Delica S90V

[Tgmr05]

Ordered one over the 4th. Always wanted a reasonably priced s90v pocketable knife to try. For 99 shipped, it was slightly more than ordering a standard delica with shipping. Made it an obvious choice.

Well, got it a couple days ago. Looks like a basic black delica, has a little blue trim here and there that may wear off. The blade had some darkish tint in a spot or two, and the edge was odd. Would not cut paper unless held at weird angle and forced. It felt like a burr, or the edge rolled, or something. Took 4 hours on SM with CBN rods to get the burr/edge roll back to center. It cuts paper now, and sort of shaves hair, but not really well.

While I was not pleased with the edge as it came, it did provide something useful. The time working with the edge was eye opening. S90v takes time and effort to repair. More so than just maintaining the edge. Still not sure I truly repaired it, hope it is not a wire edge I simply moved around.

Overall it is basically what I was looking for, just not the typical spyderco upon arrival. Thought about contacting warranty dept, but realized I bought it to use, sharpen, get a true feel for daily use of s90v. Sort of what I wanted...

[JohnDoe99]

You will want to get a jig system for re-profiling super hard steels like s90v, it just makes life a lot easier. Most factory edges on production knives are fairly dull. I use DMT's "aligner" to get the angles even when reprofiling these steels, and after the extra-fine DMT I use a medium ceramic and a few passes on a fine ceramic to refine the edge.

[Tgmr05]

I have considered getting an edge pro or something similar at some point. I started out years ago sharpening by hand, but then there were no super steels like today. The sharpmaker is great for most sharpening/maintaining I do, just not the easiest for tougher tasks. I also wear out a little quicker and am not as steady, so it may be time to seriously consider something more to assist.

[cycleguy]

4th July order at the discounted price here too.

Did a quick look over and thought it seemed more like a black frn blue backspacer knife. Really don't notice the blue liner unless I go looking for it. Workmanship appears standard Spyderco quality.

After reading your post and taking a closer look I found the factory scratch/grind lines on the blade ever so slightly heavier/noticeable than those on my other Spydercos.

Dragged the blade thru paper and found it wasn't super slicey like other Spydercos I've purchased. Have some triangle sharpmaker stones and after two passes on the brown/medium one it was noticeably improved. Then, worked it about a dozen more times and got it better.

Kudo's to Knifeworks for bringing a different configuration of the Delica 4 to market... but I don't see the colored liner as adding any interest/value to the knife... the S90V blade is awesome, would be more awesome if it was super slicey out of the box.

CG

[p_atrick]

I have considered getting an edge pro or something similar at some point. I started out years ago sharpening by hand, but then there were no super steels like today. The sharpmaker is great for most sharpening/maintaining I do, just not the easiest for tougher tasks. I also wear out a little quicker and am not as steady, so it may be time to seriously consider something more to assist.

If you are already experienced with freehand sharpening, there are some options that won't be as much as a fixed angle system. Here is a stone sold by forum member Deadbox Hero. I am sure you could message him to get some more info on an appropriate stone. Gritomatic has some stones (diamond and silicon carbide) that are designed for steels like S90V.

If you''re curious about a fixed-angle system, by all means get one. There are plenty of people who will sing their praises. They often seem like a good choice for modern super steels, as they have a large selection of diamond abrasives. But they are not the only option. Plus they can be quite expensive. Though there are some stones out there (like the CBN ones DBH will sell) that quite pricey on their own.

[SubMicron]

I ordered the S90V blue lined Delica when it was $119... when it went to $99 I ordered another and I'm not sure why. I guess the value was too good. On both of them the edge was great.

My recommendation for the "difficult to sharpen" steels is freehand sharpening on diamond plates, especially if reprofiling is involved. With freehand sharpening, you can control pressure and use a lot more of it which cuts much faster.

Using a DMT DiaSharp extra course, which is rated at 220 grit, reprofiling S90V and S110V is easy and quick. From there I move to an Atoma 400 to clean up the bevel, and move on from there. Generally I'll make a quick stop on either the Atoma 600 or DMT Fine, which is also 600 grit. I'll either finish on a 600, or move up to a higher grit.

You probably could jump from the DMT Extra Course to your Sharpmaker and finish on that.

With a full diamond plate progression, freehand I can take S90V, S110V, and Maxamet, or anything, from butter knife dull to at least hair popping sharp inside of 10 or 15 mins. With that said, I'm far away from being an expert sharpener.

[Cambertree]

I agree with Submicron’s advice - if you are already a competent freehand sharpener, it’s relatively quick to use a coarse diamond benchstone to strip away material, so you have a fairly acute bevel. Then once you’ve rough apexed, just use the Sharpmaker to apply a microbevel.

The most time is spent on the initial sharpening, after that it’s very quick to restore an edge with the Sharpmaker, or change it from coarse to refined finishes, or vice versa, for the purposes of experimentation.

Sounds like that would be a great little knife, especially in that thin bladestock with S90V.

I’ll be interested to hear more of your thoughts on it, as you continue to use and sharpen it.

[Tgmr05]

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions, they are appreciated.

I wanted to try and use only the sharpmaker to see how it would handle more than just maintaining a blade in s90v. It definitely took some time, but was successful. I have always wondered if it would work.

To be honest, I initially tried using just the medium rods, as I have heard/read some have used just the mediums... I simply did not have the patience. After an hour or so, I realized I was not making much progress at all and went to cbn.

This delica just makes sense for me, personally. Priced similarly to a couple of my most carried versions a zdp dragonfly and lw chaparral, has a steel I like in s90v, and I like the blue color highlights.

[Tgmr05]

[JD Spydo]

For years I've had a C-52 Caly jr made with ZDP-189 and that's been my premium short bladed folder for years. But I'm really tempted to jump on one of these. I also had a couple of the Delica models for a time with ZDP-189 but traded one to a guy who really wanted it and I sold the second one I had to my former boss who is a friend that I converted into a Spyder-Head. He still EDCs it daily the last time I talked to him. I might even tell him about this one.

This could be the successor to all of the ZDP-189 short bladed folders. There are times that I really don't like carrying a full sized folder like me M390 Military and this could be a great alternative. Especially if I'm going in and out of govt buildings or corporate buildings like we do some times.

[Doc Dan]

I love the Delica. It is one of my all time favorite daily carry and use knives. Because of buying a Delica many years ago I finally ditched all of my Benchmades with their too short handles. I have never looked back. I keep a Delica close at hand all the time when I am around the house, and often when I am out and about. I own three and will get more as models arise that pique my interest. This S90V version is interesting and I was going to get one but the air conditioner went out. I may look into it again. I wish Cutlery Shoppe had done solid orange instead of Zome.

[soc_monki]

I don't have an s90v spyderco, but I do have an s90v benchmade. S90 is not too bad if you have the right equipment. Diamond stones. The sharpmaker will work with the cbn or diamond rods but freehanding is so much faster.

However, I've found that s90v, having a ton of carbide, does not do the hair popping sharp thing well. It loses that really fine edge VERY quickly. However that working edge sticks around a long, long time.

I've read that 600 grit is pretty much optimal for s90v, as it keeps the toothy edge and is easy to maintain. I went ahead and went all the way to spyderco fine and am going to have fun with it. Well see how it works.