If you are one of those people who love to have an OTF knife as part of your everyday carrying items, you’ll be happy to know that knife laws are changing all over the United States. That means as a collector who once could not get their hands on automatic knives, now you can.
And how handy is it to have a knife in your pocket when you need to cut open an Amazon delivery, cut rope and cables, or do some quick DIY repair work? We understand. And we have seen an increasing number of men and women joining the EDC club and looking for information on what knife is the best for them.
Let’s cut right into it. We’ve done our research, and if you spring into our inventory, you will see our OTF knives have a large selection of D2 blade steel. If you’re wondering why that’s important, we take a closer look at the durability of D2 blade steel here.
Tough as Nails
The fact is, you don’t need to be afraid to put D2 knife blade steel through its paces. D2 steel keeps an edge much longer than other steel. Its composition can be thanked for this: Carbon (1.4 – 1.6%), Manganese (.6%), Cobalt (1%), Chromium (11-13%), Vanadium (1.1%), and Molybdenum (.07%-1.20%).
A Look Behind the Make-Up of a D2 Steel Knife
A D2 knife blade steel’s Carbon content is added for strength and toughness — giving the knife the endurance needed to perform for long periods. Just the right amount of Manganese is necessary to add hardness to a blade.
Too much Manganese, and your D2 steel knife will be brittle. The 6% Manganese added to the D2 composition allows the blade to hold a sharp edge for an extended time.
To make steel harder, it must be heat treated at extremely high temperatures. However, when heat treated, high temperatures can reduce the hardness of the steel. Although the reduction of hardness is slight, it leaves the opportunity for a brittle blade during use.
Tempering is necessary for the overall performance of the blade, so this is where Cobalt gets introduced. Cobalt can maintain its hardness at higher temperatures—no brittle D2 knife blade steel here.
Let’s take a sharp turn and talk about corrosion for a second. The 11-13% Chromium adds corrosion protection to D2 steel, helping make it the high wear blade. But why?
Chromium is used as a thin layer or film that acts as a barrier protecting the underlying metal. Limiting oxygen and moisture access to the blade and overall restricting its ability to rust.
You will find Vanadium in many high-quality tools for its strength element. In D2 steel, the Vanadium component works together with Manganese making the blade a powerhouse for holding an edge. Lastly, Molybdenum is a quadruple threat as its properties increase strength, hardness, resistance to corrosion, and resistance to wear.
And that’s that. The D2 blade steel is an automatic yes for us when choosing blade steel. The combination of metals makes D2 steel a strong, durable, and reliable blade material. All D2 blade steel knives on our website come with an HRC Hardness Rating. Premium HRC ratings are between 59-66.
Our TK PRO Collection
The TK PRO is a collection of premium knives crafted for reliability, durability, and high wear resistance. A D2 steel knife makes the cut for us and should for you as well.
For more information or to get in touch with us.
