Let me count the ways I love my K390 Endura

Buffalohump

Buffalohump

Joined
Sep 7, 2006
Messages
6,207
1) Its flat and lightweight but packs a lot of blade (which makes the Endura one of the all-time great designs);
2) The blade design and thickness is ideal for practically any and all cutting tasks;
3) The steel is perfect for just about anything, and stays sharp with repeated cutting;
4) Despite it being carbon steel, I haven't had rust issues, as long as I clean it after use;
5) The clip works with all kinds of clothing, although I did remove the black coating;
6) It was very reasonable.

The damn thing is perfect!

The ONLY problem is its made all my other knives redundant...

I seriously have to find a reason to carry any other knife.

🌹
 
You got it. There's a plethora of fancier knives out there but if your looking for a purpose built cutting tool that's almost perfected it's job, the k390 seki knives did it. I don't think you can really out perform them by much with an unlimited budget and your definitely not for anything in this price range. This might explain why I now own 4 k390 seki knives, wife just bought me the wharncliff endela for my birthday. Thank God I love the blue colored handle, my nightstand is mostly that blue.

Sadly it's these knives that's almost making me consider taking a break from the forum. I've found it. I got it. I have found what I really really like, darn near perfected and short of the new hotness magnasomething being a stainless k390 I just don't see myself buying much more knives. I keep looking and looking and realizing none of them can outdo my 130 dollar k390 knives. So why am I looking? Even spyderco, rex121 and maxamet, only offered in platforms with finger choils and thick blades. And even if the prototype steel is released spyderco probably won't send it to seki city to receive the best HT and be in the endura platform lineup, they still haven't with magnacut. Idk. I guess it's like if you shoot a monster 10 point on opening morning, kinda takes the thrill out of the rest of hunting season. What are you chasing now?
 
elevator man said:
You got it. There's a plethora of fancier knives out there but if your looking for a purpose built cutting tool that's almost perfected it's job, the k390 seki knives did it. I don't think you can really out perform them by much with an unlimited budget and your definitely not for anything in this price range. This might explain why I now own 4 k390 seki knives, wife just bought me the wharncliff endela for my birthday. Thank God I love the blue colored handle, my nightstand is mostly that blue.

Sadly it's these knives that's almost making me consider taking a break from the forum. I've found it. I got it. I have found what I really really like, darn near perfected and short of the new hotness magnasomething being a stainless k390 I just don't see myself buying much more knives. I keep looking and looking and realizing none of them can outdo my 130 dollar k390 knives. So why am I looking? Even spyderco, rex121 and maxamet, only offered in platforms with finger choils and thick blades. And even if the prototype steel is released spyderco probably won't send it to seki city to receive the best HT and be in the endura platform lineup, they still haven't with magnacut. Idk. I guess it's like if you shoot a monster 10 point on opening morning, kinda takes the thrill out of the rest of hunting season. What are you chasing now?
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Its difficult to find value nowadays. I've thought of buying an Endela in K390 or a LeafJumper but I like the blade length on the Endura.

I have tried to get more Enduras in different steels but the limited runs are hard to land. I missed the PD1 version which disappeared fast. I also have a ZDP-189 Endura which is pretty great, too.

I want more Magnacut. I have the Para 2 Salt and would like something with a bit more blade. An Endura in Magnacut would be off the charts, maybe we will see that someday but I doubt it.
 
Love my K390 Endela Wharncliff. Carried it all summer long, Including on a salty boat trip on a friend’s boat. Champ of a steel.
 
I'm kind of in a similar situation. Every new knife I buy I try to best my police 4 lightweight. It's only in VG10 though. But I've been thinking similar in that the only way I think I could own a better knife would be the same one in Magnacut, which may never happen? I did score a great deal on a native chief lightweight this Black Friday, it ticks a lot of boxes for me: great to carry, super lightweight, cuts like a Lazer, still a pretty big blade, fixed blade feeling lockup, but the police 4 may still forever be my goat. You know, that one knife you have no intention to sell, that you get urges to buy more of even though you don't need to, that if it was the only knife you could own you'd be ok with...
 
The Delica was the first K390 model I bought and it utterly sold me on this steel. A couple Dragonflies in K390 followed. I simply have a better feeling with some K390 in my pocket. The iconic patina sends me back to the earliest days of my pocketknife carry when a patina meant real steel. This stuff is real steel on steroids.

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Enjoy that Endura.
 
stillshot2 said:
I'm kind of in a similar situation. Every new knife I buy I try to best my police 4 lightweight. It's only in VG10 though. But I've been thinking similar in that the only way I think I could own a better knife would be the same one in Magnacut, which may never happen? I did score a great deal on a native chief lightweight this Black Friday, it ticks a lot of boxes for me: great to carry, super lightweight, cuts like a Lazer, still a pretty big blade, fixed blade feeling lockup, but the police 4 may still forever be my goat. You know, that one knife you have no intention to sell, that you get urges to buy more of even though you don't need to, that if it was the only knife you could own you'd be ok with...
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You owe it to yourself to get a k390 police 4. I think you'd be pleased and it will best your current police 4. Then you can be like the rest of us going to k390 anonymous meetings.

hi my names such and such and I can't stop adding more k390 to my collection. I started buying wharncliff models because I had all the regular ones.
 
SwiftDream said:
The Delica was the first K390 model I bought and it utterly sold me on this steel. A couple Dragonflies in K390 followed. I simply have a better feeling with some K390 in my pocket. The iconic patina sends me back to the earliest days of my pocketknife carry when a patina meant real steel. This stuff is real steel on steroids.

52737246881_df317d28be_b.jpg


Enjoy that Endura.
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I'm not sure I'd even like a stainless knife that doesn't patina and looks perfectly shiny and new all the time anymore. I have come to like the character the patina gives
 
SwiftDream said:
The Delica was the first K390 model I bought and it utterly sold me on this steel. A couple Dragonflies in K390 followed. I simply have a better feeling with some K390 in my pocket. The iconic patina sends me back to the earliest days of my pocketknife carry when a patina meant real steel. This stuff is real steel on steroids.

52737246881_df317d28be_b.jpg


Enjoy that Endura.
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You live in a good K390 environment
 
The Endura is great in all varieties.
It’s a dang near perfect knife for knife stuff. It’s beauty is in it’s simplicity, performance, and ratio of cutting power : footprint. A Masterpiece that won't break the bank, and is truly much more than the sum of it’s parts & materials (even when accounting for K390)!
And the Seki knives I’ve been getting lately are top-notch (I had a dud or two several years back).

I have a SE K390 Endura that’s kind of a beater, and is starting to get some patina. It’s one of my on-purpose hard users.
My PE K390 Endura waits patiently to get into action; It might find a permanent home with my Jeep & off roading gear.

I’ve been partial to my PD-1 Endura since picking it up earlier this year. It’s displaced everything out of my pocket, save the occasional Ulttratech. A strop here & there and she stays at the ready!

 
elevator man said:
I'm not sure I'd even like a stainless knife that doesn't patina
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See that's where I'm a bit weird I like shiny knives and even when I get some staining or scratches I'm too OCD to leave them there. If I were to take some very fine steel wool to a k390 blade would it bring it back to patina free? Sometimes I use my knives at restaurants to cut salty steaks and they don't really get a good washing till I get home and that would probably patina up a k390 blade pretty bad wouldn't it? Because that poor practice has even stained a satin VG10 blade and I had to buff it out. H1 on the other couldn't care less what I do to it haha
 
DaveHS said:
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Mine just arrived!

My wife saw it and said “don’t you already have that one?” I said “no - this one’s blades shape is different”. 🤣 As an aside, this is my first true Wharncliff.

Surprised she even noticed that I owned similar but I guess 5 of same color on magnetic knife block is starting to get noticed. Maybe I do have a K390 addiction? 😜. I blame the $100 sales price for this one!

Will put fresh edge at 16DPS and see how it goes for cardboard.
 
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Bought the serrated version for camping. Finally took it out this weekend.
It’s a scary cutter.
The serrations slice and tear on a micro level. The edge doesn’t slide over material, it grabs it.
Slip with this one and it will cut you to the bone.
Have both the Endura and the POLICE in this iteration.
Will probably have the Delica plain edge version before it’s all said and done.

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Do all 390 blades show the grind lines like this?
Personally, I like the look. My 940-1 has it, even more pronounced, and I think it looks cool. Aggressive.
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