Knife Story

Walt2

Walt2

Joined
Mar 13, 2001
Messages
1,157
I walked into a local gun/knife shop yesterday and there were four fellows standing around one of the counters talking. As I was looking around I began to notice what one of the guys was saying. He was bad mouthing D2 steel pretty strongly. After listening for awhile, I found out that he had a production fixed blade knife that he was using to skin and quarter a deer with. He had been attempting to cut through the breast bone and he says that the blade snapped into. He didn't have the pieces with him, so I didn't get to look at it. He says that it was a Puma knife. He got very defensive when asked is he used a twisting motion at any time, or pushed the handle sideways. Have any of you makers ever had someone snap a blade into that was made with D2?
 
I have heard of it but thankfully no such reports on any of mine. The D2 likes a rather high hardness, about 60 - 61 and some makers I think try to hit about 62. I undrstand from both word and data sheets D2 is toughest at about 61 HRc.

RL
 
I've bent mine (1/8" stock) 20 to 30 dgrees and it came back to true. I've never heard of any others with a problem.
Scott
 
I have been using D2 for awhile now, but I don't make as many as some of you guys do. I have been having Paul Bos temper them to 61 and so far have not had any problems. Have been curious about L6 here recently, may try some one of these days to see how it compares to D2 in edge retention.
 
hey Walt, how about O1? Have you tried that? I'm liking it as much or more then D2. I was checking the edge on my hunting knife and it shaved off a piece of skin.:eek: I'm finding edge retention with O1 is awesome.
Scott
 
Puma uses D2?? Anywho... Puma would gladly repalce the knife if numnutz would have had the presence of mind to send it back to the factory. Of course, bitch'n and complaining is far more satisfying.....

m
 
Scott, I have made some in O1 and I like the edge retention that it has but I have found that some people do not like the way it will stain and change colors. Also it will rust easier than D2 does. L6 and S7 have catching my interest lately. I made a couple of 3V quite awhile back and Roger tempered them for me, this was before he went full time. To me 3V is tough to work with, it likes grinder belts but it is about the best I have seen on keeping an edge.
 
Walt, S7 is great. It's going to be a keeper for me.
Anvilring, I had a folder made by Puma that was black coated D2. I was a Puma dealer for a couple of years and that was the only knife I saw in D2.
Scott
 
Pume claims to use a stainless called D1.4. I haven't been able to find out what its chemistry is yet.

I friend of mine broke a Puma 20 years ago and was never able to get an answer out of puma, much less a replacement.

According to Uddeholm, D2 peaks in impact strength at HRC 60.

I have never had any trouble cutting through mule deer breast bone with a D2 knife and have cut off rib slabs at the spine with it using two hands and just ripping down through. It did cause some micro chipping of the edge.

In my experience, D2 will hold an edge far longer than O1.
 
I sent Puma in Germany an email inquiring about their use of D2 in fixed blade knives and got an answer the next day. They said that they had one knife that was made with D2 and was called the Puma Wild Tec. Production of this knife was discontinued in 1995.
 
Walt2 said:
I sent Puma in Germany an email inquiring about their use of D2 in fixed blade knives and got an answer the next day. They said that they had one knife that was made with D2 and was called the Puma Wild Tec. Production of this knife was discontinued in 1995.
Click to expand...
That's the folder I'm referring to.
Scott
 
I like how 0-1 changes with use..it was the main reason I wanted to use it......I came from sculpting and painting so the staining properties I could relate to I guess. I doubt the guy was cutting when it broke :)
 
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