K390: Seki vs Golden?

[Big_Tex]

I absolutely love k390! I’ve got several and they just won’t stay out of my pocket! I’ve read reports here and there and the k390 from Seki City is run a bit harder (HRC) than the k390 from Golden. Is there any truth to this?

Please accept my humble apology if this topic has been addressed in another thread here on the forum.

[sethwm]

Erica thinks so. 7:45

[sethwm]

More from the same channel:

[Bemo]

I'd like to know this as well. All of my K390 is Seki and is great. I've been hesitant to get Golden K390 until I know this. I'm hoping for a Native 5 in K390 down the road.

[Granoo Fink]

Honestly, I sold the Golden K390 (a Para 3 from BBS). I didn't like the steel, kind of 'soapy'. Hard to deburr.
In contrast the Seki K390 is my favorite steel, actually. It does everything better than the Golden HT. Maybe a bad batch.
This makes me feel a bit hesitant about the 15V...

[blueblur]

Maybe a bad batch, since the HT was suggested by BBB.
This makes me feel a bit hesitant about the 15V...

Where did you hear BBB had anything to do with the K390 HT? This is the first I’ve heard BBB and a less than optimal HT in the same sentence. The man is an innovator and has done something no one else has done before by finding a better HT than the manufacturer of the steel.

Check out this video to get a better idea of what BBB is all about. https://youtu.be/h6DwlT2NDtU&t=312s

[apollo]

Maybe a bad batch, since the HT was suggested by BBB.
This makes me feel a bit hesitant about the 15V...

Where did you hear BBB had anything to do with the K390 HT? This is the first I’ve heard BBB and a less than optimal HT in the same sentence. The man is an innovator and has done something no one else has done before by finding a better HT than the manufacturer of the steel.

Check out this video to get a better idea of what BBB is all about. https://youtu.be/h6DwlT2NDtU&t=312s

I have none of k390 knives at the moment. ( i am planning to own a stretch in that steel ) and regrettably i also do not have the 15v since it is just no where in europe out yet or isnt ever coming there anyway.
Now i am sure BBB knows his stuff very good and he is a great guy and all but keep in mind he is still human so mistakes can always happen even to the very best out there…

[Granoo Fink]

Since I wasn't aware of what reactions my words can cause, I edited my former comment and I encourage the other forumites citing me to do the same.
I cannot tell exactly the source right now. My apologies.

[Granoo Fink]

The fact that I didn't like the HT doesn't mean that the HT is bad, from a scientific or a knife enthusiast's point of view.

[JSumm]

The fact that I didn't like the HT doesn't mean that the HT is bad, from a scientific or a knife enthusiast's point of view.

Seems to be the general consensus that Seki City does a great job on their K390, so I don't think your preferences are misplaced. The K390 out of Golden was done some time ago.

[apollo]

Since I wasn't aware of what reactions my words can cause, I edited my former comment and I encourage the other forumites citing me to do the same.
I cannot tell exactly the source right now. My apologies.

You should not have edited that. Everybody has the right to free speech and tell what you feel. And in my eyes you therefore haven’t said anything bad because you said it was you’re feeling nothing more. So even if it would be incorrect you haven’t attacked anyone so you do not need to apologize for anything.

[wrdwrght]

I have K390 in an Urban, a Police4, an Endela, an SS Stretch, an a PM2. I just love the sharpening response it gives for such a long-lasting edge.

I was unaware that Seki-City has its own heat-treat for K390, which now makes me wonder if the Maniago Urban (my earliest K390) and my Golden PM2 (my most recent) also have different heat-treats.

The even bigger question for me is how is anyone here able to tell the difference between these models.

[JSumm]

Since I wasn't aware of what reactions my words can cause, I edited my former comment and I encourage the other forumites citing me to do the same.
I cannot tell exactly the source right now. My apologies.

You should not have edited that. Everybody has the right to free speech and tell what you feel. And in my eyes you therefore haven’t said anything bad because you said it was you’re feeling nothing more. So even if it would be incorrect you haven’t attacked anyone so you do not need to apologize for anything.

He just mentioned that BBB was behind the Golden HT of K390 which is not the case. I think he was just correcting the statement not his sentiment about the steel. I think his sentiment stands. Which is interesting, because it seems to go along with the consensus about the different K390 batches. I wonder if people can just tell from the sharpening experience that there is a difference. Maybe Spyderco tweaked it a bit once it got to Seki?

BTW, I too often go back and edit my grammatical or spelling errors. Keyboards and phone screens do not like my fingertips for some reason.

[Granoo Fink]

Since I wasn't aware of what reactions my words can cause, I edited my former comment and I encourage the other forumites citing me to do the same.
I cannot tell exactly the source right now. My apologies.

You should not have edited that. Everybody has the right to free speech and tell what you feel. And in my eyes you therefore haven’t said anything bad because you said it was you’re feeling nothing more. So even if it would be incorrect you haven’t attacked anyone so you do not need to apologize for anything.

He just mentioned that BBB was behind the Golden HT of K390 which is not the case. I think he was just correcting the statement not his sentiment about the steel. I think his sentiment stands. Which is interesting, because it seems to go along with the consensus about the different K390 batches. I wonder if people can just tell from the sharpening experience that there is a difference. Maybe Spyderco tweaked it a bit once it got to Seki?

BTW, I too often go back and edit my grammatical or spelling errors. Keyboards and phone screens do not like my fingertips for some reason.

Correct. I prefer the Seki HT. Unfortunately, I cannot recall the source. So I shouldn't claim something without substance.

[Bemo]

Honestly, I sold the Golden K390 (a Para 3 from BBS). I didn't like the steel, kind of 'soapy'. Hard to deburr.
In contrast the Seki K390 is my favorite steel, actually. It does everything better than the Golden HT. Maybe a bad batch.
This makes me feel a bit hesitant about the 15V...

Um, BBS is the short hand for BentoBox who commissioned the K390 P3 exclusive. I certainly have never heard of Big Brown Bear having anything to do with the HT of K390. Unless I missed something.

[JSumm]

Honestly, I sold the Golden K390 (a Para 3 from BBS). I didn't like the steel, kind of 'soapy'. Hard to deburr.
In contrast the Seki K390 is my favorite steel, actually. It does everything better than the Golden HT. Maybe a bad batch.
This makes me feel a bit hesitant about the 15V...

Um, BBS is the short hand for BentoBox who commissioned the K390 P3 exclusive. I certainly have never heard of Big Brown Bear having anything to do with the HT of K390. Unless I missed something.

He edited that out of his statement. All good.

[Bemo]

Ok so I did miss something. All good, move along folks, nothing to see here. Well except knowing something about the difference in HT between Seki and Golden would still be nice.

[Manifestgtr]

I have no experience with any k390 other than seki (for which I have almost every model) but whatever they’re doing over there, it’s “right”. The treatment of the k390 that gets sent there is all I’d really ever want out of k390.

[kennethsime]

I’ve been carrying a K390 PM2 for the better part of three years now and can’t say enough good things about it. I have the Para 3, too.

I had to take a chip out of the Para 3 after I let a friend borrow it and they hit a nail. I found that job a lot easier than I found the same job on my Rex 45 Para 3 + Native 5. I actually enjoy sharpening K390 quite a bit, I’ve found it relatively easy to get razor sharp.

I took my K390 stretch down to 15° DPS and anecdotally, this took a little longer than the Para 3 chip repair. Both were completed in a single session, though. I might guess that the Seki knives are a little harder, but I could also be wrong about that.

I haven’t had to sharpen my K390 Dragonfly once since I got it maybe 18 months ago - just don’t carry it enough. That’s probably my chief complaint/accolade about K390 - it just keeps on cutting.

I’d be really stoked if they introduced more Golden modes in K390. I’d particularly love a Military, and Native Chief, or a Shaman.

[JRinFL]

I was under the impression that Spyderco applies CQI to their heat treat processes as well, so it’s likely it was tweaked at some point between the Mule and the powerhouse Seki models.