I have carried d2 pocketknives for about 10 years. I use these knives for carpentry, everyday use. I have never had one rust or tarnish, their ability to be sharpened to a razors edge is my main motivator in use. I simply run them 4-5 times thru a ceramic sharpener each morning if I have used them frequently. The people who know me, know I keep my carry blade very sharp, my nephew and brother were roofing my house and doing a section with rubber roofing. They had misplaced the blade for their razor knives. My nephew asked if I had my pocketknife on me. I did, after I tossed it to him, he cut the whole section of roof in using this blade. When he was done, he said he thought the knife was sharper than the razors and easier to handle. When he gave it back to me, he said he had to get one and asked how I kept it so sharp. I showed him the $2 x ceramic sharpener I bought from Menards, swiped the blade through it 4-5 times and handed it back to him. He tested the blade and said,". Can't believe it's that sharp that easy," The 2 blades I carry cost me about $15 4-5 years ago. I went to buy a couple more for gifts and they were about $40.
Pull through sharpeners do not sharpen knives to razor edge and if it shaves, it is the burr that's shaving you once you use it the apex will roll and it won't shave anymore. If you want your edge to stay use a stone, then you can just srtop it when it feels full and you'll only need to remake that apex on the stone occasionally. Happy slicing buddy. 😎
I have Magnacut, s30, s35, and more steels in my knives and d2 is actually my favorite. Not because of its affordability, but because of its characteristics. Love it.
What makes you like it so much. Does it secretly manage to stay sharper or does the grain structure make it cut better or something strange. I was looking at the the other steels and was wondering how supposedly easier to sharpen steels could hold an edge better. I was thinking d2 would be more consistant of a steel with a little less vandium and chromium and closer to acting like a simple carbon steel except hard but the other ones had more hard stuff in them so I was not sure. I havent chosen to get either steels yet but I suspected something was weird if people were not enjoying s30. I was guessing before that people should jump to m390 if they wanted something over d2 but I did not suspect some people would prefer d2 over s30.
@@bobransom4359its just a technic of sharpening.. i can sharpen my D2 civivi to hair whitling level using a high grit stone.. out of the box, its no matter what steel is it and from which company, they always came with crappy edge due to factory sharpening process using a belt grind.. even on a hundred dollar benchmade dont came with nice edge out of the box.
Good job explaining the use and history D2 Tool Steel for us T.C. Most of the time I prefer D2 Tool Steel in my economy beater knives more than the 440 series steels. Please educate us on the Lc-200-N Tool Steel soon. And throw us some knife examples of what might be in stock at SMKW too please.
Thank you B Wax! We’ve got a couple coming out of which I think LC200N might just be on the docket! I will also show some examples and let you know how you can find that particular steel!
I like D2 ,it sharpens well .can get it Very sharp on my viper sharp diamond series .I learned how to sharpen on D2 before moving on on to more premium steels. The premium steels are not as much Better than Steel snobs want us to think. !! .good I fon steel Thanks Kerry 🦊😉🐺😁
Sorry, but one of the few advantages of being old is not having to rely on books to know what happened back in the sixties and seventies. Most knives back then were made of high carbon steel. A minority of blades were made of stainless steel but only premium blades used 440 C. 420 M [modified] was much more common for mid-priced knives. The most common and lowest cost knives were pretty much all high carbon steel but that did not cause many problems if they were wiped with oil once in a while. Diving knives were generally made from stainless or semi-stainless steel and not high carbon steel. That is what was really happening back in those days.
I love D2. Definitely one of my favorites. I have every brass Artisan Cutlery's SMKW exclusives, small and large, and love them. Although if you are getting the brass Proponent to edc, get the small one, the large weighs a FREAKING POUND! It is glorious though. It definitely matters what knife brand you get in D2 though, they aren't all the same. Also if you have not tried the Artisan Archeao in either brass or copper then just do it, you will not regret it. The small brass gas been in my edc since i received it.
@@SKtube0 Cryo will increase the hardness by converting leftover austenite carbides. A cryo will also increase its toughness. I also don't know what the numbers he was showing are, but it wasn't D2. D2 has 1.5 % carbon, 12% chromium (FYI stainless is 13%), .80% molybdenum, .30% silicon and .85-.90 % vanadium. The high carbon content makes a lot of chromium and vanadium carbides thus making it very abrasion resistant as ferrite or iron carbides are not as hard.
Great video TC. I don't hate D2 steel but too many companies are overusing it. I would much rather have a full stainless so I don't have to worry about rust. (Yes stainless can rust but not nearly as easy as D2)
You know that all depends on the manufacturer that makes d2 steel but also uses different kinds of blade finishes. Like stonewash finish for example is a good finish because it improves the corrosion resistance and hides scratches and fingerprints. Perfect for people who don't want any visible scratches or fingerprints on their knife blade.
I really like D2 steel. It sharpens great and for an EDC blade, it really stands up to the best IMO. I have many fixed and folding blades in D2. Makes an amazing budget, pocket knife steel. Can you guys please touch on S3V steel?
I’m becoming more and more of a D2 fan. Holds an edge much better than the 8CR13 that I’m used to. Could you dive into M390 as well as budget stainless steels such as 8CR13 and the like?
You guys should hit k390 soon. I’ve completely fallen in love with k390 since I bought my endela…so much so that I now have almost all of the Japanese spydercos in k390. They’re just so good…
Great info I have a Cold Steel Leatherneck in D2 and love it. Maybe someday you can let us know what Elmax is? I have a Microtech with that blade material. Awesome video thanks so much
Elmax is a third generation powder metallurgy stainless steel. The granule size of the metal powder is very small. The performance of Elmax is far superior to S30V. Elmax is much tougher and has far better edge holding. It is also easier to finish.
That’s a great question, from what I know and remember it was a carbon steel blade with a little chromium added in to give it some corrosion resistant properties, but I’m not sure what the name is, you have piqued my interest and now I will research
Hello T.C.B., ya might not want to just use "T.C. as that (I'd guess) would've been copyrighted as it's use in "Magnum P.I." hit series back in the '80's, just sayin'! Anyway, my question is for us (me) who can make a knife more evenly dull when sharpening (due to physical issues of things not quite working as well as they once did) that's not going to cost an arm or leg to buy it??? Or, skip right on by this one! Be safe and take care, "God Bless", sincerely, Randy. 👍👍🙏🏻😇👊
Lol! Funny you mention that, one of my favorite shows and characters in my adolescence! We’ve got some plans and ideas in the works for some sharpening instrucables!
So is there a difference in the $30 kabar D2 as opposed to $500 Medford D2? Not being sarcastic I get ones custom and ones a cheap Chinese made knife, but is it the same blade material ?
In my opinion D2 in theory is all the same. Really depends how you look at it. It has poor corrosion resistance which is a big turn off for me. Many years ago i had a Benchmade adamas in D2 as my work knife. Used it for typical work stuff in the facility i worked at, cutting boxes trying to pry open doors that people locked themselves out of and even as a screwdriver at times. As a Tool steel it was excellent. Rugged, you couldn’t beat the life out of it, kept its edge forever. But the one problem i noticed was that when i finally decided to resell the knife on eBay was that the edg had on microscopic pit of rust on it. I assume it was from the moisture created in my pocket along with it being pressed up against my body. I consider rusting a fatal flaw, and find having to lube my shank unnecessary. This was Benchmade D2, not China D2. I also dislike Boker Aus8, especially on the Kalishnakov Autos. (Which is where I’ve had the bad experience)
@CapFlipGaming I only have one example of Elmax and really like it. I wish I knew what mine was hardened to as it sharpens and deburs fairly easily for a steel in this class.
I see a lot of stainless steel used in swords these days. I'm a bit on the fence with it comes to this material: The fact that it doesn't rust and that it is cheap makes it very practical. The problem is the hardness of the material. This means that, instead of bending, it will shatter. For a tool or a knife, that are relatively small, you are not too concerned if it breaks. But to have a sword break, sending a sharp blade flying around, this is dangerous.
GCS Handmade Tracker Knife has D2 steel the craftsmanship is awesome but its not a pretty blade, it looks like it wants abuse, smile and keep going. The blade is thick enough to pry or dig with and I know I can rely on it's utility for the rest of my life. The same goes for the horizontal carry sheath, real leather and excellent stitching. This blade although blood grooved is a heavy enough to be used to severe small and large game bones and joints as a chopper but not so good as a slicer. Get a drop blade knife if you want to slice in my opinion. The blade has a tanto point which is awesome for piercing tough material. The spine is serrated, and has jimping to prevent thumb slip. Grip has excellent fingering and guard. This full tang blade comes with a nice wood scraping feature, a second edge in the blade perfect for stripping bark, making shavings for kindling or a fuzz stick. So I was interested in learning more about D2.
Those numbers you threw up there were NOT D2 steel. D2 has 1.5% Carbon 12% chromium 0.85% molybdenum 0.40% manganese 0.33% silicon 0.90% vanadium. It is not stainless as at least a third of its chromium is bound up in carbides and thus don't help in corrosion resistance. D2 creates a lot of carbides including some vanadium carbides, but mostly chromium carbides which are plenty hard.
You are correct sir as it pertains to modern D2 and how it is made today. The numbers posted are the median in the ranges included in the original patent applied for in England in 1918 by Paul Kuehnrich. The chemistry ranges applied for were very broad and as a result today, the actual chemistry of D2 varies greatly depending on the manufacturer. So while yes the numbers you give are that of American made D2, per the patent the makeup can change quite drastically.
way back in the 80's I had a custom knife made to my design , I asked that he use the 154cm steel. Can you tell me the attributes and issues with 154cm please, especially for a bowie knife, thanks
I'm a mechanical engineer..... We are working on D2 tool for cutting of Bamboo, No one is taking up the job to machine it for us, it needs to be machined. Which should be an alternative to it as we need the similar or better strength
Looking for some advice, as I am not a metallurgist of any sort. I am looking for recommendations on a tool steel or some type of metal to weld to a vehicles exhaust to prevent expensive parts from growing legs and walking away. It would have to be shaped, heat treated if needed, some corrosion resistance, able to be welded to the system and withstand the heat that an exhaust generates (about 600F). The weapon of choice for these hooligans is generally a Sawzall blade, so it must be harder. Possibly HRC 60? Would like to know what you think.
I don't see how forming the steel with a different process would change its density. Its still going to have the same mass per unit volume. It's not like normal D2 is a foam full of gas pockets that can ve eliminated. Am i missing something?
GREAT video, & and info.... I like D2 always have. There are a few metals and mixes etc I like for blades but more than the metals like I prefer above all is the treatment to be spot on as it should, it is truly surprising what can be done with proper blade processing. I will take inexpensive over super steel all day long when treatment is top shelf. You can cover ?? REX45 ?? and after that or during maybe the other REXs to explain better maybe if needed.?.
Both are great steels that as long as you oil them will hold well in the field. Keep moisture off the blade and store them correctly while not in use and both will last for years to come.
can you talk about some steels used in the construction of sword-making, such as T-10 , L-6, or Tamahagne . How is their performance in cutting and durability compared with other steels
Modern Damascus, when done correctly, is amazing but people do not always list everything that goes into their Damascus. Some Damascus are made with high end steel while others may use whatever they have on hand.
It's an almost stainless steel with 11.5% chromium. As long as you don't live on a boat or go deep sea diving with it, or cut raw and oily foods WITHOUT cleaning and wiping off blade, you're fine.
Very interesting info for sure. Now please tell me how to get D2 knife blade razor sharp. Whetstones a waste. Using diamond now and ceramic but not much progress. Cabela's used belt-drive helped very little. Do I need to just keep at it or forget it? Thanks so much
It just takes patience, rushing will only lead to inconsistency and ruin the edge. Once you get the edge, stropping with a good leather and compound cannot be overlooked.
They are primely used in such different aspects that are hard to say one is better than the other. D2 is used in outdoor knives and VG10 for kitchen knives so it is really about what uses and jobs they are going to be doing.
The best thing to do is to clean it, dry it and put a very thin coat of oil on it. If you use it everyday you won't see any issues as long you don't put it away wet overnight. Also if you use it everyday you won't have any problems.
Depends on use. If you are old school scout who knows how to use knife, you will not have a problem with D2 at all. No rust, maybe little bit darker after many years but most likely not even that. D2 (properly heat treated) offers great edge retention, decent corrosion resistance and toughness. Sharpening is not problem, old school scout keeps the blade sharp all the time and not sharpens only when it's dull. A few moves on ceramic rod occasionally is enaugh. Or if you are in the wild, nice flat stone from the river handle the job as well.
