I do enjoy a good patina, but neither of my golden K390 knives have developed one in two years of edc. My Seki K390 knives have both developed a light shadow in just a matter of months.
The deep carry clip has grown on me the more I’ve used it. I too disliked them at first - I couldn’t imagine paying a $20 premium each time I bought a new knife. I still prefer the stock clip on some knives, but the PM family is all deep carry now.