Sharpening D2

[mrjsl]

Some people really get into sharpening things. I think it is a skill everyone should develop, but whether you want it to become your lifestyle is up to you.

I collect knives some, so I have a lot of them. There is always one in my right pocket. Most people who use it for anything rave about how sharp it is, but it is not as sharp as Murray Carter's knives I'm sure.

My take on sharpening is that it's a chore. I want my sharp things to be more than sharp enough for what I want to do.

I don't care if someone has one that is more sharp than mine.

I do not want to spend tons of time sharpening.

I do not want my sharpening needs to require thousands of dollars to obtain, or a laboratory to work with.

I want to be able to take it with me. Camping in remote areas, etc, and be able to sharpen whatever knives, broadheads, etc I have.

For me, the best thing is a DMT duosharp plate - fine on one side, ultra fine on the other. I use a large diasharp coarse plate for heavy jobs, and the duosharp for normal maintenance. There are a ton of products out there that can get my knife edge a little more perfect, but for mobility and versatility you can't beat one thin bench stone that only requires a little water to do an excellent job. If I use my knife a lot and it gets dull, it takes less than 3 minutes to touch up at the kitchen sink in the evening.

DMT diamond plates are better after you've used them a few times. Brand new ones aren't as good IMO. They do wear out after a while, but it takes a long while.

You do have to maintain consistent angles to have any luck with any kind of sharpening, but they do not have to be perfect angles You can get a knife extremely sharp with a steeper angle on one side than the other, and the world won't end. I freehand everything, and so my angles are not as precise as what you would get with a more methodical approach, of which there are many. But, I can always reach in my pocket and pull out a very sharp knife. That is what counts to me.

[Flying Dutchman]

I also collect and use knifes. I like to buy a different steel each time, so I can compare. I have 1095, 52-100, 440C, S30V. ATS-34, 420HC, 154-CM, AUS-8 and D2 of course.

As for sharpening is concerned: I moved since a long time over to the leather strop. It has two different coumpounds on both sides and I prefer this way of sharpening.
When you get the hang of it, its very easy and quick.

D2 (I own a KA-BAR impact-series) isn't harder to sharpen then any other steel. This steel gets a wicked sharp edge on the strop and D2 holds it long.