sharpening D2

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plainjoe

Joined
Feb 8, 2011
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:)HOWDY out there.This is my first post. Just ordered a BM Rant in D2. I have heard it can be hard to sharpen.Have a Lansky with the red 120,green280,blue 600,+yel. 1200 grit stones. Will this work given some time+patients? Would you recommend a 20 or 25 deg angle. Be using it for camping,fishing,food prep,hiking,in +around Glacier Ntl. Park.THANKYOU
 
Hi Joe. It should be fine. Just use caution if you attempt to reprofile, it takes time with that sharpener.
 
No nothing wrong, sundays are just slow days around here.

You may want to pick up a diamond stone for your lansky set or you will be there along time with BM's D2. I'd go 20 per side myself, D2 is some tough stuff and can take a good narrow edge with out much complication or sacrifice of strength or durability.

D2 will eat your std lansky set stones rather quickly if you try to reprofile the blade too much w/o using a diamond stone first.

KS
 
plainjoe said:
:)HOWDY out there.This is my first post. Just ordered a BM Rant in D2. I have heard it can be hard to sharpen.Have a Lansky with the red 120,green280,blue 600,+yel. 1200 grit stones. Will this work given some time+patients? Would you recommend a 20 or 25 deg angle. Be using it for camping,fishing,food prep,hiking,in +around Glacier Ntl. Park.THANKYOU
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Spyderco Sharpmaker + Diamond sticks work great.
 
plainjoe said:
Would you recommend a 20 or 25 deg angle. Be using it for camping,fishing,food prep,hiking,in +around Glacier Ntl. Park.THANKYOU
Click to expand...
Depends on your work... I can't imagine knife job that demands 25 per side though. unless you plan on serious chopping/batonning/prying, 15 per side is pretty good, and over that is a waste of cutting performance.
 
I use 20 per side for all hunting/chopping camp and general utility knives, and 15 per side on most of my small light duty EDC and food prep blades.
 
I've sharpened D2 and its Japanes equivalent SKD11 hardened up to 64HRC, and unless we're talking about major edge rebeveling, starting with 500-700 grit whetstones do the job for anything including medium level maintenance/sharpening jobs, i.e. fixing small chips, rolls, etc...
D2 is much more "sharpening friendly", even at maximum hardness compared to other much more wear resistant steels.
 
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Thanks for the replys you knife people,you. I was going to order a course,and or, a med diamond stone when I ordered the knife. Probably should have, but for now I will have to make do with what I have. My course, med, and fine stones have been used very little. I found a 99% unused;if not new; Lansky standard kit at a second-hand store last summer. Guy wanted 16 bucks for it. Put 12 in his face and it was mine. If I wear out the course + med getting this knife where I want it I dont really give a uksyefgb LOL. Have used 20 deg slot with good results on:2 Spyderco Endura VG10 1-sabre 1-FFG/2 Cold Steel CarbonV SRK+Trailguide folder/Cammilus BK7
 
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I started with the same Lansky kit that you have. That kit will work, it will just take a while longer to get there. I personally added the medium diamond stone first. The finer stones that came with that kit will work fine to get a nice polished edge. Some of the diamonds on the medium Diamond stone will wear off, eventually. Turning that medium stone into a medium to fine diamond stone. When that happens, that's the perfect time to order the coarse diamond stone. I have done this and I am able to sharpen just about any steel A2, M2, M4, D2, whatever it may be; much quicker and to a razors edge. I normally try the 25 degree angle first and see how I like it. If it isn't razor enough for you bring it down to 20. If it loses its edge too quickly at 20 bring it up to 25 or 30. D2 is pretty hard stuff if the HT is done right. My girl friends got a D2 Grip that I keep at around 25 +/- for her. I have M2's and M4's that I like at about a 20 +/-. Play around with your angles until you find what works best for you.
Happy sharpening!
 
plainjoe, ages ago DMT made diamond stones for the lansky and they work pretty good I have a line on some if you can't find them. They run about $28 per stone last time I checked. Shoot me an email and I'll send you the info on where they are "stashed." D2 is great stuff but its the devils own if you let it get dull before touching it up.
 
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