Overview & First Impressions
M398 and M390 are both Böhler-Uddeholm powder metallurgy stainless steels, and both appear in the same Bestech catalogues, which makes comparing them genuinely useful rather than theoretical. The short version: M398 trades toughness and sharpening ease for maximum wear resistance, while M390 stays the best all-round balance of the two. Which one belongs in your pocket depends entirely on how much you cut and how much you enjoy sharpening.
Build Quality & Materials
Both steels are produced by gas atomisation, which gives a uniform carbide distribution unobtainable in conventionally cast alloys. M390 pairs around twenty percent chromium with four percent vanadium, producing excellent corrosion resistance and very good wear resistance. M398 pushes vanadium considerably higher, which increases carbide volume and therefore edge retention, at the cost of reduced toughness and more demanding sharpening. In practice, M390 holds a working edge through a long day of cutting; M398 holds an edge through several.
Design & Craftsmanship
Steel choice shows up in how knives are built around it. The Bestech Kriya BT2606B runs M398 in a Grade-5 titanium frame lock with an 80S-2 CamoCarbon handle, a combination aimed squarely at buyers who want maximum edge life. The Nyrrdreki BT2607D runs M390 stonewashed in a titanium frame with Fatcarbon scales and a button frame lock, which is the more versatile everyday configuration. Neither steel is wrong, but the surrounding knife tells you what the maker expects you to do with it.
Performance & Real-World Use
For most people, M390 is the sensible answer. It resists corrosion better in sweaty pockets, sharpens more predictably on standard abrasives, and holds an edge long enough that sharpening is a monthly rather than weekly task. M398 makes sense for trades where an edge is consumed by abrasive material daily, and where a dull blade costs real time. If you cut cardboard, hose, and heavy packaging in volume, M398 will pay for itself in fewer sharpening interruptions.
Carry & Ownership Notes
Budget for sharpening either way. Neither steel responds well to cheap hardware-store stones, and both reward diamond plates or quality ceramic. Stropping helps both recover a working edge without full resharpening. A practical approach is to own one of each: M390 in the knife you carry most days and M398 in the knife you take to the job. Both the Kriya and the Nyrrdreki are stocked by EdcMall, so you can compare the surrounding designs side by side. If you want to see the difference in the hand rather than on paper, compare a Bestech Kriya running M398 against a Bestech Nyrrdreki running M390 and cut the same material with both. That single side-by-side test will tell you more about your own priorities than any specification table can, and both knives sit in the same Bestech knives catalogue.
Who Is This For?
Buy M390 for general everyday carry and a forgiving maintenance routine. Buy M398 if your knife is consumed by abrasive work and sharpening downtime genuinely costs you. Skip both if you sharpen with a pocket stone in the field, because neither is designed for that.
Final Verdict
M398 wins on raw edge retention and M390 wins on balance. For most knife owners M390 remains the better default, but anyone who cuts for a living will appreciate exactly what M398 brings.
