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Price is $300 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
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D2 steel. Any good?
- Thread starter Bulletbag
- Start date
herisson
Apple slicing rocking chair dweller
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2013
- Messages
- 4,754
It's a tool steel, so expect high performance but perhaps not totally adequate for knives. Now it's Bob Dozier's steel of choice, so there's that. I like it because it's on the hard side : once you get the edge you want (and there's some work involved, especially if you want to reprofile with a manual sharping device...) it will last for quite a while. D2 is famous for its awesome "toothy" edge, I don't know but my polished edges are very satisfying and last out the rats' lives. However, D2 is not the best at being stainless : a stain of wine has burnt an eternal mark in one of my favorite knives. No drama, but despite Rust Eraser and polishing with the ultra-fine belt, there is still a shadow.
- Joined
- May 13, 2015
- Messages
- 841
Hi. I only have one folder in D2, the Viper Free and I am far from being a steel expert. I can only tell from my empirical experience: compared to other similar folders (with similar thickness, geometry, grind, etc.) I own in S30V, I would say its harder to sharpen (I use normally a Lansky System at home and a DC4 in the fields), therefore I normally need to resort to coarser stones or powered grinder.
Edge retention is, in my experience, a little less compared to S30V but nothing I would have noticed if not when extensively working with wood whittling/carving. For me it works best when I dont refine the edge too much, if its toothier it cuts better and last longer. Corrosion has never been an issue for me, but, fair to say, I maintain my knives (i.e.: I sharpen or refresh the edge at the end of their week in rotation, clean them up, disassemble if the case, lube, put some protective oil and store them properly). It can get some superficial stains if let wet or dirty but I always managed to clean with a cloth and a common steel cleaner (the thing I use for kitchen sink, hobs, etc.).
Overall I have good experience with D2, nothing sticking out for good or bad though, I would say a decent blade steel.
My Viper Free:
Edge retention is, in my experience, a little less compared to S30V but nothing I would have noticed if not when extensively working with wood whittling/carving. For me it works best when I dont refine the edge too much, if its toothier it cuts better and last longer. Corrosion has never been an issue for me, but, fair to say, I maintain my knives (i.e.: I sharpen or refresh the edge at the end of their week in rotation, clean them up, disassemble if the case, lube, put some protective oil and store them properly). It can get some superficial stains if let wet or dirty but I always managed to clean with a cloth and a common steel cleaner (the thing I use for kitchen sink, hobs, etc.).
Overall I have good experience with D2, nothing sticking out for good or bad though, I would say a decent blade steel.
My Viper Free: