D2 sucks!

Well, I have seen the heat treat process and finished knives in the Dozier shop cut right thru free hanging paper towels with EASE. And with only the weight of the knife and gravity alone. I have done so myself. AG is correct in that the heat treat is so important in the finished product. I have been able to get all my D2 Dozier mades to hair scraping sharp. Note that I didn' t say "shaving" sharp. Although they can and I have made them as such. I also prefer a slightly toothy edge finish. All of this accomplished on an Eze Lap Super Fine diamond bench stone.

I' d like to add that if you had various steel type knives made by the same maker on the same model/ pattern, then the results of their edge holding comparisons would be more conclusive.

N.
 
Flatgrinder
D2 is almost the only steel that we use in this shop, but do use nearly all the powermetals, + A2, 440C and 154CM. More of my customers buy D2 than any other steel. We make useing knives and I think that this is an indication of what these users think. This is a busy shop, and I work seven days a week nearly every week, producing a lot of knives,all afordable, mostly made of D2. We are eight mo. back loged. There a lot of makers backloged five years, but only make a couple of knives a wk. Some only make a couple doz. a year. This should tell you what real users like.
Clift is rite. It's all in the sharpening. You can get a realy smooth edge if you know how to and want to.
I'm on my way to work now and will not reply to anyone until later


Bob Dozier
 
A wise man would take advantage of that offer.
 
I had my Dozier Trapper out today,at an Eagle Boy Scout Ceremony.No-one had a knife,to cut a piece of cardboard.I took it out used it,and put it away.As I was putting it away,Somehow,my finger grazed the blade a bit.I did not get cut,but felt the knife wanting to "Eat" the flesh.I said to myself"you better be careful with that knife".I have some other makers D-2 also,David Winston,Charles May.I cannot even relate to the statement "D-2 Sucks". My Dozier knives,currently 5,are so sharp.When it is done right,it is RIGHT. Sucks? I wouldn't know about that,let Bob sharpen your knife,and be careful,Vince
 
I have a number of knives in D2 and all of them can easily be sharpend to hair popping sharp.To be honest it really is one of my favorite steels for folders and medium size hunters.
 
440C takes a surgeon's edge
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Thats a rather broad statement, I've had 440C knives that were at 52 RC or so that were impossible to sharpen... In fact I've never seen a 440C knife that was any good, although I'm sure some of those custom makers could make it good.

Is it just me or does it seem like people who slice a cardboard box every now and then like to call a sawblade like edge a "working edge", but pro meat slicers, trappers, sword fighters (not to many of those around nowadays) etc. are more likely to prefer a nice polished edge? Or at least one where you can't feel the thousands of tiny nicks in the blade...
 
Artfully Martial,don't know, but wish he would. He musta piped in here because that was his knife, which is also available in aus-8 for less money.
 
KeithAM said:
I wonder whether with your 10 degree inclusive edge you've gone so thin that when you're using the Sharpmaker to refine the edge, you're just breaking out carbides, leading to a rough edge.
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I have applied micros with the Sharpmaker on such really fine bevels, even under 5 degrees per side, the edge immediately goes very smooth with the sharpmaker and all the steels look the same, but without micros they look different.

A sharpmaker rips off metal fast when you apply a microbevel on a primary edge grind that thin, plus even a well done fairly coarse finish can push cut paper, the carbides in D2 are much finer unless the heat treat is blown. Most problems with D2 sharpening are due to its horrible machinability, be prepared for several times the length of steels like 52100.

I'd suggest checking the edge under magnification and watch the scratch pattern and make sure it is removed before grits are upgraded, and carefully remove any burrs and make sure that every grit finish is very sharp before raising it. You can shave readily with the finish from an x-coarse DMT stone.

-Cliff
 
Maybe the title of your post could be changed to "Some D2 Sucks". However, Bob's D2 only sucks if you're on the wrong end of one of his knives. I can't argue with you about how certain knives cut paper because I don't cut alot of paper, but I do peel a beast quite regularly. If you really USE your knives get a D2 Dozier and use it. If you looked at a terrible painting you wouldn't say that the paint sucks. Bob's not a painter, but he sure is an artist.
 
Jfiles53 said:
If you looked at a terrible painting you wouldn't say that the paint sucks.
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LMAO!

No, but I'm going to start! If I read a book and don't like it, I'll complain about the ink the publisher chose.

I used to think D2 was so-so until I got better at sharpening. Then it steadily got better and better. I still suck at sharpening, but D2 doesn't care. Especially now since I traded away my last two blades with that very nice steel.
 
Sorry about the misquote Mr. Russell and Mr. Dozier.

I would have swore I read that...now if I could only find where I DID read it. :o

That being said: I loved the Dozier Arkansas Toothpick I had (before gifting it to someone else).:p

Cameron23
 
Hi Bob,

Thank you so much for the kind offer for sharpening :thumbup: , but I wouldn't feel right. I know you're a really busy guy.

I'm going to give it a few more tries. It might be the heat treat or just my sharpening technique.
 
Here are some pictures of the knives I've sharpened with this edge profile:


I sharpened it again and it's still not push cutting sharp as my other two knives (will now push cut paper, but not as smoothly). Shaves hair, but you can feel the toothy edge. I can and have shaved with my Benchmade Tanto in 440C. However, the Deer Hunter really excels in a pull cut, with very little effort (practically gravity) it can split a roll of paper towels top to bottom (from the edge to the center).

I did cut up some steaks this afternoon and it really cuts meat. I'm starting to like the toothy edge, I guess I just wasn't used to it. It is definitely a steel for "work."

I guess this is another example of how you should choose the knife to suit its purpose. I have no doubt that this could upzip a deer with very little effort and stay sharp.
 
I have a couple of D2 knives from David Winston (BF Member that sells in the makers section) and polished up on an Edge Pro with #3000 its wonderful. In my experience it holds that edge longer than S30V. I can't think of a steel I would rather have for a little utility than D2, it has all the atributes of Case CV (another fine pocket knife steel) without the pitting.

I spoke with a metallurgist from Benchmade at SHOT and asked about the move from M2 to D2. In brief he said that after their in house tests D2 out performed M2 significantly enough for them to adopting it in the stead of M2
 
Temper said:
I spoke with a metallurgist from Benchmade at SHOT and asked about the move from M2 to D2. In brief he said that after their in house tests D2 out performed M2 significantly enough for them to adopting it in the stead of M2
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That is >very< interesting info.
 
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