D2 Sharpening

[herrwalther]

D2 is my favorite knife steel but I have always had a hard time restoring the edge once it has gotten dull. To the point where I have purchased new knives, rather than getting a dedicated sharpening kit. I read several years ago that D2 should only be sharpened on diamond or ceramic sharpeners. Hasn't been a real costly issue as I have never had a D2 steel EDC work horse knife.

Now I have a Benchmade Adamas. As a result I am looking for everyone's favorite and relatively idiot proof D2 sharpener.

 

[HoosierQ]

I have the Adamas. Love it. D2 is hard and wear resistant. I have good look with DMT diamond products and the Spyderco Sharpmaker Diamond rods for anything but the lightest of touch ups.

Diamonds are D2's best friend.

 

[Zeke/PA]

For my D-2 work, I use a bench mounted 2"x8" Medium India (well oiled) to start.
I finish with a bench mounted 2"X8" Hard Arkansas(well oiled) to finish, followed by a
cardboard and/or leather strop.
No doubt D-2 can be a tough sharpening chore but in the long run, it's worth it for the edge holding capabilities alone.

 

[Wolfman Zack]

DMT diamond stone followed by the Spyderco Sharpmaker worked for me when I had some D-2 knives.

Backbevel by a few degrees with the DMT, then finish up on the Sharpmaker.

 

[stan rose]

I have to agree with Wolfman Zack, start with diamond and then finish with Spyderco sharp maker.

 

[herrwalther]

I like the DMT Aligner kit I found, but cannot find any information as to what angle edge it can be used for. I like my blades to typically have 15-17 degree edges and the only thing I found on the DMT is 30 and 40 degrees? Seems too steep for a knife edge.

 

[grter]

Sharpening D2 Muaaah ha ha ha ha huaaaaa huaa ha :banghead:

You are in for a lot of fun. Really it can be done. One thing about D2 is it can get really sharp and not feel like it.

Not all of it is the same. Bob Dozier D2 is the exception to me. That stuff does feel sharp. My small queen cutlery friction folders in D2 are not as good but they do sharpen decently.

I have not been able to get anything other than a mediocore edge on an Ontario D2 steel RAT knockoff.

It has a large grain structure that makes is hard to sharpen but wear resistant. The crappy stuff tends to have a mediocore toothy edge (Ontario) that doesn't get better no matter how long you sharpen it while the good stuff (Dozier heat treated) feels like a keen edge.

I can run my finger gently across some D2 and be fooled into thinking it's not sharp but lo and behold it will shave hair off my arm (hair popping sharp) with ease. I am glade I did not try to press my finger harder.

I use diamond and no not even diamond will put a decent edge on a crappy D2 knife but it will do just fine if the D2 is good.

If you want real fun try sharpening a serrated ZDP 189 blade.

 

[rcmodel]

the only thing I found on the DMT is 30 and 40 degrees? Seems too steep for a knife edge.

Have you seen this?

Sounds like it will do any edge angle you want.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?hd=1&v=JntWcNezmho

rc

 

[herrwalther]

Very informative video rc, thanks for the find. I like that sharpening system, seems harder to screw up. I would like a bit more graduation than 4 degrees, but should work fine.

 

[RussellC]

I own 2 Benchmade Adamas automatic knives. I keep the edge sharp as new with a simple ceramic sharpener. Two ceramic sticks about 6-7 inches long, in a wooden base. A few occasional strokes keeps them very, very sharp.

Russellc

 

[Slamfire]

I used to get excellent results sharpening 1095 carbon steels on India, carborundum, and Arkansas stones. But modern stainless steels, I could not get the stuff sharp until I bought diamond hones.

I use a coarse, then medium, finally fine. Something like D2 is so hard that I would simply round the edge on the older stones. I am much happier with diamond stones as my stainless knives are now very sharp.

 

[Kingcreek]

I have some D2 working knives, a Bob Dozier folding hunter and 3 fixed blade by the late Mel Sorg jr and heat treated by Paul Bos. I find them all somewhat difficult to sharpen to the edge I want but I do reasonably well with the sharpmaker coarse sticks on the corners. They seem to cut better with a slightly "toothy" edge and not a too fine polish.

 

[xm21]

To sharpen this D-2

I use this

Followed by strop with chromium oxide to get this result