D2 Steel Patina?

2

22Hornet

Joined
Apr 2, 2012
Messages
167
There are some traditional knives with D2 blades. Will these develop any patina
over time?
 
It's been my experience that D2 will in fact take some slight discoloration from some substances, more noticeable if highly polished. I think it's classified as a tool steel and not a true stainless steel. YMMV
 
Very lightly so. I have a couple of Queen folders in D2 that've developed some light grey patina with handling & pocket carry. Nothing dramatic, as with a steel like 1095 or CV - but it's there.

I think most of the patina that shows up is dependent upon some handling or use. My other Queens in D2, that I've kept stashed away and not handled, don't show the same effect.

D2 isn't quite stainless, because there's not enough free chromium to make it so. A good bit of the chromium in D2 goes instead to carbides.
 
Last edited:
Yes they will. Queen Gunstock in D2
D1664A98-F9C6-454D-B6D2-967194CA6C01.jpeg

13C9AD13-D542-4374-AF9B-CF6D6523A317.jpeg
 
Thanks for the responses! I knew it was not a "true" stainless steel.
I got a Maserin plow about 6 weeks ago that seems to have a slight patina.
It does not have a highly polished blade tho/
 
My Marbles MR431 D2 Sowbelly stockman has sliced apples, peaches, and halved grapefruit. (no access to lemon or limes)
I don't see any pafina starting. :(

Oh well ... maybe if I ever get some squirrel, rabbit, possum, and raccoon food critters to peel and prep for the shishkabobs or stew pot, or clean some fish, that will get a patina going? :)
 
So... I have a good hunting buddy who has a Knives of Alaska kit with the large hunting knife in D2 and the caping knife in 440C. He is not a knife aficionado by any measure. He dressed and quartered a whitetail using the kit and put it up dirty. The next season he pulled it out and proclaimed “ the large knife is ruin’t”, it took a thick dark patina with a few spots that were mild surface rust. So D2 will patina. It just takes more effort.
 
I've given up on getting mine to patina, anoyingly so... It might as well be stainless, since it wont patina to protect itself it, thus it will unfortunately rust. (I've rarely had a carbon blade rust, stainless does it easily..)
 
Jack Black said:
I was gifted this Queen Canoe by @pmew, but I think the patina has been forced :thumbsup:

VFTD8QE.jpg
Click to expand...
Yes, it was forced with vinegar. I'm pretty sure that was originally mine that he won in a giveaway quite a few years back. I had mixed results with forcing a patina on D2. A couple turned out good, but at least one came out really splotchy.

I think through regular use it would take quite a while for a natural patina to develop unless you constantly used it to cut acidic stuff.
 
I've used boiling vinegar or just sticking it into a cup of regular coke for a couple of minutes.
 
D2 is a semi stainless. I think. Maybe 11% or 12% chromium. And like 2% carbon. So if it does rust its practically from neglect. You could force a patina. Bring white vinegar to a boil. Open your knife blade and use rubbing alcohol to remove any oils from the blade. Then put it tip down in a glass. Pour the hot vinegar in the glass slowly until its covering the blade and stops just short of the tang. Leave it in until it darkens up. If you see little bubbles you know its working. Remove and lightly buff with steel wool. Repeat until it reaches the shade you like.
 
You can also just push the blade into an orange, lemon, strawberry, potato, onion or any other acidic fruit and let it sit for a while.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top