 2000 makes sharpening easier and cuts with less resistance. Someone more knowledgeable could probably tell you the specific sharpening angle it utilizes.
Click to expand...
I'll try to get a pic today.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
One way to roughly gauge the edge angle is to use a device like the Sharpmaker for reference. Mark the bevels with a Sharpie pen. Then draw the edge between the SM's rods at the 30° inclusive setting and see where the ink is being removed from the bevels. The Edge2000 spec is 13°-16° per side (26° -32° inclusive). So, if you can see ink being removed at the apex itself or flush to the full width of the bevels, that would at least indicate the angle is within the Edge2000 spec at 30° inclusive or lower. If the ink is only being removed high on the bevels, at or above the shoulders of the edge grind, then that would suggest the edge angle is probably outside the Edge2000 limits.

There might be other spec differences too, like the thickness of the primary grind of the blade behind the edge bevels. But checking the edge angle as above can at least show if it's even close or not. Might also be worth doing the same check with the SM's rods at the 40° setting to see if it's even within that limit.
Click to expand...
Don't have a SM but I'll try to post a pic later.
 
I have no talent or ability to get good pictures that show what I want..........anyway thanks for trying.

:)
 
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 were made pre-2000 - I honestly don't know). Just speculating here, but it does make me wonder.
Click to expand...
With Buck I think using up old blades is always a possibility when a question comes up.

Some of these D2s were stamped Custom on both sides and maybe were rejected at some point due to the double stamping and then at a later time chosen to be used.
 
Meadowlark said:
Let's try vertical.

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Click to expand...
Based only on the apparent width of the bevels in your photo, it looks like yours might be in better shape than mine was, with thick steel near the edge and narrower bevels, which would strongly hint at a pretty obtuse edge angle. And in terms of slicing ability, the more recent purchases I've made from Buck (119, 117, 120, 102), all in the last year or two, are vastly superior cutters as compared to my D2 118, when I first acquired it.

If you're relatively happy with how yours is cutting with the factory edge, you may not have too much to worry about. With D2 in particular, diamond hones will handle it much better for maintenance sharpening and refinement at the edge. D2 can be very fickle and disappointing, if trying to maintain it with something less capable than diamond.
 
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