I Tested the Edge Retention of 48 Steels

LG&M said:
I currently only have one magnacut knife. A Decka. I understand higher is not better but it should preform best within it's intended range.Right? Does Hogue heat treat in this range. 62 rc +- 1 if I'm not mistaken.
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I don't know what the hardness is on those so perhaps someone else can chime in.

However, rather than getting lost in the numbers a good place to start would be to remove the factory edge and put your own edge on it and then use it day-to-day and see what you think.
 
DeadboxHero said:
I don't know what the hardness is on those so perhaps someone else can chime in.

However, rather than getting lost in the numbers a good place to start would be to remove the factory edge and put your own edge on it and then use it day-to-day and see what you think.
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u/RedVulk avatar
RedVulk
•
1y ago
I actually emailed them about this a few months ago. This is the response I got:

Thank you for reaching out to us here at Hogue. The very first batch, which are all sold out, were at the 60-62 HRC but we have since updated to 62-64 HRC. It appears that dealers may not have updated their listing info after the change was made. Please let us know if you have any other questions.

(I'm guessing that if you buy a Deka from a 3rd party dealer, then you may or may not get one of these new runs)
 
I agree, normally I use the factory edge then resharpen & use. Then start to form a opinion. I am at the resharpen stage now. Usually it is with a lower class steel & one I already have experience with. This is a new to me steel & I thought knowing the rc & where the designer intended it to be in a smaller folder, I might have a better understanding of what to expect.

If that makes sense.
 
DeadboxHero said:
I don't know what the hardness is on those so perhaps someone else can chime in.

However, rather than getting lost in the numbers a good place to start would be to remove the factory edge and put your own edge on it and then use it day-to-day and see what you think.
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Supposedly Magnacut would be a 5/10 for edge retention where the following would be rated:

Maxamet
10/10

CPM-M4
9/10

CPM-S90V
9/10

CPM CruWear
8/10

CPM-S110V
8/10

CPM-20CV
7/10

M390
7/10

Elmax
6/10

These numbers came from BHQ. They have a limited guide on popular knife steels, but it may help to understand some of the steel properties compared with each other.
 
IRunWithKnives said:
Supposedly Magnacut would be a 5/10 for edge retention where the following would be rated:

Maxamet
10/10

CPM-M4
9/10

CPM-S90V
9/10

CPM CruWear
8/10

CPM-S110V
8/10

CPM-20CV
7/10

M390
7/10

Elmax
6/10

These numbers came from BHQ. They have a limited guide on popular knife steels, but it may help to understand some of the steel properties compared with each other.
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This is pretty general and less scientific than Larrin's ratings but either way, remember that individual knives in these steels will vary a lot depending on geometry and heat treatment. On the latter, I've got knives in M390 down around 58 HRC that don't get anywhere near the BHQ rating. Meanwhile, I've got a knife in Elmax at 59-60 HRC and a knife in MagnaCut at 63-64 HRC. Setting aside their specific geometry, which would you expect to hold a better edge?
 
Chronovore said:
This is pretty general and less scientific than Larrin's ratings but either way, remember that individual knives in these steels will vary a lot depending on geometry and heat treatment. On the latter, I've got knives in M390 down around 58 HRC that don't get anywhere near the BHQ rating. Meanwhile, I've got a knife in Elmax at 59-60 HRC and a knife in MagnaCut at 63-64 HRC. Setting aside their specific geometry, which would you expect to hold a better edge?
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Yeah, I would say the Magnacut.

I was going to use the word "very" before "limited"... Definitely the HRC and geometry are key for edge retention, but then toughness can be effected as HRC numbers go up.
 
IRunWithKnives said:
Supposedly Magnacut would be a 5/10 for edge retention where the following would be rated:

Maxamet
10/10

CPM-M4
9/10

CPM-S90V
9/10

CPM CruWear
8/10

CPM-S110V
8/10

CPM-20CV
7/10

M390
7/10

Elmax
6/10

These numbers came from BHQ. They have a limited guide on popular knife steels, but it may help to understand some of the steel properties compared with each other.
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This rating is wrong, just ignore it.
 
"He is the mind and writer behind Knife Steel Nerds, the go-to source for all knowledge about knife steel. Dr. Thomas is a friend of ours here at Blade HQ, and with his help, we’ve worked to create this knife steel guide."
 
I gave ratings to Blade HQ to use but anything with a half point rating they rounded up when many of them needed to be rounded down (ie. a 5.3 I round to the nearest half point 5.5 but if it gets rounded further it needs to be a 5 not a 6). They flipped toughness and edge retention for at least one steel - CPM-CruWear. And CPM-M4 appears to have ratings made up entirely in their own. Not sure if there are others mixed in there. Also they grouped steels into “premium,” “high end,” etc. which is the one thing I told them they must not do if I was going to help them. Of course I told them all of this right after they released the article and I was promised they would change it. Still waiting like two years later.
 
Impressive project! You put your new CATRA machine to good use testing the edge retention of 48 different knife steels, some with multiple heat treatments. This is a valuable resource for knife enthusiasts - you've got data on which steels lasted longest, how hardness affects performance, and how different steels balance edge retention and toughness. Thanks for sharing the link to your research on Knife Steel Nerds!
 
IRunWithKnives said:
Supposedly Magnacut would be a 5/10 for edge retention where the following would be rated:

Maxamet
10/10

CPM-M4
9/10

CPM-S90V
9/10

CPM CruWear
8/10

CPM-S110V
8/10

CPM-20CV
7/10

M390
7/10

Elmax
6/10

These numbers came from BHQ. They have a limited guide on popular knife steels, but it may help to understand some of the steel properties compared with each other.
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All things being equal Cruwear does not have better edge retention than Magnacut. and if CPM-M4 is rated a 9 out of 10, surely Magnacut would have to be an 8/10 at the very least, the difference between these two steels is minimal. of course either one of these steels being over an 8 when they have s110v at an 8 in their list is just silly. I think they need to update their list.
 
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Larrin said:
...which is the one thing I told them they must not do if I was going to help them. Of course I told them all of this right after they released the article and I was promised they would change it. Still waiting like two years later.
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That is disheartening to hear, particularly from a reputable business. Though on the other hand, anyone who does not check knifesteelnerds directly is asking for trouble!
 
This sounds like an impressive and informative project! You heat-treated various knife steels using a CATRA machine, collaborated with a knifemaker to craft 57 knives, and then tested them for edge retention. It's great that you compared these results with toughness to see which steels offered the best balance of properties.
 
Larrin said:
I gave ratings to Blade HQ to use but anything with a half point rating they rounded up when many of them needed to be rounded down (ie. a 5.3 I round to the nearest half point 5.5 but if it gets rounded further it needs to be a 5 not a 6). They flipped toughness and edge retention for at least one steel - CPM-CruWear. And CPM-M4 appears to have ratings made up entirely in their own. Not sure if there are others mixed in there. Also they grouped steels into “premium,” “high end,” etc. which is the one thing I told them they must not do if I was going to help them. Of course I told them all of this right after they released the article and I was promised they would change it. Still waiting like two years later.
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Would it not be beneficial for BladeForums members to contact Blade HQ and amplify this message?
 
Greetings from Europe, so maybe my English is not so good.

I have a Manix 2, Gunny, Knafs Lulu and a MKM Malga 5 in Magnacut.

I am very impressed!

Yesterday my son breaked a Branch from a Tree, so i want to cut i clean off, that the Tree could heal better.
It was about 0.5 Inches thick, hanging there.
So i took my Manix 2 and it gone through it like nothing, i was very suprised!
I use it normaly to cut carrots and something else on a plastic Cuttingboard, never it had any nicks.

My S90V Versions of Benchmade Flyway and hide Hidden Mountain are much easier to nick.

The Gunny and the Knafs LULU (a little bit thinner Edge with Convex) cut wood also like nothing!
They stay sharp very long.

My oppion is: to make a chart with Edge Retention, without nothing to say about toughness, could be missleading.

Sometimes my S90V blades stay longer sharp, but when rougher work is done, the Magnacut holds its edge longer.
I could be wrong, but it is only my oppinion or maybe a feeling, when i work with it.

Get the right Knife for the task.
I think, it is much more about the geometry of the blade.

I changed a little bit the geometry of my Knafs Lulu, with a Convexed Bevel and it performs so much better now!

I have the Malga 5 Magnacut and a Malga 6 Version in M390.
My feeling is, that the Magnacut gets sharper and hold the absolut sharpness longer.
But after a time, the M390 holds its "duller" Edge longer, than the Magnacut (with "duller" edge, i mean a good Working Edge without shaving possibility).

Also i hear often that the Esee 6 is a good Knife, but the Steel sucks.
I can´t confirm that generally.
I convexed the Bevel of the Esee 6 and i holds the Edge very good!
Better than some other Knifes from me, with better Edge Retention Rating.

I have had a Aurora in CrueWear.
With my Gunny in Magnacut i have the feeling, that there is no real performance difference between Crue-Wear or Magnacut.

I think that it is often more a feeling about edge retention, but could be missleaded by certain situations, like little stones in the wood...

I hope you understand what i mean, with my basic english.

Greetings, stay Healthy
 
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Larrin said:
I gave ratings to Blade HQ to use but anything with a half point rating they rounded up when many of them needed to be rounded down (ie. a 5.3 I round to the nearest half point 5.5 but if it gets rounded further it needs to be a 5 not a 6). They flipped toughness and edge retention for at least one steel - CPM-CruWear. And CPM-M4 appears to have ratings made up entirely in their own. Not sure if there are others mixed in there. Also they grouped steels into “premium,” “high end,” etc. which is the one thing I told them they must not do if I was going to help them. Of course I told them all of this right after they released the article and I was promised they would change it. Still waiting like two years later.
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They are a paid dealer here so they might try and correct it BladeHQ BladeHQ as what they listed could be misleading
G2
 
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