M390 or nah.

Is the steel M390 or something else?

  • Yes

    Votes: 1 11.1%

  • No

    Votes: 8 88.9%
  • Total voters
    9
B

bryantburnsred

Joined
Dec 9, 2024
Messages
16
So my step brother got me this knife as a Christmas gift. He knew I'm a knife guy so he bought me one...of of Temu LOL. In all seriousness I do love the gift, and the intent that came with it. As far as the knife goes its ergonomics are solid, blade was sharp out of the box, It will be a good camping/outdoors beater knife. My question for y'all...do you think the steel is actually M390?? I actually found it on Amazon recently whilst perusing the interwebs and it shocked me because I had never seen it before. I'll put the link below if anyone wants to check it out. Hope y'all had a merry Christmas. Cheers!

Edit: Also, is it normal for a knife to come from a reputable company to receive said knife and find that the blade is pretty dull. Just took me back a bit, since its a Spartan Blades Difensa and I got it from SMKW.

Link to Amazon removed by staff.



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Last edited by a moderator:
It’s either M390 or something significantly softer. You should be able to tell with a sharpening stone.
 
Since it came from temu I doubt that it is m390.

If your into knives you need to sharpen them sometimes. Lansky has some easier prices on sharpening supplies.
 
I'm going to go out on a limb here and quote an early 2000s Randy Jackson, "it's gonna be a 'no' for me, dawg".

It looks like a beautiful piece that was given to you by your step brother, but you aren't going to find legit m390 off Temu most likely...not at what they charge. M390 is a pretty hard and expensive steel. Most folding knives sporting a 4" of less blade are going to crack over $300 from a reputable manufacturer.

It actually reminds me a Chinese knife I recently received to review from Amazon. The hardware and wood type are almost identical. While mine was a tanto and didn't say M390 or the steel type, it was heavily engraved with "USA Hunting Knife" and the American flag....and the logo of the Chinese company that made it. And when I say it was a tanto, I don't mean like a tanto tip. I mean the knife had a smooth guardless wood handle that I would not want to use while slick and bloody.

Anyway, I digress. My apologies. However, I'm pretty sure you have a lovely and thoughtful gift wrapped up in a rando mystery steel that is almost assuredly not M390.

So go use it and have a great time and think of your brother when you do :)
 
To start, you could try to see if it's actually stainless steel (M390 is very rust resistant)....if you can, let a food acid (citrus acid from limes/lemons/orange, vinegar, mustard made with vinegar, raw meat juice, tomato paste/sauce) sit on the steel for a period of time (15-20 minutes should be plenty of time).

If the steel oxidizes in that time, than it's not stainless and likely not M390.

If it does not stain, it's something stainless...but, not necessarily M390...
 
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