D2 Tool Steel Skinner Knife, Green Micarta Handle

Short blade, long curve. The belly sweeps out wide and finishes in a rounded tip, which keeps the edge cutting through a pull rather than losing contact partway. This one is 3.5 inches of D2 tool steel on a green canvas micarta handle. D2 is either the reason to buy it or the reason to buy something else, so let us be plain about which.

Specification

The blade

D2 is a tool steel. Not stainless, not Damascus, and no pattern anywhere in it. The finish is hand rubbed satin, taken down the length with abrasive until every scratch lies one way and the surface reads soft grey. D2 gives a long working edge and asks for more time on the stone when that edge finally goes. The belly is ground wide into a rounded tip, so there is a lot of curve on a short blade. It carries enough carbon to darken with use, and it will mark if stored wet.

The handle

Green canvas micarta, layers of cloth in resin, cured under pressure and ground to the shape of the tang. The tang is full, edge to edge and end to end, with three brass pins through it and a lanyard hole at the rear. Micarta does not move with humidity and holds some grip when hands are wet, more than a polished scale manages. The handle is 4.5 inches, so cold fingers get the whole palm on it instead of the front half.

The leather sheath

Vegetable tanned leather, stitched by hand, with a welt running between the panels so the edge sits against leather and never against thread. The pocket is cut to match this blade, curve and all, which is why a skinner sheath will not swap onto a straight knife. The face carries a stamped basket weave, pressed into damp hide. On the back is a belt loop that will take a work belt.

Who it suits

For the buyer who has decided the trade is worth it.

• People who would rather not stop to touch up an edge
• Anyone with diamond stones already on the bench
• Buyers who want a plain blade rather than a pattern
• Owners who keep one knife working all day

What comes in the box

• The D2 skinner on green canvas micarta
• The stamped basket weave belt sheath
• A care leaflet
• Free sharpening from us for life

Every piece is different

Hand rubbed satin is done by arm, not machine, so the grain of the finish sits differently on every blade. Micarta shows the cut edges of its cloth layers wherever the grinder took it, and that map is never the same twice. Two side by side are closely related, not identical.

Looking after it

Get the water off it and keep a light oil on the flat. D2 carries more chromium than plain carbon steel and shrugs off rust better, but it is not stainless and will mark if you test that. Leather traps moisture, so do not store it sheathed. A diamond or hard ceramic stone gets further than a soft one. Patience beats pressure. Strop it afterwards. Method is on our care and sharpening page.

Put a name on it

A laser puts a name or a date on the blade for 20 dollars, and about 30 characters fits. A plain satin flat is the easiest surface we engrave. A proof image goes out and the job waits on your approval, which adds 3 to 5 business days. Ten or more blades and there is no charge. See the engraving page.

Questions buyers ask

Is there a Damascus pattern in this blade? No. D2 is a single tool steel with no layers and no etch, so there is no pattern in it at all. The satin finish is the whole surface.

D2 or 1095? D2 keeps its edge longer and takes more work to bring back. 1095 dulls sooner and sharpens in minutes. Pick whichever matches how you feel about a stone.

Is it hard to sharpen at home? Harder than plain carbon steel, not beyond anybody. A diamond plate makes it straightforward. A worn soft stone makes it miserable.

Does D2 rust? Less readily than 1095, and it still can. Dry it after use and oil it before storage.

Is D2 stainless? No. People call it semi stainless because of the chromium, which is not the same thing.

How fast does it ship? Most US orders arrive in 5 to 7 business days.

The same outline with a patterned billet is the Damascus skinner on black micarta, and the other side of the argument is the hand forged skinning knife on walnut. Every curved blade sits in skinner knives, the harder steels in D2 tool steel, the outdoor line in hunting knives.