charles may d2

A

armstrong*skier

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Apr 27, 2009
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so ive just recieved a charles may knife in d2, i have a sharpmaker with the diamond rods that ive used to reprofile it to the 30 degree setting. now what im wondering is if d2 can handle having such a thin edge. i dont regularly cut a lot of things. probably the toughest stuff i cut are those clamshell packages (rarely). so should i throw on a 20 degree micro bevel? and if i should, then do i use medium-fine-ultra fine stones? or just the fine-ultra fine stones? i like my knives as sharp as possible but i sure dont want it chipping on me.
 
The only D2 knife I've used is a Queen Cutlery, but it handled a fine edge without issue. Of course, I convexed it, and don't know the exact angle I used, but I sharpened it very shallow, and had no chipping issues.
 
As would be the case with most knives (especially customs), if the heat treat was decent at all, I wouldn't see any issues for you. Especially since, as you've indicated, you don't plan on using the knife very hard. If it were me, since the knife has already been reprofiled, I'd just go ahead and use it for a while. I wouldn't worry about putting a microbevel on it yet, until you better know if you really need it or not. Only time (and some steady use) can tell if the edge will hold up to your liking.

As for which grit to use for a microbevel (if you do that eventually), many prefer to give it some 'bite' by using a slightly coarser grit than was used for the finish/polish. It's mainly a preference thing. I think most have done it with just a few passes on one preferred grit. No need to run the microbevel through a series of grits, unless you just prefer to do it that way.
 
All of my D-2 knives are sharpened at 30 inclusiove. (15 degrees per side.)

I've never had an issue with any of them. :p
 
Turbo Tension said:
I chipped the heck out of my D2 Benchmade at 30 degrees acting like an idiot with it.
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This is not meant as a criticism, but I use my knives in the same manner as my other tools. That is to say, I don't try to use them as screwdrivers, hatchets, prybars, etc.

Perhaps it's because I live in the city, and have a basement workshop fully equipped with a wide array of hand tools, but I usually try to find and use the proper tool for the job at hand. :p

When I fail to follow that protocol, I usually end up with a damaged tool, or worse yet, an example of poor craftsmanship. :o:o
 
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Ben Dover said:
but I use my knives in the same manner as my other tools.
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I know what you mean. The city recycler won't take glass bottles (other than beer) with labels on it and I was using the knife to shave the gold foil off of 10 sparkling grape juice bottles. A few times the edge wacked the mouth of the bottle pretty hard when a patch of glue let go, resulting in a noticeable chip. :D

That said, that's the only thing I've ever done that left edge wear. D2 stays very sharp.
 
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