M390 Delica Blue FRN Bento Box Shop Exclusive

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

I also have the Hungarian but it is too nice looking to use so can’t comment on that.

CTS-XHP Models I use allot are the Hundred Pacer and Military.

Bento Box Shop Exclusives M390 Para3 2 of them and PM2 2 of them was never happy with the steel so I sold all 4.

CTS-204P Knifeworks Exclusives 2 of these, one I am preparing to take down to around 12.5 degrees on the Wicked edge pro with low angle adapter to see what happens.

[ZrowsN1s]

Just talking Steel with subjective speculation.

As an owner of M390, CTS-204P and lately 20CV they may be close on paper but 20CV is the best of the three in term of sharpness and sharpening ease, why? I do not know but the latest PM2 from DLT in 20CV is surprising the heck out of me to the point where I am ignoring M390 and CTS-204P from here on out.

Furthermore would love to see more CTS-XHP as it has proven comparable to edge retention of M390 and sharpens easier.

If I had to guess (and this is just a guess), I'd bet if you RC tested your M390, 204P, and 20CV you'd find that the 20CV had the highest HRC out of all of them. Aside from having different geometry and heat treat of an individual knife 20CV, 204P, M390 should be indistinguishable from each other.

There's a minuscule difference in the amount of tungsten and silicon but that's about it.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

I agree with you on the heat treat but do not have a Rockwell tester (have not used one since High School back in the mid 80’s)

The only M390 I still own is in a BBS Domino and it like the PM2’s and Para3’s fails to truly impress by comparison with the 20CV.

I have built that comparison chart more than twice wondering what was going on and had to just say to myself well just goes to show how much a small percentage of an ingredient makes a big difference.

I guess.

Wonder what McLarren thinks on all this? or Big Brown Bear

[Joey]

I’d be surprised if your Domino was M390, though I’m sure you meant to say CTS-204P. Unless they used to use M390?

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

I’d be surprised if your Domino was M390, though I’m sure you meant to say CTS-204P. Unless they used to use M390?

Oops yes CTS-204P thought BBS blue and made a mistake.

Hmm have to look I might have gotten rid of all the M390 after all. Oh well don’t miss it :)

[youmakemehole]

I think very well treated XHP definitely can compete with and outperform average or so-so M390, theres a lot of amateur testing results that can support that. Although very good M390 I think will still perform a little bit better than XHP. M390 is much more stain resistant and a little tougher I believe as well, theres also that.

[cycleguy]

I see these are up on that big cesspool auction site for $165 plus free shipping ... how generous 'cuss they are still available at Bento at Bento's so called outrageous pricing of $108 plus $15 shipping.

CG

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

Smiles sorry no traction on that BBS themselves sell on eBay also they could squash it if they wanted to.

Furthermore I suspect many dealers who are not as out in the open as BBS sell on eBay as well.

EEEKKK oh no we ran out of stock he, He, He now we will get Spyderco’s MSRP and maybe more....

Think about it hmmmm.

Why would a flipper buy a Sprint and only mark it up 20 to 30 dollars or so and sell it on eBay after EBay fees and pay pal it is not worth it.

Food for thought been watching things a while and not everything is so up and up in the knife world IMHO.

[steelcity16]

Why would a flipper buy a Sprint and only mark it up 20 to 30 dollars or so and sell it on eBay after EBay fees and pay pal it is not worth it.

They bought two knives so they paid a little over $115 per knife. So these are marked up $40. After fees and shipping yes, they are making not even $20. Could be a person who genuinely wanted them but decided in the end they weren't for him and is now just trying to break even after all of the fees. Or, for some people $20 profit for each of those knives for pretty much zero effort is totally worth it. I used to buy things at garage sales, thrift stores, etc in college to flip on eBay and make my beer money for the night. We could get cases of Natty Light for like $6, so $20 was a lot as a college kid.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

lol how long ago??

[Woodpuppy]

Natty light

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

Natty light

Lol roger that! Top shelf or nothing at all life’s too short for cheap...

Seriously no one wastes money to venture on a small return.

Simple math really.

[Woodpuppy]

Don’t get me wrong, I had my cheap/bulk beer days. But nickel beer night at Potbelly’s was a hard pass for me.

[TkoK83Spy]

"Mug Night"...spend $5 on a mug, bring it back every Thursday...50 cent refills all night long! Oh the good ole days of college, and awful Friday football practice haha! Coach even knew Friday was better for studying for our opponent than having an actual practice :p

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

:)

[murphjd25]

Keystone Light is where it’s at. Back on topic now!

[ZrowsN1s]

I agree with you on the heat treat but do not have a Rockwell tester (have not used one since High School back in the mid 80’s)

The only M390 I still own is in a BBS Domino and it like the PM2’s and Para3’s fails to truly impress by comparison with the 20CV.

I have built that comparison chart more than twice wondering what was going on and had to just say to myself well just goes to show how much a small percentage of an ingredient makes a big difference.

I guess.

Wonder what McLarren thinks on all this? or Big Brown Bear

Perhaps the others can correct me if I'm wrong, but what I was trying to say that the small differences in ingredients does not make a difference. Whats making the difference is the 20CV you have is a higher HRC. If you had lucked out and gotten an m390 or 204p knife that was the same hrc as your 20cv, you'd be equally impressed by them. (speculation on my part)

[vgex]

I like it. I will probably flip the clip for left pocket carry.

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

I agree with you on the heat treat but do not have a Rockwell tester (have not used one since High School back in the mid 80’s)

The only M390 I still own is in a BBS Domino and it like the PM2’s and Para3’s fails to truly impress by comparison with the 20CV.

I have built that comparison chart more than twice wondering what was going on and had to just say to myself well just goes to show how much a small percentage of an ingredient makes a big difference.


I guess.

Wonder what McLarren thinks on all this? or Big Brown Bear

Perhaps the others can correct me if I'm wrong, but what I was trying to say that the small differences in ingredients does not make a difference. Whats making the difference is the 20CV you have is a higher HRC. If you had lucked out and gotten an m390 or 204p knife that was the same hrc as your 20cv, you'd be equally impressed by them. (speculation on my part)

No argument here but 4 knives in M390 two different models PM2 and Para3 versus PM2 in CV20 er.. don’t need to be a rocket scientist to say glad people wanted them at a stupid high price, glad to have sold them and surprised something so similar on paper is so much better.

This is truly my subjective experiential non scientific point. Right Wrong or otherwise side by side M390 or CTS-204P next to 20CV, only 20CV is going to get my money.

[Doc Dan]

Among the better steels (and even with lesser ones in the mix), blade and edge geometry is the most important thing, not steel type and hardness. Those follow.