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All About D2 Tool Steel

All About D2 Tool Steel

Two rolls of D2 tool steel

Perhaps you have been scanning your favorite social media site or online marketplace and realized that many of the ‘Cooler-Looking’ knives are stamped with the letter ‘D’ with the number ‘2’ directly beside it. “What the heck does that mean?” “Is it a brand I’ve never heard of?!” Nope. You, my internet friend, have just stumbled upon one of the best steel formulations ever discovered.

Ontario Rat II with D2 Steel Blade

D2 tool steel is a high-carbon steel that is widely used in the knife industry. It is often regarded as a ‘super steel’ due to its exceptional properties and heavy-duty applications, which make it suitable for a wide range of real-world purposes. They don’t call the stuff ‘Tool Steel’ for no reason. So, let’s get into the history, characteristics, and properties of D2 knife steel, and by the end of this article, you’ll know EXACTLY WHY they call D2, THE ‘Tool Steel’.

History of D2 Knife Steel

D2 knife steel is a high-carbon tool steel that was first developed by Crucible Industries in the late 1970s. It was designed to be hard and tough, with excellent wear resistance, and was marketed as a superior metal for cutting tools and knife blades. Knife manufacturers quickly took notice and their customers quickly caught on to the wonders of this miracle steel. For decades, since its initial introduction to the market, D2 steel has become one of the most popular materials for knife manufacturers, mainly due to its INSANE ability to hold an edge for extended periods of time.

Benchmade knife with powder blue handle and D2 blade

Characteristics and Properties

D2 tool steel has several excellent characteristics that make it a popular choice for knife makers and the users that purchase these knives. This ‘super steel’ is known for its exceptional wear resistance, edge maintainability, and its ability to sustain unorthodox maneuvers, such as being used as a pry bar or batoning. D2 steel is also highly resistant to corrosion, thanks to its high chromium content, which makes it suitable for use in wet or brackish environments. It really is a ‘super steel’.

hinderer folding knife with g10 scales

In addition to its wear resistance, D2 steel is also known for its overall toughness, which makes it suitable for use in hard-use tasks such carving. What I am really trying to get at here, is that D2 is a ‘no joke’ steel that can take a SERIOUS beating. Surprisingly, it is also relatively easy to sharpen and suitable for everyday carry tasks such as opening packages or cutting steak.

The hardness of D2 ranges from approximately 58-61 on the Rockwell C scale, making it particularly suitable for use in heavy use and outdoor survival tasks. However, it should be noted that the hardness of D2 steel, or any steel for that matter, can vary depending on the heat treatment process used by the manufacturer. So, always make sure to buy from a quality manufacturer such as Benchmade.

Rockwell hardness chart of D2 tool steel

Another advantage of D2 steel is that knife makers have found it easy to work with, making it suitable for use in a variety of knife patterns and designs. Due to the high carbon content, the steel formulation allows for the creation of different finishes, such as a hamon, which is a popular Japanese blade finish that uses a combination of clay with a specialized heat treatment in order to create a distinctive patterning on the blade itself. The bottomline is that you really can’t go wrong with D2 tool steel. It is a wonderful ‘super steel’ with a variety of uses. Thank you for reading.

My Absolute Favorite FULL TANG Bowie Knife

My Absolute Favorite FULL TANG Bowie Knife

If you have never gotten your hands on the Buck 124, then you definitely need to. There are many things that I ABSOLUTELY love about the blade. It comes out of the box with a RAZOR sharp 6-1/4″ blade made from 420HC steel. The build is absolutely solid. I’ve used mine quite extensively for over two years now and it is still rock solid, no rattling, minimal sharpening needed, and perfectly capable of batoning. For these reasons alone, I think that the Buck 124 is the best full tang bowie knife.

western bowie knife
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The Grip of the Buck 124

The grip is solid and secure. It is a black micarta handle with curves and palm swells that allow for the perfect grip. It fits in my hands perfectly and I wear large size gloves. There is a bit of extra room, so if you wear XL gloves you shouldn’t have a problem. The aluminum pommel is a nice touch as well. It does add a bit of extra weight, which is the only caveat. However, I will take a bit of extra weight for a good looking knife.

The Leather Case

leather sheath of bowie blade
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The case is quite convenient. The Buck 124 bowie knife is designed for best carry, and if that is what you plan on doing with it, then it will serve you well. The case is made from genuine, high quality leather.

Made in the USA

best bowie knife of all time

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The knife is made in the USA. So, if you are a fan of USA made stuff, then this is the knife for you. I am bias to Japanese knives personally, especially tanto knives, but lately the Americans have been making some extremely high quality knives. Buck has been making their knives in the USA since 1902. There are plenty of good reasons why Buck is still in business, and the Buck 124 is one of them.

The Spyderco Native – A Great Drop Point Knife

The Spyderco Native – A Great Drop Point Knife

Guess What I Found!

I was trolling around a Goodwill Thift Store one sunny summer afternoon. I was just about to go to a job interview and so I needed a pair of pants before I interviewed. So, after I found a pair of pants I strolled by the glass cased section and this beauty crossed my eyes. Yep, a Spyderco Native in S30V!

spyderco native drop point example

Forgive me for the blurry photos, my phone has a potato as a camera, but I was super stoked to have found this gem. Now you are probably wondering… Okay, great knife, how much – drum roll please…….  $4.98! As for the job, I didn’t get it. But, just getting the knife made the trip worth while. It was up in the gorgeous city of Chico, California. Beautiful city, super green with tons of trees.

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Lovely S30V Steel Blade

So, naturally after the job interview I started whittling on pieces of wood and making mini spears. I must say, the knife was kept in incredible condition. I managed to chip the blade though on a piece of oak wood. It was on a knot in the wood, but for $4.98, I wanted to test how far S30V could push.

s30v steel blade spyderco native

Turns out, this steel is pretty tough. I went HARD on the knife in a short amount of time and only managed to chip two small parts, which is much better than something I would expect from a 440C or an AUS8.

Any Other Blade Updates?

Unfortunately, this is all I’ve got for today, but I’ll let you know how this knife resharpens once I get the chips out of the blade and strop it to a razors edge. The next knife purchase that I have had my eye on is the Cold Steel American Lawman knife. I LOVE that black on black look. Maybe soon, but not today.

folding knife spyderco drop point native

 

The Amazing Japanese Wakizashi Sword

The Amazing Japanese Wakizashi Sword

An Awesome Edition To Any Collection

wakizashi japanese sword

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The Japanese have been making swords since the dawn of their existence. The Japanese Wakizashi is one of their most famous swords used by the Samurai. The Samurai were an elite fighting force that still exists to this day. However, they are much less relevant and dangerous that they once were thanks to the invention of firearms. Swords are still very prevalent even in the present. The Wakizashi is a sword that has been around for a long time.

 

 How the Japanese Wakizashi Blade is Designed

The best thing about the Wakizashi is how there are two separate types of metal used in the sword. There is a hardened center metal and a softer (but still very hard) metal on the outside.

handle of wakizashi sword

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The softer metal is used on the outside to get a razor sharp edge, while the hardened metal on the inside is used to give the sword strength. The design of the Japanese Wakizashi sword is why it is so deadly. Due to the design, it is very deadly at short distance.

 

How Powerful The Wakizashi Can Be

It breaks through bones easily (assuming it is razor sharp) so if someone was to try and defend themselves with a broomstick or another softer device, then the sword would slice right through it.

displayed wakizashi sword edge

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However, while this sword is primarily used as a weapon, it is also a piece of art. This sword would look great inside a living room on display.

Boker Besh Wedge Review

Boker Besh Wedge Review

Finally! A Neck Knife With A Besh Wedge!

Thank you Boker, finally someone in the knife industry decided to make a neck knife with a besh wedge! Boker was kind enough to create a beautiful blade with 4.25 inches worth of cutting edge. Most neck knives are so small that I can barely fit my large sized hands comfortably on them. However, Boker stepped their game up and made a knife that I can actually grip. I was so excited to get my hands on this knife when it first came out, and I am glad that I bought it. With that being said, there are some things that could be changed about this knife, but overall, it is a great knife. If you want to skip my besh wedge review and just go buy the knife, click the picture below. However, if you want to hear about all the nitty-gritty then keep on reading.

besh wedge review

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Slick Besh Wedge Design By Brent Beshara

Brent Beshara was the original designer of this besh wedge knife and I think that he did a great job. He hails from Canada, where it is so cold you need a knife just to cut through your frozen food. The knife looks slick overall. I understand that it is a neck knife, and being a neck knife it does have quite a bit of handle grip.

boker besh wedge knife

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However, I would have extended the handle a little further out, but I have bigger hands than the average person, so your opinion of the knife may be slightly different from mine. A person who wears medium sized gloves should find no issue with the size of the handle.

 

Kydex Sheath Included

One of the main reasons that I bought the Boker besh wedge neck knife is because of the fact that they included a Kydex sheath in the mix. I love Kydex. It is much better than your typical cheap plastic sheath that you get with most Chinese knives.

kydex sheath besh wedge blade

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Kydex is actually heat formed to make a better fit to the actual blade resting inside of it. I actually don’t know if I would have originally bought the blade had they not included the Kydex sheath. It was a major plus to the overall package.

Boker Besh Wedge Bottomline

In conclusion, I would buy the knife again if I didn’t already have one. I might gift a couple during the holidays to my friends and my nephew. While this knife isn’t a complete homerun for me, it has most of the features that I look for in a knife. However, I am a tad bias about this besh wedge review. I am bias because I have never really been a huge fan of neck knives. I get that there is a huge community of neck knife owners that swear by them. However, for me, I prefer to have a folding knife in my pocket. Having something around my neck gets annoying after a while. But that may just be me. If you personally love neck knives, then I recommend you pick one of these up.

 

Tanto Blade Advantages

Tanto Blade Advantages

Tanto Blades

-Advantages and Disadvantages-

*Pros & Cons of the Tanto Shape*

       Yes, I am a sucker for the tanto shape and I’m sure many others are as well.  That sexy triangular tipped steel can make a knife look quite awesome and deadly. However, there are some definite tanto blade advantages over say, a spear-point or drop-point edged knife. Unfortunately, due to that triangular shape, tanto blades have some disadvantages as well. While there are more than six advantages and disadvantages, I am going to hit the big three points for each. If you need more information on actual blade geometries of tanto knives, head over to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade#Geometry.

tanto blade example

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Tanto Blade Advantages

1. Tip Strength – This one should be pretty obvious, but due to the triangular shape leading to the tip, the tip has much more reinforcement behind it than a drop-point or spear-point. Unless you plan on regularly stabbing through car doors or using your knife as a shovel, this really shouldn’t play a huge factor. However, if you are using a knife in unorthodox fashion, then a tanto knife is for you. The tanto shape leads well to stab and pry, making it useful for numerous other tasks that most knives probably couldn’t handle. Tanto blades definitely make the cut when it comes to usefulness, ba-dum-tsss…

Gerber Prodigy Tanto Blade

Tanto Edged Knife Case for Gerber Prodigy

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2. Japanese Design – Alright, I have to give a shout out to the Japanese when it comes to knives. Japan manufactures some of the coolest looking knives that I have ever seen. Don’t believe me? Check out this knife and be amazed. The Japanese are also well known for their excellent steels. There are tanto knives made from VG-10 with amazing heat treatments from Japan that are absolutely incredible out there for sale today. Japan also makes a good AUS-8 steel. However, China is quickly joining the globe for the best knife production out there. While there may be excellent knives made everywhere, China has made production so inexpensive and quality to such an impressive value that it will be fun to see who can make the best knives in the near future. In my opinion, Japan is still making the best knives in the game. Tanto blades have pros and cons but most tanto shaped knife advantages are practical. If Al Mar made a tanto shaped knife in VG-10 then I think I would be in heaven. I have a spear point made by Al Mar and it is near perfect. A tanto blade would have made it absolutely perfect, but I can’t complain.

tanto knife by kershaw inc

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3. In The Field Serviceability – Since Tanto blades tend to have two flat edges without much curve, it is easier to sharpen a workable edge if you are in the field and don’t have sharpening equipment with you. This is one of the biggest tanto blade advantages even though they tend get a bad reputation for being impractical. However, this definitely doesn’t mean that sharpening a tanto edged knife is easy as you will see in the disadvantages below. You can sharpen a knife in the field using the edge of your cars glass windows or by bringing a sharpening stone with you. You could also find a flat stone out in the field that could be adequate for sharpening to a working edge.

Tanto Blade Disadvantages

1. Sharpening is a Pain – Since you have two separate bevels, instead of just sharpening one continuous edge, it feels like you are sharpening two knives since you have to switch between which bevel you are sharpening from time to time. However, it is a pretty simple to get a consistent edge on most tanto knives since they don’t tend to have much of a recurve in the blade.

2. Slicing Tasks Can Be More Difficult – Due to the fact that a tanto has two flat edges and almost no belly if you are slicing through a rough material then you probably aren’t going to have as easy of a time as you would with a drop-point or spear-point

.Tanto Blade Advantages

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3. Tanto Blades are Impractical – This goes back to point number one on the tanto blade advantages. If you aren’t planning on stabbing anything or anyone, a different style of blade with better slicing capabilities is much more practical for every day uses. While stabbing into your daily orange at lunch may be fun, slicing it with a drop point knife at the same sharpness would be much easier.

Bottomline

Tanto blades are awesome, but they aren’t very practical for every day uses. However, at I Luv Knives, we get it. You just like showing your knife off to friends while you do little daily tasks like opening letters, cutting meat, or slicing fruit, then a tanto blade will easily manage to complete these tasks. In fact, some of the best budget folding knives tend to have tanto edges. One of the best things about a tanto knife is how versatile they are for most tasks. While they are really made for piercing, using a knife blade shape such as the tanto can really make for a great overall experience.

History Behind The Tanto Edge

The tanto was originally created as a weapon, but throughout the years, it has evolved into a quite versatile knife. While the knife was designed for piercing, stabbing, and slashing, new versions of the tanto knife are great for every day carry. While there tends to be a sharp angle in a tanto edged blade, there are some manufacturers that have taken the liberty of modifying the angle to more of a drop point/tanto blade shape. While the best cheap pocket knife might not have a tanto edge, the blade shape is definitely noteworthy.

benchmade knife with tanto tip advantage

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Typical Uses Of A Tanto Blade

Tanto knives have all sorts of different uses. While many people today use them for every day carry, they have other practical uses as well. Many survival knives use a tanto point. Also, many tactical and fighting blades use a tanto edge as well. In fact, they are one of the types of blades that are most manufactured to date. They have a huge fan base that has developed over the years. Whether you are a fan of tanto blades or not, they are here to stay.

Sheepsfoot Blade Advantages

Sheepsfoot Blade Advantages

Why Would Anyone Want To Buy A Sheepsfoot or Wharncliffe Style Knife?

Short answer: They are Very Practical for Everyday Uses. Sheepsfoot blades have quite a few job-related uses and wharncliffe blades are great for many boating activities. While there are definitely sheepsfoot blade advantages, there are also some disadvantages to this bladeshape that will be discussed as well.

sheepsfoot blade advantages

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Sheepsfoot Blade Advantages

 

They Are Great For Carving Tasks

Have you ever been bored and had a knife on you with a stick nearby? Chances are, at one point you decided to carve that stick into a spear or other wooden creation. Well, many wharncliffe and sheepsfoot blades have a large belly portion that doesn’t curve upward to a pointy tip, allowing for a knife with excellent carving capabilities. Some wharncliffe knives have recurves built into them in order to allow for better slicing.

It’s Difficult To Accidentally Pierce Yourself

This is definitely one of the biggest sheepsfoot blade advantages. Anyone who uses a knife daily has most likely accidentally either stabbed or cut themselves. Well, since there isn’t a menacing tip on the end of a sheepsfoot or wharncliffe knife, badly stabbing yourself is pretty difficult to accomplish. There are some wharncliffe and sheepsfoot blades that do have sharp tips, but they are usually modified. A traditional sheepsfoot knife does not have a very sharp tip because of the smooth curve that transitions into the tip.

Works Perfectly Rescue Situations

Since there usually isn’t much of a tip, if any at all, sheepsfoot/wharncliffe blades are perfect for rescue/emergency situations. For example, if an EMT needed to cut an article of clothing off of someone in order to save their life, a sheepsfoot blade could cut through the clothing without much risk of accidentally stabbing the person.

sheepsfoot and wharncliffe knife

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Sheepsfoot Blade Disadvantages

1. Most sheepsfoot/wharncliffe style knives don’t have much of a tip. If you regularly need to pierce and cut different materials, these styles of knives probably aren’t going to be the best options. However, there are exceptions to every rule, take this knife or perhaps this one for example. Those knives are modified wharncliffe-style blades with very devastating-looking tips.

2. The sheepsfoot shape does not lend itself to being the greatest at cutting food. Since most blades curve up to a tip, you can have your knife at a slight angle and rock the knife from tip to handle as you are cutting food. This is difficult with a sheepsfoot or wharncliffe because you have to have the blade relatively flat against a material in order to slice it.

3. Many Models Seem More Tacti-cool, rather than practical. For example, this knife. If tacti-cool/mall ninja status is what you are going for, well, you’re welcome. If not, then stick to a more classical wharncliffe or sheepsfoot blade like the image below and steer clear of the modified ones.

benefits of a sheepsfoot knife

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Bottomline

Both sheepsfoot and wharncliffe blades usually don’t have much of a tip and can be very useful for carving, slicing, and rescue activities. They are very practical for most everyday uses. There are much more sheepsfoot blade advantages as opposed to disadvantages in our own personal opinions here at I Luv Knives.