D2 Steel information

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#buffncc1701

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Jul 17, 2021
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I recently purchased a Qsp Penguin lock knife with brass scales and D2 steel that is I think the blade is black washed. Can anyone tell me if this kind of steel is a good quality steel and how to maintain and sharpen it.
 
D2 is best sharpened with diamond hones due to its high chromium carbide content. Ordinary stones are comparatively soft.
 
D2 is good to go, middle-high edge retention, decent toughness (avoid chipping, breakage), mediocre stain resistance.

Despite being non-stainless, I find them fine and rarely do I have to oil them...just keep them nice and dry.

I use ceramic rods on my sharpmaker. It's a working steel and honestly dont need that much attention to shine. I heard a rougher edge works better for D2, I just sharpen until it slices paper unhindered. Good treated D2 can rival some powder steels out there.

Good luck!
 
I have few folders in D2, been quite pleased with them. I always have a strop accessible and I find if I run them over a strop a few times every day or so they stay sharp for a long time without need for stones.
 
This was my work knife for several years (shipping dock, construction), it's D2 and it served me well. It is the hardest knife I've ever owned. I use DMT brand diamond hones. I've heard D2 often described as a "semi-stainless" steel, but I've never had a problem with rust.

My only other D2 knife is a Viper brand "Start" folder. It also serves me well on the rare occasion I use it (I have more knives than need for knives).

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Dergyll said:
Despite being non-stainless, I find them fine and rarely do I have to oil them...just keep them nice and dry.
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+1 for this. I live in Seattle; it rains ~180 days a year, and it's generally pretty humid. I was initially wary of D2 not being a stainless steel, so I started with coated blades. No problems there, so I moved on to uncoated blades. No problems there either. :)
 
QSP's D2 is okay. It's middle of the road for Chinese D2. Edge retention should increase with subsequent sharpening. You can use ceramic but diamond can do more work more quickly. As others have said, it's okay to stop at a rougher grit for a "toothy" edge. Experiment as you go and have fun.

Whether or not the low corrosion resistance of D2 will be an issue is situational. For instance, I have no problem with D2 from Fall to Spring. In the humidity of summer though, I tend to sweat. Even with preventative maintenance, I sometimes get a little spotting. The black wash might offer some protection but keep an eye on the sharpened bevel.

Step one is keeping the blade clean. Alcohol is often enough. Zippo fluid can be handy for removing gunk from tape. Definitely get a bottle of inexpensive and non-toxic mineral oil from your local pharmacy. You can apply a few dabs with a Q-Tip after cleaning. Rub it into the blade with a cloth or cotton ball to get a nice thin coat. You might also think about how you want your brass scales to look. Some people like to keep them shiny and some people like them to develop a rich patina.
 
I have sharpened D2 with Japanese whetstone, specifically King Deluxe 1000, many people would consider this stone to be too soft, but I have never ran into any problems. However, I have never managed to get it to hair whittling sharp, just shaving sharp, literally: I have sharpened BD1N and steels with finer carbides and get hair whittling sharp, but I can't get D2 to be that sharp. But, shaving sharp is good enough in most use case and D2 holds that "working" edge for a very long time.

If you are curious why other people recommends you use, diamond, ceramic and cbn stone, I highly recommend you Google "sharpening high vanadium steels" or "high carbide steel". TLDR: diamond can cut carbides and leaves a very fine edge, while AO can't cut carbide and leaves a very toothy carbide edge.
 
765AC63B-5BF6-45EB-982F-ED633830DDA4.jpegR2D2 is my work knife at the moment. DMT is what I use to sharpen. I live on the east coast and with all the humidity and sweat I have never had any issues yet with D2. I thought it would hold an edge a little longer but it is what it is.
 
#buffncc1701 said:
Do you mean Diamond stone?
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Yes, although most are steel plates the diamonds are bonded to rather than stones. Ceramics will work too but not as fast as diamonds. For powder steels with high volumes of vanadium and other very hard carbides diamond hones are the best medium IMHO.
 
I have a Queen slip joint in D2 and I like the steel very much. I use ceramics for sharpening and I never had an issue with Queen’s D2.
 
Diamonds are your best bet. I have heard good things on the QSP in terms of bang for your buck. Diamond in the 600 grit ANSI range is a pretty good "do it all" for Chinese D2. Coarse enough to bring an edge back so long as you arent reprofiling to a more acute angle, and after stropping the 600 grit diamond finish will remain toothy which D2 seems to perform best with.
 
D2 is an awesome steel. It’s just a notch below stainless steel, holds a great edge, and it takes a very fine edge if sharpened correctly. Something to remember about D2 is to keep it sharp. If your blade already has a nice razor edge, keep it that way by stropping it on a piece of leather charged with green honing paste or on a fine grit stone or ceramic rod after using it. If you ever let it get dull, it can be a bear to sharpen assuming your blade is heat treated correctly.
 
I use ceramics for touchups and diamonds or sic for reprofiling and major resharpenings. i find lower grits tend to make it feel sharper and last longer.....not based on any science, just my feel on it from experience and use.

its not a favorite steel for me, but makes a good knife.
 
This convinced me to pull the trigger on a QSP Penguin in Blue Denim micarta. I carry my Civivi elementum a fair amount this time of year due to the heat and I want to see how the penguin stacks up.
 
jbmonkey said:
I use ceramics for touchups and diamonds or sic for reprofiling and major resharpenings. i find lower grits tend to make it feel sharper and last longer.....not based on any science, just my feel on it from experience and use.

its not a favorite steel for me, but makes a good knife.
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Both you and others above have confirmed my experience with D2. I own various steels including 9Cr, N690, 14C28N, AR RPM-9, 1095, and AUS 8 and 10, etc. D2 is unique with respect to sharpening in that the best edge I can get is using my 1000 grit aluminum oxide whetstone. If I follow up with a light treatment on the 6000 grit stone is gets duller. And with a strop and green paste, it doesn't recover. So I sharpen with the 1000 grit whetstone and call it a day. Cuts paper reasonably well, but not as well as my other steels after applying the 6000 whetstone followed by the strop. I have 4 D2 knives (Civivi Brazen, QSP Parrot, SRM 9202-GW, and a CJRB Centros) and they are all similar in this respect.
 
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