Recommendation? 440C vs D2 steel for a Ganzo knife?

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I'm looking to buy my first folding knife, and I've decided to go for Ganzo. Reviews on YouTube seem decent, and it's within my price range. US knives are way too expensive sadly in my country due to import taxes, and the offer is kinda limited.

Question that is bugging me is which type of steel to go for. Basically, I need a knife for some medium farm work, such as cabbage harvesting and corn tree cutting. So no batoning, bushcrafting or anything like that.

The issue is, the steel type. I know that 440C is easier to sharpen, but the D2 holds the edge better so it might be better suited for farm work. On the other hand, D2 need a bit maintenance (some maintaining tips would be also great), and it can be harder to sharpen. Also it's less rust resistant which can be a bummer. I can sharpen I knife, but I just got into it, so I'm no expert by any means.

Which type of blade would be better and why?
 
Hello and welcome the forums!

As Rykjeklut Rykjeklut mention, Ganzo isn't one of the most popular brands on the forums. If you want, put "Ganzo" into the search bar in the upper right and read about previous threads.

Where are you located and what other brands do you have available to you? We might be able to help you find another option.
 
*grabs popcorn*

Welcome to the forums, you'll soon find out that Ganzo is a bit of a heated topic around here.
As soon as I saw the thread title, I went “oh boy.” I still remember that recent Ganzo thread that was on front page for like, what, two weeks-ish? Discussion there was hella exciting.

To the OP, I don’t have experience with 440C but my Cold Steel D2 knife works just fine. It holds a fine edge and glides across paper effortlessly. If Ganzo D2 is in fact legit D2 (Press X to doubt), it should serve you just fine. I know D2 has a rep for being difficult to sharpen, but IMO if you don’t let it get too dull and touch up when needed, this shouldn’t be a problem.

These links may be of interest:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/440c-vs-d2.824473/
https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Best-Knife-Steel-Guide--3368
 
I have found if I use a diamond sharpener there’s not much difference in maintaining the edge on harder steels but it’s a bit different than conventional sharpening stones as you don’t have to apply as much pressure to remove steel at the edge and to much pressure can pop the diamonds off the substrate of the sharpener. So there’s a learning curve to it and useful life of the sharpener. Otherwise both D2 and 440c are good working steels depending on how good the heat treatment is and the type of geometry and type of grind and on what and how it is used. It’s really going to depend on your personal skills and preferences. Each person has their own tendency and level of skill and what works for one person may not work well for another. Myself I’d get one and try it and if not satisfied I’d try the other.
 
Don't own any diamond sharpeners sadly, only whetstones. Not sure if I want to invest in them yet.

Is D2 going to be a problem for them or will just the process take longer? I have very little experience with sharpening, so will D2 be a problem or should I go for simpler steel?
 
I'm looking to buy my first folding knife, and I've decided to go for Ganzo. Reviews on YouTube seem decent, and it's within my price range. US knives are way too expensive sadly in my country due to import taxes, and the offer is kinda limited.

Question that is bugging me is which type of steel to go for. Basically, I need a knife for some medium farm work, such as cabbage harvesting and corn tree cutting. So no batoning, bushcrafting or anything like that.

The issue is, the steel type. I know that 440C is easier to sharpen, but the D2 holds the edge better so it might be better suited for farm work. On the other hand, D2 need a bit maintenance (some maintaining tips would be also great), and it can be harder to sharpen. Also it's less rust resistant which can be a bummer. I can sharpen I knife, but I just got into it, so I'm no expert by any means.

Which type of blade would be better and why?
Prijatelju moj, go with D2 steel, from my experience it won't rust unless you leave it wet during the night, also I'm kinda sad that rules of this forum are more in favor of English, because I'd like to tell you all this on language we both speak.
Don't own any diamond sharpeners sadly, only whetstones. Not sure if I want to invest in them yet.

Is D2 going to be a problem for them or will just the process take longer? I have very little experience with sharpening, so will D2 be a problem or should I go for simpler steel?
Get a diamond sharpener and D2 won't be an issue to sharpen ;)
 
I would recommend 440C. I have a Ganzo automatic in 440C. It was in a junk box on a table at a gun show. The edge was a mess of dings and dents, I bought it to practice sharpening. About 20 minutes on a hand-held diamond hone, and it would shave. Still has a chip just below the point, but that's working itself out. All in all, it sharpened just about exactly the way I would expect decently heat-treated 440C to sharpen.

EDIT: I'm only recommending 440C because you don't have diamond stones. D2 is a better all-around steel, and is nearly stainless. But it does take longer to sharpen on natural stones, and will wear the stones down quicker, as well.
 
I'm looking to buy my first folding knife, and I've decided to go for Ganzo. Reviews on YouTube seem decent, and it's within my price range. US knives are way too expensive sadly in my country due to import taxes, and the offer is kinda limited.

Question that is bugging me is which type of steel to go for. Basically, I need a knife for some medium farm work, such as cabbage harvesting and corn tree cutting. So no batoning, bushcrafting or anything like that.

The issue is, the steel type. I know that 440C is easier to sharpen, but the D2 holds the edge better so it might be better suited for farm work. On the other hand, D2 need a bit maintenance (some maintaining tips would be also great), and it can be harder to sharpen. Also it's less rust resistant which can be a bummer. I can sharpen I knife, but I just got into it, so I'm no expert by any means.

Which type of blade would be better and why?

What is your country? Some US made BUCK knives are relatively inexpensive and there are also brands from other countries. Joker from Spain is pretty cheap... I'd say stay tf away from Chinese knives. Specially after what happened.
 
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If you really want a Ganzo knife I would recommend fishing a used can lid out of the trash and using that instead. If, on the other hand, you want a proper cutting implement I recommend looking into QSP, CIVIVI, CJRB, Byrd Knives, Kershaw, Tangram Knives or similar. All have a number of good, inexpensive options and offer a solid variety of steels.
 
I'm looking to buy my first folding knife, and I've decided to go for Ganzo. Reviews on YouTube seem decent, and it's within my price range. US knives are way too expensive sadly in my country due to import taxes, and the offer is kinda limited.

Question that is bugging me is which type of steel to go for. Basically, I need a knife for some medium farm work, such as cabbage harvesting and corn tree cutting. So no batoning, bushcrafting or anything like that.

The issue is, the steel type. I know that 440C is easier to sharpen, but the D2 holds the edge better so it might be better suited for farm work. On the other hand, D2 need a bit maintenance (some maintaining tips would be also great), and it can be harder to sharpen. Also it's less rust resistant which can be a bummer. I can sharpen I knife, but I just got into it, so I'm no expert by any means.

Which type of blade would be better and why?
My advice to you is to not support thieves. There is no excuse for buying a ganzo knowing that they are in fact thieves. Reading this thread, you now know ganzo are thieves. Tons of other reputable brands you can support. Not having enough money is no excuse either. Save up a bit more if you must, but I guarantee you there are other options.

Welcome to the forum, I hope you make the right choice in knives and stick around.
 
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chances are you won't get either 440c or d2 from ganzo. you'll get a Chinese equivalent steel at best, at worst a lower grade. which from experiences playing with cheaper Chinese made knives including ganzo the heat treat is poorly done and the equivalent isnt even close to an equivalent.

this holds true still on this topic, you do get what ya pay for when it comes to ganzo. expect poor quality steel regardless of which you choose.
 
My advice to you is to not support thieves. There is no excuse for buying a ganzo knowing that they are in fact thieves. Reading this thread, you now know ganzo are thieves. Tons of other reputable brands you can support. Not having enough money is no excuse either. Save up a bit more if you must, but a guarantee you there are other options.

Welcome to the forum, I hope you make the right choice in knives and stick around.
Cold Steel offers good knives for fair prices in our region, so I would reccomend that. (By his user name I know we're from same region).

I personally use Cold Steel knives and I'm happy with them.
 
Just one man's experience for however much, or little, it's worth.

I've owned close to a dozen 440C blades. 3 of them were truly superb. (Proper heat treatment) 3 or 4 were, uhhhh "less than stellar."

I've also owned at least a dozen D-2 blades. All were excellent.
 
Ganzo wasn't my first choice, but I'm on a budget and I'm bit tired of using kitchen knives for yard work, so I just want something that can get the job done.

US made knives are at least 30-40% more expensive due to the import tax, and many international shops don't even ship their merchandise here, so my options are limited.

For a first-time knife, something cheaper might do. I know that their steel is questionable, but some call it somewhat decent. I'm no steel or knife enthusiast, so I'm not really picky.

Does D2 require diamond sharpener or can it work with a whetstone? I don't think I can find diamond sharpening stone here, since even whetstone offer isn't the best.

I'd like a D2, since it will hold the edge better, and I'm guessing it better for yard work, but again, I'm no expert in sharpening and I just got into whole knife thing, plus I don't have the equipment for it.

S Smiling feel free to PM me with more info if you want. I'd be interested to hear opinion from somebody else from our region.
 
EDIT: I'm only recommending 440C because you don't have diamond stones. D2 is a better all-around steel, and is nearly stainless. But it does take longer to sharpen on natural stones, and will wear the stones down quicker, as well.

Can diamond hone get the job done? I think I can get them, but again the choice is limited, not sure if I can find one with fine grit.

Never used it before so I'm afraid not to mess up the blade.
 
D2 can be sharpened easily enough on diamond stones. The best advice is not to let it get too dull in the first place. Touching up the edge regularly is going to be far more satisfying than having to really sharpen a piece of dull D2. The same can be said of many of the higher alloyed steels, however....
 
I don't buy Ganzos. There are too many better/equal options.
This Mora is my favorite yard knife. I think it is $15.
th
 
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