What’s the hype about D2?

If heat treated properly, D2 has excellent edge retention, decent corrosion resistance, and takes a very fine edge with decent sharpening equipment, assuming the sharpener knows how to sharpen.
 
TheEdge01 said:
If heat treated properly, D2 has excellent edge retention, decent corrosion resistance, and takes a very fine edge with decent sharpening equipment, assuming the sharpener knows how to sharpen.
Click to expand...
Takes a fine edge in relation to what? The grain size of non cpm d2 is pretty bad. Knifesteelnerds has some 1000x pics showing absolutely monstrous chonkers.
 
Dr Rez said:
Takes a fine edge in relation to what? The grain size of non cpm d2 is pretty bad. Knifesteelnerds has some 1000x pics showing absolutely monstrous chonkers.
Click to expand...
“In relation to what?”
It takes a fine edge meaning it can get hair whittling sharp. In fact, a member here on BF posted a video of him splitting a hair with a Steelwill Cutjack he just sharpened.
 
Last edited:
TheEdge01 said:
“In relation to what?”
It takes a fine edge meaning it can get hair whittling sharp. In fact, a member here on BF posted a video of him splitting a hair with a Steelwill Cutjack he just sharpened.
Click to expand...
Any steel can get hair whittling sharp. The differences come when it starts being used and the carbide tear out makes it a much less fine edge.

Basically nearly all steel has the potential to do that, just won't keep the fine edge for long.
 
Dr Rez said:
Any steel can get hair whittling sharp. The differences come when it starts being used and the carbide tear out makes it a much less fine edge.

Basically nearly all steel has the potential to do that, just won't keep the fine edge for long.
Click to expand...
Ok
 
Dr Rez said:
Any steel can get hair whittling sharp. The differences come when it starts being used and the carbide tear out makes it a much less fine edge.

Basically nearly all steel has the potential to do that, just won't keep the fine edge for long.
Click to expand...
TheEdge01 said:
“In relation to what?”
It takes a fine edge meaning it can get hair whittling sharp. In fact, a member here on BF posted a video of him splitting a hair with a Steelwill Cutjack he just sharpened.
Click to expand...
I'm trying and failing to remember when I needed to whittle any hair. I want something that will cut hide, flesh, tape, cardboard, rope, cable ties and sandwiches.
 
D2 has an undeserved reputation as a value steel. It can offer reasonable edge retention given very careful heat treatment and processing, but nowadays I don't think many budget companies are doing that. It's also not a tough steel, nor is it particularly corrosion resistant.

It seems pretty clear to me that budget knives in D2 are generally outperformed in edge retention by "lesser" steels that are easier to heat treat, like 12C27, 14C28N, or AUS-8/10.
 
Last edited:
marrenmiller said:
D2 has an undeserved reputation as a value steel. It can offer reasonable edge retention given very careful heat treatment and processing, but nowadays I don't think many budget companies are doing that. It's also not a tough steel, nor is it particularly corrosion resistant.

It seems pretty clear to me that budget knives in D2 are generally outperformed in edge retention by "lesser" steels that are easier to heat treat, like 12C27, 14C28N, or AUS-8/10.
Click to expand...
I never understood why people looked down on 8cr13mov or AUS-8. Both perform beautifully for me. Perhaps its due to anyone just labeling mystery steel 8cr and giving it a false bad reputation.
 
Dr Rez said:
I never understood why people looked down on 8cr13mov or AUS-8. Both perform beautifully for me. Perhaps its due to anyone just labeling mystery steel 8cr and giving it a false bad reputation.
Click to expand...
They’re both great if you don’t use your knives a lot. If you do, their edge retention is not very good.

Cold Steel’s AUS-8 had such a great rep I thought I got a dud when it dulled on me relatively quickly. Wasn’t a dud, it just doesn’t hold an edge very long.
 
Chronovore said:
We've had a few threads about D2 lately but here are three quick points.

1.) Factory edges are almost never representative of a steel or its heat treatment. It has to do with factory grinding and heat along the edge. Once you sharpen past it, edge retention should improve.

2.) D2 initially got its reputation from more premium American knives, possibly with more consistency or quality control in the steel itself, and good heat treatments. Chinese D2 usually does not deliver this level of performance. It arguably became a thing because they could produce an approximation of the recipe cheaply and cash in on the reputation.

3.) While Chinese D2 fails to live up to the reputation or its ostensible ratings on various charts, it tends to offer much better edge retention than 8Cr13Mov. So while I don't like it in more expensive knives, it can be a good choice in the price range where you'd usually see 8Cr13Mov. A great example of this is the Petrified Fish knives in D2, which cost around $30-40 and get one of the better budget heat treatments for this steel.
Click to expand...

Extremely well put, mirrors my experience.

I use cheap beater pocket knives deliberately so I don't baby them in use (I use them for things I'd never use a $150 knife for).

In doing that I've gone through a fair few Chinese spydercos (8Cr13Mov), and the edge retention was always lacking. Could look at them wrong and they would dull, but would sharpen up at lightning speed on the sharpmaker so you know, whatever.

Got my first Chinese D2 folder last year (hard, about 62hrc), was a pain to sharpen so I just free handed it on diamond stones and convexed the edge.

This was a very budget Chinese D2 but the difference between retention was night and day.

In hindsight, I wish I would have reprofiled the 8Cr13Mov as well.. but as is the difference was huge.
 
y53p said:
Bought my first knife in d2 (Ontario rat 1), only used it once, to cut some sausage and bread, got completely dull, the next day it also had some stains starting to form on it and at the end of the day it wasn’t the easiest knife I’ve ever sharpened either.

What’s the deal with it? I’ve had way better experiences with lower end steels.
Click to expand...
odd. In some 25+ years of messing around with D2, I have not had the same experience. That includes several Ontario folders in D2. Odd.
 
Real d2,not Chinese alternative,with proper heat treat makes an excellent blade!Its not difficult to sharpen with silicon carbide stone,or diamond.
 
y53p said:
Bought my first knife in d2 (Ontario rat 1), only used it once, to cut some sausage and bread, got completely dull, the next day it also had some stains starting to form on it and at the end of the day it wasn’t the easiest knife I’ve ever sharpened either.

What’s the deal with it? I’ve had way better experiences with lower end steels.
Click to expand...
Are you confusing hype with seeing it used a bunch in lots and lots of budget knives? Cuz D2 has been around forever. Its merits and drawbacks are considered appropriately by most in the hobby, i.e. no hype.

The fact that it was difficult to sharpen is a good thing as that is how D2 should perform. Give it a bit of time and a few sharpenings. If it still doesn't perform like you think it should, contact ontario. We've seen a few of these rats not act like they're expected. Might be something going on. Then again, it is a budget knife. There will be limits to quality control with nearly all budget knives. You may just have a lemon. Warranty return might be the only solution.
 
I don't think there's any hype, it's just another older decent steel when HT'ed correctly. Good for some applications not for others.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top