M2 HSS steel is becoming the carbon steel of choice for all the knives I make. I like it much better than D2 because in my experience it takes a much better edge and holds it forever. I was surprised to see that Jerry Hossom found grinding M2 to be difficult. I think it grinds much easier than D2, as a matter of fact I think it has an ideal combination of resistance to the belts with predictability which allows fine, controled grinding. Be sure and finish it out to final dimensions before heat treat.
What I like about M2:
1. Excellent workability in the annealed state.
2. Very fine grained steel gives a fantasticly sharp cutting edge.
3. Very predictable in the heat treating. For sporting knives with a blade length to 4 inches or so I like a hardness of about RC 62 - less than that used for industrial tooling - this gives the knife more toughness and fantastic edge holding.
4. Knives can be ground and finished to final dimensions prior to heat treating. I've never had a warped blade with M2. Actually, you better finish to final specs, 'cause after HT this stuff doesn't like to be ground! And hand sanding? Forget about it.
5. Relativly easy to sharpen on stones or diamonds and you don't have to worry about getting the blades too hot. It's HSS.
6. Takes a great finish.
7. Most any commercial heat treater can do a great job on this steel as it's one of most common steels used for industrial cuting tools.
8. Price is within reason.
Negatives:
1. rusts.
2 rusts
3. rusts
4. Can't be heat treated in the kitchen. Unless your wife has a vacuum over for those magic brownies.
M2 rules. I had noticed that one of the most used folders I have is an AFCK with an M2 blade. Cuts forever and is easy to sharpen - which it needs about once a year.
I coat the smaller blades with gun kote (sand blast BEFORE heat treating and save yourself some time and air pressure.) Blades can be industrially blued or Ti coated or hell, let 'em rust. A little rust adds character.
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[This message has been edited by Kevin Wilkins (edited 04-23-2001).]
