D2 steel

knzn

knzn

Joined
Jul 20, 1999
Messages
683
I have a small hunter/skinner made by Melvin Dunn, out of D2 steel. It has been an excellent blade for both field dressing deer, and other smaller critters, and also excellent in the kitchen as a paring type knife.

I have also heard of other excellent blades made from D2, such as from MR. Dozier.

Why is other steels more popular? It seems to be the equal to anything else I have ever been around.

Just wondering-----thanks
 
I am starting to like D2 quite a bit, thanks to a little K9 by Dozier. It seems like a very tough steel, holds a great edge and has resisted staining well so far. Sharp and stays that way, a great little tool. I will join you in wanting to see more of it in working knives.

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James
San Francisco, CA

 
I love D2. I have a custom folder by Bill Winn in D2 and a Mad Poet fixed blade in D2. Seems to hold an outstanding edge. Not too concerned regarding the potential for staining since I use Tuf-Cloth on mine. D2 is in my list of favorite steels. I have also read somewhere that the Busee INFI steel is in the D2 family.

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~Greg~


 
I work with most of the tools steel on a daily basis at my full time job. I see how they hold up under extreme conditions and what other characteristics they have. I use D2 for all my smaller knives and hunting knives where shock resistance is not a concern.
My D2 Tactical Prototypes have been through absolute HELL. I have sold several hunting knives to people that carried and "tortured" the Tactical prototypes!! They saw the edgeholding ability and had to have a hunter made of the same material. Is that a wierd marketing plan or what??
NEIL

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http://members.aol.com/blademakr/BlackwoodWP.html
 
The time I spent in the machine tool business, we used D2 for a lot of slower punches and knife edges. A little harder to grind but held an edge forever. We also used it for form rolls. Usually hardening to around 61-62 Rc.

A2 seemed a little easier to work but also seemed to lose it's edge quicker.

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Randall's Adventure & Training
jeff@jungletraining.com

 
I've only just started working with D-2, but I can think of two popular reasons why it isn't used as much as some others.

1) It's a bear to grind. So far, I've found this to be true.

2) It won't take a real mirror polish. I haven't seen this for real yet, but that's what I've been told. I like a mirror polish both for looks and for rust-resistance... so this is a definite negative.

That said, I'm still trying it out and we'll see how it goes...

-Drew
 
i used it for years until i got sick of the rust factor....it works great...but not in the tropics....i mirror polished a blade once..it took a while...to the point where a very well known knife show promoter told me it couldnt be d2...you cant get a polish like that on d2 (yeah right!!!!) but it doesnt take the finest edge...here in hawaii i have moved into the vanadium cpm steels.. they hold and edge WAY better and are more corrosion resistant...saying that..however.. i dont think you can go wrong using d2. its a very good knife steel. jimmy lile used it almost exclusively.

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http://www.mayoknives.com


 
I've been very impressed with the performance of the D2 in my Madpoets. We butchered 2 whitetail last week and I couldn't detect any dulling of the camp set. I even "chopped" thru the spine and some of the joints with the larger knife.
I haven't seen any sign of rust, but I'm kinda anal about my better blades.
Extremely sharp but no blade flex whatsoever.
 
corduroy;

Mine shines like a mirror. For whatever that is worth.

Seems like rust is a concern with it too. Mine has never given me any problem, and although I dont put it away wet and bloody, I really haven't been extra careful with it either.
 
Ah, see this is good to know. Teach me to listen to "common knowledge," LOL. Thanks, guys.

-Drew
 
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