Stones needed for K390

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Wartstein
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#21

Post by Wartstein »

sal wrote:
Mon May 10, 2021 2:41 pm
Hi David,

Hopefully all of the models we make in plain edge.

sal

:) :)
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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kennethsime
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#22

Post by kennethsime »

I always worry about sharpening my K390 knives, but truthfully the sharpmaker works just fine on them.
Last edited by kennethsime on Wed May 12, 2021 9:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I'm happiest with Micarta and Tool Steel.

Top four in rotation: K390 + GCM PM2, ZCarta Shaman, Crucarta PM2, K390 + GCM Straight Spine Stretch.
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Wartstein
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#23

Post by Wartstein »

kennethsime wrote:
Tue May 11, 2021 9:54 am
I always worry about sharpening my K390 knives, but truthfully the sharpmaker workers just fine on them.

You worry because you're afraid you could mess up the edge or cause you think you won't achieve decent results?
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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kennethsime
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#24

Post by kennethsime »

Wartstein wrote:
Wed May 12, 2021 12:31 pm
kennethsime wrote:
Tue May 11, 2021 9:54 am
I always worry about sharpening my K390 knives, but truthfully the sharpmaker workers just fine on them.

You worry because you're afraid you could mess up the edge or cause you think you won't achieve decent results?
Worry that it’ll be a bear to sharpen, so to speak. But 20 strokes at each step and they’re cutting paper like a laser every time.
I'm happiest with Micarta and Tool Steel.

Top four in rotation: K390 + GCM PM2, ZCarta Shaman, Crucarta PM2, K390 + GCM Straight Spine Stretch.
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Wartstein
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#25

Post by Wartstein »

kennethsime wrote:
Wed May 12, 2021 7:21 pm
Wartstein wrote:
Wed May 12, 2021 12:31 pm
kennethsime wrote:
Tue May 11, 2021 9:54 am
I always worry about sharpening my K390 knives, but truthfully the sharpmaker workers just fine on them.

You worry because you're afraid you could mess up the edge or cause you think you won't achieve decent results?
Worry that it’ll be a bear to sharpen, so to speak. But 20 strokes at each step and they’re cutting paper like a laser every time.

Thanks! :) / "20 strokes each step" including diamond / CBN rods? (Curious, since I never had K390)
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#26

Post by awa54 »

While I haven't tried K390 on natural stones yet, it *feels* like it would probably sharpen well, if slowly on them... I reprofiled my BB Para 3 a few days ago and it was certainly not a difficult steel when using diamond abrasives, I'd save any stones that aren't CBN, diamond or ceramic for finish/polish stages. My hard backed strop is loaded with Herb's yellow stone, which isn't diamond or any other exotic abrasive AFAIK, it works well with K390 to refresh the edge after extended use, so diamond paste for your strop is probably optional.
-David

still more knives than sharpening stones...
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#27

Post by kennethsime »

Wartstein wrote:
Wed May 12, 2021 9:23 pm
Thanks! :) / "20 strokes each step" including diamond / CBN rods? (Curious, since I never had K390)
Nope, just the standard brown and white rods, corners followed by flats. If you had to re-profile, you'd want the CBNs. I've taken small chips out of one K390 blade and two Rex45s, and man does that take forever on the brown stones! But touchups are no problem.

I know you have some Hap40 - I would say that K390 feels just a touch easier to sharpen than Rex45, which is very similar to your Hap40 I think.
I'm happiest with Micarta and Tool Steel.

Top four in rotation: K390 + GCM PM2, ZCarta Shaman, Crucarta PM2, K390 + GCM Straight Spine Stretch.
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#28

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kennethsime wrote:
Wed May 12, 2021 11:47 pm
Wartstein wrote:
Wed May 12, 2021 9:23 pm
Thanks! :) / "20 strokes each step" including diamond / CBN rods? (Curious, since I never had K390)
Nope, just the standard brown and white rods, corners followed by flats. If you had to re-profile, you'd want the CBNs. I've taken small chips out of one K390 blade and two Rex45s, and man does that take forever on the brown stones! But touchups are no problem.

I know you have some Hap40 - I would say that K390 feels just a touch easier to sharpen than Rex45, which is very similar to your Hap40 I think.

:eek: K390 EASIER to sharpen than Hap40/Rex 45 ?!

This surprises me and would be good news: I have Hap40 and Rex45, and while both are not exactly BD1N when it comes to ease/quickness of sharpening, they are actually not hard to sharpen either.

Now I thought K390 would be HARDER to sharpen - for example in Larrins last article (https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/05/10/ ... 15-rex-76/) the graph shows K390 to be a lot harder than REX 45 (about 740 vs 610 TCC) , and this despite K390 was tested at a clearly lower Rc (about 63 RC vs 67.5)

See here:

Image
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#29

Post by kennethsime »

Wartstein wrote:
Thu May 13, 2021 12:11 am
:eek: K390 EASIER to sharpen than Hap40/Rex 45 ?!
Correct, that's my (very anecdotal) experience with the sharpmaker. *shrug* I only have two examples of each, all from Spyderco, and only use the stock rods on the sharpmaker, so take it with a grain of salt.

K390 certainly appears more wear resistant even at lower hardness, perhaps in no small part to the 9% Vanadium carbides. Perhaps Spyderco ran their Rex 45 significantly harder than their K390, resulting in a steel which takes a little more effort to sharpen?

It's been years since I had a knife in ZDP-189, but sharpening Rex 45 brings back memories of sharpening ZDP.
I'm happiest with Micarta and Tool Steel.

Top four in rotation: K390 + GCM PM2, ZCarta Shaman, Crucarta PM2, K390 + GCM Straight Spine Stretch.
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#30

Post by Grizzly »

sal wrote:
Mon May 10, 2021 2:41 pm
Hi David,

Hopefully all of the models we make in plain edge.

sal
Many years ago I bought my wife a set of Kershaw kitchen knives with the soft handles. My daughter still favors the 5" utility knife that is "serrated". I though, would rarely use it knowing it was a bit tougher to sharpen. As I'm learning on this forum, the old tapered diamond tool is not the way to go. My wife favored the 6" Chef knife.

My favorite is an old Robinson Knife Company 10" Chef knife in carbon steel from the '50s or '60s. That company used some beautiful wood scales on all their knives. I have two others and they all have very nice wood. So many of those old companies producing fine carbon steel knives went out of business around the 1970s or earlier as the nation shifted to the stainless steels. I'd hate to think how much that amount of a new "super steel" would cost today. Way more than I could afford but just think how long one could stay sharp in a kitchen if treated properly and given light touch ups when needed.
Last edited by Grizzly on Fri May 28, 2021 1:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#31

Post by Grizzly »

I finally ordered a new Endela in K390 last night along with some diamond paste in 1 and 1/2 microns from GPKnives. I have the 300,600 and 1200 diamond plates and the med and xf Spyderco ceramics. I probably need to buy the fine to fill the gap for if and when I tackle the edge on this new knife. My first one that has a hard steel and will really need these types of stones.

I think I've spent less time buying cars than trying to decide on a knife. Decisions, decisions. I'd first ordered a lightweight Manix 2 but returned it after only a few days. I just did not fit my hand as well as the PM2 that I lost. I came very close to ordering the Chief but finally went with the Endela. I think my daughter influenced my decision somewhat. She's a little thing and loves an Endura - her winter knife. She was intrigued by the Endela and so I just ordered one for me so that she can see if she wants one of those next. So many to choose from. So much different than the old days when you simply bought a stockman or something somewhat similar and used it till it wore out or was lost. Although there are some fine collections of those types of knives also.
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#32

Post by Doc Dan »

I can say that my Sharpmaker will sharpen K390, but it takes a bit of time. It is not like sharpening VG-10 or anything. However, a Sharpmaker will make it sharp, very sharp.
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#33

Post by applejuice54 »

Losing knives is why I learned to like lanyards. I do them in ridiculously bright colors pink neon green light blue, the colors not found in nature, but seen in young women’s hair.-
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#34

Post by Bolster »

JD Spydo wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 9:54 pm
These newer "Supersteels" ( K390 included) are getting so hard that I believe most of the current sharpening stones will become obsolete in the next 10 years or so. It's to the point now that Diamond, CBN and Spyderco's great ceramic stones are really the only stones I would recommend anyone buying at this time. It might even get to the point to where "diamond" may become the only viable material for sharpening tools as progress is made in specialty type steels.

It is most interesting that we are seeing such profound changes at this time in the areas of metallurgy and ceramic technology. I never thought I would see the day when all my old natural stones like novaculite ( Arkansas Stones) would become totally useless.

I'm now wondering what might be in the product pipeline with newer ceramic stones? I also think it's highly likely we'll see them make a ceramic with equal hardness to diamond within the next 10 years as well.

This was an interesting response. I had not thought about all those "old" stones mouldering away in the bottom of my sharpening drawer, but you're right, those have sandpaper-substitute uses now, for medium or soft steels. In ten years, when diamond-hardness ceramics are available, I'll be able to say, "Yeah, well, JD predicted these a decade ago."
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Re: Stones needed for K390

#35

Post by Scandi Grind »

vivi wrote:
Mon May 10, 2021 3:19 am

I'd be all over a Spyderco chef knife in an interesting steel. Something around 9" with a fairly tall blade would be my personal preference.

It would be fun playing around with something like K390 or Rex45 with that sort of geometry. Wonder how it would do if you bumped into a bone compared to the softer stainless used more frequently?
I have read some rave reviews of kitchen knives made from Hap 40, which is the Japanese equivalent to Rex 45. I have to admit it intrigues me. Simply absurd edge retention. Edge strength could be a concern if used for certain tasks, but I have learned to keep a few rough and tumble knives around to deal with anything I would hesitate to use my thin Japanese knives for.

Personally, the steel I would be most interested in seeing might actually be Cru-Wear. I have seen many pocket knives and fixed blades, but no kitchen knives in Cru-Wear. It is on my list of possible steels to have a full custom made one day in the distant future.
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