What is "air-hardened" D2?

[akjon]

I know what D2 is. What is "air-hardened" D2? Cuda Maxx uses it I think.

 

[borinquen]

letting the steel cool slowly(room temp) without quenching it in water or oil.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

D2 and many other steels may be hardened by cooling in air from a temperature above the transformation range. Such steels attain their martensitic structure without going through the quenching process. Additions of chromium, nickel, molybdenum and manganese are effective toward this end.

This is not a special type of D2. All D2 can be air hardened.

 

[Crayola]

Actually, to be techincally correct I think one should say that air is the quenching medium Many knife steels can be quenched in air actually. It isn't as cool as quenching a bog carbon steel blade in water though!

 

[akjon]

As usual, a bevy of informative responses. Thank you all.

 

[akjon]

As usual, a bevy of informative responses. Thank you all.