Guide · 3 min read
MagnaCut Steel Explained: What It Is, How It Compares to S30V, S35VN and M390, and When It's Worth It
CPM MagnaCut holds an edge like a tool steel, resists rust like a true stainless and sharpens without a fight. How it stacks up against S30V, S45VN, M390 and 20CV, which Benchmade and Spyderco models use it, and when to pay the premium.
Updated October 21, 2026 · Austin Blade Co., 7600 N Lamar Blvd, Austin
MagnaCut is the first knife steel in a long time that changed how we answer the question "which steel should I get?" Until 2021 you picked a trade-off: edge life or rust resistance or ease of sharpening, never all three. MagnaCut gets you most of each.
What it is
CPM MagnaCut was designed by metallurgist Larrin Thomas and made by Crucible, released in 2021. The trick is in the carbides. Most stainless knife steels get their wear resistance from chromium carbides, which are soft and use up the chromium that should be keeping the steel from rusting. MagnaCut forms its carbides from niobium and vanadium instead, which are harder, and leaves the chromium dissolved in the steel where it does its real job.
The result: a steel that behaves like a high-end tool steel at the edge and like a marine-grade stainless against corrosion, and that takes a fine edge quickly.
How it compares
| Steel | Edge retention | Corrosion resistance | Ease of sharpening | Toughness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MagnaCut | Very good | Excellent | Good | Very good |
| S30V | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| S35VN / S45VN | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| M390 / 20CV | Excellent | Very good | Hard | Fair |
| S90V | Excellent | Good | Hard | Fair |
| 14C28N | Fair | Very good | Easy | Very good |
Read down the columns: M390 holds an edge a little longer than MagnaCut but is harder to sharpen and more prone to chipping. S30V and S45VN are a step behind on everything except price. 14C28N is the budget steel that sharpens the easiest and gives up edge life for it.
When it is worth the money
Pay for MagnaCut when the knife will see moisture: a sweaty front pocket in a Texas summer, a boat, a kitchen, hunting. It is also the right call for a knife you want to sharpen yourself at home without diamond stones.
Save your money when the knife lives in a dry office pocket and gets used for packages. S45VN or 154CM will serve you nearly as well for less.
Skip it for hard-use chopping and prying. MagnaCut is tough for a stainless, but a carbon or tool steel like CPM-3V or CruWear is tougher, and most fixed blades for that work use them.
Models that use it
Benchmade has moved much of its catalog to MagnaCut: the Bugout, Griptilian, Mini Auto Adamas, the Narrows, the 82 and 99 balisongs, and several fixed blades. Spyderco runs it on the Para Military 2, Para 3, Manix 2 and others in rotation. Smaller makers use it widely in customs. Our MagnaCut collection shows what is in the case today.
Sharpening MagnaCut
It sharpens like S35VN: a diamond or ceramic stone, a few passes per side, strop. The burr forms cleanly and breaks off without the stubborn wire edge M390 leaves. If you would rather not, bring it in; we sharpen MagnaCut on the bench while you wait.
Shop the case
Common questions
- Is MagnaCut better than S30V?
- For most people, yes. It holds an edge noticeably longer, resists corrosion far better and is at least as easy to sharpen. S30V is still a good steel; MagnaCut is simply better at everything that matters in a pocket knife.
- Is MagnaCut hard to sharpen?
- No. It sharpens about like S35VN and more easily than M390, 20CV or S90V. Diamond or ceramic stones make it quick, and we sharpen it in the store.
- Does MagnaCut rust?
- It is one of the most corrosion-resistant knife steels made, on par with LC200N and better than S30V, S35VN or M390. It will not spot in a sweaty pocket or a kitchen the way older high-carbide steels can.
- Which knives come in MagnaCut?
- Benchmade has moved much of its line to it, including the Bugout, Griptilian, Mini Auto Adamas, Narrows and several balisongs. Spyderco offers it on the Para Military 2, Para 3, Manix 2 and others. Our MagnaCut collection shows what is in the case.
