Why does my Queen D2 sharpen so easily?

J

jmknife

Joined
Dec 8, 2002
Messages
99
I just bought a Queen whittler with D2 blades and I wanted to reprofile the two smaller blades. This was my first D2 knife so I was expected it to take some time to remove enough steel to change the edge angle. To my surprise, the blades were very easy to reprofile using the Edgepro. I was able to reprofile the pen blade in just a few passes of the stones. I left the main blade alone so I now have a knife with three different edge profiles.

The main blade is marked D2 so I am sure that I have D2 blades. Was the ease of sharpening due to the small size of the blades that I reprofiled? Did I just put a lot of stone on a small area or is there something the matter with my D2? This is the first small blade (1 1/2") I have sharpened with the Edgepro, so I am not sure how quickly iit should work.

I am not criticizing the knife. I really like the pattern and the company. I just wonder why it was so easy to sharpen up. I have been restricted to a bed and chair due to some unexpected knee surgery and I have had a lot of time to play with this knife. My wife thinks I am the only person in the world who must have a knife on the table next to his sick bed. That's OK, I think she is the only person in the world who uses a hand made hunting knife to open the mail.
 
I am thinking about buying a Queen D2. Let us know how the edge holds up after use. I read an earlier post about D2. It said that a steeper bevel is better because D2 is somewhat brittle. Twisting cuts will chip the blade if it is sharpened without enough bevel. I think it said not to go less than 20 degrees. I own a pre-1956 Queen. The main blade was broken in half by someone using the knife as a pry bar! I still love this old knife. The steel is really hard. I am careful not to force cut anything. Whenever I can't sleep, I put the knife in my pillow case and from time to time hold it for peace/security. Now that is a thing only a man who was/is still a boy would understand. Remember when kids took presents to bed with them? I guarantee that having that knife near the sick bed will speed recovery. Take care and enjoy that good knife.
 
Probably because the blades are so thin (well compared to those tacticals and fixed hunters etc.) I used different waterstones on mine and had no problem except for the small sheepsfoot blade which had a little warp (spine was flat but there was a little warp near the tip on the edge side). D2 can be a bit brittle so I didn't want to try bending it back. So, I had to do a bit of grinding on a diamond stone to get the edge flat (now there is a little < quarter inch spot near the tip where the bevel on one side of the blade narrows to half a mm and widens to about 2 mm on the other). Looks a little odd, but works just fine. You probably wouldn't even notice a little warp like that if you used a rod sharpener.
 
In my observation, the smaller, thinner D2 blades on the Queens sharpen about like other knives and dull about like other knives. I think its the thinness of the blades. The thick, stout, sturdy main blades are a different story, however.
 
Ben Dale told me the EdgePro will readily cut 64+ HRc, so a fine bladed folder shouldnt be a problem.
 
I've done a lot of sharpening and edge reprofiling on my Edgepro. It has been my experience that the thickness of the blade and not the steel, makes the difference. The Edgepro cuts through D2, Infi, 5160, 1095, S30V, etc., all about the same, but the thin blades on the Queen make it go very fast. You don't have to remove a lot of metal. The longest and slowest? Taking a CS Trailmaster down to about 20 deg total. That's hogging off a LOT of steel.

Enjoy your Queen, that D2 will hold an edge for a very long time!
 
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