Hello All!<br><br>A friend of mine has a contact who custom design knifeblades in industrial grade D2 tool-steel. And He claims that it has properties almost as that of ATS34 knifesteel. Does anyone have any thoughts on the subject?<br>I could log on a knife-site but would rather relly on the thoughts of this forum´s members as I find most post down to earth and thoughtful.<br>Would the knife be hard to resharpen if I used a diamond sharpener due to its hardness (My designed is to have a Mora-knife edge=20-22degrees). Would anyone recomend an old fashion carbon blade for its tensile strength (almost bendable)?<br><br>Any thoughts appreciated!<br><br>Stefan, Sweden

Stefan,The Blade Forum has more references and input on knife steels than I could read in one sitting. It all comes down to what the knife will be used for predominately,where and when. You have the spendid sandvik steels with the laminated blades; easily sharpened ( and sharp initially!) and Scandinavian ground. I assume you have one allready in a favourite pattern and size. If it's worked all these centuries on Birchtrees, reindeer, and rogue Saami why fix it? Then again, why not another knife in thecollection!?

Stefan: Assuming a good heat treat ala Dozier, D2 may well be THE tool steel for knives. It is nearly "stainless(12% chromium vs the threshold 13%) and holds an edge spectacularly. I have no especial difficulty sharpening mine with diamond hones.

> And He claims that it has properties almost as that of >ATS34 knifesteel<br><br>D-2 is an excellent choice for a cutlery steel. I'd say your friend is under-selling D-2. D-2 will outperform ATS-34 in every performance category -- ability to take an edge, edge holding, toughness, strength. The only thing ATS-34 will do better than D-2 is resist rust. And D-2 is fairly rust-resistant for a tool steel; it has enough chromium to make it kind of semi-stainless.<br><br>In short, if you're looking for maximum performance, and you're willing to give the knife a bit of extra maintenance, then D-2 is the no-brainer choice. If you want more rust resistance, ATS-34 works better. <br>

Thanks Everyone for the imput!<br><br>As the price offered to me was _very_ good for a custom designed blade, I decided to put some of my preferences into the blade, such as a full tang and thicker blade. The Mora-knifes, although execellent for birch, reindeer and rouge saami (?) has plastic or wooden handles that I think, would not stand for survival abuse. A full tang is stronger and one would be able to use the knife even if the handle side-pieces are broken or lost. My design will probably be the size of a F1-survival knife or a good old Mora-knife.<br>Well, its probably the same problem with this blade as with all other gear; as one finds a good piece of kit, someone produces a better item. :o/<br><br>Stefan, Sweden

Stefan, rogue= outlaw, as in the vikings that got exiled in the sagas and sailed west. I was just exchanging emails with my mora/puukko dealer. He said splitting wood could be done CAREFULLY with a large leukko, but the reduced tang could easily snap with any torque. Its easy to overlook the regional criteria and uses for a traditional knife and expect it to function equally well in today's global community. At least engrave runes or a reindeer on the D2 for luck!

Joe,<br><br>Thanks for chiming in with your experience and expertise. Welcome to The Survival Forum!

Thanks Doug! Cool forum you have. I've been reading for a bit, but didn't get a chance to say anything until now