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D2 knife steel

D2 is a tool & high-speed knife steel, typically hardened to HRC 58-62.

TypeTool & high-speed
HardnessHRC 58-62
Edge retentionhighhigher than 19 of 48, tied with 17
Corrosion resistancemediumhigher than 15 of 48, tied with 6
Toughnessmediumhigher than 4 of 48, tied with 20
Ease of sharpeninghard to sharpenamong the hardest to sharpen of 49
Price tierMid
Best forEDC / foldersHard-use / survival

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Knives in D2

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Last verified 2026-06-11 · properties are documented consensus tiers; real performance depends on heat treat & geometry (methodology)

Compared with

D2 vs VG-10 D2 vs 8Cr13MoV

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All tool & high-speed steels · every steel · best for a purpose