Spyderco Forums

GarageBoy wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 06, 2020 1:10 pm

I'm tempted by something tool steel as a work knife...

Good choice...
All my work knives for the last 35 years are high speed tool steel blades.
The k390 delica I just got might break the trend.

I think K390 is a Maxamet killer. It is for me.

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 08, 2020 8:57 am

I think K390 is a Maxamet killer. It is for me.

"Alas, poor Maxamet..."

I have zero interest in K390. I might find more interest in other Seki models.

5-by-5 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 08, 2020 1:32 pm

I have zero interest in K390. I might find more interest in other Seki models.

You like CPM M4 don't you? What's not to like about K390?

The Meat man wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 08, 2020 4:16 pm

5-by-5 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 08, 2020 1:32 pm

I have zero interest in K390. I might find more interest in other Seki models.

You like CPM M4 don't you? What's not to like about K390?

Nothing really. I don't have any and am not excited to get K390. Im not compelled to get 52100 either. Something interesting will need to get one of these in my collection.

I don’t have any Maxamet to reference, but from the testing I've seen, I don’t feel like I'm missing enough to worry about not having any. I do know that K390 doesn't seem to be giving people as much trouble as Maxamet has/does. I've also seen edge retention testing that puts K390 not far behind Maxamet. The added toughness and more forgiving nature of K390, makes it hard to beat.

Albatross wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 08, 2020 5:48 pm

I don’t have any Maxamet to reference, but from the testing I've seen, I don’t feel like I'm missing enough to worry about not having any. I do know that K390 doesn't seem to be giving people as much trouble as Maxamet has/does. I've also seen edge retention testing that puts K390 not far behind Maxamet. The added toughness and more forgiving nature of K390, makes it hard to beat.

It took me a while to get a Maxamet too. The right price landed me a Manix LW.
I've had no problems, and I really like the performance. I don't know if I'll get more though.

Do a comparison between the two and K390 has more of the right things in the mix.

How about K390 versus Cru-wear? The DLT exclusive Cru-wear Delica interests me somewhat, but being the same price as the K390 Delica, I'm wondering which would be the more advantageous choice for a general EDC folder.

From my understanding, K390 will have better edge retention, while Cru-wear will be tougher in terms of impact resistance (which might not really be important in a small folder).

Cru-wear is also far more corrosion resistant than K390, Maxamet, M4, and Rex 45. I do not oil Cru-wear and have no fear of cutting meats, acidic fruits, etc. with it, since Cru-wear has yet to patina in my use. K390, Maxamet, M4, and Rex 45 will patina relatively easily in the use I describe above.

mikey177 wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 09, 2020 2:11 am

How about K390 versus Cru-wear? The DLT exclusive Cru-wear Delica interests me somewhat, but being the same price as the K390 Delica, I'm wondering which would be the more advantageous choice for a general EDC folder.

From my understanding, K390 will have better edge retention, while Cru-wear will be tougher in terms of impact resistance (which might not really be important in a small folder).

K390 has better edge retention, as well as better edge stability, which means the edge won't deform as easily as Cruwear, but it's not as tough and not as stain resistant (as mentioned above). K390 is also more time consuming to sharpen.

Thank you for those insights. I think I'll try out the K390 Delica, as I already have a Mule in PD1, which is similar to Cru-wear. I don't mind the formation of a patina, and I'll take steps to guard against corrosion.

You will love K390.

I am quite happy with cruwear. It is so easy to get great results sharpening with ceramics. I have the ladybug in K390 and reprofiling to 15dps was a real chore. The steel seems to perform well, but it’s the most work I ever want to put into sharpening. I do not want to get into new sharpening gear...

Does k390 do that sticky sharp edge that m4 is renown for? (Guessing due to its high carbide percentage)

Carbide content and type has long since been well known as the overriding factor in edge behavior. What "Bigbear" does is demonstrate that both steel types being ultra high carbide are inherently brittle and one particular M4 knife happened to chip a lot (as it of course would), regardless that the sharpness in both blades was totally compromised, all the while admitting that there is a radical difference in tempering between the two but then focusing solely on the rockwell rating.

GarageBoy wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 10, 2020 7:16 pm

Does k390 do that sticky sharp edge that m4 is renown for? (Guessing due to its high carbide percentage)

If by "sticky sharp" you mean keenness, then a higher carbide percentage can only negatively affect the keenness of a blade as the carbide "clogs up" the edge because of the radical difference between the carbide and the surrounding alloy. K390 would not have an inherently sharper or keener edge than M4 as both are extremely wear resistant, and beyond that the skill of the sharpener and the abrasive used would be at least as relevant.

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 08, 2020 8:57 am

I think K390 is a Maxamet killer. It is for me.

I agree Doc, I much prefer K390 to Maxamet too. :)

K390 is hands down my favourite non stainless steel