MagnaCut

MagnaCut is still a fairly young steel, but it has quickly established itself as one of the most notable knife steels in recent years. Here are the key facts:

Origin: MagnaCut was developed by Dr. Larrin Thomas, a metallurgist with a PhD from the Colorado School of Mines (he also runs the well-known site KnifeSteelNerds.com). The steel was introduced in 2021 and is produced by Crucible Industries in Syracuse, New York, using the CPM process (Crucible Particle Metallurgy), which ensures a very homogeneous carbide distribution. Thomas's stated goal was to scientifically verify the many conflicting marketing claims made about knife steels.

Composition: MagnaCut consists of the following main elements:
Carbon (C): approx. 1.15%
Chromium (Cr): approx. 10.7%
Vanadium (V): approx. 4.0%
Molybdenum (Mo): approx. 2.0%
Niobium (Nb): approx. 2.0%
Nitrogen (N): approx. 0.2%

The key design idea: MagnaCut deliberately avoids large chromium carbides (as found in steels like D2 or S30V) and instead relies on fine vanadium and niobium carbides. This leaves more chromium dissolved in the matrix and available for corrosion protection, rather than "locked up" in carbides.

Hardness: recommended range 60–64 HRC, with the optimal balance usually around 62.5 HRC.

Toughness: at 62.5 HRC, around 38 ft-lbs in Charpy C-notch testing — an exceptionally high value for a stainless steel, comparable to pure tool steels like CPM 3V/4V, which aren't actually stainless.

Edge retention: in CATRA testing, roughly 135% relative wear resistance compared to the 440C reference — placing it roughly between S35VN and S45VN, while remaining significantly tougher than both.

Corrosion resistance: considered the most corrosion-resistant "super steel" on the market, particularly well-suited for humid/maritime environments. Important: tempering above roughly 750°F (about 400°C) noticeably degrades corrosion resistance, so heat treatment needs to be precisely controlled.

Practical takeaway: MagnaCut is often described as a steel that holds an edge well, barely rusts, and doesn't chip out as easily as other highly alloyed steels — a combination that was hard to find before (usually you had to sacrifice one property for another). Because of its high toughness, blades can be ground thinner without the edge chipping as easily, enabling lighter and more efficient cutting geometries. It has rapidly gained traction among custom knifemakers since 2021/22 and is now also used by larger manufacturers (Benchmade, Buck, Böker, and others).