CPM D2 VS CPM S30V for a whittler knife

B

boris01

Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
102
I have gotten interested in wood carving and whittling and I would like to find the best blade material for this hobby. Currently I use a Lone Wolf Ranger in CPM-S30V. The knife is razor sharp but the blade too big for my carving.
--D2
I have read that CPM D2 can hold a very sharp edge and does not ware out fast. This sounds good for a whittling knife. I sharpen and clean my knives often so maintenance is not an issue for me. The only problem is that not many folders are made with D2. The one I like is the Spyderco Para Military. It has a small 3 inch blade.
--S30V
Many knife makers use s30v and there is a nice collection of s30v knives compared to D2 knives. The question, is CPM S30V as good as CPM D2 for sharpness, edge retention and ware.

I read one blog where the author believed that D2 might be a bit better but that it was not significant

Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated
 
Last edited:
I doubt you'll notice much difference. S30V has considerably more molybdenum and vanadium than D2. I don't know what the difference is in target hardnesses between the steels as heat treated to Spyderco's specs.
 
4_63375.jpg


Most Boker slipjoints are carbon steel (1095?) and excellecnt for whittlin'

The one picture above is a Boker Carver's Congress Whittler 4-Blade Pocket Knife Model: 5465

After I get this, I think my days looking for a pocket whittlin' knife are done!
 
I have a couple of slippies that are marked AIRDI-150, (AKA D-2) that make good whittling knives.
IMHO S30V will make push cuts easier. I think it can take a finer edge than D-2.
 
CPM-D2 will take a finer polish and get much sharper than S30V, it just takes longer to sharpen. In use S30V seems to aquire a toothy edge (like a burr) and holds that way for a while, with CPM-D2 the edge does not seem to roll or burr, instead it just dulls very slowly. The composite leek would be a great whittler knife but a laminated mora might be better, or get both, mora's are cheap!
 
CPM D-2 and CPM S30V should theoretically be equally fine grained, since the grain size is controlled by the CPM process that they both use.
The only thing CPM D-2 has going for it is a little extra hardness, whereas CPM S30V will be a little more wear resistant.
You can't go wrong with either one really, and it is a tough choice. Whether or not the extra hardness of CPM D-2 would hold your edge longer than the extra vanadium of CPM S30V, I don't know. They should be pretty close.
If you want something that should work better than either one, you could try ZPD-189 (crazy hard steel), or CPM S90V (incredible wear resistance).

My first recommendation is the Spyderco Endura 4 and Delica 4.
Both come in ZDP-189 editions, are pretty comfortable and have a reasonably durable tip.
Spyderco Endura 4
http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=8567
Spyderco Delica 4
http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=8367

Next is the Kershaw Leek in CPM D-2. This knife has a very fine point, which can be a benefit or drawback. It works well for fine cuts, but if you're not careful that lovely tip will break.
Kershaw Composite Blade Leek
http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=10705

The previous three knives were in the $60-$80 range, if you want some CPM S90V you'll have to shell out around $200 for the Spyderco Military in that steel type.
Spyderco Military
http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=10722

If you're willing to shell out for it CPM S90V should work the best, but ZDP-189 will be not far behind, and at less than half the cost it's probably your best bet.
 
If I was getting a knife strictly for wood carving type work, I'd get something in 1095/CV ( case's name for their carbon steel), or Japanese white or blue steel. Bokers C75 is good too.

Some of the sandavik steels ( 12C27, 13C26, 19C27) might be ok too, but I'd stick with the carbon steels. There are certainly more, but these are the easiest to find. Joe
 
The Mastiff said:
If I was getting a knife strictly for wood carving type work, I'd get something in 1095/CV ( case's name for their carbon steel), or Japanese white or blue steel. Bokers C75 is good too.

Some of the sandavik steels ( 12C27, 13C26, 19C27) might be ok too, but I'd stick with the carbon steels. There are certainly more, but these are the easiest to find. Joe
Click to expand...

+1 from me. If sharpened early and maintained regulary, i see no advantages in S30V or CPMD2.
 
A-2 also makes a great whittler. Top of the line hand planer blades and chisels are made of A-2. BRKT makes lots of A-2 knives.
 
Why don't you buy a couple of the best whittlers ever designed. They're called chisels. I suggest a one fourth, one half and three quarter inch. Sharpen on an Xtra Coarse stone (only one side) until you get a burr then finish off on a fine stone (both sides)!!!! Hold the chisel in your hand and use your shoulder to "drive" it. Your shoulder is the power and your hand "steers". I do a lot of sculpture myself and there is no beating a regular (and cheap) chisel. They have some really great old ones on Ebay. The old ones seem to always be better. My 2 sense.
 
Knives like these are fun to whittle and carve with:

IMG_1108_1.jpg


But knives like these work better for me:

IMG_1112.jpg


There are several steels represented in the above knives -- D2, 1095, CV, A2, and 12C27. All of these steels are suitable for carving. Some may need sharpened more often than others but when you whittle you need to keep something handy to touch up the edge anyway, like some 2000 grit sandpaper a strop.
 
Try the Queen D2 series. They pretty much have all the slip joint folders available in D2...whittler, stockman, trapper, canoe etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top