Spyderco Forums

Hi folks,

I’m a huge fan of k390. I like that it cuts cardboard forever and I find it satisfying to sharpen. In this context I don’t care about stain resistance though I do appreciate that k390 seems to patina for me more than flat out rust.

I know there’s a lot of appreciation here for the 15v runs. I’m considering trying out 15v. What should I expect as differences between that and my k390?

IMO... not much.15V will propably be somewhat harder to sharpen. I think 15V will hold an edge a bit longer. I'm with you; I really like K390 and I'm looking to add more to the small collection of knives I have.

BBB 15V will give you noticeably better edge retention with some loss of toughness. BBB 15V is a bit tougher than 15V due to his heat treatment so I would say you only lose a bit of toughness not a significant amount but YMMV. It sharpens similarly to K390, if you have a diamond or CBN stone you will be fine. Finally it seems to resist patina significantly better than K390 for some reason, maybe the finish.

Both great steels but BBB 15v IMO is a step above.

How can anyone honestly say harder to sharpen? I sharpen REX121 very easily but you need to be using Diamond or CBN.

A reprofile does take longer but it is not harder to do.

I think the whole harder to sharpen thing really needs to be put in context of what tools you are using and what your expected outcome is.

Also what is the person writing referring to as sharpening? It is a pretty broad term.

For example a reprofile may be called sharpening but to me it is when you purposely change the angle of the bevels and reapex the edge and or thin it out behind the edge.

To me the sharpmaker as someone else recently said is really the sharpkeeper in that it would be a horrible tool for reprofiling can it be done? Yes but why? Have you absolutely nothing better to do with your time, stuck on a deserted island perhaps?

The Sharpmaker is essential for SE Blades as well as PE and PS blades.

Where it shines is in keeping that fresh crisp cutting edge. And will be used more often than other rigs.

I have read where the ceramics only on the sharpmaker only burnish 15V I dont believe this is entirely correct as by definition burnishing does not remove metal but is a cold process that irons out peaks an valleys and hardens metal.

Is there a burnishing effect yes I believe so but there is also metal removal otherwise why would the rods darken?

Could this be considered sharpening? Well yes.

That being considered I have yet to find any steel that the sharpmaker can not keep sharp if not allowed to require reapexing and no more difficult either.

Some steels like 8CR13MOV, SPY27, BD1N, just like to get super sharp quickly.

K390 is an alltime favorite and gets super sharp very quickly even from cant cut paper dull, needing only the sharpmaker.

It is not more difficult though.

As for K390 Patina yeah not my favorite but it's easy to remove 3 Micron Nanohone Truer rub the flats with the grind of the steel good to go again by by tarnish.

Here is what I am talking about.
https://nanohone.com/products/truer

No SE 15v though.
SE K390 is where it's at.

I'd love to see SE 15v. (I know this will never happen from the factory, but would be cool to try)

I think at one point Shawn said his intention with the 15v heat treatment was to create something between K390 and Maxamet.

FWIW... As a big fan of M4 for many years, K390 was the first new steel I tried that I felt like a step up from M4 in all the ways I appreciate. Everything I've used and sharpened since then hasn't impressed me in the same way K390 did in that moment, 15v and Maxamet included.

Yeah there are alot of SE models I would love to see especially in 15V

BeggarSo wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 14, 2026 11:52 am

How can anyone honestly say harder to sharpen? I sharpen REX121 very easily but you need to be using Diamond or CBN.

A reprofile does take longer but it is not harder to do.

I think the whole harder to sharpen thing really needs to be put in context of what tools you are using and what your expected outcome is.

Also what is the person writing referring to as sharpening? It is a pretty broad term.

For example a reprofile may be called sharpening but to me it is when you purposely change the angle of the bevels and reapex the edge and or thin it out behind the edge.

To me the sharpmaker as someone else recently said is really the sharpkeeper in that it would be a horrible tool for reprofiling can it be done? Yes but why? Have you absolutely nothing better to do with your time, stuck on a deserted island perhaps?

The Sharpmaker is essential for SE Blades as well as PE and PS blades.

Where it shines is in keeping that fresh crisp cutting edge. And will be used more often than other rigs.

I have read where the ceramics only on the sharpmaker only burnish 15V I dont believe this is entirely correct as by definition burnishing does not remove metal but is a cold process that irons out peaks an valleys and hardens metal.

Is there a burnishing effect yes I believe so but there is also metal removal otherwise why would the rods darken?

Could this be considered sharpening? Well yes.

That being considered I have yet to find any steel that the sharpmaker can not keep sharp if not allowed to require reapexing and no more difficult either.

Some steels like 8CR13MOV, SPY27, BD1N, just like to get super sharp quickly.

K390 is an alltime favorite and gets super sharp very quickly even from cant cut paper dull, needing only the sharpmaker.

It is not more difficult though.

As for K390 Patina yeah not my favorite but it's easy to remove 3 Micron Nanohone Truer rub the flats with the grind of the steel good to go again by by tarnish.

Here is what I am talking about.
https://nanohone.com/products/truer

Okay.... I should have said it takes a bit more time? I don't find any knife blade "hard" to sharpen. But, even with the correct stones/plates it does take longer to sharpen certain steels (correctly). I have access to diamond plates of varying grits so, I don't find anything "hard" to sharpen..... just more time consuming, given the type of steel.

Also.... yes, ceramic does sharpen to a degree. It does remove metal. But... on steels like Rex 121, Maxamet, 15V, etc... it removes the softer steel around the harder carbides, it leaves them more exposed and prone to chipping. That is why diamonds are needed to sharpen those particular high carbide steels.

Yep I have been thinking the same thing I keep posting about the Nanohone strops because they are not just a piece of material with diamond paste or spray they work really well with high carbide steels. No matter how good those or my CBN with the fixed angle sharpener do I still find the sharpmaker finishes the job.

BeggarSo wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 14, 2026 11:52 am

As for K390 Patina yeah not my favorite but it's easy to remove 3 Micron Nanohone Truer rub the flats with the grind of the steel good to go again by by tarnish.

I know some people don't like the look of patina, which may be the case here, but for those who are only worried about corrosion, let that patina build up and you might be surprised how much corrosion resistance this natural barrier will add vs. bare steel. I primarily use non-stainless knives and I don't bother oiling them after they develop patina. I do clean them after using them on vegetation, but run of the mill tasks where the blade won't be contacting corrosive materials, I don't have issues even with some pretty reactive steels. That doesn't mean non-stainless is for everyone, or every situation, but if you enjoy reactive steels but want more corrosion resistance, patina is a good free way to improve that.

Scandi Grind wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 14, 2026 6:35 pm

BeggarSo wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 14, 2026 11:52 am

As for K390 Patina yeah not my favorite but it's easy to remove 3 Micron Nanohone Truer rub the flats with the grind of the steel good to go again by by tarnish.

I know some people don't like the look of patina, which may be the case here, but for those who are only worried about corrosion, let that patina build up and you might be surprised how much corrosion resistance this natural barrier will add vs. bare steel. I primarily use non-stainless knives and I don't bother oiling them after they develop patina. I do clean them after using them on vegetation, but run of the mill tasks where the blade won't be contacting corrosive materials, I don't have issues even with some pretty reactive steels. That doesn't mean non-stainless is for everyone, or every situation, but if you enjoy reactive steels but want more corrosion resistance, patina is a good free way to improve that.

I have been thinking of ordering some Feric Chloride and dropping a blade into it to acid wash it and force a coating.

I'm a big fan of 15V, but K390 is great also. Both are not hard to sharpen with diamonds. The sharpening experience with 15V is really surprisingly pleasant. In my use, both hold an edge for a very long time. I do like that the K390 models tend to be a bit thinner, but I carry and use my Para 3 in 15V an awful lot and it does all I need just fine.

The K390 Delica is I think one of the best high wear resistance blades Spyderco makes right now.

Wandering_About wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 14, 2026 7:49 pm

I'm a big fan of 15V, but K390 is great also. Both are not hard to sharpen with diamonds. The sharpening experience with 15V is really surprisingly pleasant. In my use, both hold an edge for a very long time. I do like that the K390 models tend to be a bit thinner, but I carry and use my Para 3 in 15V an awful lot and it does all I need just fine.

The K390 Delica is I think one of the best high wear resistance blades Spyderco makes right now.

I agree with you. My daily knife is a K390 Endura. I love this knife. I own 4 knives in 15V.... they are great. I'm looking forward to adding more of both.

One of my favorite quotes is : One measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions .

From Dr . Larrin Thomas's Web Site :
https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10/19/ ... esistance/

Wowbagger wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 14, 2026 8:44 pm

One of my favorite quotes is : One measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions .

From Dr . Larrin Thomas's Web Site :
https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10/19/ ... esistance/

17735422707891975092522743920611.jpg

Just keep in mind that Larrin hasn't tested BBB 15V, so it should be better than those ratings.

Synov wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 14, 2026 8:54 pm

Wowbagger wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 14, 2026 8:44 pm

One of my favorite quotes is : One measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions .

From Dr . Larrin Thomas's Web Site :
https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10/19/ ... esistance/

17735422707891975092522743920611.jpg

Just keep in mind that Larrin hasn't treated BBB 15V, so it should be better than those ratings.

THAT!

While the above data provide a good starting point, keep in mind that Larrin's tests use CATRA and knife blanks with very specific geometry and very controlled motion. Also, CATRA tests measure cutting performance using silica-embedded cardstock. Since pretty much none of us use that exact same geometry, nor precisely controlled cutting motion, nor do we go around cutting silica-embedded cardstock, your mileage may vary, and the rankings might not be the same as shown above.

hobbyist wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 14, 2026 9:07 am

...I’m considering trying out 15v. What should I expect as differences between that and my k390?

My subjective opinion based on several months of use on both. A K390 Endela wharncliffe and a 15V Manix. I used both in the same role, to cut mostly cardboard and packaging every other day for household recycling. Not EDC, just recycle duty. I used the Endela for perhaps a year in this role, and the Manix for about 6 months.

They both stayed sharp for a loooong time. I could go about 3 months on each before I felt like they needed fresh edges. In that time I did not touch the edges, no stropping, no micro-bevels. They were both running 1000 grit diamond edges, at 15 dps. Initially, both factory edges did not last long, but that was not unexpected. Also, I had to sharpen the 15V Manix four times (4x complete new edges), before I got stable long lasting perfomance. I don't recall that this was necessary for K390.

Eventually 15V stayed sharp slightly longer than K390, but it was almost too close to call. Say a week or two longer than K390 over a 3 month period. Also, 15V seemed to develop micro-chips more frequently than K390. Nothing serious, just a tiny chip here and there that I could feel with a fingernail as the edge wore down. Not impact related that I recall. I don't recall seeing micro chipping on K390.

Despite these minor differences, they were for all practical purposes interchangable in that role. I liked both. They were both easy to sharpen and to deburr on diamonds. Easier than S30V. If I had to pick only one steel, I'd go with Seki K390, because of the increased toughness. There is not much in it though, pick the model you prefer, whether Seki City K390 or Golden Colorado 15V.

Finally, I much prefer the wharncliffe over the drop point blade shape for cutting cardboard and packaging.





I am well provisioned...

Brock O Lee wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 14, 2026 10:30 pm

hobbyist wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 14, 2026 9:07 am

...I’m considering trying out 15v. What should I expect as differences between that and my k390?

My subjective opinion based on several months of use on both. A K390 Endela wharncliffe and a 15V Manix. I used both in the same role, to cut mostly cardboard and packaging every other day for household recycling. Not EDC, just recycle duty. I used the Endela for perhaps a year in this role, and the Manix for about 6 months.

They both stayed sharp for a loooong time. I could go about 3 months on each before I felt like they needed fresh edges. In that time I did not touch the edges, no stropping, no micro-bevels. They were both running 1000 grit diamond edges, at 15 dps. Initially, both factory edges did not last long, but that was not unexpected. Also, I had to sharpen the 15V Manix four times (4x complete new edges), before I got stable long lasting perfomance. I don't recall that this was necessary for K390.

Eventually 15V stayed sharp slightly longer than K390, but it was almost too close to call. Say a week or two longer than K390 over a 3 month period. Also, 15V seemed to develop micro-chips more frequently than K390. Nothing serious, just a tiny chip here and there that I could feel with a fingernail as the edge wore down. Not impact related that I recall. I don't recall seeing micro chipping on K390.

Despite these minor differences, they were for all practical purposes interchangable in that role. I liked both. They were both easy to sharpen and to deburr on diamonds. Easier than S30V. If I had to pick only one steel, I'd go with Seki K390, because of the increased toughness. There is not much in it though, pick the model you prefer, whether Seki City K390 or Golden Colorado 15V.

Finally, I much prefer the wharncliffe over the drop point blade shape for cutting cardboard and packaging.





I am well provisioned...