D2 or 1095?

mystical woodsman

mystical woodsman

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Hello all.

I have a RAT TAK D2, but I am curious, now that I am thinking about it, it is really bothering me... I know D2 steel is a very strong tool steel, but it is not forgiving as 1095, which is somewhat flexible and can "give" a little if you are perhaps prying (survival situation of course) or batoning... so my question is, if I was to go "into the wild," would a D2 steel blade outperform one of 1095?

Of course the reason for my inquiry is self evident, that I don't want to find myself in the buttcrack of some moutain side miles and miles away from the nearest backwoods redneck, and my blade break or what have you. Would 1095 be more reliable in this department? Also, I have a hunter honer (http://www.hunterhoner.com/) that I've been told easily sharpens D2 steel, and I have a good leather strop for touch ups (http://www.knivesplus.com/KP-STROP8-STROPBLOCK.html), although I have yet to dull my blade enough to really test either the sharpener or the strop. What say you on the steel AND the sharpening system I have?

Please, if anyone can help me that would be sweeter than taking a big hearty crap. :D

ThanX
 
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I have every confidence in my D2 stuff , given that the heat treat is appropriate . This caveat applies to all steels .

Chris
 
1095 is more forgiving, but it can and will still break if you abuse it. I have seen D2 batoned, it did fine. I myself prefer 1095 more because of cost than anything else. D2 is a hard use steel, and it should do fine for what you are talking about.
 
personally, I wouldn't use a knife with D2 in the field. I find it VERY hard to sharpen and it's not as flexible as 1095. I do LOVE 1095 and find it to be easy to sharpen and just a great steel overall.

However, that said, lots of people swear by D2 in all situations. It might just be a matter of how good you are at sharpening. I'm not too bad, but I'm also not a pro.

Out of curiosity, why the jerkit smiley?

My .02.

Brett
 
you have to think about while a steel may be harder to sharpen it may also be harder to dull. but of course there are some materials that are a pain to sharpen just because the way they are.

a lot of people do not like the crossed stick type sharpeners and from my experience while they are easy to use they always have that "its almost there" feel, at least from the ones i have used. better than nothing especially out in the wild and much easier to carry than a "system" but meh.

-matt
 
D2 is great stuff, but I personally can't sharpen it freehand worth a damn, OTOH I've sharpened 1095 on a flat rock while out in the woods with pretty good results.

Another point that should be made is that a 4 1/4" knife, while it has it's place, isn't the best tool for heavy cutting jobs. A machete or a khuk is FAR more efficient at chopping wood than a smaller knife is for batoning it. Though a smaller knife is definitely the tool you want for cleaning fish and game and doing food prep.
 
I'd have exactly the same doubts bro, D2 is great steel for a hunter who wants his skinner to stay sharp but if I was thinking about tasks which you may have to put a knife through in a survival situation ie: prying, hacking, battoning, digging etc, then I would opt for 1095 outta those two !!!!
 
mystical woodsman said:
Hello all. :jerkit:

I have a RAT TAK D2, but I am curious, now that I am thinking about it, it is really bothering me... I know D2 steel is a very strong tool steel, but it is not forgiving as 1095, which is somewhat flexible and can "give" a little if you are perhaps prying (survival situation of course) or batoning... so my question is, if I was to go "into the wild," would a D2 steel blade outperform one of 1095?

Of course the reason for my inquiry is self evident, that I don't want to find myself in the buttcrack of some moutain side miles and miles away from the nearest backwoods redneck, and my blade break or what have you. Would 1095 be more reliable in this department? Also, I have a hunter honer (http://www.hunterhoner.com/) that I've been told easily sharpens D2 steel, and I have a good leather strop for touch ups (http://www.knivesplus.com/KP-STROP8-STROPBLOCK.html), although I have yet to dull my blade enough to really test either the sharpener or the strop. What say you on the steel AND the sharpening system I have?

Please, if anyone can help me that would be sweeter than taking a big hearty shit. :D

ThanX
Click to expand...

Your sharpener claims to be like a chef's steel, which isn't really a sharpener at all, is it?
 
bdws1975 said:
Out of curiosity, why the jerkit smiley?
Click to expand...

I don't mean to seem callous, but I am just a bit disenfranchised by people in general. I am seeing that most of you guys here are pretty cool and a lot like myself so maybe that was inappropriate, to a certain extent. Salutations these days are just so insincere anymore, I guess I am just a bit jaded but again, I am seeing that you guys are pretty cool... I used to take online classes, and let me tell you, compared to how shallow most other people were face to face, they are exponentially more 1 dimensional in personality expression compared to most of the posts I read here.

It wasn't personal, I am just world-weary I guess. :cool:
 
CaptInsano said:
Your sharpener claims to be like a chef's steel, which isn't really a sharpener at all, is it?
Click to expand...

Where exactly does it say it is "like a chef's steel?" I looked but can't find it, nor heard of that even in my chronic reading of the site and watching the DVD.

ThanX
 
OMGWTFBBQ said:
Another point that should be made is that a 4 1/4" knife, while it has it's place, isn't the best tool for heavy cutting jobs. A machete or a khuk is FAR more efficient at chopping wood than a smaller knife is for batoning it.
Click to expand...

I don't plan to clear a forest, but I can see how helpful a machete or khukri can be. As far as splitting wood, a small knife can definitely take on the task... all you need is some ingenuity and apply it. I would rather do that and carry less IMHO. As far as chopping wood, again, I will use ingenuity like use my small Kommer axe to chop a diameter line and stomp on it or use my fire to do it for me... saves energy and time.
 
mystical woodsman said:
I don't mean to seem callous, but I am just a bit disenfranchised by people in general. I am seeing that most of you guys here are pretty cool and a lot like myself so maybe that was inappropriate, to a certain extent. Salutations these days are just so insincere anymore, I guess I am just a bit jaded but again, I am seeing that you guys are pretty cool... I used to take online classes, and let me tell you, compared to how shallow most other people were face to face, they are exponentially more 1 dimensional in personality expression compared to most of the posts I read here.

It wasn't personal, I am just world-weary I guess. :cool:
Click to expand...

I can totally see where you are coming from. There are some real butts on here, but also some great guys.

Come over to Wilderness and Survival skills forum. great guys and gals over there.

take care,
Brett
 
CaptInsano said:
Our Patented Flex Design keeps your knives fresh and sharp for weeks and months Like a Chef's Steel without the expertise
Click to expand...

Reading that, I believe they were talking about how your knife will be as sharp as a chef's blade, but you don't have to sharpen the blade everyday like a chef does nor have to know how to sharpen it like they do or use a mechanical knife sharpener (which they sometimes do in conjunction to using a rod). I used to be a cook. I can see how someone might confuse it, but I don't think they were referring to it like how you took it.
 
Just to make you think, considering the fact the value of our dollar is plummeting, which will cause our economy to collapse, it might do you some good to start saving money and not eat out as much, or rent movies and instead start buying good camping gear, tough hunting clothes and some handguns/rifles. In the event we experience another (what is being referred to as the GreatER) Depression, people will be banging on your door looking for food or medicine, among "other" things.
We need to be realistic folks. you just may have to kill and eat a bird or squirrel in your front yard that you have been feeding or what have you because more than likely, if martial law is declared, the major roadways will be shut down and the goods transports will be stopped. That means food to your supermarkets (among of other things) - that we've been conditioned to depend upon will stop and we will have to learn to adjust and get by without it.

Just throwing this out there. Please respond if you feel the same or not, I would like to hear it.
 
1095...real boring steel.


But...you can practically sharpen it to a shaving edge on a dry sponge. Some of this fancy pants steel is fine for knocking about close to home, but if you are planning on spending serious amounts of time in deep country, 1095 carbon is pretty tough to beat...it's your dooms day ready steel.
 
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