D-2 Die steel

[Lloyd Hale]

Thanks Steve..
That makes good sense......I've heard that Bob makes a good knife......

[Steve]

Great knives! Great prices.

[Russ Andrews]

Lloyd.....
The D-2 which Sheffield sells is (I think) the same as the D-2 Which Bob Schrimsher used to sell...It takes a better polish
than the precision ground stuff. I'm told it's because the
precision ground bars are re-sulphurised.

D-2 does stay sharp well in service. I got away from it in the
late 70s because vasco wear was better, though much
tougher to grind and hand sand...and got away from that
because the mill closed, and 440V is still better.

[Lloyd Hale]

Hello Russ
I tried D2 about 30 years ago and realized my prybars needed a more versitile tool steel so I stuck to the stainless series.... A friend of mine in Kentucky says that D2 makes good box cutters and I've been told card board is a good test of a steels wear resistence....Don't make box cutters so that leaves me out...

[Tim Britton]

WOW....can't believe that folks are still talking about D2 ! I used D2 for years, mainly because Ted Dowell, Jimmy Lile and Frank Centofante used this steel almost exclusively. Major factor for me was ductility, second was that it is used for paper cutter blades and huge shear blades in carpet mills. It is tough and makes an excellent chopping instrument. I sent a set of blades over to Frosty Morn Packing Co. for a test on mud caked, bristly hogs. Blades included 01, A2,D2, 440C, W2 and F8. In a non-scientific test D2 was the favorite of 3 of 4 meat cutters. BUT.....2 said that it is hard to sharpen on steels. Orange peeling seems to be less prevalent on Latrobe D2 and don't forget to have your heat treat folks double temper and use cryogenic treatment. I still use a good bit of D2 on my larger heavier knives that will be used for chopping. I've had a hard time finding bg42 in 3" wide bars 1/4" thick and problems in finishing ats34. My last 2 batches of ats34 had to be bead blasted due to pits in the steel. D2 deserves our respect. The dies used to stamp out many other so called cutlery steels are frequently made out of D2 ! OK....back to the grinder and a new bar of Chris Marks mosaic that I can hardly wait to see on a knife !

[Lloyd Hale]

Hey Tim....YOU DA MAN !!!!

[rade hawkins]

Guys let me get my 2-cents worth in. First of all D-2 is not cheap steel in any sense of the word. It cost more than 440-C and about the same as 154CM. It holds an edge ever bit as well as 154CM and is almost as corrosion resistant. Where it really shines is in the heat-treatment. You only need to heat treat at 1800 D.F.{5 min. in a salt pot} a 2 hour draw at 450 D.F. and you have a blade that is 59 rockwell and will hold it on with the best of them. The low hardning temp. is very important and the steel is not sensitive to small temp. variations. The orange peel surface is not a problem when .005 to .010" is ground away after heat treating. I have never had a problem getting a nice finish on my D-2 blades and I started using D-2 back in the mid 70's. If I made the type knives that LLOyd makes I would not use D-2 either. LLoyd's knives are works of art, mine are tools.

Fantastic looking knives in the August issue if K.I. The dagger on page 30 is awsome and my favorite--Regards Rade

[Lloyd Hale]

Thanks Rade.... We are so lucky to live in a time when we have all this technology to take advantage of in Steels and grinding and polishing equipment......and to have all these great Collectors loving what we are doing and supporting us.....Now this is the life.......