D2 Dozier treatment?

SRT

Active Member
I have been making knives for 6 -7 years now, mostly a hobby, but since I am retired now, I am going to some shows and selling more knives than just Christmas gifts etc.
I have gotten pretty descent at hardening and tempering of CPM 154 ,S30V , Damascus etc. I do have a RC hardness tester , the $900 Chinese one which appears to be accurate with a Wilson test block.
I use D2 periodically (my Step son Loves the D2 skinner I made him) and was wondering---- ( no disrespect to Mr Bob Dozier) but I have to ask:
I read that his method of handling D2 is Proprietary and I guess not shared with other knife makers. Is this true or does anyone know his technique or any other for getting the most out of D2? I am getting 58-59 but would like to do better with it .I have the Evenheat oven, aluminum plates, dry ice ( I know liquid Nitrogen is better) and use industry standard recipes . I only do stock removal and want to offer a Carbon steel along with the Crucible alloy steels and Damascus.
Im new to a forum and maybe there is a thread on this already. Just trying to learn more if I can. Thanks, Kurt
 
I don't know how Bob does it but I get 60 - 62 Rc by tempering at 350 degrees with no low temp temper. Bob has told me that he does not cryro his knives. D-2 is the best edge holding steel that I have ever used. Every time I skin,butcher and process a deer I'm am just amazed at my D-2 knives.
 
I have ZERO idea of what Mr Dozier does, but there has been some tweaking of the heat treat of some other higher alloy steels. In particular, the use of lower range of hardening temp, employing a medium speed oil to quench an otherwise air/plate hardening steel (minimizes RA), NO SNAP TEMPER....straight to sub zero bath or cryo (LN), temper one cycle, sub zero or cryo (LN) again, temper another cycle, quench in water, temper another cycle. This is modified from standard heat treats that usually say use the higher end of hardening range, standard plate/air quench, employ snap temper (minimize distortion), sub zero or cryo (LN), temper cycles.
 
I don't know how Bob does it but I get 60 - 62 Rc by tempering at 350 degrees with no low temp temper. Bob has told me that he does not cryro his knives. D-2 is the best edge holding steel that I have ever used. Every time I skin,butcher and process a deer I'm am just amazed at my D-2 knives.

Well I had average readings of 61.13 right after plate quench Austenized at 1850 /30 minutes---Dry ice was almost identical RC( nothing gained hardness wise)
I tempered twice at 425 ---1st draw 59-60 2nd draw 58.5 -59 Must have tempered too high and lost some hardness. I guess it is still a serviceable knife ??. It is a Tactical knife for a medic on gulf coast SWAT team to carry with kydex sheath ( a gift) wont be skinning etc.

My question , if I may, What was your overall heat treat procedure?
 
Hi I have been using the D-2 and I am getting 64.5 off the plates every time. I am using the recommended heat treating methods described on the Data sheet . I do not do any other treatment but I temper three times. I really feel that I am not loosing anything from this steel doing it this way. I usually temper to about 58 / 59 RC and I also have a hardness tester that is accurate according to all my testing blocks.

I am not a steel guy . I don't know all the lingo that gets thrown around and I don't know what R/A does or doesn't do in our application . But I do know how the steel cuts and holds a edge doing it this way and to be perfectly honest I sing high praise for D2 . I don't really like the way it finishes so much but if you do a satin finish it looks pretty good.

I think 58 / 59 is a good place to be with this steel.

Again this is just me . I like this steel and it is really close to being stainless .
 
Well I had average readings of 61.13 right after plate quench Austenized at 1850 /30 minutes---Dry ice was almost identical RC( nothing gained hardness wise)
I tempered twice at 425 ---1st draw 59-60 2nd draw 58.5 -59 Must have tempered too high and lost some hardness. I guess it is still a serviceable knife ??. It is a Tactical knife for a medic on gulf coast SWAT team to carry with kydex sheath ( a gift) wont be skinning etc.

My question , if I may, What was your overall heat treat procedure?

Im at the ICCE show right now and don't want to rely on my memory to give you my entire heat treat recipe. Maybe I'll remember to do this for you next week when I get back home, if not,ask me again. I'm an old man and don't have a good remembery. :)
 
Thanks, that makes me feel better about my D2 blades. I am trying to balance technical information on my blades with real world serviceability. Also, what hardening temperature are you using and how do you use the quench plates to get RC 64?
 
1 inch plates with compressed air . I was looking at my log and it has been 63.5 and I do what Calvin does start at 350 for 2hour temper . and I soak for 45 min for heat treat phase (wanted to clarify I soak for 45 of the heat treat phase not the temper)
 
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Like everyone else I think D-2 is a great steel. I use to always want to do a mirror polish so I bought 154 CM and then CPM-154. I still really like the mirror polish but my eyes don't seem to get it there. I now use primarily D-2 and all of my customers love it. Edge holding is top of the line. We bead blast it and then go over it with a light polish to remove any of the sharper edges from the blasting and it looks good and works great. Mostly looking for a 60-61 Rockwell and we get it easily with this steel.
 
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