Umm, Help?

M

mongolguy

Joined
May 26, 2001
Messages
114
Well I made my first knife from scratch. I used a piece of D-2, ground it to shape, coated the blade with borax and heated it to nonmagnetic in my jury rigged forge; then spent HOURS cleaning the borax off.(Remind me not to do that again) and putting an edge on it, I thought I had one kick butt blade. It cut paper like a razor and I shaved with it.(My favorite edge test) :rolleyes: But when I tried using it at work it sucked!:barf: I figure I either didn't harden it right. or I didn't take the wire edge off when I sharpened it. So the edge was strong enough to cut soft stuff (paper and my peach fuzz face) but when I started boning cows the edge rolled right over. What do you folks think?
Also I didn't temper it. and it did take hours of work on my stone to raise a burr. So I "think" I did it right. But I'm not sure.
Any input at all is appreciated.

-Mark
 
get some o1 or 1084 & do it again
i`m with george on the D2 its not for a
new knifemaker
 
Leave D2 for the professionals. Have you tried O-1? It sounds like your heat-treatment will work better with it than with a high chrome steel like D2.
 
I guess my aligator ideas overloaded my grasshopper a$$, Huh? I've been working with some saw blades from work. (L6?) And they have worked fairly well but I am limited by the size. I have some ATS-34 and 1095 high carbon. Think I'll have better luck with these? Also is it too late to take the D-2 to a pro or do I put it in the "don't do this again drawer" with my snowboard and bagpipes?:confused: I work at a packing plant and I want to use my knives there so the better my knives are the less I wear my butt out. Thanks for the advise.
 
I know some of the steels can be tricky, read the specks if you know what you are working with It will save you a lot of "Oh ****!"s (and even that won't help sometimes)
as for haveing someone heat treat this blade just take the handle off and send it in.
 
The reason you had a problem is D-2 is a air hardened steel and requires relatively tight temperature control.The method your using works for carbon steels like 1084,1095,O-1 and others.Also you must temper it or the blade will be too hard and could break causing great discomfort.Try again.Dave:)
 
I agree with everyone else. Heat treat!.....Try some 5160, it is like a plain woman. Plain but easy to deal with! Keep trying though, we have all been there. I've made some of the ugliest, softest, poorly balanced roll edged, short bevel knives out there, but every once in a while one cuts!
 
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