New, question regarding Magnacut

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EasternShore

Joined
Aug 7, 2021
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First a big thank you for all the great info here, I’ve used this site as a resource many times just as a result of google searches. I apologize in advance if this is an inappropriate venue for this question but I figure the collective wisdom here can guide my decision in the right direction a bit. I’ll preface this by saying I don’t have a large collection at all, and use basically everything I buy. My EDC since 2012 has been an XM-24 and my only other folders are a sebenza and a shigorov. I only own 2 fixed blades, a rather long in the tooth spartan horkos I am getting ready to replace and a crusader forge that was a gift that sits in a case. Other than that I only have kitchen knives or box cutters.

Everything I am reading about Magnacut makes it seem like a dream come true, stainless, as tough as 4V if not 3V, great wear resistance etc. I assume it’s too new to have anything non-custom on the market yet, and I’m hesitant to jump out there on a new “super steel” after hating s110 and being unimpressed with infi (although it’s awesome selling something used and not taking a hit from what I paid new) I have no local options to inspect anything so I have to order online, and of course for something new like this I imagine I will be waiting quite a while. Has anyone here had hands on experience with it and can attest to whether or not it’s worth the wait? I was about to pull the trigger on a Dawson in 3V but if magnacut is half as exciting as it sounds I feel like I would have buyers remorse since I only buy new knives every 2-3 years or so. Thanks for any insight!
 
kobold said:
If corrosion resistance is important to you, it's worth it.
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It definitely is, the atlantic ocean is literally the back side of my property! I have some tomahawks in 80crv2 though and as long as I maintain them no issues even with some minor exposure to ocean water. Definitely hate seeing little spots though which my s35vn and 20cv knives don’t exhibit.
 
Sounds like you could use some MC. May I ask what was the problem with s110v?
 
ferider said:
4V (and Magnacut - at least on paper) vs. 3V are two different worlds when it comes to toughness.
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I was under the impression 4V was somewhere between O1 and 3V, although I’ve never owned a blade in either steel. I’m coming from S35vn though so I’m assuming either would be a big jump from that, or is that an incorrect assumption on my part?
 
kobold said:
Sounds like you could use some MC. May I ask what was the problem with s110v?
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Maybe it was the example I had but no matter what kind if angle I put on the edge I would get substantial chipping with anything more than what I would consider light use. To be fair I am very tough on my tools though.
 
The problem with magnacut is that it’s too new to determine if it’s any better than what’s already been been proven. It sounds like it will be a contender, and what little has been offered to makers has been spoken for. I deal with Big Chris and he’s not taking orders for magnacut until he gets another supply. Then it’s on a first come basis. It may take several years before it’s readily available.
There’s plenty of great steel to choose from until then, like Elmax, S45VN, 3V, M390, S125V, 10V, 4V, K390, maxamet.I don’t know if I’d wait or pull the trigger on what’s already out there.
BTW, S110V doesn’t like lateral stress, it doesn’t take much to chip it if you’re not being careful.
Are you looking for a fixed blade or folder?
 
Magnacut should be very tough and stainless, but edge retention will be in the same ballpark of S30V, so if edge retention is what you are after there are better choices.
 
You might as well get a new knife now, it will probably be 2-3 years before it gets more widespread adoption. What was wrong with INFI?
 
EasternShore said:
I was under the impression 4V was somewhere between O1 and 3V, although I’ve never owned a blade in either steel. I’m coming from S35vn though so I’m assuming either would be a big jump from that, or is that an incorrect assumption on my part?
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Please look up the data yourself. I think of 4V toughness/edge retention to be similar to M4, 3V is about twice as tough compared to either, depending on hardness of course. CPM Cruwear is about halfway in between. And that doesn't even account for special protocols like Delta 3V. Also, if you want stainless and tough, might consider AEB-L, in particular in a fixed blade where it might be easier to find with a geometry you like. Then again, if you don't like Infi, chances are you don't like any of of these steels.

IMHO, it's too early to say anything practical about Magnacut, except that it's already over-hyped. For example, for me Spyderco and Hinderer M390 behave completely differently, Hinderer's is a little softer but doesn't chip - much more practical in my use. Similarly, Magnacut performance will highly depend on what the makers do with it.

Roland.
 
ferider said:
Please look up the data yourself. I think of 4V toughness/edge retention to be similar to M4, 3V is about twice as tough compared to either, depending on hardness of course. CPM Cruwear is about halfway in between. And that doesn't even account for special protocols like Delta 3V. Also, if you want stainless and tough, might consider AEB-L, in particular in a fixed blade where it might be easier to find with a geometry you like. Then again, if you don't like Infi, chances are you don't like any of of these steels.

IMHO, it's too early to say anything practical about Magnacut, except that it's already over-hyped. For example, for me Spyderco and Hinderer M390 behave completely differently, Hinderer's is a little softer but doesn't chip - much more practical in my use. Similarly, Magnacut performance will highly depend on what the makers do with it.

Roland.
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What about Vanadis 4e?
 
If I understand Larrin Larrin right ("In general, I didn’t test steels which have identical composition, ... Vanadis 4 Extra is slightly different than CPM-4V which may be a borderline case but I didn’t have any Vanadis 4 Extra so that made that decision easier."), he considers 4V and V4E to behave basically the same. Maybe he can chime in. I only have a 4V knife myself (Manix 2).
 
ferider said:
If I understand Larrin Larrin right ("In general, I didn’t test steels which have identical composition, ... Vanadis 4 Extra is slightly different than CPM-4V which may be a borderline case but I didn’t have any Vanadis 4 Extra so that made that decision easier."), he considers 4V and V4E to behave basically the same. Maybe he can chime in. I only have a 4V knife myself (Manix 2).
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I have a V4E tomahawk that seems to do ok. But I haven't really tested it out against my CPM 3v knives. Plus it's such a different form factor that a head-to-head would be useless.
 
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3V is tougher than 4V, Vanadis 4 Extra, and MagnaCut. It also has lower wear resistance than those three of course. However, toughness testing of 3V is generally at lower hardness. In Crucible’s c-notch test it gets 70 ft-lbs at 60 Rc but only 40 ft-lbs at 62 Rc. 4V is listed as 36 ft-lbs at 62 Rc so they are quite similar at higher hardness according to Crucible.

Another thing to remember is that toughness is not really a linear scale. In my tests the difference between 5 and 10 ft-lbs is roughly the same as the difference between 10 and 20 ft-lbs. Hitachi shows their u-notch toughness tests on a log scale in their charts which probably better reflects the scale.
Edit: R-notch and not quite a log scale though they do shift things above a certain value on the chart.
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EasternShore said:
... I’m hesitant to jump out there on a new “super steel” after hating s110 and being unimpressed with infi...
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From every indication I've absorbed, the MagnaCut isn't a hyped up super steel per se, but a really well-rounded all-purpose cutlery steel that's actually been thoroughly thought through, truly stainless, yet also rather tough. It's more of a refinement than some sort of an exaggeration. Seems like a lot of knifemakers are using it, and I bet you'll have a chance to get a knife made in it sooner than you'd think. Keep an eye on the custom knives for sale area here from the makers and I bet you'll see some come up!

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