D2 knife question

[Bucksaw]

I have a question for the knife making crowd. I was given a piece of D2 bar stock several years ago and finally got around to using it. Made myself a nice little EDC/skinner with it, and when it came to the heat treat, I got confused. I see a lot of information online, and even asked on a couple of knife forum and Facebook groups. Still confused because I keep getting contradictory information. Some say air quench, some say plate quench. Some say cyo treat, others say just temper once cool enough to touch. Some say temper at 400and still others say up to 900.

My usual process for hardening my recycled steels are to heat to 1500 and quench in canola oil, then temper to 425 for an hour for two cycles.

Can anyone tell me if my usual process will yeild a usable knife that I can use reliably and hold a decent edge, or is the cryogenic process absolutely necessary for edge retention.

[argel55]

Heat treat in foil to 1870 for 30 minutes, plate cool, I cryo but some triple temper 400 degrees room temp between each one. Cryoing I do two 400 tempers.

[Bucksaw]

So how does the extra temper take the place of a cryo treatment?

[argel55]

You'd have to ask Dozier that question.

[Puggy625]

You don't NEED to do cryo quench, I used to send my knives to have them heat treated and cryo treated before I got my oven. I honestly haven't noticed a difference in my knives by not doing it. Now I just heat treat and temper at 450 for 2 hours, let cool naturally to room temperature and repeat. Ready to go. I'm sure other's will possibly have differing opinions though.

[175gr7.62]

Buy a Havalon. I haven’t touched my $400 custom knives since. My D2 knives are just too hard to sharpen.


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[Bucksaw]

You don't NEED to do cryo quench, I used to send my knives to have them heat treated and cryo treated before I got my oven. I honestly haven't noticed a difference in my knives by not doing it. Now I just heat treat and temper at 450 for 2 hours, let cool naturally to room temperature and repeat. Ready to go. I'm sure other's will possibly have differing opinions though.

This is the kind of information I was looking for. I just want it to perform at least as well as my HC blades do. Thanks.

[Jason Fry]

D2 knife question

I like 1850 for D2. Foil packet with a 15-20 min soak at temp. I plate quench. Provides faster cooling than air quench, which makes less retained austentite. I personally think I’d cryo as the continuation of the quench. Instead of cryoing between tempers, I cryo right after the quench, then do my two tempers at 450. This minimizes the retained austentite. RA tends to be brittle, and is generally not as good as martensite for edge retention properties.

And when I say cryo, I use dry ice and kerosene, about -100 F. Some use liquid nitrogen, even colder.

Each of us has our own ideas about HT process. That’s why you get different answers.


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[muzzlebrake]

Jason is correct about different methods.
I don't mess with D2 much but my quick and easy is to wrap loosely in foil with a small piece of paper inside. Foil has to be sealed airtight. Heat to non magnetic and hold for 15 minutes. Take out and cut end off of foil with scissors so the blade drops out point first into Parks 50 heated to 120 or so. Temper @ 425 three times. Works pretty good for short blades I make. I like to have pretty much all my grinding except edge bevel done before heat treating. D2 is a PITA to grind or sand after hardening. Makes 220 grit feel like worn out 800 or 1000 grit. CruforgeV is another one hard to work after heat treating. Like D2 it will also air harden on you real quick.

[Outback]

Jason is correct about different methods.
I don't mess with D2 much but my quick and easy is to wrap loosely in foil with a small piece of paper inside. Foil has to be sealed airtight. Heat to non magnetic and hold for 15 minutes. Take out and cut end off of foil with scissors so the blade drops out point first into Parks 50 heated to 120 or so. Temper @ 425 three times. Works pretty good for short blades I make. I like to have pretty much all my grinding except edge bevel done before heat treating. D2 is a PITA to grind or sand after hardening. Makes 220 grit feel like worn out 800 or 1000 grit. CruforgeV is another one hard to work after heat treating. Like D2 it will also air harden on you real quick.

^^^And this is why I don't mind paying for a nice knife. You guys go to great lengths to make them functional and purty. That is ALOT of work and trial and error to get it perfect. Thanks to all of you who craft functional works of art.

[Bucksaw]

I like 1850 for D2. Foil packet with a 15-20 min soak at temp. I plate quench. Provides faster cooling than air quench, which makes less retained austentite. I personally think I’d cryo as the continuation of the quench. Instead of cryoing between tempers, I cryo right after the quench, then do my two tempers at 450. This minimizes the retained austentite. RA tends to be brittle, and is generally not as good as martensite for edge retention properties.

And when I say cryo, I use dry ice and kerosene, about -100 F. Some use liquid nitrogen, even colder.

Each of us has our own ideas about HT process. That’s why you get different answers.


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So, since the cryo process is the part I am going to have problems with sourcing the materials for, would placing it in the freezer after the quench do anything beneficial or just waste the time soent freezing it?

[Jason Fry]

Freezer wouldn’t hurt anything, but dry ice would be better. I buy mine at the local united grocery store. It’s not that difficult to find.


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[coachk]

You'd have to ask Dozier that question.

Hahahaha, and he ain't telling ANYBODY!!

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[Bucksaw]

Gonna give her another try today. We'll see what happens.

[Bucksaw]

Oil quench went well. Developed a slight warp where I stamped my mark on it but I go most of it out. This stuff cools quicker than I thought so I was scared to try to get the rest out, but its mine so I’ll be OK. Also has some stubborn decarb scale that didnt want to come off with the wire wheel. I bet the belt grinder can handle it though. Went in for the first temper and the oven is happily ticking away. Will update when finished.