What do I need to sharpen D2?

[Winch]

Hey guys
I have a D2 Rat 1 on order. Currently using the ceramic Lansky Turnbox for touch ups. I also have the KO Worksharp for more serious sharpening but I’m still in the learning phase. Do I need anything else for D2?
Thanks
Winches

 

[Mo2]

You can get the lansky diamond stones or better yet the gritomatic venev bonded diamond stones for the lansky.
Either would make sharpening d2 easier and faster.

SiC aka silicon carbide stones should work too, but may take a little longer than say diamond or cbn stones.

SiC are affordable buy wear fast. Venev bonded stones wear slow and won't be damaged because the diamonds are suspended in an organic material. While the lansky diamond stones the diamonds are on the surface and subject to damage from excessive weight/pressure.

Edit: sic stones have to be flattened often. Easy to do but something to be aware of. Bonded diamond stones stay flat for a long time but may need to be flattened when first purchased or later in life. Surface mounted diamond stones don't need to be flattened but some brands may need to be worn in by sharpening some cheaper knives (as the grit will be too coarse at first and they could also scratch the blade sides) .

The Ken onion work sharp will likely waste a lot of belts on d2. I had to get the diamond belt on mine to sharpen 60+hrc d2 (Ontario rat's are around 58hrc iirc, so easier to sharpen) but the diamond belts are only made for ceramic knives. So it was basically a one use belt lol but it worked.

 

[bucketstove]

The Ken onion work sharp will likely waste a lot of belts on d2. I had to get the diamond belt on mine to sharpen 60+hrc d2 (Ontario rat's are around 58hrc iirc, so easier to sharpen) but the diamond belts are only made for ceramic knives. So it was basically a one use belt lol but it worked.

yup, diamond belts arent for steel,
blaze / trizact / norax type belts are what you needed ... and lube
no-lube shortens belt life severely, but some arent made for lube(?)
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/work-sharp-ko-users-anyone-tried-the-trizact-belts.1446730/
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads...ic-sharpener-work-on-high-end-steels.1518176/

 

[HeavyHanded]

Not that diamond belts are needed for D2, but I've gotten good life out of my 3M diamond belts.

They have to be run at a slower speed and used with water or a thin film of mineral oil to prevent them from clogging.

 

[Winch]

Not that diamond belts are needed for D2, but I've gotten good life out of my 3M diamond belts.

They have to be run at a slower speed and used with water or a thin film of mineral oil to prevent them from clogging.

Will ceramic rods work?

 

[Alberta Ed]

Diamond hones work best on D2 and other high carbide content steels. I've used the same DMTs for decades.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Will ceramic rods work?

For touching up an already decently sharp edge, they'll do OK.

If the edge needs much thinning, repair or reprofiling, something more aggressive would be needed, like diamond hones (best), SiC stone (pretty good), or at least a fairly coarse aluminum oxide bench stone (slower, but should still work).

 

[bucketstove]

Not that diamond belts are needed for D2, but I've gotten good life out of my 3M diamond belts.

They have to be run at a slower speed and used with water or a thin film of mineral oil to prevent them from clogging.

Hi,
Do you have more details?

What speed is slower speed (SFS or SFM)?
How many strokes/knives is good life ( 50 x 8inch, 1000 x 4inch)?
What happens once its no longer good ?
What grit ( 36? 60? 120? 240? 600?) and How does 3M trizact of same grit compare ?

 

[HeavyHanded]

Hi,
Do you have more details?

What speed is slower speed (SFS or SFM)?
How many strokes/knives is good life ( 50 x 8inch, 1000 x 4inch)?
What happens once its no longer good ?
What grit ( 36? 60? 120? 240? 600?) and How does 3M trizact of same grit compare ?

I run less than 1100 RPM, at a guess about 4-500 RPM with a 4" drive wheel. The water slings off the belt a bit, but not all over the place - a thin film can just cling to it when applied with a drywall sponge and while grinding with odd drops peppering my apron.

I do not often wait for degraded performance to change out a belt, but I have one on my grinder now that's slowing down after doing a couple dozen knives at 125 micron. That includes a number of convex shears that were essentially reprofiled. It still cuts but is about 1/2 as fast as a broken in belt. It still lays in a nice edge and deburrs cleanly when the motor is reversed (at very slow speed). Compared to my 120 grit blaze and SiC belts it is giving me a very good value - admittedly they (diamond belts) get expensive quick as the size goes up, so 1x30 is a great choice for them compared to longer/wider belts sizes.

I use Blaze, not Trizact, so am not sure of the analog, but it cuts close to a 120 grit Blaze, maybe a touch finer.

The 45 and 9 micron belts are progressively less long lasting, but as with all belts a lot of that wear is from not using them in a full progression. When I set up 125, 45, 9, loaded leather belt, they seem to load up almost not at all. If I did that religiously the finer belts would probably last nearly as long.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

D2 will be readily sharpened by any of the common synthetic abrasives: aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, cubic boron nitride, or diamond. "Ceramic" rods that are not one of these materials in a ceramic bond but rather just simple stoneware will only be suitable for light honing and will fall flat when it comes to actual grinding/honing, and natural stones are basically not going to perform well at all, but otherwise you have TONS of options to choose from.

 

[bucketstove]

I use Blaze, not Trizact, so am not sure of the analog, but it cuts close to a 120 grit Blaze, maybe a touch finer.

Thanks very much.
Is there a difference in lifetime (your usage) between blaze and diamond? does one last longer than the other before you switch out?

Hmm,
Interesting,

400rpm x 4inch = 418.879 SFM /60 = 6.98131666666667 fps
500rpm x 4inch = 523.599 SFM /60 = 8.72665 fps

24 knives * 10 strokes * 8.72665 fps = 2094.396 feet

Hand sharpening speed
4 pass per second * 6-8inch stone / 12inch = 2.167-2.67 fps

5000 passes * 6 inch /12 = 2500 feet

 

[HeavyHanded]

Thanks very much.
Is there a difference in lifetime (your usage) between blaze and diamond? does one last longer than the other before you switch out?

Hmm,
Interesting,

400rpm x 4inch = 418.879 SFM /60 = 6.98131666666667 fps
500rpm x 4inch = 523.599 SFM /60 = 8.72665 fps

24 knives * 10 strokes * 8.72665 fps = 2094.396 feet

Hand sharpening speed
4 pass per second * 6-8inch stone / 12inch = 2.167-2.67 fps

5000 passes * 6 inch /12 = 2500 feet

Is tough to say as I use them for different chores - the Blaze being used more for working primary grinds and the diamonds are 100% for sharpening. However I used to use the 120 Blaze in the role now filled by the diamonds and the diamond lasts longer, or lasts longer at higher quality anyway. At a guess I'd estimate > 2x and added bonus of finer scratch pattern and less give on the belt surface.

I still default back to the 120 Blaze on some sharpening chores when I need an even more aggressive scratch pattern than the diamond gives me, but most of the time they are only used to cosmetically transition from the 60 grit to a brighter finish.

I've done the math in my head, but is nice to see the breakdown. It actually jibs well with my working time. The machine being about twice as fast per unit than handworking on stones, with the delta being QC and set-up. The difference in actual working time might be less, but that involves leaning on the stone harder, which only causes more QC problems to finish.

 

[JD Spydo]

I have a couple of blades made with D2 and I've always had good results using Spyderco's ceramic stones for sharpening D2 blades with good results.

It would be interesting to know what Bob Dozier uses on his D2 blades because he goes by the name "Dr. D2" and uses that steel in a large percentage of his custom knives. It is a highly respected tool steel.