Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

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Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#1

Post by GarageBoy »

Once K390 Seki knives came out, it seems like everyone wants K390 everything
I'm guessing K390 is close enough for practical purposes

No one seems to miss Super Blue or Vtoku 2 that much, either
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#2

Post by Cl1ff »

I think Sal has said “All good just different.”
M4, Rex45, and Hap40 are all very similar steels (especially the latter two).
I still want Rex45 and K390 and hope we see even more.
rex121 is the king of steel, but nature’s teeth have been cutting for hundreds of millions of years and counting :cool:
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#3

Post by kerrcobra »

I want Rex45 in everything. I have several K390 blades, and I love them -- but I love Rex45 more. I want a Street Beat in Rex45. Actually, I want like 3 of them.
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#4

Post by p_atrick »

Looks like K390 is taking the place of ZDP. But people love the steels they love even if another is “better” in some dimension.
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#5

Post by VooDooChild »

I still like superblue, vtoku 2, and 52100, along with a bunch of others.

I think the big deal about k390 compared to rex45, is that k390 is regular production and that opens up a lot of doors.
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#6

Post by The Meat man »

I would like to see more Super Blue. It's such a pleasure to sharpen.
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#7

Post by Cl1ff »

VooDooChild wrote:
Fri Feb 19, 2021 3:24 pm
I still like superblue, vtoku 2, and 52100, along with a bunch of others.

I think the big deal about k390 compared to rex45, is that k390 is regular production and that opens up a lot of doors.
It also seems like a lot of models people are requesting be made in K390 have already been done in Rex45, like the Shaman, or aren’t made in Golden like the Streat Beat.
rex121 is the king of steel, but nature’s teeth have been cutting for hundreds of millions of years and counting :cool:
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#8

Post by Sharp Guy »

I don't see why one type of steel would make any of the others "obsolete". I think I only have one knife in K390 (Urban). So I certainly don't consider all my knives with other steels to be obsolete. While I still plan on getting one or two of the K390 Seki models it's definitely not a priority. If I never get one I won't lose any of my enthusiasm for knives

My lady has a ZDP Ladybug that she really likes. A couple months ago I asked her if she'd like to try a Dragonfly. I gave her my V-Toku 2 DF to try. A couple nights ago I saw it laying on the bathroom counter (where she puts her daily carry stuff, jewelry etc). I opened it up and it was all full of tape goo and dull as can be. I cleaned it up and sharpened it for her. I love how sticky sharp V-Toku gets. I handed it back to her and asked if she liked it. Her reply was yes she uses the heck out of it. No need to buy her the K390 one I guess
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#9

Post by bearfacedkiller »

Has Maxamet obsoleted K390?

Does a GTR obsolete a Maxima?

I think K390 is higher performing but I don’t think it has made anything obsolete.
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#10

Post by Rinzler »

I’m very happy with rex45. I just don’t have a need or want for k390 right now. I have a dragonfly and manbug in zdp, yet I see no reason to drop them for k390 or anything else. Trying to be content with what I have isn’t easy but it sure makes new purchases have more value...
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#11

Post by Wartstein »

I think from a purely practical perspective and for an just average guy like me each of these steels could make all the others "obsolote". In a blind test I probably could not tell the differences, at least when it comes to edge retention and "sharpenability" (just a guess, since I only have REX and HAP40).

Still, I´d like to try knives in all of these four steels - perhaps just to see, if I unexpectedly still can experience differences, perhaps just because I love how tool steels "live" and "patina", and they all might do this in a slightly different way.

HAP 40 of course is an exception here anyway, just because it is not "only" HAP40, but cladded HAP40/SUS410, which makes it difference both in looks and properties.
- A main advantage might be, that the cladding will act like a DLC coating concerning rust protection (especially in the pivot area), without, well, the need to do a coating ;). So a good choice for people who want the protection, but not the coating
- Then I could imagine that the SUS410 makes the whole blade (obviously not the edge of course) a bit tougher - though I don´t think that is of any practical relevance in folders.
- And: HAP40 is special in its looks, the tradition and history behind it.
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#12

Post by Larrin »

I don’t know what K390 has to do with those high speed steels.
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#13

Post by GarageBoy »

I mean obsoleted as in, will Spyderco make more knives in M4/REX45/HAP40, or will they just stick with K390 from now on
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#14

Post by Cambertree »

They all have their place.

K390 is probably my favourite steel in general for my purposes I’ve tried, and I’ve had a few knives in it since the K390 Pingo came out.

But I’ve been using my HAP40 Stretch at work this week and I’ll be carrying my Superblue Delica this weekend, and my enjoyment of those steels is not diminished in any way. Likewise with the CE 52100 PM2 which has been my main user knife at work for the last 8 months.
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#15

Post by Cambertree »

GarageBoy wrote:
Fri Feb 19, 2021 5:46 pm
I mean obsoleted as in, will Spyderco make more knives in M4/REX45/HAP40, or will they just stick with K390 from now on
I guess they’ll make what sells and what people ask for and what steels they have liked in their continuous R&D research and testing. Fortunately their decisions are not based solely on the latest internet hype.

K390 is a pretty amazing steel for knives though IMO.
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#16

Post by JRinFL »

K390 steel is being added as a stock, non-sprint, non-exclusive steel option as far as I know. M4 was stock only on a few models and the other two steels were sprints. As others have said, K390 is replacing ZDP-189.
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#17

Post by Naperville »

Mmmmmmmmm... an 20CV/M390/204P, M4 or K390 Street Beat -AND- YoJumbo. Yep, that is what we need.
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#18

Post by bdblue »

I'm not sure if most people can tell the difference in M4 vs HAP40 vs REX45 vs K390. I still like and use M4 and Rex45 but I have a PM2 in K390 that I use also. I already had PM2 in M4 but bought one in K390 anyway and I'm sure in my use I'm not likely to see the difference but I bought it anyway.
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#19

Post by wrdwrght »

I’m liking the steel choices that Spyderco has offered me over my ten years here. VG10 is not obsolete.

Oh, wait, we’re talking M4/REX45/HAP40... :p

I suspect that some Spydie models are far more likely to become obsolete than any proven steel, which is not to say that a proven steel like the ones mentioned will be constantly available.
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Re: Has K390 "obsoleted" M4/REX45/HAP40?

#20

Post by Donut »

I was pretty sure K390, according tot he numbers, wasn't special enough to replace M4.

Some numbers don't match the rest of the pack.
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