D2 = Hard to sharpen

NickelPlate · Jun 20, 2006

At least for me. I'm having an awful time getting my D2 blade razor sharp on my MT Socom Elite (using a Sharpmaker). I can get an okay working edge but not like all my other knives with lesser steels (no problems getting crazy sharp edges on those).

I can raise the burr no problem. But then honing it off proves to be very difficult. After much work I can manage to get it off and I'm left with a very toothy, grabby edge that pretty much sucks for push cutting and is okay for slice cutting.

It seems no amount of fine honing using the white stones smooths out the toothiness. I've been trying to get this thing scary sharp for days. What's the secret?

NP

thombrogan · Jun 20, 2006

No secret. Just practice. After you raise the burr on both sides on the brown flats at 30 degrees, switch up to 40 degrees (also with the brown flats) and make a few light alternating passes. Check to see if the burr is gone. Repeat (with 'light as a feather - nah, lighter!' as your guiding mantra) until that burr is gone. Once it's gone, go back to the 30 degree setting and use more progressively lighter alternating passes. Now clean off the edge and mark it with a Sharpie or similar marker. Put the white stones in the 30 degree setting and make one light pass on each side. Look to make sure that the marker is removed at the edge on both sides (sometimes, minor variations on the Sharpmaker hones slightly change their angles). If it is, stay at that setting and make several light, alternating passes until you've got the edge you want. If it feels ragged after deburring, you're pressing too hard.

Cliff Stamp · Jun 20, 2006

NickelPlate said:
I've been trying to get this thing scary sharp for days. What's the secret?

D2 has a horrible grindability, micro-bevel, you don't want to be sharpening a very wide edge. Make sure the hones are also clean. If you are having a lot of problems with a burr you might want to consider even higher angles in the burr removal step. There is always the possibility that the steel was improperly hardened but with steels like D2 the usual problem is the grindability.

-Cliff

yuzuha · Jun 20, 2006

D2 has big carbides that are easy to knock out of a thin edge, which sounds a lot like what you are saying. Use the flats not the corners as this will put less lateral pressure on the edge (using the edges will concentrate the force into a tiny point of contact that can wobble the carbides loose in the matrix, especially if you are trying to put an edge on at the 30 degree setting).

I use DMT or Eze-lap plates to set an angle of about 18 degrees per side (tried various angles but 18 degrees seemed the optimum angle for my D2 blades to prevent carbide knockout in use) and polish them up on waterstones, and have no trouble with D2, other than it taking a bit longer than some other steels. The 40 degree setting on the Sharpmaker should give you 20 per side, which should easily be thick enough to keep the carbides in the edge in normal use.

Phil in Alabama · Jun 20, 2006

I've found D2 to be very difficult to reprofile to a thinner angle, but once I've gotten it there, had no problems with burrs, or resharpening. It's hard stuff, holds that edge quite well once you get one there. I need to get a coarse diamond or something similiar to make those reprofiling jobs less work. Just worked the edge on a brand new Queen #92CSB fixed blade this weekend, took a couple of hours to get 'er sharp, as the factory edge angle was pretty steep and dull, but now it's good to go. Hunting season, hurry up and get here!

bigbcustom · Jun 20, 2006

I have several D2 blades that I sharpen with the sharpmaker, and get them to "scarey sharp". I find that the use of a 15X lighted loupe (mine is from www.leevalley.com for 21 bucks) greatly enhances your view and understanding of what's going on. You can easily see if you aren't being consistant, and if you are or aren't hitting the very edge. Buy one, and you will wonder how you ever did without it.

NickelPlate · Jun 21, 2006

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'll be at it again later this evening taking the advice to heart. I guess more practice is in order.

Regards,

NP

Macchina · Jun 21, 2006

I own several D2 blades, and also am able to get them razor sharp (far sharper for slicing than any of my other blades). I have been sharpening since I was about 10, and use only whetstones, but the idea is the same. For D2 I don't raise a burr on a side then take it off, this chips the edge because of the clumped carbides. What I do is sharpen one side with a few passes, then the other, plain and simple. this way, you do not chip the edge of this excellent steel.