Best Seki K390

[Manifestgtr]

I have all of them and they’re all fantastic…IMO, they fall something like this:

Stretch
Police
Endela
Endura, Delica, Dragonfly

We’re talking 1a, 1b, 1c, etc. They’re all incredible…I just so happen to prefer the stretch and the P4

[elena86]

OP - I recall you saying you were on the novice side of sharpening, despite your username haha! I'm not sure if you're ready to tackle 15V or K390 at this point. They could be tricky.

He seems determined enough. As long as he uses diamonds or cbn he should be ok. I personally find that k390 apexes quite nicely it just takes longer. In my experience k390 is actually more predictable than rex45. However maybe it’s that if you mess up your angle once it has less of a negative effect on more wear resistant steels.

I know people say steels like 15v and K390 are hard to sharpen but if you have an appropriate stone (diamond or CBN) then how much difference is there really? Isn’t the same basic sharpening principles universal regardless of the steel?

I am guessing people call it hard as they don’t reach the apex and therefor never really sharpen the edge.

K390 is a 10V class steel.

[golddots]

I sharpened maxamet and k390 recently. It just takes longer. Techniques are the same for me.
I just use a 6”dmt coarse and spyderco double stuff on the brown side. When feeling fancy I’ll strop on my jeans, the double stuff leather case, or even my calloused palm.
I’ll admit that I’ve been using and carrying spy27 and cruwear more because the process takes less than a minute to get it shaving sharp vsMAYBE 5 minutes all together on something like my k390 endura.

[abbazaba]

It's pretty hard to beat a Stretch in K390.

Are these still the Suingab scales or different ones? Best looking Stretch out there IMO!

[z1r]

Hmmmm. Really like my toenail pickin' K390 Ladybug. Always at my fly tying bench for precision cuts. In most instances I prefer using it to razor blades. I don't baby it. I use it to scraped glue, paint and epoxy off of hooks, pipes, cut and trim lead, etc.

This. But, I also carry a K390 Endela. The Stretch 2 is also great but heavier than my EDC needs require.

[kennethsime]

Are these still the Suingab scales or different ones? Best looking Stretch out there IMO!

The same, still haven't replaced them. I'm thinking of dying my stock FRNN backspacer to match - pretty sure that would fix the locker tension issue.

[Michael Janich]

Dear Golddots:

Welcome to the Spyderco Forum.

Stay safe,

Mike

[Paraguy]

I feel for the Brits. Can then get some k390 on a UKPK? (not really i just want one)

[ChrisinHove]

I feel for the Brits. Can then get some k390 on a UKPK? (not really i just want one)

Yes please!

[David R]

OP - I recall you saying you were on the novice side of sharpening, despite your username haha! I'm not sure if you're ready to tackle 15V or K390 at this point. They could be tricky.

He seems determined enough. As long as he uses diamonds or cbn he should be ok. I personally find that k390 apexes quite nicely it just takes longer. In my experience k390 is actually more predictable than rex45. However maybe it’s that if you mess up your angle once it has less of a negative effect on more wear resistant steels.

I know people say steels like 15v and K390 are hard to sharpen but if you have an appropriate stone (diamond or CBN) then how much difference is there really? Isn’t the same basic sharpening principles universal regardless of the steel?

I am guessing people call it hard as they don’t reach the apex and therefor never really sharpen the edge.

Could be. Those steels also just take forever to remove material with stones that don't have hard abrasives, like AlOx. The first time I sharpened ZDP-189 with AlOx I got it sharp, but I was there for for a very long time. I suspect some people give up.

[kobold]

These two:

[npad69]

Waiting for a Stretch XL LW in K390

[abbazaba]

Waiting for a Stretch XL LW in K390

+1

[cjk]

If I had to pick just two for myself, I'd get the wharncliffe K390 Delica and the K390 PE Endura.

If I had to pick just one for myself, I'd get the wharncliffe K390 Delica.

If I had to pick the best of the Seki K390 knives, my answer would just be "yes".