Would you buy a pocket knife with D2 steel?

C

cards94

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Jul 23, 2013
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I'm unfamilar with this kind of steel but keep reading that it's a little harder to sharpen, and what are your general thoughts on this steel?
 
great steel for any type of knife, folder or fixed blade. it is a little harder to sharpen but not much harder. and the extra durability and edge retention is worth it. just be careful it can rust pretty easy
 
If I liked the design and it was from a reputable company, sure! One of my favorite pocketknives is a Queen Mountain Man in D2. D2 isn't my favorite alloy, but it does have very good edge-retention and moderate corrosion resistance. It's well-suited for small blades like pocket knives. It's a bit of a pain to sharpen, but with normal use it will hold an edge a good long time.
 
Yeah... Got two of them...One a benchmade the other a lion steel. Both sharp.. Both have been touched up a bit on a strop. All the knife steels from old to new from humble to exotic are perfectly good for their intended use. New knife steel developments are just an invitation to buy another knife; and im ok with that. I like 'em all myself.... Check here for some interesting reading and info on knife steels: http://www.zknives.com/knives/steels/index.shtml

Very informative...

leroy
 
Many of the newer, more heavily alloyed steels are difficult to sharpen on traditional oil stones. Diamond sharpening systems go a long way towards making them manageable. Due to the rather large carbide structure of D2, it can be difficult to get it hair whittling sharp, but working sharp comes quickly, and it has a nice combination of edge holding and corrosion resistance. Be aware, Queen knives have a great HT but poor factory edges that require work when new.
 
Great steel for small knives. They say that D2 will chip if you baton it heavy, but I don't baton knives much, so it is not something that comes up for me. Get yourself one of the diamond bench stones at a minumum (fine and very fine grits) and you will be set. i have more than a couple knives in D2. It is Bob Dozier's favorite steel for his custom knives and he is the king of D2.
 
Absolutely! Just ask anyone with a Dozier folder. My small (3") Folding hunter is one of my favorite carries. D2 holds a nice edge for a long time, though as stated above it will corrode easier than many new SS blades. Benchmade makes several nice models with D2 blades, as do several companies and makers of traditional knives.
 
Yep. I have two.
Keep the blade oiled and pull backwards on the stone when you sharpen.
 
Sure I would. Most of my custom fixed blades are D2, but the only folder I have with it is the KHnutbuster in my avatar. If more production companies offered it I would have more.
Its has good corrosion resistance, and is as close to a stainless as you can get without being one. Its about as corrosion resistent as the stainless ATS-34.
I have no problem sharpening it, and find its easier than most of todays super steels. Takes and holds a great edge, and keeps a good working edge for a good while. I use a slightly toothy medium edge on my hunting knives, and D2 does very well with a medium edge

I treat mine like I do my stainless, and have never had a problem with rust. I oil all of my knives now and then.
 
D2 is fine, not really harder to sharpen than anything else, takes a lot of neglect to get it to rust in my experience.
 
I'm no steel expert but I like D2 just fine. I've had no problems with rust, either. And as others have mentioned, diamond stones will make your life much easier when it comes time for sharpening...

-Brett
 
I like my BM 710 in D2 just fine. It holds a good edge and only takes a few passes onto my Sharpmaker fine rods to get it back where it needs to be. It takes a while but it will rust but always in the same spot. Rub a little CLP on and its good to go. That's in Florida's humid climate, it may behave differently in other places.
 
Im not sure ive had any blades in d2 but if it rusts ill take it.

IMO stainless is my least favorite of steels.
 
Very happy with CPM-D2. Don't have any in normal D2.

You might get some staining on it when cutting very acidic stuff, but nothing much.
 
I have several folders and fixed in D2. There is quite a bit of chromium in the steel so unless you put it away wet it resists rust well. I do feel it is a little hard to sharpen compared to carbon steel but with D2 it usually hardened in the 60-62 RC range where carbon is usually 56-58 RC.
 
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