K390 in Golden made spydies ?

[elena86]

I would kill for a Millie or a Para2 in K390 :eek: Oh, let's not forget the backlock Manix2...it deserves a K390 treatement :spyder:

[abbazaba]

Agreed

[sal]

Hi Marius,

Going on history, we had an Urban in K390 and a Mule Team, which did sell out (exclusive & short run), and we have a Police 4. Sales re not brisk on the Police 4 in K390 so we're watching the market to determine decisions.

sal

[holeshot]

Definitely try the Police 4. It's an incredible knife. Love the blade steel and the G-10 scales. It performs both as a tactical knife and is at home in the kitchen for food preparation. :)

[blujaydad]

Sorry but I just have no love for the Police 4 no matter the blade steel. The Para 2 in K390 would be a must buy! Love the Urban in K390 and any other steel.

[RadioactiveSpyder]

Sal, it’s likely the Police 4 model not selling as briskly as you’d like. Put some K390 in a PM2 or Millie and I bet it would move quickly (obviously faster as a PM2).

That said, I have the P4 and have had the edge reprofiled and it’s amazing!! I highly recommend everyone try the steel out, and the new P4 handles very much like a back-lock Military now.

[Sjucaveman]

Hi Marius,

Going on history, we had an Urban in K390 and a Mule Team, which did sell out (exclusive & short run), and we have a Police 4. Sales re not brisk on the Police 4 in K390 so we're watching the market to determine decisions.

sal

I'd blame that more on it being the police 4 than k390. The blade on the police 4 is just not for me. Put k390 on what most consider a reasonable EDC then judge market in my opinion.

[elena86]

Hi Marius,

Going on history, we had an Urban in K390 and a Mule Team, which did sell out (exclusive & short run), and we have a Police 4. Sales re not brisk on the Police 4 in K390 so we're watching the market to determine decisions.

sal

I'd blame that more on it being the police 4 than k390. The blade on the police 4 is just not for me. Put k390 on what most consider a reasonable EDC then judge market in my opinion.

I agree. The model is to be blamed for poor sales not the steel. Police4 has that huge blade plus it’s a japanese midlock and we all know what that means: vertical blade play more or less sooner or later. K390 is a superb steel and it would add alot of value in a popular Golden model.
It’s the only steel that I like more than CPM- CRU Wear for a few of its atributes at that says a lot given that I am a huge CWear fan.

[nicked.onaut]

Sal left out the exclusive blue Pingo in K390. That is my only K390 which rusted a bit when lent for a day and I neglected to properly inspect it for the rinse it needed that hot summer day. A couple days later I opened it to a mild Rohrschach test. It cleaned up just fine.

My Urban K390 trades off with the Chaparral frn CTS-XHP, and is carried at least part of the day several days a week. I've done lots of light cutting since they first came out, and have held off touching up the blade. Amazing how the sharpness endures.

Police 4 has been carried some, used only a little (more for testing than incidental need). The P4 doesn't seem to ring the bell for alot of buyers; not sure why. I think a Millie in K390 would far outsell the P4 to buyers wanting that length of blade. But PM2 would trounce them both.

And the mule K390 is still in the corral; other Mules with dupes get put to field use. I'm a user, but also a partial collector..

[ZrowsN1s]

Going to agree with the others, it's the Police 4 that's not selling. I would very much like to try K390, a Lil Native would be my choice for a Golden model.

[elena86]

I would buy a Mule in K390 if I could find one ....so fellow forumites, please ring my bell once you spot any ... :eek:

[The Meat man]

What are the characteristic differences between K390 and CPM M4? I know they're both pretty tough tool steels. Are they about the same as far as toughness, edge retention, corrosion resistance, etc.?

[bearfacedkiller]

The Police4 is a great knife. It is however a large knife and the market seems to be shifting towards smaller knives. I like big knives but I seem to be in the minority.

I think a R Model in K390 with a dark G10 would sell well. I prefer green but a dark grey or dark blue may be more universally appealing. The R model is sort of the backlock Para2 that is occasionally requested. If the Police4 is the Backlock Military then the R Model is the Backlock Para2.

[murphjd25]

The Police 4 is an awesome knife! I cannot recommend it enough!!

[TomAiello]

I like k390, but I like Maxamet (marginally) better. I'm not sure what k390 would get do for a golden made model that Maxamet wouldn't.

[bearfacedkiller]

I like k390, but I like Maxamet (marginally) better. I'm not sure what k390 would get do for a golden made model that Maxamet wouldn't.

From the sounds of things I am guessing that K390 may be easier for Spyderco to work with than Maxamet and a model in K390 may come in at a lower price point than Maxamet.

Maxamet may have slightly better edge holding but there are other variables worth considering. K390 may be a bit tougher.

[SF Native]

I really like the k390 on my urban.
I really don’t have a use for a 4 1/2” folder, I would just go with a fixed blade.
I would love a para 3, rookie, or lil temp3 in that steel. The lil temp3 is the one I really want in other steels.

[TomAiello]

If K390 is cheaper, then sure. But isn't Maxamet USA made and K390 European, so it's harder/more expensive to get K390 into USA models? I thought that was why we see the Maxamet Native or Manix (golden) but the K390 Urban or Pingo (Maniago).

If the Manix2 LW was available in K390 I'd probably buy one for novelty, but my use of the two steels (the Manix LW Maxamet is my most common EDC, and the Urban K390 is my most common travel EDC) has left me with only a very slight preference between them, and I already feel like the Maxamet models are a fantastic value, so unless there was a major cost savings, I doubt it would matter to me. And I think the market for these kind of carbon uber-steels is pretty much limited to knife people (non-knife people always opt for stainless options, and probably ought to be guided toward them regardless), so my guess is that price difference wouldn't make a huge difference to the average k390/Maxamet buyer, unless it was a pretty large price difference.

And I agree on the toughness. That matters to me for larger blades (even smallish ones--I have a k390 PW custom that I wouldn't trade for Maxamet) but in the smaller sizes I prefer edge holding to toughness. Which is another good argument for K390 in the Police, but not in the Native.

Hmmm....thinking about that, I'd be most interested in K390 in the larger Golden models--like the Military and Manix XL. I bet a K390 Military would fly off the shelves, and I'd definitely buy a K390 backlock Manix XL, although I might be a small niche buyer there.

[Bodog]

Hi Marius,

Going on history, we had an Urban in K390 and a Mule Team, which did sell out (exclusive & short run), and we have a Police 4. Sales re not brisk on the Police 4 in K390 so we're watching the market to determine decisions.

sal

I'd blame that more on it being the police 4 than k390. The blade on the police 4 is just not for me. Put k390 on what most consider a reasonable EDC then judge market in my opinion.

Truth

[Bodog]

What are the characteristic differences between K390 and CPM M4? I know they're both pretty tough tool steels. Are they about the same as far as toughness, edge retention, corrosion resistance, etc.?

Totally different, my man. K390 is all about wear resistance regardless of toughness without being totally overboard. M4 is a good combination of toughness and wear resistance with a mild lack of, ymmv, corrosion resistance.

I prefer m4 over 10v varieties due to the cutting ability during normal use over a period of time. Others prefer the highest wear resistance regardless of other factors and whether that means total edge holding capabilities or not. Like i said, ymmv. Give both a shot and you should see for yourself which is better for you. Some people only cut soft abrasion resistant stuff. That means something on par with k390 would likely be better. Some people cut a lot of dirty stuff and harder things like zip ties and cables. In that case m4 would likely be better. Both are good steels capable of different things. I imagine most would be happier with k390 as they usually only open an occasional package and then repocket the knife. K390 would excel there. Same with cutting rope or string. Ask someone to cut a lot of cardboard, tape, zip ties, and wood, they'd probably like m4 better. Throw some heavy salty humidity in there and both would probably disappoint over a period of time.