What is d2 steel

What is d2 steel – is d2 steel best for knives?

There are many sheets of steel found in today’s world that are used in making knives; d2 steel is one of them. Some of you perhaps already know about d2 steel.

If you are not aware of d2 steel, this article may help you in knowing d2 steel. In this article, we will share all the information related to the d2 steel, and you may find this article helpful.

What is d2 steel?

D2 steel is known as one of the durable and sharp steels which are made from non-powder steel. Some of the d2 tool steel properties are that it provides a powerful combination of toughness and wear resistance, and it requires low machinability. This is the reason that many knife-makers and companies are using d2 steel.

D2 steel is common steel that is used in making long production, hard work, and high wear applications because it provides great edge retention. This steel is also used in the making of knives, blades, and other related things.

D2 steel is also known by different names. Some of the other popular names of d2 steel are German designation 1.2379, Uddeholm Sverker 21, Japanese designation SKD11, and many more.

Chemical Composition of d2 steel

D2 steel is a high-carbon and air-hardening steel that is comprised of the following chemicals:

  • Carbon (1.5 %): It increases the hardness and strength of the steel. It also increases the brittleness and hardenability of the steel.
  • Molybdenum (0.9%): It increases the corrosion resistance, hardness, strength, and electrical conductivity of the steel.
  • Sulfur (0.02%): It increases the machinability of steel.
  • Manganese (0.45%): It decreases the critical cooling rate during hardening, which means it increases the steel’s hardenability.
  • Silicon (0.40%): It also increases the hardness and strength of steel but less than Manganese.
  • Vanadium (1.10%): It is used to control the grain size of the steel and also used to increase the strength and hardness of the steel.
  • Chromium (12%): It increases the corrosion resistance and increases the steel’s hardenability.
  • Phosphorus (0.03): It improves machinability and increases resistance to corrosion in steel.

Rockwell hardness of the D2 Steel

D2 offers a good hardness and toughness with a long-lasting edge, and it has wear resistance properties.

D2 steel is a high-carbon and air-hardening steel, and it has a minimal distortion in heat-treatment relative to other tool steels. It is heat treatable and offers a Rockwell hardness that ranges from 55 to 62 HRC.

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D2 steel for knives

It is noticed that to make a good knife; you need a good piece of steel. The usage and reputation of d2 steel are increasing day by day in the knife industry because of its excellent quality and amazing properties. D2 steel has better wear resistance and toughness than some of the other related steels; that is why it is widely used in making knives.

D2 steel gives the better or same performance as M2, or S90V steel is giving. M2 and S90V steels are widely used steels in the market. The d2 steel cost is much lower than other related steels, which gives a great advantage to d2 steel.

Most of the knife makers are using d2 steel to make knives. There are many knives that are made with d2 steel and are available in the market. Some of the popular and best knives of d2 steel are as follows:

1. Cold Steel Leatherneck Tanto

Cold Steel Leatherneck TantoThe cold steel Leatherneck tanto series comes with two blades. The leatherneck has amazing hand-honed ground clip blades that give extra strength to the knife. The blades of the knife are made with tough d2 steel with a non-reflective black powder coat finish.

The knife’s overall length is 12-inches with a blade length of 7-inches and handle length of 5-inches. The thickness of the blade is 5mm, which makes it a perfect survival knife. The weight of the knife is also light which is another benefit of this knife.

The knife’s handle is made with a Kray-Ex that gives an easy and comfortable grip, and Cold Steel looks beautiful in the hand when you hold this knife. The knife also comes with a full-tang that gives the perfect balance to the knife.

The other good feature of Leatherneck’s knife is that it comes with a solid steel double quillon guard that prevents the user’s fingers from sliding onto the sharp edge. These are the perfect survival tactical knives.

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2. Ontario Rat II Liner lock OD Green

Ontario Rat II Liner lock OD GreenIf you are searching for a smaller knife with a lot of good features, then this might be the one that you are searching for. The overall length of the knife is 7-inch with a blade length of 3-inch. The weight of the knife is light which may not be a problem to carry with you.

Ontario’s knife is made in Taiwan with top-quality materials that ensure the knife’s better performance. The material used in the making of the knife’s blade is Carbon steel that increases the knife’s hardness and strength.

The knife’s handle is made with G10 material with a satin finish that gives more comfortability and durability to the knife. This handle is also easy and comfortable to grip.

The knife comes with an index finger groove on the handle that prevents the knife from slipping in your hands, and because of this, you can easily grip the knife even with greasy or wet hands.

 

3. KATSU Handmade Japanese Pocket Folding Knife

KATSU Handmade Japanese Pocket Folding KnifeIf you are looking for a traditional Japanese style knife that is made with d2 steel, then this might be the perfect pick for you. The length of the blade is 3-inches with a total length of 7.5-inches. The thickness of the blade is 3.5 mm that makes it the best folding knife.

The KATSU knife is hand-made with a d2 tool steel. This knife comes with a double-bevel blade that helps the knife in sharp cutting. This small folding knife is best for small tasks.

KATSU knife has a bamboo style G10 handle that looks beautiful when you hold it in hand. The G10 handle offers more comfortability and durability to the knife. The design of the knife is so amazing, and also it comes with a pocket clip that makes it more appealing and perfect for a gift.

 

Pros & Cons of d2 steel for knives

As you know, there are many Pros of d2 steel, but with Pros, there are many Cons of d2 steel. In this section, you will get to know of some of the Pros and Cons of d2 steel.

Pros
  • D2 steel provides a powerful combination of toughness and wears resistance.
  • It requires low machinability.
  • D2 steel provides better edge retention.
  • The cost of d2 steel is much low as compared to other related steels.
  • D2 is semi-stainless steel that is very high in carbon and carbon makes cutting sheets more aggressive.
  • D2 steel is much harder than other related steels.
  • D2 steel is more abrasion-resistant.
Cons
  • D2 steel is a bit tough to sharpen.
  • It’s hard to sharpen d2 steel with a whetstone.

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D2 steel Vs Other Steels

In this section, you will get all the comparisons of d2 steel with other steels. For this, I will make comparison tables so that you can easily understand which steel is better than other steel.

D2 vs 440C

D2 440C
Edge retention 3.5/10 2.5/10
Stainless Steel Semi-Stainless Yes
Corrosion Resistance 4/10 7/10
Rockwell Hardness 55-62 HRC 58 HRC
Ease of Sharpness 4/10 7/10
Rust Proof No Yes
Toughness 6/10 5/10

D2 steel has better toughness and edge retention, while 440C steel is better in terms of ease of sharpness and corrosion resistance.

D2 steel vs VG10 steel

D2 VG10
Edge retention 3.5/10 5/10
Stainless Steel Semi-Stainless Yes
Corrosion Resistance 4/10 7/10
Rockwell Hardness 55-62 HRC 62 + HRC
Ease of Sharpness 4/10 6/10
Rust Proof No No
Toughness 6/10 4/10

D2 steel offers the best toughness, while VG10 steel is better in terms of edge retention, corrosion resistance, and ease of sharpness.

D2 vs A2 steel

D2 A2
Edge retention 3.5/10 6/10
Stainless Steel Semi-Stainless Yes
Corrosion Resistance 4/10 3/10
Rockwell Hardness 55-62 HRC 57-62 HRC
Ease of Sharpness 4/10 6/10
Rust Proof No Yes
Toughness 6/10 8/10

A2 steel is better in terms of Edge Retention, toughness, and Ease of Sharpness, while D2 steel has better Corrosion Resistance.

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D2 steel vs S30V

D2 S30V
Edge retention 3.5/10 5/10
Stainless Steel Semi-Stainless Yes
Corrosion Resistance 4/10 5/10
Rockwell Hardness 55-62 HRC 58-61 HRC
Ease of Sharpness 4/10 7/10
Rust Proof No No
Toughness 6/10 6/10

D2 and S30V steel are similar in most cases, but S30V steel is better in terms of ease of sharpness and corrosion resistance.

D2 steel vs AUS8 steel

D2 AUS 8
Edge retention 3.5/10 2/10
Stainless Steel Semi-Stainless Yes
Corrosion Resistance 4/10 7/10
Rockwell Hardness 55-62 HRC 58-59 HRC
Ease of Sharpness 4/10 9/10
Rust Proof No No
Toughness 6/10 6/10

D2 has better edge retention, while AUS 8 has better corrosion resistance, and AUS 8 is easy to sharpen as well.

D2 steel vs 1095 steel

D2 1095
Edge retention 3.5/10 3/10
Stainless Steel Semi-Stainless No
Corrosion Resistance 4/10 3/10
Rockwell Hardness 55-62 HRC 55 HRC
Ease of Sharpness 4/10 7/10
Rust Proof No No
Toughness 6/10 8/10

D2 steel is better in terms of Edge Retention, and Corrosion Resistance, and 1095 steel has better Toughness, and Ease of Sharpness.

Conclusion

D2 tool steel offers some amazing features which make it a great choice for making knives. D2 steel provides a powerful combination of toughness and wears resistance. It requires low machinability, which makes it a perfect choice for knife-makers.

The d2 steel cost is much lower than other related steels, which gives a great advantage to d2 steel. We hope the above information will help you.

Furthermore, if you have any questions related to this article, you are most welcome to leave your comment below. I will try my best to solve your problem. If you find this article helpful, please share this article with your friends so that they can also take advantage of this article.

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FAQ’s

What is the annealed hardness of d2 tool steel?
D2 steel is machinable in the annealed condition. After machining, it requires a hardening to achieve its properties. Annealing must be done after hot working and before re-hardening. The General annealed hardness of d2 steel is 217/255 HB.
How to sharpen d2 tool steel knives?
D2 is a hard steel that’s why it is a bit tough to sharpen. It’s very hard to sharpen d2 steel with a whetstone, but there are other methods that may work. You can sharpen d2 steel with a diamond sharpener or ceramic crock sticks, and these methods will perfectly work.
Where to buy d2 tool steel?
There are many online stores that sell d2 steel. You can buy d2 steel from many online stores. Some famous online stores include Amazon, Southern Tool Steel, Online Metals, Metals Depot, Metal Super Markets, and many more.
How to harden steel for knives?
Hardening is a method of making the steel of a knife harder than it was before. First of all, heat the knife steel between 1050 and 1090°C and after that quick quince it. In this way, the knife steel will become much harder and more brittle than it was before.
What is stronger d2 tool steel or 154cm stainless steel?
Both of these steels are good, but D2 steel is much harder than 154cm steel. D2 steel is semi-stainless steel while 154cm is stainless steel. D2 steel is more abrasion resistant and tougher than 154cm steel. In my opinion, d2 steel is a better choice for larger blades.
How to weld d2 tool steel?
D2 tool steel can be welded in annealed or hardened conditions. For annealing pre-heat, the steel in 370-485°C temperature and for hardening pre-heat, the steel in 15-30°C below the actual temperature.