Steel Question A-2 or D-2

[deanmm56]

Hello all,

For a skinning knife which steel would be better ? A-2 or D-2

[rangerbluedog]

For me, I would say the difference would be negligible.
However, given the choice between those two, I would say D-2 is better for two reasons.
1) D-2 can be hardened and quenched to a higher hardness than A-2. Generally speaking 58HRC is max. hardness for A-2, while D-2 is easily hardened to 64 HRC. A harder steel means it will stay sharp longer. (It also means it is harder to sharpen)
2) D-2 has 12% chromium. A-2 has only about 5% Chromium. D-2 is more highly alloyed, so it is a tiny bit more resistant to rust. This is important since your knife will get bloody during the skinning process.
I hope this helps

[deanmm56]

Thanks for the info Bluedog. Very much appreciated. I'm looking at some custom skinning knives by Gene Ingram, Bob Dozier and also one from Bark River ..... each use different steels.