D2 questions

S

Sammy Mickel

Joined
May 11, 1999
Messages
61
D2's reputation as almost stainless makes it very interesting to me. Can you heat treat it at home and if so what kind of oven homemade or otherwise are you using? Happy Thanksgiving

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Bart
If you have a digital probe in your forge and can maintain 1850 deg F it can be done. It is a PITA yes as you said.
D2 will decarb fast so foil is good.
1850 deg f... soak for about 20 min..
Temper ranges from 300-500 depending on the purpose for the knife.
325 - 375 deg f works great for me on folder blades on the temper.
Double draw on the temper for 2 hours each temper cooling in still air between each, to 105 - 120 degrees.
D2 is a great steel. It cuts great and is very tough.
I like it better than some of the newer high tech carbons. Just tests better.
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[This message has been edited by Darrel Ralph (edited 11-23-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Darrel Ralph (edited 11-23-2000).]
 
I hope this isn't a dumb question but can you explain what you mean by "foil is good" in your responce? As to the kind of oven can it be one of Wayne Goddards "toaster" ovens?

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I think the 1850° F will be a little bit too much heat for Wayne's toaster ovens.
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No, really, what you need is a temperature controlled heat treating oven or at least a temperature controlled gas forge to harden the stuff in a perfect manner without knowing anything about steels other than what the technical handbook said.

"foil is good" means that the use of heat treating foil to wrap the blade blank is beneficial in this process. Heat treating foil is a very thin stainless steel foil.

The toaster oven may be used, but not for the hardening but for the tempering of the blade.

Personally i have forged and heat treated D2 blades with great success using a coke fire in a classic blacksmith's forge. Hardness tests showed 59 to 60 HRc after tempering. No corrosion problems. Field testing on a 45 kilo (100 pound) wild boar showed that the blade did not only the skinning, but the whole preparation of the animal to kitchen sized pieces including cutting the rib bones without any edge chipping or resharpening. The knife still shaved hair from my arm after that. Good steel.

Achim
 
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