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Karl Knisley




PostPosted: Sun 31 Jan, 2016 10:36 am    Post subject: Does D2 tool Steel make for a good sword         Reply with quote

Hello
i`ve seen some short swords on Ebay made from D2 tool steel (full tang). Would these be good swords?

Thanks in advance
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Jared Smith




Location: Tennessee
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PostPosted: Sun 31 Jan, 2016 12:06 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

http://www.knivesillustrated.com/does-d2-tool...ood-knife/

The above link is not specific to swords, but likely relevant. D2 may be tricky to achieve the combination of springy flex and toughness we tend to look for in swords. I would guess its not impossible though. I have some custom steak knives made from D2 which are pretty nice, but have never heard of it being used for any large blades with flex.

Absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence!
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Kevin Coleman M.




PostPosted: Sun 31 Jan, 2016 1:51 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

My understanding has always been that the type of steel doesn't actually matter if the blade is not properly heat treated. I wonder if those swords are made of d2 tool steel just to throw out a name that sounds attractive.
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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
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PostPosted: Sun 31 Jan, 2016 2:21 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I have a dane axe with a welded on D2 edge and it works great. But I have also heard it's not the easiest steel to heat treat to a desired combination of toughness and hardness.
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Jared Smith




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PostPosted: Sun 31 Jan, 2016 4:51 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I can understand it making a good axe bit, as the cutting edge can be very hard in relation to the ductile body (was recommended for machette..) D2 is air hardening, and hardens very easily. For small knives, a blast of compressed air from a shop system hose can be all that is needed for a very hard and rigid knife. My thoughts were that it would have to be very slowly cooled if heated, and possibly might be ok if it were just ground cold as annealed... It would take a great deal of experimentation.
Absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence!
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Herbert Schmidt




Location: Austria / Europe
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PostPosted: Sun 31 Jan, 2016 11:34 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I have a sword made from D2 and it works great, did a lot of test cutting with it.
I am very pleased with it.
Although it is a katana type blade, so there is almost no flexibility.

www.arsgladii.at
Historical European Martial Arts
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Daniel Wallace




Location: Pennsylvania USA
Joined: 07 Aug 2011

Posts: 580

PostPosted: Mon 01 Feb, 2016 7:18 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

D2, tuff. tuff! tuff stuff!

normally, D2 is a steel used where you would expect a lot of wear and tear. machined parts I guess would be a good example.

in knife making, it is excellent in my opinion, I've have a pocket knife of d2 that has lasted the test of may years, the edge holds far longer than other alloys, and is truly a tool making alloy. draw back is that it does eat my stones when honing it.

I also am thinking of having an axe made with the bit of d2 just because I like its toughness factor. I'd think you'd want to keep d2 use to a minimum in making blades due to its cost vs spring steels. a spring steel sword costing $500 may cost $1000 out of d2. its over kill like making a letter opener out of S7.

if you compare it to spring steel, it is rates higher on the Rockwell scale, but tensile strength is what you would be looking for in flex strengths and I don't know of a scale to measure that. if anything it may resist flex.
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Jeffrey Faulk




Location: Georgia
Joined: 01 Jan 2011

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PostPosted: Mon 01 Feb, 2016 7:56 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

As I have said elsewhere:

Type of steel only matters a little bit. What's more important is who is making it and their skill and familiarity with the craft. A good craftsman can turn out good product even with mediocre supplies, or he/she will tell you they can't do it.
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