Spyderco Delica 4 Review (Buy K390 Now!)

[@sebastianheuser1221]

I can't say enough good things about this knife! It's in my pocket since 5 month now and I am still in love with this k390 delica. Fantastic!

[@EngineersPerspective701]

I personally think the delica 4 is a great knife and it’s in a great steel! Great all around!

[@kao9379]

I have this knife and it is my go to most days. It just never stops doing it’s job! Amazing.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Such a reliable knife!

[@feralcruz2093]

The delica is definitely my favorite edc folder

[@EngineersPerspective701]

It’s an awesome design. Lots get turned off by the FRN or Seki back lock idiosyncrasies but I love it

[@feralcruz2093]

@EngineersPerspective701 I've been lucky that out of my 5 delicas, only one had a small amount of lock rock. I'm considering getting a regrind on a k390 delica to really turn it into a laser beam

[@OLMmedic]

I have bought a bunch of k390 lately. Favorite steel by a mile

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Same! If it’s the only steel I had, I could be happy

[@luket557]

I got a stretch 2 k390 on the way. My first k390. Usually use mineral oil for my blades. Is there a certain oil to use for tool steel blades or would mineral oil work also?

[@donttreadonme1423]

​@luket557 tsubaski oil is popular. I'll bet frog lube is decent for knives. I like to use truly food safe products. Or k390 develops a beautiful patina. I may just force patina mine bc the blue hues are appealing to me.

[@retardno002]

​@@donttreadonme1423 Balistol is a food safe option that I highly recommend, you only have to deal with the smell for the first day or two. Some people think it smells like licorice, I'd rather not say what it smells like to me.

[@Oshianis]

This is a great review! A breath of fresh air, to hear someone discuss the importance of blade geometry and blade thickness. Seki City gets a lot of hate for fit and finish blah blah blah- but they offer the best heat treatments and they design the most slicey blades. Sure my pm3 with g10 scales in s45vn is a fidget master and it is a sexy knife compared to my Stretch 2 in k390, but my stretch 2 is a better slicer by a mile. The stretch 2 is just better at doing what a knife is supposed to do- cut. The only real function that the pm3 offers over the stretch 2 is the fidget. But that is not primary. Can i cut efficiently with the knife? That ia primary. Plus lock backs are relatively fun to fidget with- fun of for me anyway. I have owned the atretch 2 in k390 for over a year. It just keeps cutting. The blade might feel dull but it just keeps cutting and cutting lol. The performance is sooooo gooood. I stopped collecting knives after my stretch 2 purchase. I went a 1 1/2 years without purchasing a new knife; up until recently, i decided i wanted/needed more knives in k390. So i picked up a dragon fly 2 in k390. I have a delica 4 arriving tmrw in k390. And i will probably buy an endura in k390as well.

[@manifestgtr]

I’ll second the appreciation for the seki city blade geometry. I know the Chaparral gets a lot of love nowadays for its unbelievably thin blade stock but the seki models are just about there and they’re more pleasant to use (back lock on the chappy can get a little painful). I have all of the k390 sekis except the Delica and they’re all FANTASTIC knives.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

What have you been using to sharpen them with so far? I've had some enduras that weren't as thin as my delicas. That said, at their worst they are better than 95% of the knives out there with

[@manifestgtr]

@@EngineersPerspective701 Mostly diamond plates up to 1k w/diamond strops...nice and simple. Although, I did finish the endela with glass stones and finer compound for a laugh. Seemed to work well enough considering how guys talk about high V steels 🤷‍♂️

[@EngineersPerspective701]

@@manifestgtr You're golden man! Although I tried sharpening maxamet on a nanohone 1K (very similar to the glass stones) and it didn't do much! Mostly burnishing vs. sharpening!

[@manifestgtr]

@@EngineersPerspective701 LOL yeah, man...a majority of these super steels laugh in the face of my alumina/ceramic/what have you. K390 has been the major outlier. *Somehow* it has a bit of that cpm cruwear style fairy dust sprinkled in there.

[@donttreadonme1423]

Picked up the wharncliffe version and the day i received it i ordered another while last supplies still exist lol. Its that good.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

That’s awesome! Glad you dig it!

[@donttreadonme1423]

@EngineersPerspective701 I used to just want the toughest blade available... then realized I was never actually damaging my pocket knives and did hard use tasks with fixed blades so I would prefer to get the cutting performance in my edc folders. Live and learn. BTW my background is engineering too so I enjoy your videos on these topics. Larrin has also been a great resource. What type of engineering is your background?

[@EngineersPerspective701]

@@donttreadonme1423 I’ve went on that same journey too. If you’re never chipping edges or breaking a blade then why have a glorified pry bar?! Bachelors in chemical engineering. Been a process engineer in upstream oil and gas for about 4yrs. Worked in sugar refining as a process engineer before and a 6mo. Stint doing research on carbon capture technology after I graduated and some other side projects. Built a pilot scale scrubber tower, pumps, tanks, process controls, etc for it. Learned to weld, do control wiring, operate a forklift, scissor lift in that one. It was a blast!

[@brianrichard1768]

totally agree. Did a review on my stretch frn when the lock back finally gave out after many many years of daily use at work. light weight and good ergos although wasn't a fan of the vg10. Hard to sharpen and didn't hold edge long vs cardboard.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Such a great design! Not a huge fan of Spyderco's VG-10 myself either. This K390 is smokin hot though!

[@servantofyeshua2313]

Get the stretch 2

[@-a13x-75]

I got rid of my up and down blade play on my k390 delica by tightening the screw right under the pivot screw pretty tightly

[@EngineersPerspective701]

How is the open and close action on it?

[@-a13x-75]

@@EngineersPerspective701 Surprisingly it didn’t change it at all. I can’t get rid of the side to side without it affecting the action but I was able to get rid of the up/down and it still drops freely on my finger when I press the lock bar

[@EngineersPerspective701]

@@-a13x-75 I’ve had 4 Seki backlocks and each kind of had its own personality. I had a hap40 endura that was perfect side to side but excessive up and down. The others have had varying amounts of each. Regardless I adjust the pivot so I can at least flick the blade down to easily one hand close it

[@L3giT_Hax]

Just picked up the lil temperance 3 in k390 and this edge will not dull. It's been months of regular use. It's baffling.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

K390 is an absolute beast!

[@baseballnutt24]

Edgepro diamond matrix work great for sharpening the high end steels as well.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

I've heard great things about those stones! An really they aren't that expensive in the grand scheme either especially considering their long lifespan. What kind of finish do they leave? Deeper scratches like a diamond plate or more like a resin bonded diamond?

[@8thsinner]

I just got k390 in a police 4 today, took the most scream sharp edge even from cheap ruxin diamond stones, though I did finish on a gokumyo 10k and iron oxide strop. I found myself naturally even on the first servicing edge to be deburring it twice on my progressions. But have to say on first impressions absolutely amazing sharp edge for so little effort.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Hope you've continued to enjoy the K390 police! With that K390 and so much edge, I'd guess it's the longest lasting production blade ever made!

[@sharpwhits0167]

Ultrasharp diamond plates. Coarse, fine, extra fine 8x3 around $100 for all 3 plates and a 6x2 set is around $50. Lifetime no questions asked warranty.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

It's amazing how affordable diamond abrasives have become today. Really no excuse for not trying high vanadium and high hardness steels now!

[@diezelvh4133]

2 years later and Japanese k390 line is still the best edc steel ever. Imo

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Their K390 is the best regular production edc steel. The 15V manix 2 I have is really something special.

[@diezelvh4133]

​@@EngineersPerspective701if 15v was in something smaller such as the delica, I would buy it.

[@justinreynolds8826]

Well they are more than plastic they are fiberglass the same thing your car is made of and reinforced with nylon the same thing the seatbelts are made of and parachutes. So when people say they aren’t good I just don’t get it now if you say they feel cheap ok but they aren’t just some cheap plastic like some people tend to think.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Agreed, I even made a video on why they great! I try to understand that some people “can’t get passed the plastic feeling” but I just shake my head.

[@8thsinner]

I have to agree, i've had zdp stretch for a good few years now and didn't overly think it feels cheap in hand, it wears well, it wears to where it is soft and smooth if that makes sense. But comparing to my brand new police 4 in the blue frn, it definitely does feel cheap, and rough, the edge finish on it was horrible. But side by side I know it will wear to something that does not feel cheap but feels comfortable.

[@georgemorley1029]

Own a few knives by spyderco, maybe more than I need but I think this could be a great replacement for my current delica 4 flat grind with vg-10, I just can’t get on with the vg-10. I seem to find myself agreeing with you on that matter. My ukpk in s30v is lovely steel, but I want that back lock. I don’t like my para 3 lw very much at all, because the steel is only adequate and the blade profile is unpleasantly thick, plus the delica scales and liners are so comfortable and secure to me. I don’t care for a choil like on the Para 3 lw, it makes my thumb and forefinger misalign. The ukpk choil is excellently well done, but that’s through necessity of design to stop the blade closing. I like everything about my delica 4 except for the steel. K390 might scratch the itch and be my one and only knife! How to justify the purchase though…tricky.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

I think the delica is a such a great design, not perfect but really good. Definitely worth getting the K390 and it will be a whole new level of performance for you I'm guessing. I would recommend getting some inexpensive diamond stones if you don't have any already. DMTs or Worksharp would probably be the place to start but there are a lot of acceptable options out there.

[@ZPositive]

Since we were talking delicas and endelas, I wanted to get your take on the delica. As far as I can tell, the hot spot you speak of on the delica is not an issue on the endela. And you're absolutely right, sanding down all exposed edges takes these knives from a B- to an A+ in the ergo category. I disassemble the knife so I can be super thorough. I use a 220/400/600/800 sandpaper progression. When I get to the 800, I use it on all the rounded surfaces of the scales (even the ones I didn't relieve with the 220. The 800 leaves an amazing matte finish on everything that is very satisfying to the touch. The only areas I don't sand with the 800 are the bidirectional texture.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

I really, really like the delica! It seems like spyderco grinds them a tiny bit thinner than the enduras, they’re so light and nimble as you put it which is right on. And the perfect combo of thin but comfortable. The hotspot isn’t a huge deal in a hammer grip but it’s there when you’re using the thumb ramp. I really need to go back over my Vtoku one and take it to 800 because it deserves it! I just lazily worked it and it could use more contouring I’m going to pick up an endela after the holidays after seeing what you had to say. That’ll be the lengthening candidate!

[@ZPositive]

@@EngineersPerspective701 sounds like a plan! Something I did 10+ years ago was to buy a bunch of 100-packs of sheets of wet/dry silicon carbide sandpaper (3M, the good stuff). I got a pack in just about every grit from 220 to 2k. It was $250 in total, but it has been an absolute pleasure to always have fresh sandpaper on hand.

[@cody3078]

Seems like the seki k390 is excellent but the fit and finish on the delica is wildly hit or miss which sucks

[@EngineersPerspective701]

I’ve had good luck with acceptable quality deviations. But ideally you’d get to handle before purchasing. 100% worth the gamble!

[@jesseadams45]

My Delica k390 has a tiny bit of lock rock. My police doesn't. Interestingly my Delica lock and blade tang line up straight but on my police the lock sits higher than the tang so I wonder if that's why that one doesn't is because it's not bottomed out.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

I’ve had pretty bad luck with lock rock on the Sekis for sure. Interesting note with the police though! Almost like they could be sacrificing lockup for aesthetics

[@jesseadams45]

@@EngineersPerspective701 that's what I think too. The next time I take the Delica apart I'm going to take a tiny bit off that step in the bottom of the lock notch so the bar drops a hair more and see if that eliminates the rock.

[@nitchdesigns9662]

Curious if you've checked out the Stretch 2 Straight Spine in K390. Bigger blade, great ergos, little thicker blade stock, but thinner than PM2.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Not that particular one. I had a stretch 2 in Vtoku 2 and I really liked the blade and handle comfort. Specifically how the spine dips down to make the thickness taper faster so I’m a little bummed by the straight spine actually! What got me is how bulky the handle was in carry but I’m struggling to remember exactly though

[@jacksonketchem8289]

Which of the two delicas in the video has better steel?

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Hands down the K390 by a mile. Highly recommended!

[@CNYKnifeNerd]

Will you be getting any of the SE versions? I can't wait for the full serrated k390 police.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Serrations definitely have a place but my needs don't really overlap so I will be skipping the serrated models. A serrated K390 blade that is over 4" long will probably cut to the end of time though!

[@tonyhoodlass1846]

Great knife all round

[@EngineersPerspective701]

It really is! Great design with great steel, heat treat and geometry!

[@user-be6zi3vu4e]

Hi someone pointed me toward the delica for what I've been looking for but I was wondering if there is something similar but more budget

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Your best option for something similar would be Spyderco's sister brand Byrd Knives. The cara cara is the budget version of the delica. There are probably a lot of other good options too in that price range but I can't speak to them too much.

[@user-be6zi3vu4e]

@@EngineersPerspective701 Thank you!

[@ronbisti4352]

I don’t know if you have one but I’d like to hear your thoughts on the Para 3 Light Weight with the BD1N steel. Thanks.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

I have only used it in a kitchen knife at 63HRc. Impressions from that knife are very good! It’s quite stainless and sharpens super nice with decent refinement with bite. One of the best edge holders in the kitchen I use and no issues with rolling or chipping at 14-16dps. Overall, could be the best stainless kitchen knife steel depending on your needs. In terms of the Para 3. They aren’t hardening it to the point that excites me personally but it’s a very great budget steel that’s hits a little below S30V. Especially if you’re a sharpener then I think it will be enjoyable.

[@ronbisti4352]

@@EngineersPerspective701 that confirmed some stuff I’ve been reading and hearing about it. With all the spring runs and the new Spy 27 steels it’s difficult to discern what I have in the BD1N. I can tell you that I’ve been really happy with it so far. I’m not one to cut cardboard all the time with a $100 pocket knife more like some food stuff and opening packages so I think I’ve chosen wisely and I like to stay around the $90-100 price range. Thanks for the great insight.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

@@ronbisti4352 Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@danielwasused]

ive got a 20cv one on the way :)

[@EngineersPerspective701]

It's a great model!

[@ZPositive]

I've been daydreaming of the ultimate EDC slicer. A delica with a recasso delete, and a seriously aggressive grind and edge (like 0.005"bte with 10dps), and maybe an emerson wave cut into the spine. But I can't decide on K390 / HAP40, or wharncliffe / standard blade shape. Seki's HAP40 is no American heat treat Rex 45, and I'm just not completely sold on the utility of the wharnie. Thoughts?

[@EngineersPerspective701]

I just don’t think their heat treat on hap40 would hold that geometry. Like you said they went to a whole other level with Rex! With that mind I’d definitely go for it on a K390 delica Personally don’t actually love the wharncliffe style. I feel like it forces me to rely on the tip an excessive amount which causes it to dull more rapidly and then it’s annoying because I rely on it. Also I think the tip could be pretty difficult on the regrind and become delicate but no doubt you could do it with your technique and jig.

[@ZPositive]

@@EngineersPerspective701 awesome feedback, thanks! So K390 is really the only choice in your eyes? Or is there a sprint/exclusive out there in a tougher steel / heat treat? I agree on wharnie tips getting a lot of abuse. That's definitely a weakness. For me it's the scraping abilities of the curved edge that beat out the wharnie. Wharncliffes are amazing at scraping tasks where the area to be scraped isn't obstructed in any way, but if anything gets in the way, a curved blade is necessary. It's almost like a hybrid wharncliffe/leaf with 90% of the edge being flat and the last 3/8" curving up normally might be a great compromise.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

@@ZPositive I haven’t experimented a ton at that extreme of geometry so it’s hard to say for sure and it’s very individual specific. Really what you need is the edge stability, not necessarily toughness. From my experiences even softer cruwear and factory M4 are hit or miss below 12-13dps. My guess is that hard cruwear >63HRc may be another good option or hard 4V. Like it said though, haven’t experimented enough at that level to know!

[@ZPositive]

@@EngineersPerspective701 Golden CO Rex 45 would be the hot ticket, right? Maybe I need to start with a lil native instead of a delica.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

@@ZPositive Soviet forgot! It’s probably the top of the pile but all worth considering

[@MrTJohnston]

383 thou 😅

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Close enough for government work!

[@johnschall3013]

That’s my EDC knife. The K390 is an amazing steel.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

It’s the bomb

[@VC-TV]

At first you say the plastic handle is great no hot spots!, then you go rambling on about the hot spots lol

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Rambling for sure! That’s how it goes without scripting. No hotpot on the spine of the knife into the palm or webbing of the thumb when baring down. But the finger grooves can hit you wrong

[@REAPER-1xxx]

Delica praise is spot on but I will give best design to the Stretch 2 XL G10 and Cruwear. Thin handle profile, ergonomic, fore finger choil, excellent materials. Not the best blade steel but certainly one that is becoming a favourite for people. Seriously people are sleeping on the Stretch models.

[@EngineersPerspective701]

I’ve had one in the past and it was a dream to use but the handle bulk took up a lot of room in pocket I found. It was in v-toku 2 so I traded it for a v-toku delica. Might have the give the K390 stretch a go though after seeing Pete at Cedric and Ada put it to good use

[@Skindiver986]

Sorry not paying $50 extra on a $75 knife for K390 I can sharpen every now and then for what I use it for

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Missing out dawg. To each their own.

[@midwest1228]

The only thing I don't like about the Delica is the stock clip. Once I put a Lynch clip on it..I carry it all the time!!

[@EngineersPerspective701]

Been wanting to get one for it for awhile!