How’s the Magnacut compare to 3V? And also apples.

Nathan the Machinist said:
Magnacut is a brilliant steel. Or at least it has the potential to be.

I worry it is going to develop a bad reputation, like Elmax, because makers and manufacturers won't treat it properly. It is very sensitive to overheating during sharpening and grinding due to its low tempering temperature. This makes it poorly suited to many, if not most, manufacturers processes. This is not a slam-bam-thank-you-ma'am kind of steel.

I cannot speculate about your knife in particular, but I would not judge MagnaCut based on that particular sample because it sounds to me like it might not be optimal.
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I have been using Magnacut for knives I make since it came out and think it is an awsome steel but this others makers knife did not act like what I am use to when sharpening.

I have a feeling there are a lot more sub par knives out there than people realize. To many makers skipping steps during heat treat and not actually rockwell testing their knives but claiming a hardness anyway.
 
So if you were going to gift a (nice, basic) knife to someone who might not take perfect care of it, say someone who would cut up their apples and maybe even spread peanut butter then put the knife in the (kydex) sheath without wiping it down... D3V or MC?
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
I sincerely believe we have the best Magnacut on the market right now. We did our homework and we're doing it right. I cannot imagine anyone doing it better.
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I've largely been ambivalent towards Magnacut. With the exception of D3V, anytime I have tried the latest and greatest hyped up steel, I've mostly been disappointed. There is a sweet spot in the ratios of function, durability, edge holding, ease of maintenance/sharpening, and such that is difficult for me to put into sensible words but I usually know when a knife has "it". It isn't very scientific of me, I know, but my instincts are usually pretty good.

Every time you make a comment like this though, I think to myself, "Man, I am going to have to get some of Nathan's MC".
 
Pàdruig said:
I've largely been ambivalent towards Magnacut. With the exception of D3V, anytime I have tried the latest and greatest hyped up steel, I've mostly been disappointed. There is a sweet spot in the ratios of function, durability, edge holding, ease of maintenance/sharpening, and such that is difficult for me to put into sensible words but I usually know when a knife has "it". It isn't very scientific of me, I know, but my instincts are usually pretty good.

Every time you make a comment like this though, I think to myself, "Man, I am going to have to get some of Nathan's MC".
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TIme for you to request a change of user name to "Potter Stewart".
 
fnordmorph said:
So if you were going to gift a (nice, basic) knife to someone who might not take perfect care of it, say someone who would cut up their apples and maybe even spread peanut butter then put the knife in the (kydex) sheath without wiping it down... D3V or MC?
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AEB-L or it's sisters....
 
I love apples and in my opinion, any apple fresh off the tree is a delight worth pursuing. Here in the PNW, we grow awesome apples and I spent a lot of time in my youth running in apple orchards, making fresh cider, etc. I have Honey Crisp and Granny Smith trees on my property - both are pure heaven off the tree. The Granny Smith, in particular, is really fun to try at different points in its ripening span. If you fancy them for pies and such, pick them earlier, if you want something that can rival a Honey Crisp for crispness and sweetness, wait a bit a longer and pick the Smiths later in the season.
 
Matthew Gregory said:
Something is wrong, there. Magnacut, when heat treated properly, is disturbingly easy to resharpen, forms a tiny, crispy burr, that strops off quickly and easily.
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Maybe it's just in my head then? It's always seemed like the magnacut burr is more stubborn than a 3v burr.

I didn't mean to imply magnacut is difficult to sharpen. I hope I didn't say that anywhere in my sleep deprived state.

When using diamond stones, I haven't really encountered a steel that I would say is difficult to sharpen. The magnacut I've encountered definitely doesn't fit that bill. I just prefer the way 3v (and cruwear) sharpens versus the way magnacut does. It's a pretty minor difference and I would only take it into account if I were being very particular in an effort to narrow down my selection pool.

Since I don't need much corrosion resistance, it doesn't factor very heavily for me. With that in mind, the differences between magnacut, 3v, and cruwear for the casual knife user probably won't be very noticeable in a quality blade. That's just my opinion though.
 
You'll know in about...two weeks™


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Nathan the Machinist said:
I sincerely believe we have the best Magnacut on the market right now. We did our homework and we're doing it right. I cannot imagine anyone doing it better.
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Hey Nathan, I remember reading awhile ago your recommendations on sharpening D3V, 80 & 220 grit SiC stones. Happen to have a recommendation for your iteration MagnaCut?

Thanks in advance 😁
 
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