K390 Endela…..thank you Sal.

[benben]

60 strokes on the brown rods, 60 on the whites rods, couple of drops of Breakthrough Battle Born on the pivot and right back in my pocket. Thanks Sal, what a winner, love this knife!

[sal]

Hi Benben,

Thanx much. We get lucky once in a while.

sal

[JSumm]

It is fantastic! The Endura version is also quite a bit of fantastic!

The K390 Endela was my first experience with Seki, lockbacks (Chap may have been first), and LW FRN. So thin, so powerful, and so smooth in hand it is.

[z1r]

Yeah, this is why it's my EDC.

I scratched the clip, so I got another, just in case I ever wear this one out!

I can't personally get it quite as sharp as some other knives, but it stays just as sharp far longer than most others. The few times I really dulled it, it came back without undue effort. Yup, I like it!

[Doc Dan]

Yeah, that move to K390 was brilliant. I don't have the Endela, but I do have and love the Straight Spine Stretch, which is similar in size.

[Igi964]

K390 Endura was my EDC for a year and it was fantastic. Light, thin, long edge. K390 is awsome steel. Hold the edge great, doesn’t chip and is easy to sharpen. Next I tried ZDP and it was noticeable less edge holding. Altghou pretty much stainless in compare to K390. Right now I have Maxamet and it is much harder to sharpen. I was able to repair some chips on brown Sharpmaker rods. It slice paper nice, but I cant do the same screaming sharpness as on K390. For some reason So to me the K390 is the GOAT. Untill I get some diamamonds to max. out the Maxamet

[benben]

I’ve said this here recently, I have a sock drawer full of Spyderco’s but my rotation has consisted primarily of these five knives lately.

Cru-Wear G-10 Manix.
This K390 Endela I posted.
Serrated Pacific Salt.
Serrated Rockjumper.
Serrated S35VN Native LW.

Love this group, they cover a lot of bases for me, all genius in design in that they all work fantastic!

EDIT…..please don’t tell Sal, I started this thread to butter him up to see what’s the possibility of a fully serrated K390 Manix, in G-10 preferably?

[z1r]

Hmm, I'm just the opposite. I carry a ZDP DF2 alomg with my Endela just because I can get the edge sharper. Curious. Plus, it is a perfect apple/peach slicer and, as you point out, more "stainless".

So far, my Spy27 N5 is getting a lot of love due to ease of sharpening, blade length, and relative light weight. My CruCarta PM2 seems some pocket time too, cuz, well, it is awesome.

[The Mastiff]

I have learned to live with high carbide, high hardness tool steels. K390 is one of the best steels I've ever used. It can really do some cutting. It almost made me forget Cruwear. Not quite but close.

[benben]

I have learned to live with high carbide, high hardness tool steels. K390 is one of the best steels I've ever used. It can really do some cutting. It almost made me forget Cruwear. Not quite but close.

I’ve yet to ever try 3V & 4V, and I want to. But, I’m always game for just about any models with K390 & Cru-Wear, great steels!

[Ramonade]

I have learned to live with high carbide, high hardness tool steels. K390 is one of the best steels I've ever used. It can really do some cutting. It almost made me forget Cruwear. Not quite but close.

Would you say you prefer how CPM Cru-Wear behaves compared to K390 ?
Cru-Wear, 3V, 4V and 10V are still that always eluded me, I need to get samples of each, but it has not happened yet !

[steelcity16]

Definitely one of the best! I am super pumped for K390 Endela Wharnie!

[electro-static]

I have been carrying a K390 endura since they were released. 15 knives later it’s still my favorite, took it camping recently and didn’t need a small fixed blade, The HT on it is bomb

[The Mastiff]

Would you say you prefer how CPM Cru-Wear behaves compared to K390 ?

Cruwear isn't run as high hardness typically. It has less abrasive wear resistance but better corrosion resistance and toughness than K390. It's all around easy to live with IMO and really sharpens nicely.

K390 is all about long lasting wear resistance due to the 9% vanadium. It is hard ( usually rc 65 or so as opposed to 62-3 for Cruwear) so it has strength but not much toughness. It has very little corrosion resistance and needs much more maintenance for that as opposed to Cruwear's almost stainless properties.

They are both top of the line but are designed for different things.

Much of the same can be said of 3V and 4V as Cruwear with little differences. 3V is designed for more toughness than Cruwear with near similar wear resistance while 4v is slightly more wear resistant than Cruwear . They ( these 3) are close to S35Vn/S30V in wear resistance with K390 ( which is a modified 10V/A11) having substantially higher wear resistance.

It works out in my head but I'm not the best at explaining things. Also, remember that edge geometry is very important in cutting just like finish is important in corrosion resistance. Things can just change based on that.

Joe