Little steel knowledge needed

C

Cappy2cap

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Interested in a Vex. How corrosion resistant is D2 steel? ( I believe thats the steel on the model)
 
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By reputation it is very corrosion resistant .... chemically it is not far off stainless steel .... cannot remember the details from memory .... but Google will bring them up ....:thumbup:
 
I thought it was D2 also but I could be wrong. But come on now, we are talking about a VEX, with a great company backing such a great blade, how can you go wrong. The reputation proceeds the knife for a reason. Go for it!
 
PeterPHWS said:
By reputation it is very corrosion resistant .... chemically it is not far off stainless steel .... cannot remember the details from memory .... but Google will bring them up ....:thumbup:
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Really? Mine is corrosive as heck! Both my G10 and Micarta one. I use them in the kitchen a lot and if I dont immediately dry them off, they will get a light rust cover. I've even seen oxidation after leaving it in a damp part of the house for a few days. Its an excepted trade off though. It holds an edge for so long, slices like a mofo and has THE best ergonomics of any small busse and kin blades. I always put it in kydex with a light rub down of mineral oil.

Really its no hassle keeping it rust free. You just cant leave it wet, or in a humid area without oiling it occasionally.

edit - let me say though, I dont know whats considered "corrosion resistant". Zero signs of rust what-so-ever? Or resists permanent rust/pitting. Because every time mine rusted, a cloth or light sanding/polishing returned it to polished satin. I dont know how bad it would get if I left it however.
 
Here is another question.

Can you force a patina like on other carbon steels (I normally use mustard).

Second, does the D2 steel respond to stropping to keep it sharp? Or will I have to use my diamond hone?

I have always wanted a D2 blade to try it out.
 
Mine has rusted too, not the blade but the handle. And not bad either. It strops like no ones business! I can get a edge to a useable sharpness but the Vex gets Air Bleeding with leather. My favorite small knife, even above the Busse's I've owned.(please don't kill me)
 
are you guys sure your not using o-1 or some other simple carbon steel cause all the d2 i've used in blades was very stain resistant with very little TLC to keep them bright and shiny and mabe that is the issue. How rough is the finish ,120 grit or hi polish, this will make a huge differance. and be sides youre playing with it anyway you might as will use the lube:eek:
 
Sethrotull said:
Mine has rusted too, not the blade but the handle. And not bad either. It strops like no ones business! I can get a edge to a useable sharpness but the Vex gets Air Bleeding with leather. My favorite small knife, even above the Busse's I've owned.(please don't kill me)
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^ This 100% I do use a bit of diamond paste on my strop, but I've plain stropped it too with lazer results. Mine is probably my favorite knife as well.

Brad Richardson said:
are you guys sure your not using o-1 or some other simple carbon steel cause all the d2 i've used in blades was very stain resistant with very little TLC to keep them bright and shiny and mabe that is the issue. How rough is the finish ,120 grit or hi polish, this will make a huge differance. and be sides youre playing with it anyway you might as will use the lube:eek:
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Pretty sure, unless Jerry/Swamprat lied to us.
 
budthachud said:
IIRC, to be "stainless," steel has to have a chromium content of >13%. D2 is ~12%.

-Matt
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That's what I meant ...:thumbup: As tool steel goes .... it has the highest chromium content .... which is the "distinguishing" feature between the two ....

D2 steel may rust more easily than Infi though .... Infi is unusual :D .... it does'nt have a high carbon count but takes a good edge .... D2 takes an even better edge than SR101 .... that's why Jerry probably did a Vex in it ... a small cutting blade like that excels with that type of steel but it would be prone to rusting from the carbon content which is quite high IIRC.

D2 is also a very peculiar steel on how it behaves and some say it is down to individual makers .... Bob Dozier is said to be a master at using it and his knives are not renowned for rusting .... just the opposite .... but for me if they take a screaming edge I have no worries looking after it .... I have some special damascus steels for my smaller knives ... they take a better edge than D2 and keep it longer .... the damascus blend is stainless but the special powdered steel for the edge is sandwiched between these layers in the middle .... works really well on a best of both worlds basis .... but they cost a fortune :foot: Having spent the money long before the Vex was done .... and having turned them all into users .... I will stick with what I have.

I did though check out D2 again after reading one of Jerry's posts about the steel properties of it and the other Bussekin steels and was very impressed:thumbup: Good edges on thin steel is it's strong point :thumbup: I had a D2 knife by Wilson Combat and whilst the edge was excellent it did'nt last as long as my forged damascus blades ... so I stuck with them and moved it on.
 
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Sort of off-topic, but I bought a few Ontario RAT-5s in D2 about a week ago -- D2 seems to have a good reputation as a steel, and they were comparable in price to the 1095 carbon steel version (they were about $90/ea). However, after I ordered them, I read comments about some of Ontario's D2 blades being brittle, and others that RAT RC-5 was significantly better than Ontario's RAT-5. I'm not sure why I'm looking for validation here, being as it's the Busse sub-forum -- I'm more likely to discuss knife topics on the Scrap Yard site, but Dan shut down the last mention of an Ontario signature series knife (in S7) very quickly, so I don't feel that I can say anything about this over there.

I'm a serious Busse Combat/Swamp Rat/Scrap Yard Collector, but I buy other knives too, particularly if they're discontinued and appear to be a good product at a good price. However, I'm unsure that I made a good choice by going for D2, which by most accounts would seem to be a higher-end steel than 1095, in light of some dissenting opinions I've read about Ontario RAT D2 blades.
 
that's weird, because I use mine in the kitchen also, and have not had any rust problems, and I just wash, dry, and stick it in the kydex, sometimes it's still damp.
 
Bigfattyt said:
Here is another question.

Can you force a patina like on other carbon steels (I normally use mustard).

Second, does the D2 steel respond to stropping to keep it sharp? Or will I have to use my diamond hone?

I have always wanted a D2 blade to try it out.
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like hot dog mustard? if it is water based and contains salt i would not recommend that method. d2 pits when it corrodes, literally.

you will have little holes form where the corrosion has begun.
 
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