Is D2 Steel Good For A Fixed Blade Knife

Blacksmith, A2 Steel knife sharpening With many knife owners (and thus for knifemakers too), the emphasis when it comes to knives has always been around doing well for all the crucial factors. That ways for a steel to qualify every bit a good "all-around steel" for knives, it should offer acceptable performance levels for the following: edge memory, ease of sharpening, toughness and corrosion resistance.

The A2 steel is ane such steel, and it's a popular selection for fixed blade knives. With this review, nosotros will discover out exactly what the A2 steel has to offer for all these factors. Nosotros will delve deep into its chemical makeup, and compare it directly to other similar steels. We volition find out whether its features, advantages, and drawbacks match up with your own requirements.

Quick Navigation

1 What is A2 steel?
two Mutual Uses of A2 steel
three A2 steel Chemical Composition
4 A2 steel hardness
5 Properties of A2 steel
- 5.one Piece of cake to Work With
- 5.2 Affordable
- v.3 Extremely Tough
- 5.4 Good Edge Memory
- 5.5 Relatively Easy to Sharpen
- 5.6 Acceptable Corrosion Resistance
6 A2 Equivalent Steels or Alternative
- 6.1 A2 Steel vs D2
- 6.ii A2 vs o1 Steel
- 6.3 A2 Steel vs 3v
- 6.four A2 Steel vs M2
vii Is A2 Steel Proficient for Knives?
8 Pros & Cons of A2 steel
nine Decision
ten Oft Asked Questions
- 10.1 Does A2 steel rust?
- x.2 Is A2 steel stainless?
- 10.3 Is A2 steel difficult to sharpen?
- 10.4 Is A2 steel magnetic?

What is A2 steel?

A2 steel is a type of tool steel that also contains loftier carbon levels, along with significant levels of vanadium. Information technology's very versatile, chiefly noted for its excellent toughness and its dimensional stability after hardening and tempering.

Brands that work with A2 steel notice information technology easy to work with, and consumers appreciate its affordable price and its good overall performance. It's used in many types of cutting tools, along with other industrial components such as dies.

Mutual Uses of A2 steel

This tin be a long list, every bit A2 steel is used for a wide range of unlike products. You tin can find A2 steel used for:

Knives
Shear blades
Cut tools for woodworking
Hammers
Precision tools
Many different types of dies (large blanking dies, extrusion dies, forming dies, trimming dies, coining dies, stamping dies, and thread roller dies)
Slitters
Mandrels
Gauges
Plastic injection tooling
Master hubs
Rolls
Long punches
Dowel pins
Chuck jaws

A2 steel Chemical Composition

Permit's cheque out the elements in the A2 steel blend makeup.

Carbon, 0.9% to 1.05%
Chromium, iv.ix% to 5.3%
Molybdenum, 0.9% to ane.ane%
Manganese, 0.4% to 0.6%
Vanadium, 0.15% to 0.2%
Silicon, 0.2% to 0.35%
Phosphorus, 0.025% at the nearly
Sulfur, 0.005% at the most

Carbon, 0.9% to one.05%: This makes the A2 a type of carbon steel, with significant amounts of carbon to boost its edge retentiveness and wear resistance. The carbon also improves the hardenability of the A2 steel. The amount of carbon is just right, so that the steel remains tolerably ductile and easy to car.

Chromium, 4.9% to 5.3%: This is not enough to brand the A2 part of the stainless-steel category. But it nevertheless helps with corrosion resistance, and it also improves the hardenability of the steel.

Molybdenum, 0.9% to 1.1%: This is a carbide one-time that boosts the steel's strength in high temperatures, its creep strength, and its hardenability. It generally works combined with the manganese and vanadium.

Manganese, 0.4% to 0.6%: This has furnishings similar to carbon, and it's frequently considered the most of import element adjacent to carbon itself. Information technology improves tensile strength and hardenability, and also helps in taking out the sulfur and the oxygens from the molten steel. But the corporeality is limited, since too much manganese tin pb to lower ductility.

Vanadium, 0.15% to 0.ii%: The vanadium improves its resistance to fatigue stress and wear. It also boosts the hardenability, shock loading resistance, and toughness confronting fractures.

Silicon, 0.ii% to 0.35%: This also acts as a deoxidizer, significant that it helps take out oxygen bubbles from the molten steel. It strengthens the iron and makes the steel harder, though it reduces the ductility which is why not much of it is used.

Phosphorus, 0.025% at the well-nigh: This is usually regarded as an impurity, hence the tiny amount allowed in the alloy. At this level though, the phosphorus does boost the hardness and strength of the steel. Yous merely don't desire as well much of it, because that tin lead to brittleness.

Sulfur, 0.005% at the mos:. This is another "impurity" that can help at extremely tiny amounts. It boosts the machinability of the steel.

A2 steel hardness

The specific hardness of the A2 steel volition depend on the heat treatment used. In about cases, the HRC rating will range within 57 to 62 HRC. Its hardness is more often than not because of the relatively loftier carbon content, though the insufficiently lower chromium content (compared to the chromium content in D2 and D3 steels) means that it'southward not quite as resistant to abrasion and wear.

But information technology's relatively like shooting fish in a barrel to machine, and its hardness ensures a practiced edge for a good while.

Backdrop of A2 steel

working with A2 steel Check out what features you can expect from A2 steel.

Easy to Work With

This is one of the main reasons why it's still used by lots of brands for knives after 60 years. It'southward relatively piece of cake to machine, and it doesn't deform easily. Information technology maintains its dimensional stability nicely after hardening and tempering.

Lots of amateur metalsmiths and budding knifemakers also like working with A2 steel. In fact, yous may want to specify the utilise of A2 steel for a custom knife.

Affordable

A2 steel knives are generally more affordable. It's because of the relatively simple chemical makeup, and also considering it's simply so like shooting fish in a barrel for knife manufacturers to work with.

Extremely Tough

This simply won't scrap off hands, and it tin withstand hacking uses that tin can break and chip off harder steels. That'southward why information technology'due south popular for fixed blade knives, and specially for use in outdoor activities. It'south tougher than almost all the knife steels out there.

Good Edge Retention

You won't accept to sharpen the knife every twenty-four hours, and surely not in the middle of the day. In fact, some A2 knives tin can be used daily for a couple of months before it needs to be sharpened. Information technology keeps its border nicely, although its edge memory isn't at the super-steel level.

Relatively Easy to Acuminate

You can utilise water stones or basic Arkansas stones just fine, and it won't have you a very long while.

Acceptable Corrosion Resistance

That means you can employ this in boiling areas and it won't rust with proper maintenance. But you lot will have issues with patina, since it's non stainless steel.

A2 Equivalent Steels or Alternative

A2 Steel vs D2

maintaining a sharp edge The D2 offers a greater balance in terms of all-effectually functioning. Information technology'southward slightly ameliorate at maintaining a abrupt edge, it's somewhat easier to acuminate, and it'southward fifty-fifty a tad ameliorate at resisting corrosion.

On the other hand, the A2 is notably tougher, which means information technology'south less likely to fleck off. If you're going to prioritize toughness when you use a knife more than for hacking, and then perhaps the A2 is the improve selection. The A2 is also generally more affordable, since information technology'due south easier for brands to work with.

A2 vs o1 Steel

The o1 is another good all-around performer. It matches the toughness and the edge retentiveness of A2, while it'southward slightly easier to sharpen. On the other hand, the A2 is much more than corrosion-resistant.

A2 Steel vs 3v

Many also consider the 3v as the ideal steel for a fixed bract knife (peculiarly when the price is as well factored in). The 3v is astoundingly tough, and you lot won't really find some other steel that'due south tougher than 3v. Yet the 3v border retentivity is too a bit improve than what you get with the A2 steel.

On the other hand, yous volition discover the A2 steel easier to sharpen, and it'due south also a lot more affordable.

A2 Steel vs M2

The M2 can be quite hard, and its border retentiveness is amend than the A2. But the A2 is easier to sharpen, as the M2 is definitely problematic when it comes to sharpening. The A2 is better at corrosion resistance, and it'due south also much tougher.

Is A2 Steel Practiced for Knives?

In many ways, it's really ideal. This is if you gene in the price. Undoubtedly, some of the premium steels can outperform the A2 in all near or fifty-fifty all crucial factors. Only y'all'll have to pay a lot more than for these knives.

With its toughness, the A2 steel is unlikely to chip off with proper utilise. The border retention is quite skillful, and fifty-fifty with difficult daily apply information technology may take a couple of months before you absolutely need to sharpen the knife. And when you do need to sharpen it, the process is quite elementary and easy.

It'southward not stainless steel though, so eventually y'all will develop a patina on the blade. Simply at to the lowest degree it won't hands rust with proper maintenance. A2 steel has been used in knives since the 1960s, and many traditionalists notwithstanding like it.

Pros & Cons of A2 steel

Pros

Fantastic toughness
Good edge memory
Acceptable corrosion resistance
Relatively easy to sharpen
Very affordable
Great for large fixed knives

Cons

It will definitely rust without proper maintenance
Many carbon steels are easier to acuminate
Patina will exist an issue somewhen
Not the best choice for EDC

Conclusion

It'southward truthful that the A2 is a proficient steel, every bit information technology's been around and used for knives since the 1960s. True, since that time there have been a lot of terrific metals that have been introduced, and some are even better all-around performers.

But at its price range, A2 is a terrific pick and quite undecayed. You will simply need to keep it properly wiped and stale to keep corrosion at bay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does A2 steel rust?

It's not stainless steel, so the danger of rust is greater if y'all don't take care of information technology properly. Even so, if you go along the bract dry with a paper towel after using, and so rust shouldn't be a problem even if you live in a boiling area.

The main issue is the patina buildup, which is about inevitable afterwards some time. But you can wearisome this down by using an alcohol prep pad to wipe down the blade after using, and and then you can use a newspaper towel to dry the blade.

Is A2 steel stainless?

No, it's not stainless steel. You need 10% to 12% chromium to qualify, and you get simply 5% chromium in A2 steel. So, you really want to wipe this down whenever it gets wet.

Is A2 steel hard to sharpen?

No, it'due south really easy to acuminate compared to other steels. Y'all don't even need diamond stones, as water stones will do just fine.

Is A2 steel magnetic?

A2 steel is a tool steel, and all tool steels are ferromagnetic. Ferromagnetic steels are easily magnetized.