Opinions please, Kizer Yorkie m390 vs Vosteed Corgie Pup s35vn

C

ctrout

Joined
Jun 21, 2024
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Hi. I'm brand new here and this is my very first post so hopefully I won't embarrass myself. I'm considering both of these knives, the Kizer Yorkie black micarta M390 for $60, and the Vosteed Corgie Pup in s35vn for $90.

I know that almost all m390 is not heat treated to the proper hrc and from what I've seen in online discussions, Kizer m390 is no different than the rest. My question is, will soft m390 outperform s35vn in edge retention or not? What is the better value in terms of cost per performance, soft m390 for $60, or properly heat treated s35vn for $90?

My only experience with any high performance steel has been a Fantoni Harsey folder in s30v that has been my edc for about 15 years. It is harder to sharpen, but holds an edge better than my Kershaw in vg10. Overall, I've been happy with the Fantoni so I really want one of these two knives I'm considering to perform at least as well in terms of edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance.
 
Double edge sword for me, though I've never owned either specific model. But I do have multiple Kizer's and a Vosteed.

As far as body of work I'd have to give it to Kizer, although Vosteed came into the game pretty strong imo. Personal preference, I prefer the design of the Yorkie.

As for steels, even if they were both heat treated perfectly, s35vn is still one of my all time favorite steels for actual daily use.

Sooo... if the Kizer Yorkie was in s35vn this would be an easy choice. As it stands, I'd probably still go Kizer just due to the design..
 
Corton93 said:
Double edge sword for me, though I've never owned either specific model. But I do have multiple Kizer's and a Vosteed.

As far as body of work I'd have to give it to Kizer, although Vosteed came into the game pretty strong imo. Personal preference, I prefer the design of the Yorkie.

As for steels, even if they were both heat treated perfectly, s35vn is still one of my all time favorite steels for actual daily use.

Sooo... if the Kizer Yorkie was in s35vn this would be an easy choice. As it stands, I'd probably still go Kizer just due to the design..
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Thanks for the reply. Do you have an opinion on how the Kizer m390 (presumed soft) might compare to the s35vn in the Vosteed? I have a Benchmade M390 Bugout but I've only had it for about 2 weeks so I haven't really formed an opinion yet on how it compares to other steels. I will say, I haven't been able to get as keen an edge on it as I can on my s30v Bugout.
 
Personally, I think either steel will perform well for you, even a “soft” M390. I have a lot of knives in a wide range of steel formulations and I can only clearly tell a difference between the best (Magnacut?) and the worst (420?).

What does make a difference to me is the blade. The shape, grind, bevel, even the presence of a sharpening choil, all add up to being a better cutter.

I’d likely never be able to tell S35VN apart from M390 in daily use, but ergonomics, blade geometry, carry profile and ease of deployment will be apparent ALL the time.

Pick the knife that performs best as a tool in your hand and leave the “experts” on the interwebs to fuss over appropriate hardness for a given formulation. Kizer has a good reputation; Vosteed has had some button lock issues, but I believe they’ve been resolved. Either knife could potentially provide good service.

Besides, many of those EweTube experts have never tried to maintain M390 at 64 HRC :p
 
BTW, welcome to Blade Forums! This is a great first post. Welcome to the insanity and lock up your wallet!

After looking at both knives I think I’d lean toward the Vosteed. Not due to blade steel, but I think I’d personally like a flipper/button lock combo over a thumb stud/liner lock combo in a small, light duty knife.

Good luck.
 
Welcome to bladeforumns! Since your new here we’ll forgive you for asking such a silly question. The obvious answer is neither! Get a CRK Sebenza! The only knife you need.
 
Hackenslash said:
BTW, welcome to Blade Forums! This is a great first post. Welcome to the insanity and lock up your wallet!

After looking at both knives I think I’d lean toward the Vosteed. Not due to blade steel, but I think I’d personally like a flipper/button lock combo over a thumb stud/liner lock combo in a small, light duty knife.

Good luck.
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My wallet is already taking a hit. The disease struck about a month ago. I served in the USAF for 21 years and watched everyone get issued Benchmade autos while we were on combat deployments. I never got one so I always felt cheated. I decided to buy my first Benchmade about a month ago and now I have 3. This is my main reason for being here. It wasn't until after I bought my first, an m390 Bugout, that I discovered that there is an industry wide problem with m390 and that Benchmade is known for having shoddy heat treat. I found the spreadsheet by youtuber "luvthemknives" and it seems that Benchmade's success in reaching correct hardness is only around 50%. I'm trying to do my homework on this purchase so I know exactly what I'm getting BEFORE I spend the money. Then again, I'll probably just end up getting both of these knives anyway because, you know, it's a sickness.
 
mitchnola said:
Welcome to bladeforumns! Since your new here we’ll forgive you for asking such a silly question. The obvious answer is neither! Get a CRK Sebenza! The only knife you need.
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Can I get the CRK Sebenza in a <2.5" blade? If I get caught with a blade greater than 2.5 inches, it's jail time.
 
The closest CRK to a 2.5” blade would be the Impinda, but that’s a shade over 3”.

The Hinderer Half Track is a bit over at 2.75”.

The LG ESV is sweet but 2.6”.

The AB Rinkhals is awesome but 2.7”.

I agree with mitchnola mitchnola , before you buy another knife, you need to move to another state :p
 
Hackenslash said:
The closest CRK to a 2.5” blade would be the Impinda, but that’s a shade over 3”.

The Hinderer Half Track is a bit over at 2.75”.

The LG ESV is sweet but 2.6”.

The AB Rinkhals is awesome but 2.7”.

I agree with mitchnola mitchnola , before you buy another knife, you need to move to another state :p
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Agreed with all the above, especially the LG esv! Highly underrated and can get em for a good price on the secondary when they pop up.
 
Hackenslash said:
The closest CRK to a 2.5” blade would be the Impinda, but that’s a shade over 3”.

The Hinderer Half Track is a bit over at 2.75”.

The LG ESV is sweet but 2.6”.

The AB Rinkhals is awesome but 2.7”.

I agree with mitchnola mitchnola , before you buy another knife, you need to move to another state :p
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Can't escape this law by moving to another state. Well, I suppose it's possible, but not likely since I live in one of the most free states of the 50.
 
ctrout said:
I would never move out of America over a knife.
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Well 2.5” knives isn’t a federal law so ya aint gotta leave’merica. Was just kidding btw.

ctrout said:
Can't escape this law by moving to another state. Well, I suppose it's possible, but not likely since I live in one of the most free states of the 50.
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What state is that? And why do they hate knives?
 
Hackenslash said:
Hmm, I’m not aware of a State with a state-wide blade length ban of greater than 2.5”. CA has its auto limit at 2.5”, but I don’t know of a general >2.5” ban.

You might want to confirm with this:
www.akti.org

Archives: State Knife Laws | American Knife and Tool Institute

www.akti.org www.akti.org
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It's not a state wide ban. It's specific to my place of employment. Idaho sate law limits blade length of personal knives carried in public schools to 2.5". This is similar to federal restrictions. I believe that federal law limits blade length to 2.5 inches in federal facilities. If you work at NASA for instance, you may not carry a personal knife with a blade length of greater than 2.5".

Interestingly, I can legally carry a concealed AR 15 onto a college campus here but I can't carry a 2.6 inch pocket knife into a public high school.
 
mitchnola said:
Well 2.5” knives isn’t a federal law so ya aint gotta leave’merica. Was just kidding btw.



What state is that? And why do they hate knives?
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Idaho doesn't hate knives. The liberal public school administration does so I'm sure it was them who lobbied for the 2.5" restrictions in school buildings. On the bright side, I can legally carry a concealed AR 15 onto a college campus in Idaho.
 
ctrout said:
Idaho doesn't hate knives. The liberal public school administration does so I'm sure it was them who lobbied for the 2.5" restrictions in school buildings. On the bright side, I can legally carry a concealed AR 15 onto a college campus in Idaho.
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So is the 2.5” law just for schools or statewide?
 
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