Tactical knife in D2 What are the possibilities?

R

RobertHankins

Joined
Jun 10, 2001
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At this weekends knife show in Phoenix one of the makers was going on about D2 for blades. IE:How tough, Edge retention Etc.
I came up with little on my archives search other than a few more Hurrah's.

I know it's expensive but can it be Heat treated/tempered to outperform the equivalent HT/Temper in ATS34?

Could you use say 3/16 or 5/32nd's stock instead of a thicker ATS34 version of the same blade and get better performance with reduced weight?

I know Strider uses 1/4 ATS34 on some of there great knives but they must be fairly heavy.
 
Thanks anyway guys. I just got off the phone with Ed Fowler (Daddy of 5160&52100) he says forget D2 it is too brittle for a good tactical knife.
52100 is his baby I guess that is what he likes best.
Great guy look for a series of articles from him in Knives 2002 and in upcoming Blade Mag issues.
He said they will knock your socks off!
 
Hey Robert,

I really don't want to get into an argument with any other makers here.......BUT.

D2 can be used for a heavy duty combat style knife. I have done so an several occassions and will continue to do so. My personal field knife which goes with me on all of my SAR calls is D2 and I put the knife thru Hell. She keeps right on working even during abuse.

The thickness of the steel you use is going to depend on the following. It all boils down to how the blade is ground and the heat treatment of the steel.
 
Well Barry,
Nothing is written in stone thats for sure. Ed is a well recognized authority on 5160 & 52100 Which means he probably hasn't used D2 alot or maybe had poor performance from a particular blade.
However (Like you said) that does not mean that with the correct Heat treat and temper cycle that D2 can't be used in tough applications.

I respect your opinion quite a bit and will give it a try. Worst that can happen is it stays in the shop;)
I will post the results. Thanks for keeping my eyes open:D
 
I agree with Barry, D-2 will make a fine blade IF HEAT TREATED CORRECTLY! Any time one chooses a steel for a knife there are tradeoffs to consider. D-2 is a good all around steel, still one of my favorites.
 
I will go a little further with my explanation.

When DESIGNING a knife for a particular application you should take into consideration EVERY DETAIL.
1 - That includes what type of steel.
2 - The heat treatment of the steel.
3 - The way that the blade will be ground (ie flat, hollow, convex, etc.)
4 - How thick to leave the bevels.
5 - What might this knife be asked to perform?

Then you get into the handle material and the method of attaching it. Then comes the sheath. The list goes on and on.

BTW, If Rob Simmonich says it can be done then you can bet on it.
 
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