Benchmade “Bone Collector” in D2

[cbwx34]

So, when I realized I didn’t care about the car race today :whistle: … I sharpened a D2 Benchmade…

15 deg. per side to a .5m finish…

Part of the reason I did this was because of some recent reading I did, that said D2 cannot take a low angle (lower than about 18 deg.) and/or a fine finish, because the large carbides will just fall out, and they also won’t allow for a fine finish.

So, after sharpening, I cut some phone book pages… got a smooth cut, then cut some cardboard… about a dozen or so cuts, then cut some more phonebook paper. Still gives a smooth cut. Also feels smooth running my fingernail along the blade, and checking with a Razor Edge tester.

So, so far so good. Will carry it for a while and see how it holds an edge. I’ve used CPM-D2 before, but not plain D2 as an EDC.

Any thought’s or comments on this? The impression I got from some of the reading, was that any cutting at all (especially of cardboard), would result in an edge that felt rough or chipped. Maybe I just need to do a bit more cutting.

Attachments:

• BnClctr01.jpg
• BnClctr02.jpg
• BnClctr03.jpg

[Ken Buzbee]

Thanks Curtis. This is a question I’ve been wondering about a lot, recently. Recent discussions on the Spyderco forum would lead to the same conclusions but I’m interested to see how your tests work out.

Keep us posted!

Ken

[Geocyclist]

Curtis,

Thanks for sharing. I still have a Benchmade 940 in D2 I am waiting to sharpen. I will probably go 17.5 as 15 looked too severe a bevel for the 940 blade. But the myth or truth of D2 not holding a fine edge is also a concern.

Please report back later after some more use. I am curious how it holds up.

[Josh]

Haha! I’ve had my BC for about 2 months now… it holds a GREAT edge! I haven’t taken it past 1k diamonds though as I like a very toothy, yet refined edge for EDC. I keep it at 17*/side and it *seems* to actually hold an edge better than my Spyderco Manix XL in S30V (also at 17*/side). The whole “carbide” argument and info is kind of over my head as I have read a lot on it but don’t understand much! lol

The BC is very smooth opening and closing… if you hold down the Axis lock it will literally fall open or closed. The only thing I don’t like so far is the square edges on the handle… they need to be a little more rounded I think.

Let us know how your testing goes!

[James Bare]

I have been carrying and cutting a little bit of everything including lots of cardboard boxes with my D2 griptilian, never had any chipping problems or carbides falling out. I also polished it to a nice shiny (ain’t gonna call it mirror on here) edge with no problems.

On a side note I took my d2 grip and my 15030 bone collector and sharpened them both to the same 17 degree angle with the only difference being where I finished with each blade. I stopped at the 1k stone on my grip and 10 strokes per side with the 5 and 3.5 leather strops with the bc. Both cut great, so far the stropped edge seems to cut a lot more effortlessly, but I have a lot more cutting to do.

[cbwx34]

Thanks for the feedback and input from others about their specific experience in this. Glad to see the interest… keep it coming!

[cbwx34]

Quick update… I did some cutting of some rope and cardboard a couple of days ago, and developed a wire edge… either the edge failed and “rolled” or there was a wire edge that I didn’t detect… although weird that it took a while to show? (But no chipping that I could find).

So, made a light 90 deg. pass on the ceramic to remove any “weakened” metal, resharpened to the same level as before, and did a few cuts of paper and cardboard… so far so good.

Any thoughts? Could of been my sharpening… maybe I missed it.

[Ken Buzbee]

Any thoughts? Could of been my sharpening… maybe I missed it.

I suppose pilot error is possible.

Cliff (Stamp) had a very interesting post on the Spyderco forum about his Nikkala. Some light use really destroyed the edge. His working theory is the heat from the initial mfg actually burned it. It improved greatly after he removed a bit of the factory edge. Possibility?

One thing I’ve noticed is how the WEPS has really redefined my perception of sharp. Used to be I’d put the knife to stones and when it push cut newsprint I was happy. Now I’m pouring over the edge with a loop looking for microscopic flaws too small to see with my eye, and working the edge until they are gone (sigh)

Ken

[Josh]

Quick update… I did some cutting of some rope and cardboard a couple of days ago, and developed a wire edge… either the edge failed and “rolled” or there was a wire edge that I didn’t detect… although weird that it took a while to show? (But no chipping that I could find).

So, made a light 90 deg. pass on the ceramic to remove any “weakened” metal, resharpened to the same level as before, and did a few cuts of paper and cardboard… so far so good.

Any thoughts? Could of been my sharpening… maybe I missed it.

Good call on the 90* pass… There’s only one way to find out, keep testing it!

I have found that my BC sharpened to 17*/side holds an edge for a WHILE and doesn’t chip out or degrade very quickly at all… especially with light strop touch-ups =)

[Fred Hermann]

My Leek with CPM-D2 has held an edge at what ever angle I chose to play with, so I call BS on hte chipping crystal thing. At least not with this steel.
I also am not knowledgeable enough to know the difference between regular D2, and CPM-D2, but from a practical standpoint, I’m not seeing it. My home made D2 junk utility knife preforms the same….

[cbwx34]

I also am not knowledgeable enough to know the difference between regular D2, and CPM-D2….

My understanding is that it better mixes the carbides, and reduces grain size.

Attachments:

• CPMSteel.png

[Tom Whittington]

I stopped at the 1k stone on my grip and 10 strokes per side with the 5 and 3.5 leather strops with the bc.

I’ve basically made the 1k diamond + cleanup strokes with the 5->3.5um strops my de facto EDC edge over the past couple months. It seems to work great on anything and isn’t much more work on top of just stopping on the 1k stones. At least until my 1k stones wear in a bit more I think hitting the edge with the strops does a great job of balancing toothy and refined edge.

[Mark76]

My understanding is that it better mixes the carbides, and reduces grain size.

Interesting pictures, Curtis. Where did you get them from? I also wonder whether these pics really make sense. As far as I know the carbide size in “conventional” steels varies widely.

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[Ken Buzbee]

I also wonder whether these pics really make sense. As far as I know the carbide size in “conventional” steels varies widely.

Which is exactly what that picture shows. The CPM shot shows smaller and more uniformly distributed carbides where the conventional shot has sizes and concentrations all over the map, from large ares of solid carbide to huge areas of no carbide. Makes sense to me…

Ken

[Mark76]

I also wonder whether these pics really make sense. As far as I know the carbide size in “conventional” steels varies widely.

Which is exactly what that picture shows. The CPM shot shows smaller and more uniformly distributed carbides where the conventional shot has sizes and concentrations all over the map, from large ares of solid carbide to huge areas of no carbide. Makes sense to me…

Ken[/quote]

I guess we misunderstand eachother. I was trying to say that the carbide size in “conventional” steels may vary widely from steel type to steel type. (Also within one steel, but that is not what I was trying to say.) In other words: what is a conventional steel? For example, 12C26 is a conventional (?) steel that has quite small carbides that are quite uniformly distributed. See, e.g., http://www.smt.sandvik.com/en/products/strip-steel/strip-products/knife-steel/knife-steel-knowledge/important-factors/microstructure/ . D2 is indeed quite “bad”, both with regard to maximum particle size and evenness of distribution.

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

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