Too simple a question without more detail so here's a video with Larrin Thomas, PhD breaking down categories and steels within them.
It's going to beat them in toughness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance, if you look at the raw numbers. That's what makes it so impressive--that it can beat a high wear resistance steel for wear resistance and still be tougher.I've not tried magnacut, but it sounds like a good choice. For my uses I've found SV30 or 35 to be a good balance of the properties I'm looking for including price.
Sorta. Magnacut won't beat the tough carbon steels, because, as you say, it's hard to make a high wear resistant stainless steel that's also really tough. Toughness and wear resistance tend to be competing properties--if you push one up, the other goes down. Magnacut was designed to try to maximize the tradeoff. To get the most wear resistance and toughness in a stainless steel that's feasible with the current state of metallurgy. It does a good job, but one can definitely find steels with higher wear resistance (they will have lower toughness) than Magnacut and one can also find steels that have much better toughness (they will have lower wear resistance) than Magnacut.I really love MagnaCut. Really, really. The only thing it isn't is tough as tough carbon or tool steels. It's very tough for stainless, just that stainless isn't very tough compared to carbon or alloy tool steels.
well said. I have made a few knives in Magnacut and am very impressed.Dr. Thomas and his willingness/ability to share knowledge is a real gift to knife enthusiasts.
It's going to beat them in toughness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance, if you look at the raw numbers. That's what makes it so impressive--that it can beat a high wear resistance steel for wear resistance and still be tougher.
That said, I wouldn't buy new knives in Magnacut to replace working S30V/S35VN knives--I don't think that would make sense. If I were looking for a new knife, though, I would certainly see if I could find something in Magnacut.Sorta. Magnacut won't beat the tough carbon steels, because, as you say, it's hard to make a high wear resistant stainless steel that's also really tough. Toughness and wear resistance tend to be competing properties--if you push one up, the other goes down. Magnacut was designed to try to maximize the tradeoff. To get the most wear resistance and toughness in a stainless steel that's feasible with the current state of metallurgy. It does a good job, but one can definitely find steels with higher wear resistance (they will have lower toughness) than Magnacut and one can also find steels that have much better toughness (they will have lower wear resistance) than Magnacut.
The tool steels will tend to look a lot like the high wear resistance stainless steels in terms of toughness.
CPM 154 is still one of the best stainless steels of all time, and I use it frequently in my knives.
The Porsche GT-3 RS is necessary for every type of driving task.
I come across people who buy up these pieces yet invariably they are carrying/using an S35 or CPM154 bladed production knife.
I think that it would be very difficult for most to truly justify a new knife if the only change were an upgrade from a decent steel to a premium one. I buy knives that I like that have decent steels and if I can find one I like with a premium steel, that's even better.I often wonder just how many of us can really justify the latest, greatest, most expensive knife steel.
If you want to sharpen one of the high-wear resistant stainless steels with a natural stone, you have your work cut out for you. I figure anyone who can afford a knife in a high-wear resistant stainless can afford a diamond or cubic boron nitride sharpener. There's no difference in how hard/easy it is to sharpen a conventional steel and a high-wear resistant stainless steel if you're using one of those two sharpener types. But certainly those who refuse to use a sharpener commensurate with the wear properties of the steel they're using can set themselves up for frustration.To add to this, how many have the ability to sharpen the newer steels?
What most folks want out of a kitchen knife is a steel that will take a fine edge and stand up to light chopping on a good cutting board (plastic or wood, NOT glass or stone). There's absolutely no reason to go with a high-wear resistant stainless for that because that kind of steel is designed for cutting through things that are abrasive. Foods are not abrasive as long as you don't use your fine-edge kitchen knife for cutting through bones. Something with good corrosion resistance, and reasonable toughness (for a stainless steel) will be a good option for a kitchen knife and won't break the bank. I think AEB-L would be a really good kitchen knife steel, but frankly, just about any decent stainless will do a really good job if the knife is not abused.For the kitchen knives Magnacut seems excessive...
^ ^ ^ ^ these ^ ^ ^ ^. . If you want to sharpen one of the high-wear resistant stainless steels with a natural stone, you have your work cut out for you. . .
What most folks want out of a kitchen knife is a steel that will take a fine edge and stand up to light chopping on a good cutting board (plastic or wood, NOT glass or stone). . . . just about any decent stainless will do a really good job if the knife is not abused.
Yep, expecting to sharpen a Vanadium Carbide rich steel (S30-S90V etc) with stones is gonna be frustrating.I think that it would be very difficult for most to truly justify a new knife if the only change were an upgrade from a decent steel to a premium one. I buy knives that I like that have decent steels and if I can find one I like with a premium steel, that's even better.
If you want to sharpen one of the high-wear resistant stainless steels with a natural stone, you have your work cut out for you. I figure anyone who can afford a knife in a high-wear resistant stainless can afford a diamond or cubic boron nitride sharpener. There's no difference in how hard/easy it is to sharpen a conventional steel and a high-wear resistant stainless steel if you're using one of those two sharpener types. But certainly those who refuse to use a sharpener commensurate with the wear properties of the steel they're using can set themselves up for frustration.
What most folks want out of a kitchen knife is a steel that will take a fine edge and stand up to light chopping on a good cutting board (plastic or wood, NOT glass or stone). There's absolutely no reason to go with a high-wear resistant stainless for that because that kind of steel is designed for cutting through things that are abrasive. Foods are not abrasive as long as you don't use your fine-edge kitchen knife for cutting through bones. Something with good corrosion resistance, and reasonable toughness (for a stainless steel) will be a good option for a kitchen knife and won't break the bank. I think AEB-L would be a really good kitchen knife steel, but frankly, just about any decent stainless will do a really good job if the knife is not abused.
Great question and comments. Concur 100%. When the super-steels became more common, I was onboard all the way, until... it became time to sharpen them.To add to this, how many have the ability to sharpen the newer steels?
Most people don't give it a second thought until it's time to sharpen them.
People think that having the "best" or "latest" is all that matters.
We cook almost every night around here!Great question and comments. Concur 100%. When the super-steels became more common, I was onboard all the way, until... it became time to sharpen them.
PS - @Flat Rock Dinner at your place? Are you the chef? Rarely do threads on THR make me hungry for a good meal, but here we are...
how many of us can really justify the latest, greatest, most expensive
I like how lawn mower snuck in there! "but honey, I NEEEEED that Zero turn......"Car, watch, lawn mower, ... Beyond need it is just want.
Yep, expecting to sharpen a Vanadium Carbide rich steel (S30-S90V etc) with stones is gonna be frustrating.
In my opinion, AEB-L is a fantastic kitchen knife steel. It was made to be thin and tough as it was originally developed for shaving razor steel.
This post makes a ton of sense.I often wonder just how many of us can really justify the latest, greatest, most expensive knife steel. There are a lot of reasonably priced knives made with CPM154 that will be more than adequate for most users.