Great video! Have seen a ton of videos speaking highly of the K390. I will be getting some for sure! And I can’t believe you don’t have 100K followers, love that you actually do real life testing and don’t just cut a piece of paper and say here is my full review! Keep ‘em coming!
The last Seki City Spyderco I got had a really asymmetrical grind. It wasn't a huge problem for me, as I tend to reprofile almost all of my knives, but I could see that being a dealbreaker for someone else who demands better of factory edges. Besides, there's not a whole lot of places where I can get my hands on K390, so Spyderco kinda has me by the short & curlies there. 😅
I forced a patina on my PM2, K390 with apple cider vinegar and it’s a beautiful dark olive drab. Also have an Endella & Police 4 in K390, love this steel!
K390 is an amazing steel at a competitive price. Love this steel. It is not Stainless but if you maintain your blade on a regular basis, the hue on the blade stays minimal. Also check out Maxamet and Rex45 steel. All winners in my opinion. 👍🏻
Totally agree with you on the k390. I got one of the sprint run Urban's in it when they were released and recently an Endela. Been doing some contract work the past few weeks for a company that is all women and the Urban hasn't raised an eyebrow from them and it's in and out of my pocket constantly. Haven't had to touch the edge up yet either. Win win.
I bought the Police 4 and Delica wanting this one all along but it was out of stock every time I had money. Finally got one and love it. It's like a comfortable PM2 and in my favorite steel. I can't believe that they did the big one in vg10 rather than k390. What a bummer.
Great stuff, I love the couple of Spyderco's with K390. I haven't had to sharpen them yet and I gotta say I'm a little worried, gotta get myself a proper system for the harder to sharpen steels first I think. Love the content, please keep it coming.
K390, Cruwear and (Spyderco’s BBB) 15V are my favorite steels, period. I love lc200n and magnacut but tool steels just offer that extra push over the cliff in terms of performance. Great edge stability, front end edge retention and sharpening experience. People think that steels like 15V and K390 are gonna be awful to sharpen but they aren’t at all. K390 is one of my favorite steels to sharpen…it comes off the stones as sharp as you’d ever need it and after you strop, it’s ready to split atoms…
With the endella ...if you file down the front finger guard and sand it smooth , wow! totally improves that knife ( Didn't like it from the factory, but after I got rid of the front finger guard it's an urgenomic gem now )
I have the Delica Warncliff with K390 steel blade. If you sweat alot you must keep the blade oiled to prevent rust. This knife is not one to be left in your pocket and forgotten about, you must take good care. K390 should be DLC coated as standard to prevent rust.
My k390 dragonfly is by far my most used. Permanent package opener and cardboard break down knife. I live a mile from the ocean and haven't had any corrosion issues, I do keep a layer of edci on it though. I agree on the thinner geometry, how good would a chaparral be in k390 or rex45
I've given up hope on Taichung using awesome steels in their knives. To satisfy my need for slicey K390 and Rex 45, I started regrinding my own blades. My life has been changed. If you're not interested in learning the process, there are folks on Instagram who do good work for cheap. Trust me, you need 0.010" BTE Rex 45, K390, and 0.007" BTE LC200N in your life.
yeah man, I've got the K390 dragonfly wharncliffe that sits by my keys and wallet just for opening packages. Love it. I've got four chaparrals and would LOVE a new one in k390.
@@ZPositive Chaparral in K390 would be very bad idea. It’s gonna sell out before it leaves Taichung factory 😂😂. Imagine the frustration Chaparral lovers like us would feel knowing it exists and we can’t snag one.
Hey S23 K390 got my high steel interest. 2023 Lil Temperance 3LW are available. GOT MINE. Such a robust blade stock, reminds me a stout Shaman. Pls, do a full review on Lil Temperance 3LW in K390?! Side note, Frn works well with this steel, seems such a user knife. Excellent edge retention, tough steel & geometry, great for sub 3” legality choice!!
These K390 Spydercos are awesome! I have a Delica that I have been using in the kitchen for months to cut fruit and veg for my dogs' treats, and recently used white vinegar to force the patina. Looks incredible. It's such a good slicer and the K390 strops up beautifully. Just recently picked up a K390 Police, also to use for food prep in my kitchen and when camping. It's HUGE! Much bigger than I imagined LOL maybe I'll have to use mustard to patina that one. Spyderco is so good.
Excellent review. I actually hate the blade profile on this (compared to the original Stretch II). I love the belly on the original Stretch II series & it's mind boggling that Spyderco chose to essentially remake the Endura/PM2 blade style for this Stretch *Lightweight* model. It's the only *Lightweight* model that I know of, where they completely changed blade shape & geometry. Which is a shame. The original Stretch II belly was absolutely great. For the Endura, PM2 & Delica.. this "Spydie Leaf-Clip Point" is awsome, just not on the Stretch ! Come on Spyderco !!! Also, I don't completely hate this blade style altogether, I just hate it on this Stretch II model.
I bought the K390 Stretch 2 weeks ago. The factories edge sharpening was not that good with some chipping. I resharpened it and took it with me for work. After 12 Meter cutting kraftpaper (200g/m2) it was dull and again chipping on the blade. 😠 Every 2€ Cutter blade would have performed better. I will resharpen it again and will give it another try, but at the moment I would definitely not buy another knife with a K390. When I watch the test here in the video, I ask myself why my knife is so bad in comparison. Compared to my previous China Ganzo knife, which has been in use for 4 years, the Stretch k390 made absolutely no good impression today. I'll keep my fingers crossed that no one won't be as disappointed as I was.
the stretch is a good looking knife, i really like the 3.5" Seki models, the Stretch 2 and the Endela aesthetically. I also have medium hands so 3.5" knives fit perfectly no matter the brand usually. Spyderco isnt my favorite aesthically, i like CJRBs designs and wish some of my favorite knives from them had super tool steels with thin grinds.
Do it! I was surprised how good even the crap steel version of Resilience is! I waited a huge long time for it to come in S35VN and I jumped when it came available. Total non brainer!
Great knife but in the shot @ 15:38, the grind at the tip looks slightly asymmetrical. I watched lots of reviews complaining about uneven grind between the 2 edges. Is that your experience Stassa as well?
How much better is K390 than zdp-189? I aways thought zdp-189 was one of spyderco's best blade steels but I've never had anything in K390 or magnacut. I would like to try both of those blade steels at some point.
K390 is a different breed than ZDP. It has a toothiness that ZDP doesn't. Seki City K390's high carbide volume gives it an unparalleled working edge life. And I don't understand why, but K390 also easily sharpens to an insanely keen initial sharpness. If I had to pick one, the closest steel to ZDP is Rex 45, but Rex is far less chippy at the same hardness. As nerdy as it is to say, ZDP is old tech. Rex and K390 run circles around it.
@@ZPositive what do you think of magnacut? I recently bought a custom with s390 with an HRC of 67. I wonder how k390 stacks up against s390 as far as edge retention goes?
@@paulmills426 I don't have experience with magnacut. I recommend Justin over at the channel Engineer's Perspective for some insight on it. But the opinion I've formed on it is that I'd rather have LC200N, which is a truly remarkable stainless steel. LC punches way above its weight class, taking an absolutely insane edge and holding it far too long. I reground my Spydiechef to 0.007" BTE and it's simply the sweetest food prep knife. Never any rolling or chipping even falling out of hard salami cuts and slamming into my cutting board. From what I understand, Magnacut probably can't be ground that thin and have similar edge stability. So yeah, magnacut isn't on my radar. But I'd love to hear your opinion on S390 after you get to know it.
@@paulmills426 I see a few Russian custom knife makers offering S390. Seems it’s easy for them to lay their hand on it and work it out into both fixed blades and folders
I have this knife, I really like the blade shape and ergonomics, but the thought of having it reground and re-scaled sounds really good. Where would you send it for that?
Watch the YT channel notyouraverageedc. Erica used to not "get" spyderco until her subscribers wore her down. It's a fun set of videos to watch her realize the genius in spyderco design. Now she's a bit of a spyderco nut, just like the rest of us.
My thoughts on k390 are whatever Google tells me to think. Edit: you said "seki city plant is the best, well Taiwan plant is the best then seki city.." Does that mean you think the USA plant is the worst? Wouldn't that be the inverse of your statement?
Kinda like a Para 2, besides the finger choil, the blade is exactly like. Para 2. I laid them on top of each other and identical. The original stretch 2 that looks like a crock head is UGLY AF. I love this k390 blade. The handle and lock sucks compared to the para 2
Just bought one and now watching all UA-cam reviews covering it.
All the seki k390 are amazing. Feel like people sleep on them because of the lockbacks. Best knives spyderco has in my opinion
Sad because people overlook backlocks. They don’t have the fidget factor people so desperate seek and value above everything else.
I luv Spydees with K390, IMO they also have the smoothest opening while slow fidget rolling!
I'd love to see more models in k390 and get beyond the lock backs. The bento box k390 para 3 is one of my all time favorites.
Great video! Have seen a ton of videos speaking highly of the K390. I will be getting some for sure! And I can’t believe you don’t have 100K followers, love that you actually do real life testing and don’t just cut a piece of paper and say here is my full review! Keep ‘em coming!
The last Seki City Spyderco I got had a really asymmetrical grind. It wasn't a huge problem for me, as I tend to reprofile almost all of my knives, but I could see that being a dealbreaker for someone else who demands better of factory edges. Besides, there's not a whole lot of places where I can get my hands on K390, so Spyderco kinda has me by the short & curlies there. 😅
I forced a patina on my PM2, K390 with apple cider vinegar and it’s a beautiful dark olive drab.
Also have an Endella & Police 4 in K390, love this steel!
K390 is some pretty amazing steel. I have the Stretch, as well as the Endella and Endura in it. They hold an edge for a very long time.
Thanks for the look Mr Stassa. Always appreciate your videos 📹 👍
K390 is an amazing steel at a competitive price. Love this steel. It is not Stainless but if you maintain your blade on a regular basis, the hue on the blade stays minimal. Also check out Maxamet and Rex45 steel. All winners in my opinion. 👍🏻
Totally agree with you on the k390. I got one of the sprint run Urban's in it when they were released and recently an Endela. Been doing some contract work the past few weeks for a company that is all women and the Urban hasn't raised an eyebrow from them and it's in and out of my pocket constantly. Haven't had to touch the edge up yet either. Win win.
I bought the Police 4 and Delica wanting this one all along but it was out of stock every time I had money. Finally got one and love it. It's like a comfortable PM2 and in my favorite steel. I can't believe that they did the big one in vg10 rather than k390. What a bummer.
Great stuff, I love the couple of Spyderco's with K390. I haven't had to sharpen them yet and I gotta say I'm a little worried, gotta get myself a proper system for the harder to sharpen steels first I think. Love the content, please keep it coming.
Stretch in K390 is my favorite knife!
Love the Stretch 2 in K390!
Great content!
I polished my washers and it got really smooth.
Same here. Buttery smooth
The leaf jumper in k390 is my favorite modern pocket knife. I prefer back locks.
My Spyderco Police 4 serrated just arrived earlier this week. Its cutting power is insane
K390, Cruwear and (Spyderco’s BBB) 15V are my favorite steels, period. I love lc200n and magnacut but tool steels just offer that extra push over the cliff in terms of performance. Great edge stability, front end edge retention and sharpening experience. People think that steels like 15V and K390 are gonna be awful to sharpen but they aren’t at all. K390 is one of my favorite steels to sharpen…it comes off the stones as sharp as you’d ever need it and after you strop, it’s ready to split atoms…
My favorite work knife the edge retention is awesome! Awesome video as always!
I’m really loving the k390 these days. I find myself going back and forth between it and cruwear for my 2 favs these days.
you are better at feathersticking than most of the bushcraft channels i follow, although im sure the stretch 2 helped
With the endella ...if you file down the front finger guard and sand it smooth , wow! totally improves that knife ( Didn't like it from the factory, but after I got rid of the front finger guard it's an urgenomic gem now )
Love this thing. My main work knife
Great review, thanks a lot! 😊
Excellent video-such an underrated Spyderco!
I have the Delica Warncliff with K390 steel blade. If you sweat alot you must keep the blade oiled to prevent rust. This knife is not one to be left in your pocket and forgotten about, you must take good care. K390 should be DLC coated as standard to prevent rust.
A coated option would be great and you would think a no brainer 👌
My k390 dragonfly is by far my most used. Permanent package opener and cardboard break down knife. I live a mile from the ocean and haven't had any corrosion issues, I do keep a layer of edci on it though. I agree on the thinner geometry, how good would a chaparral be in k390 or rex45
I've given up hope on Taichung using awesome steels in their knives. To satisfy my need for slicey K390 and Rex 45, I started regrinding my own blades. My life has been changed. If you're not interested in learning the process, there are folks on Instagram who do good work for cheap. Trust me, you need 0.010" BTE Rex 45, K390, and 0.007" BTE LC200N in your life.
yeah man, I've got the K390 dragonfly wharncliffe that sits by my keys and wallet just for opening packages. Love it. I've got four chaparrals and would LOVE a new one in k390.
@@ZPositive Chaparral in K390 would be very bad idea. It’s gonna sell out before it leaves Taichung factory 😂😂. Imagine the frustration Chaparral lovers like us would feel knowing it exists and we can’t snag one.
Hey S23 K390 got my high steel interest. 2023 Lil Temperance 3LW are available. GOT MINE.
Such a robust blade stock, reminds me a stout Shaman. Pls, do a full review on Lil Temperance 3LW in K390?! Side note, Frn works well with this steel, seems such a user knife. Excellent edge retention, tough steel & geometry, great for sub 3” legality choice!!
These K390 Spydercos are awesome! I have a Delica that I have been using in the kitchen for months to cut fruit and veg for my dogs' treats, and recently used white vinegar to force the patina. Looks incredible. It's such a good slicer and the K390 strops up beautifully. Just recently picked up a K390 Police, also to use for food prep in my kitchen and when camping. It's HUGE! Much bigger than I imagined LOL maybe I'll have to use mustard to patina that one. Spyderco is so good.
Might have to try some.
Excellent review. I actually hate the blade profile on this (compared to the original Stretch II). I love the belly on the original Stretch II series & it's mind boggling that Spyderco chose to essentially remake the Endura/PM2 blade style for this Stretch *Lightweight* model. It's the only *Lightweight* model that I know of, where they completely changed blade shape & geometry. Which is a shame. The original Stretch II belly was absolutely great. For the Endura, PM2 & Delica.. this "Spydie Leaf-Clip Point" is awsome, just not on the Stretch ! Come on Spyderco !!!
Also, I don't completely hate this blade style altogether, I just hate it on this Stretch II model.
I bought the K390 Stretch 2 weeks ago.
The factories edge sharpening was not that good with some chipping. I resharpened it and took it with me for work. After 12 Meter cutting kraftpaper (200g/m2) it was dull and again chipping on the blade. 😠
Every 2€ Cutter blade would have performed better. I will resharpen it again and will give it another try, but at the moment I would definitely not buy another knife with a K390. When I watch the test here in the video, I ask myself why my knife is so bad in comparison. Compared to my previous China Ganzo knife, which has been in use for 4 years, the Stretch k390 made absolutely no good impression today. I'll keep my fingers crossed that no one won't be as disappointed as I was.
the stretch is a good looking knife, i really like the 3.5" Seki models, the Stretch 2 and the Endela aesthetically. I also have medium hands so 3.5" knives fit perfectly no matter the brand usually. Spyderco isnt my favorite aesthically, i like CJRBs designs and wish some of my favorite knives from them had super tool steels with thin grinds.
This knife is always in my work rotation, im a sweaty\dirty bastard and it has a nice patina but no rust. Waiting patiently for a para2 in k390
Spyderco already did a pm2 in k390. They were exclusively from bento box knives. You might still find one for sale on the secondary market
Good review. Thanks! How do you compare K390 with 10V?
Nice! I'm going to pick up a Spydie Resilience in S35vn. 4.2 inches of decent steel in a light package. ✌
Great choice!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pick a Japanese spydie. It won't result in tax dollars going to the CCP.
Do it! I was surprised how good even the crap steel version of Resilience is! I waited a huge long time for it to come in S35VN and I jumped when it came available. Total non brainer!
Great knife but in the shot @ 15:38, the grind at the tip looks slightly asymmetrical. I watched lots of reviews complaining about uneven grind between the 2 edges. Is that your experience Stassa as well?
Yeah I just went check and all my k390 Spyderco knives have the same asymmetrical grind on them
@@Stassa23 😥😥
How much better is K390 than zdp-189? I aways thought zdp-189 was one of spyderco's best blade steels but I've never had anything in K390 or magnacut. I would like to try both of those blade steels at some point.
K390 is a different breed than ZDP. It has a toothiness that ZDP doesn't. Seki City K390's high carbide volume gives it an unparalleled working edge life. And I don't understand why, but K390 also easily sharpens to an insanely keen initial sharpness. If I had to pick one, the closest steel to ZDP is Rex 45, but Rex is far less chippy at the same hardness. As nerdy as it is to say, ZDP is old tech. Rex and K390 run circles around it.
@@ZPositive what do you think of magnacut? I recently bought a custom with s390 with an HRC of 67. I wonder how k390 stacks up against s390 as far as edge retention goes?
@@paulmills426 I don't have experience with magnacut. I recommend Justin over at the channel Engineer's Perspective for some insight on it. But the opinion I've formed on it is that I'd rather have LC200N, which is a truly remarkable stainless steel.
LC punches way above its weight class, taking an absolutely insane edge and holding it far too long. I reground my Spydiechef to 0.007" BTE and it's simply the sweetest food prep knife. Never any rolling or chipping even falling out of hard salami cuts and slamming into my cutting board. From what I understand, Magnacut probably can't be ground that thin and have similar edge stability.
So yeah, magnacut isn't on my radar. But I'd love to hear your opinion on S390 after you get to know it.
@@paulmills426 I see a few Russian custom knife makers offering S390. Seems it’s easy for them to lay their hand on it and work it out into both fixed blades and folders
I have this knife, I really like the blade shape and ergonomics, but the thought of having it reground and re-scaled sounds really good.
Where would you send it for that?
Is spyderco the only place to get production K390?
Pretty much. No other production company has offered it yet. For now K390 and Maxamet are only available through Spyderco knives
@mmikee407 @dullpoints Boker offers the Zinker Urban Barlow, and there are a few fixed blades from Biryukov
What scales are you going to put on it Stass?
I've yet to purchase a Spyderco...Idk, just seem like a lot for plastic scales. This is pretty damn nice tho!
Watch the YT channel notyouraverageedc. Erica used to not "get" spyderco until her subscribers wore her down. It's a fun set of videos to watch her realize the genius in spyderco design. Now she's a bit of a spyderco nut, just like the rest of us.
🤙🏻👊🏻💪🏻🇺🇲
My thoughts on k390 are whatever Google tells me to think.
Edit: you said "seki city plant is the best, well Taiwan plant is the best then seki city.."
Does that mean you think the USA plant is the worst? Wouldn't that be the inverse of your statement?
Kinda like a Para 2, besides the finger choil, the blade is exactly like. Para 2. I laid them on top of each other and identical. The original stretch 2 that looks like a crock head is UGLY AF. I love this k390 blade. The handle and lock sucks compared to the para 2
The handle and lock is fine.
Spydercos are great, their clips suck.