S30V vs. D2 discussion

C

Chewy1

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Jun 5, 2006
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Guys and Gals-

I currently have a Native in S30V, so I am familiar with how it sharpens and holds up. I am considering the mini-griptillian in D2 as a future purchase, but have read a lot about hard it is to sharpen. (I know, it's not more difficult, it just takes longer.) My question is can anybody relate the two steels with regard to sharpening?

With my Native, I put a convex edge on it in about 4 hours of hand sharpening. !!! I would do the same with the mini-grip eventually.:yawn:
 
I don't see any extra difficulty in sharpening either of those steels but to be fair I haven't lost the edge on any of my knives made of those steels either. I would think D2 would take a good amount of time to reshape the edge for sure.
 
how long it takes will depend on the condition of the knife, combined with the condition of your sharpening skills. the real question is weather the new super duper steel knife will do anything better than your other super duper steel knife to justify the 80 clams you"ll be spending.
 
d2 is harder than s30v, it is also tool steel. I think s30v is typically 58-59 hrc (at least reeve's is), and d2 is 59-61. It is 1 percent shy of being stainless. D2 will stay sharper for longer but is more prone to chipping, and as such, for regular use, I prefer s30v since I dont do a whole lot of cutting. I have had my alias 1 for several months now and its still paper slicing sharp, but so are my considerably older 710d2s.

oh, and when I brought one of my 710s into my local gun shop to get it sharpened, the guy audibly groaned when he saw it. that is in no way an objective measure of its difficulty though.
 
D2 and S30V actually aren't that different when it comes to potential hardness, the knifemakers simply choose to heat treat the S30V to a lower hardness. I wouldn't say either is more prone to chipping. S30V generally holds an edge longer. Vanadium carbide in S30V can create problems in sharpening with some abrasives, especially at high grits. S30V has a much prettier carbide structure than D2. D2 is actually more than 1% away from being stainless.
 
he who say said:
how long it takes will depend on the condition of the knife, combined with the condition of your sharpening skills. the real question is weather the new super duper steel knife will do anything better than your other super duper steel knife to justify the 80 clams you"ll be spending.
Click to expand...

It probably won't. But, that being said, my super duper steel knife isn't needed for what I use them for anyway. I just have it because I like it. The mini-grip in D2 is neat to me because, yes, it is a super steel and because it is an axis lock. My desire is built on those two items, nothing practical at all. (My wife says that I don't need any more knives. And I don't, but that doesn't seem to be stopping me.):D
 
I work it the other way. I patiently wait until she buys the shoes, then...I strike!!!
 
I am convinced that S30V is better due to the carbide distribution. I attended a Crucible Seminar at a show once, and the metallurgist specifically mentioned D2 as having very uneven carbide distribution--I think he compared it to sand with large pebbles mixed in. This is why D2 has a rep as giving a 'toothy' edge. S30V has much more even distribution of carbides (CPMD2 should as well). This could explain why D2 seems harder to sharpen. It is going to be much less consistent than a CPM steel.

This is not going to matter to the average user, of course.
 
Is the Cabela Mini Grip CPM-D2?


I love D2 on my folders (mini grip, kershaw CBs), it takes a great edge, holds it, and from my experience I do not have to worry about chipping as much as I do with S30V. In addition, I have not had any rust problems with only minimal cleaning.

Both are great. The Ritter Grip and the Cabela Grip, so you cannot go wrong :)
 
I just resharpened my D2 551 Griptilian a couple of days ago. I do think D2 is a bit harder to sharpen than S30V but no so much harder that it would deter me from buying more D2 blades.

The blade was pretty dull. It hit one of those nasty, huge steel staples that you see in heavy cardboard boxes. It rolled the edge without any chipping. I expected to see chips but there weren't any.
 
I've never seen D-2 chip. It is industrial Die steel. it is one of its great virtues. It is very stable, strong. resilient, and highly abrasion resistant. it will cut fibrous materials much better that S-30V. If you try to harden the 30 to a good high hardness it has a very Strong rep for chipping out. It is much more that just the makers heat treating preferences. The 30 likes 56-57 at most. D-2 doesn't care. It just cuts! Only a Couple of Makers in the world that can give it a full polish though.
 
Both are awesome to me. Both have really impressed me. Get what model you want and don't worry too much about the steel. Personally, I think the ritter blade shape is awesome and the grind is way more high and will cut way better. Also, it has a cool looking stonewash.
 
CPM-D2 & S30V with properly profiled edges are such great performers that you won't find any difference until you are out on the edge of the envelope. There are some materials which may respond better to one or the other but overall I think either one would fit all of your needs. I sharpen 'free hand' and neither one gives me any great problem.
 
The only difference I have found is that S30V takes a keener edge (but not as keen as VG10 or 154CM), and D2 a toothier edge. That, and D2 is more prone to rust spotting. However, I like my one D2 knife very much.
 
If the Native is a hollow grind and the Mini Grip is a flat or saber grind, then the comparison for ease (or difficulty) of sharpening is not a fair one. There have been many threads of this topic- this steel vs. that steel. But I do not recall ever seeing one where 2 (or more) of the same exact model knives of different steel makeup were compared to each other by the same owner/ user. This would provide an unbiased experience from that owner/ user.

carrot- stay away from copper... :) ;)

N.

www.dozierknives.com/forum
 
Depends on how well the manufacturer heat treats their blades -and if they cryo'd it.

D2 is ideal at HRC 61. S30V at HRC 59.
 
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