Direct energy deposition (DED) technology shows promising applications in the production of roller die cutters. The optimization of process parameters, scanning strategies, and analyses of compressive properties and wear behavior are required prior to application. Therefore, this work investigated the influence of scanning strategy and overlap ratio on the microstructure, microhardness, compressive properties, and wear resistance of M2 high-speed steel (HSS) with DED on a 316 L cylindrical surface. The results reveal that along the deposition direction of the sample, the grain size gradually decreases, with hardness increasing from 187 HV in the matrix to 708 HV. As the overlap ratio increases, the grain size initially rises and then decreases, while hardness first declines and subsequently increases. The cross-scanning strategy effectively enhances the compressive strength by reducing porosity defects. Furthermore, the compressive strength of the samples initially increases with the overlap ratio before experiencing a slight decrease. The M-3 sample with a 50% overlap ratio exhibits the best compressive strength (3904 MPa). The wear rate decreases and then increases with the rising overlap ratio. Therefore, the M-3 sample, prepared using cross-scanning strategies with an overlap ratio of 50%, demonstrates a uniform and dense microstructure, resulting in superior wear resistance, and the wear rate is as low as 8 × 10 −6 mm 3·N −1·m −1. The current experimental results provide valuable references for the DED of die-cut knives. Abstract Direct energy deposition (DED) technology shows promising applications in the production of roller die cutters. The optimization of process parameters, scanning strategies, and analyses of compressive properties and wear behavior are required prior to application. Therefore, this work investigated the influence of scanning strategy and overlap ratio on the microstructure, microhardness, compressive properties, and wear resistance of M2 high-speed steel (HSS) with DED on a 316 L cylindrical surface. The results reveal that along the deposition direction of the sample, the grain size gradually decreases, with hardness increasing from 187 HV in the matrix to 708 HV. As the overlap ratio increases, the grain size initially rises and then decreases, while hardness first declines and subsequently increases. The cross-scanning strategy effectively enhances the compressive strength by reducing porosity defects. Furthermore, the compressive strength of the samples initially increases with the overlap ratio before experiencing a slight decrease. The M-3 sample with a 50% overlap ratio exhibits the best compressive strength (3904 MPa). The wear rate decreases and then increases with the rising overlap ratio. Therefore, the M-3 sample, prepared using cross-scanning strategies with an overlap ratio of 50%, demonstrates a uniform and dense microstructure, resulting in superior wear resistance, and the wear rate is as low as 8 × 10 −6 mm 3·N −1·m −1. The current experimental results provide valuable references for the DED of die-cut knives. Keywords: direct energy deposition; curved surface deposition; roller die cutter; M2 high-speed steel; wear resistance