Here We Go Again! Everything’s Bushcraft, Bushcraft & Magnacut Steel! WHY?

[Gene]

I swear, every time I look at videos on Youtube or anyplace else, all I see is “bushcraft, bushcraft, bushcraft. Didn’t we just a short time ago call them survival knives or field knives or whatever? I can’t believe that everything now is a “bushcraft” knife. You almost have to include the “bushcraft” term to take an assessment of a knife seriously. If it isn’t a so called “bushcraft” knife, move on. Even in pocket knives they’ve stating “could be a bushcraft knife! Come on, enough is enough!

Now this new MAGNACUT steel is even more baffling! It’s the darling of steels now. I’ve noticed gents that have been on these forums for years that should know better with steels getting into the fray over this steel and ordering knives made from it. I’ve also watched videos that show it’s nothing to get excited about. It’s NOT the steel we’ve dreamed above that is rust free, needs little sharpening and is just the best thing to come around since forgotten ATS-34 or 440C properly heat treated and a myriad of other forgotten steels. It’s just another steel that shows promise but not be as great as it’s promise.

Come on, every one knows that the next individual that wants the next miraculous steel doesn’t use their knives! They’re knife “accumulators” as A.G. Russell used to say. I’m not slamming you here if you want to say that your “bushcraft” knife is this or that or your new Magnacut steel isn’t the best steel ever, I’m saying to each their own and I respect you. I’m saying that the “old useless” steels are still viable today snd will be in the future.

 

[John Phillips]

Yeah, nothing really ever improves over time. I’d take a steal from about the mid 1800s because that was the as good as it got and really hasn’t improved much right! Not sure why you jumped on the ATS-34 and 440C bandwagon when older more competent steels were just fine.

All joking aside, you make good points. Knife makers and knife companies have to get people excited about something new to spend their money on and the new “latest greatest” steel is always an attention grabber. I laugh the most at golf club companies that try to sell the “newest” technology every single year that makes you “hit it straighter and longer than ever before”… and much more than last years ground breaking technology, LOL!!!

Things do improve over time but only time will tell if Magnacut is as good as the hype or just another marketing ploy.

I wonder if a company like CRK that sets the bar for a quality folder would switch over from S35 and S45 if Magnacut wasn’t as good or better, just a thought.

 

[conan11]

Magnacut should be tougher than both ATS 34 or 440C.

 

[tony281sc2]

I wonder if a company like CRK that sets the bar for a quality folder would switch over from S35 and S45 if Magnacut wasn’t as good or better, just a thought.

No, no they wouldn’t. But how much better? On paper: Same edge retention, slightly tougher, both aren’t going to rust unless they’ve been sitting in the ocean….
The biggest factor between S35/45VN and Magnacut that I’ve been able to gather is that Magnacut is more difficult to heat treat correctly (needs to be at ~63 vs ~60). I’m not seeking it out, but eventually I would like to try some, just cuz I’m a knife enthusiast, not because I expect a great deal of difference between the steels.
I’m hoping it will be easier to sharpen (or at least the same) compared to S35VN. That’s something that’s rarely taken into consideration. A tougher steel usually always sharpens easier. Then again, it’s gonna be a couple Rc points higher… So who knows.

Also, heads up. If a new steel bothers you, you’re in for a nasty surprise at the next big trend of axis, I mean bar locks….

 

[LostCause]

Survival - nobody goes to survive every weekend.

Bushcraft - you can go outside with your knife, take a twig and carve it. That's why it's more popular. But people act as if it's everything.

Lots of Youtubers also act as if you'll never use your knife to cut anything other than wood.

And scandi grind is easiest and cheapest to grind, so companies jumped in on it too. Not surprising.


Magnacut - it is tough, very stainless and holds an edge for very long time while not being hard to sharpen (every steel sharpens easy with diamonds).

You can say "3V is tougher!" "H1 is more stainless" "Maxamet holds better edge"- yeah, just neither of those has combination of qualities like Magnacut.

That said - I don't own Magnacut knife because I don't need one. My CPM-3V, 1095 fixed blades and S35VN and K390 folders serve me very good. I'd not notice some difference in day to day basis. Knife is more than just a steel choice too, and I like what I have.

 

[DK94044]

it’s the want of high carbon performance without the rust scare. Is taking a minute to oil a blade after use or once a month so terrible a task?

 

[bramley02]

yes, i got the same feeling.

almost all knife reviews includs batoning, regardlesss the size of the knife.

personally, I think: batoning is silly, that's not the way to deal with your precious cutting tool, unless in a rare survival situation, which god bless you never coming cross.

regarding the supersteel, go watch JOEX on youtube. Supersteel not gonna last longer than any carbon steel.

But one thing for sure: stop using knives as shown on youtube knife review blokes. Go watch and learn from old hunters.

 

[BlindMouse2of3]

I guess I'm not signed up for the same targeted ad's that you are. But I must say I was super excited about my 4" EDChef from David Mary in 15N20 and he's got me hooked on a few in AEB-L. Fancy new steels are just something we haven't tried yet whether they be new or old. I was wearing my riverhawk when I was crafty and planted some bushes this weekend... Sure bushcraft can be fun and I have a few knives that fit the bill but reset your ad preferences (or turn them off) and move on my friend it all goes away after that.

 

[Drop bear]

it’s the want of high carbon performance without the rust scare. Is taking a minute to oil a blade after use or once a month so terrible a task?

Yes.

 

[LostCause]

regarding the supersteel, go watch JOEX on youtube. Supersteel not gonna last longer than any carbon steel.

Careful, the "trust the science" crew will come after you with "It's geometry!" "That steel is only tough because it's soft" and other cope methods. Why? - Because admitting "I paid 300$+ for a knife that'll break sooner than your much cheaper knife" isn't that easy. Sure, it is more stainless and has better edge retention... but at that price range it should be better than 10-50€ knife in all aspects... yet here we are and when it comes to toughness - Glock knife, Mora Robust and Hultafors HD put all these blades to shame. And they are also easier to sharpen...
Glock Knife - 35€
Mora Robust - 15€
Hultaforst Heavy Duty - 9€

Yeah, super steel will stay sharp longer, yeah they'll be more stainless, but no, it's not taking more hits than plain carbons without breaking. All the charts go out of window once you hit something like rock or other metal. And science is suddenly not so scientifical, and Trust the science resorts to copium once again.

Granted - in real world use you'll never have to abuse your knife in such way, while more edge retention, more stain resistance or edge stability most likely will come handy, hence the popularity of super steels.

 

[BlindMouse2of3]

I thought Mora's are made of super steel... when you use the simple formula

Ounces of performance divided by dollars spent over simple sheath that functions unwaveringly well... Yeah super steel of a deal

 

[Chronovore]

it’s the want of high carbon performance without the rust scare. Is taking a minute to oil a blade after use or once a month so terrible a task?

Sure, it is good practice to oil a blade. Corrosion can still happen. Where I've seen it the most is on D2 folders when it is 90F and 90% humidity. My sweat will eat D2 and some types of cutting can diminish an oil coat. I've gotten an occasional spot on AUS-8 that way too. I never have a problem with N690, 14C28N, S35VN, etc. (Essentially, anything 7.5 or better on Larrin's chart.)

To put it another way, it's nice to have an underlying hedge against corrosion regardless of practices. Since I mostly use stainless steel anyway, not having it seems strange to me. I'd need some very compelling reason to sacrifice it in cases where a good stainless alternative is available. If I have the option of MagnaCut or a tougher stainless like 14C28N, I'm going to take it.

 

[BlindMouse2of3]

S30v will rust when not properly cleaned after dismantling a caribou in the middle of nowhere.... Not sure is s35 is better in that regard.

 

[ferider]

No, no they wouldn’t. But how much better? On paper: Same edge retention, slightly tougher, both aren’t going to rust unless they’ve been sitting in the ocean….
The biggest factor between S35/45VN and Magnacut that I’ve been able to gather is that Magnacut is more difficult to heat treat correctly (needs to be at ~63 vs ~60). I’m not seeking it out, but eventually I would like to try some, just cuz I’m a knife enthusiast, not because I expect a great deal of difference between the steels.
I’m hoping it will be easier to sharpen (or at least the same) compared to S35VN. That’s something that’s rarely taken into consideration. A tougher steel usually always sharpens easier. Then again, it’s gonna be a couple Rc points higher… So who knows.

MC is pretty main-stream now, I have 2 decent MC folders that were < $140 (a Buck 110 and a Launch).

No reason not to try.

You’re welcome,

Roland (the Enabler).

 

[toker]

it’s the want of high carbon performance without the rust scare. Is taking a minute to oil a blade after use or once a month so terrible a task?

Highly depends on how you use a knife. If I use the knife for processing animals not close to a sink or strap it to my pack sea duck hunting, I don't want to worry about having to oil the knife and maintain it.

 

[beeinak]

I am not a knife steel snob and am not one to jump on the newest ones. I wanted a Magnacut knife to wear in rainy/snowy condition accessibility and recreating at my remote cabin/property. I was fortunate to get a great knife from CPE which I wore this winter on my snow bibs strap. It got packed with snow, sopping wet, and got used with no care until evenings in the cabin. I love the knife and the steel.

If you watch Carother’s Performance Knives videos and read updates testing Magnacut with the heat treat they are developing, it seems pretty great. Do I need more corrosion resistance than a CPK D3V blade? Likely not, but for a blade that will be exposed to elements much of the time, it may be a great choice for me.

Most blades I carry off the road system in any season I would consider survival knives because I might need it to help me do just that. I have some knives I like to use for carving and bushcraft as well (I find it fun). One that fits both roles is a CPK Kephart in D3V.

Such huge choices in steels and designs available now. We should all be able to find what we like.

 

[DocJD]

Everything’s Bushcraft, Bushcraft​

Just trying to sell stuff .

Tactical , survival , hunting , field etc , are passé and have negative connotations to some potential buyers .

What's more trendy , wholesome and harmless than "bushcraft " ?

 

[Delgadonine]

Bushcraft? There are LARPers like Bear Grylls. Then, there are folks who are the real deal, like on 'Alone'.

As far as Magnacut? I think the story behind Larrin and his steel variant is quite interesting!

 

[bramley02]

Careful, the "trust the science" crew will come after you with "It's geometry!" "That steel is only tough because it's soft" and other cope methods. Why? - Because admitting "I paid 300$+ for a knife that'll break sooner than your much cheaper knife" isn't that easy. Sure, it is more stainless and has better edge retention... but at that price range it should be better than 10-50€ knife in all aspects... yet here we are and when it comes to toughness - Glock knife, Mora Robust and Hultafors HD put all these blades to shame. And they are also easier to sharpen...
Glock Knife - 35€
Mora Robust - 15€
Hultaforst Heavy Duty - 9€

Yeah, super steel will stay sharp longer, yeah they'll be more stainless, but no, it's not taking more hits than plain carbons without breaking. All the charts go out of window once you hit something like rock or other metal. And science is suddenly not so scientifical, and Trust the science resorts to copium once again.

Granted - in real world use you'll never have to abuse your knife in such way, while more edge retention, more stain resistance or edge stability most likely will come handy, hence the popularity of super steels.

to avoid the variance of "geometry", go watch:

JOEX tests on: SRK in 3V, 3Mai, and SK5.

conclusion: 3V is tougher >3Mai>SK5, but not as much as 3 times as the price tag.

My solution: buy three SRK in SK5.

 

[jfk1110]

Thank goodness I don't do YouTube, Instagram or anything else in the nether world.......I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to technology of today!!!! I'm perfectly fine with that.... I never cared what steel my knife is either!!
Just carbon or stainless so I know how to handle it........ However diamonds are a mans best friend when it comes to knives. Otherwise, IGNORANCE IS BLISS.....