Magna Cut Above

[Xformer]

I've completely missed the boat on the magnacut thing. So, it's the next big thing and a metal that is focused on knife, rather than dripping off from others industries, right ? What prevent it from being used still ?

One of my favorite things happening with this steel is how people seem to finally be focusing on how well rounded a steel can be and not just on edge retention alone. It feels like the community has been focused solely on edge retention for a very long time now, it's refreshing to see maybe a shift in priorities, and having a brand new steel along with it is just amazing.

Yeah, I feel you. That's why I never understood the D2 craze. Yeah, it hold a decent edge forever, but it stains easily and is a nightmare to sharpen without the proper set up, unless you're very good at it, which is quite rare. That's also why S30V had that longevity : it's a well-rounded steel.

[Rp5]

I've completely missed the boat on the magnacut thing. So, it's the next big thing and a metal that is focused on knife, rather than dripping off from others industries, right ? What prevent it from being used still ?

Correct as far as I know. It is being used, but the quantity produced is low compared to the demand from what I can tell.

One of my favorite things happening with this steel is how people seem to finally be focusing on how well rounded a steel can be and not just on edge retention alone. It feels like the community has been focused solely on edge retention for a very long time now, it's refreshing to see maybe a shift in priorities, and having a brand new steel along with it is just amazing.

+1

[dj moonbat]

One of my favorite things happening with this steel is how people seem to finally be focusing on how well rounded a steel can be and not just on edge retention alone. It feels like the community has been focused solely on edge retention for a very long time now, it's refreshing to see maybe a shift in priorities, and having a brand new steel along with it is just amazing.

I think there's a threshold of wear resistance, above which people will feel free to look for well-roundedness. And this steel exceeds that threshold. I don't want a balanced steel where all the properties are so-so. But a balanced steel where all the properties are, say, at least a 7 out of 10? Now you're talking.

[Bolster]

I don't want a balanced steel where all the properties are so-so. But a balanced steel where all the properties are, say, at least a 7 out of 10? Now you're talking.

Well, yes, good point. Nobody cares about a well-balanced steel that's mediocre at everything (he said, while looking at his Applegate-Fairbairn in 440C ). But a steel that's good at everything as opposed to great at one thing...that's a very useful steel.

[Fireman]

A big camp knife in this steel would rule..
I think Magna Cut would make one heck of a chopper.

[Bolster]

This graphic was recently posted in another thread.

https://nsm-ny.com/products/knife-steel/



Niagara calls MagnaCut a "stainless 4V."

Wow that CPM D2 is no slouch. Would like to get summa that.

[Deadboxhero]

CPM D2, I have some, I was disappointed in the larger carbide size,Personally, I was hoping the chromium carbides would be significantly finer in size. Just shows the limits of PM, which is not immune to the carbon/chromium balance especially in absence of carbide refining elements.

Since Cruwear is available (which is finer, tougher and more wear resistant) there hasn't been much reason to pursue the CPM D2 or PSF27 imho.

Now, we have MagnaCut which is stainless and with even finer carbides which is quite a paradigm shift in the stainless/carbon tool steel debate.

Should note that the graph is incorrect on wear resistance for CPM D2 which is not going to be more wear resistant in slicing edge retention than s45vn

The carbide volume in CPM D2 is lower, softer and coarser.
The S45vn has a higher higher volume hardness carbides with the added bonus of being significantly finer.

The advantage of the CPM D2 would be not needing diamond/CBN to sharpen.

This graphic was recently posted in another thread.

https://nsm-ny.com/products/knife-steel/



Niagara calls MagnaCut a "stainless 4V."

Wow that CPM D2 is no slouch. Would like to get summa that.

[nerdlock]

Interesting how this chart compares Magnacut to S35VN, basically almost the same wear resistance but definitely much tougher and rust resistant. Even tops out 20CV. Impressive indeed. If this is easier to sharpen than S30V then we have a runaway winner in our hands.

[Deadboxhero]

Interesting how this chart compares Magnacut to S35VN, basically almost the same wear resistance but definitely much tougher and rust resistant. Even tops out 20CV. Impressive indeed. If this is easier to sharpen than S30V then we have a runaway winner in our hands.

It's is certainly "easier" to sharpen than S30v.

Pretty straightforward,
Less carbides to cut, finer carbides, higher working hardness so the apex comes up nicer and deburrs better.

[Rp5]

This graphic was recently posted in another thread.

https://nsm-ny.com/products/knife-steel/



Niagara calls MagnaCut a "stainless 4V."

Wow that CPM D2 is no slouch. Would like to get summa that.

I get that this is a visual comparative graphic and all... but aren't those toughness measurements all low?

[Evil D]

A big camp knife in this steel would rule..
I think Magna Cut would make one heck of a chopper.

Big Chris probably has a dozen or more knives in the works in MagnaCut, at least one of which is pretty large, maybe not quite a full on chopper but definitely big enough to camp with. He did do a chopper in MagnaCut and just raffled it off a few days ago.

[GarageBoy]

The advantage of the CPM D2 would be not needing diamond/CBN to sharpen.

But people still complain about D2 being difficult to sharpen? At least with the ingot version

Is it the abundance of chromium carbides, the large grain structure, or something else?
I guess xhp is also there competing with cpm D2/psf27

[Larrin]

I get that this is a visual comparative graphic and all... but aren't those toughness measurements all low?

Which one specifically looks low to you?

[Rp5]

I get that this is a visual comparative graphic and all... but aren't those toughness measurements all low?

Which one specifically looks low to you?

I guess there's no actual unit of measurement on that chart. I was thinking the 1-10 was referring to ft-lbs, which is what your charts use. So 3V jumped out to me as 33-41 on your charts, but 8 on that chart.

[JRinFL]

I get that this is a visual comparative graphic and all... but aren't those toughness measurements all low?

Which one specifically looks low to you?

I guess there's no actual unit of measurement on that chart. I was thinking the 1-10 was referring to ft-lbs, which is what your charts use. So 3V jumped out to me as 33-41 on your charts, but 8 on that chart.

I had the same thought. The axes* on charts should always be labeled, at least that's how I was taught.


*Yes, I looked it up.

[Bolster]

I had the same thought. The axes* on charts should always be labeled, at least that's how I was taught.

*Yes, I looked it up.

Some of the AXES should be labeled, and some should be sharpened. It is puzzling what the Y axis is. If it's a 1-10 scale, why is there a 12? And certainly they're too low for foot pounds, although, there are multiple tests for toughness that yield different ft/lbs. I don't have them memorized, but Larrin does. But we still don't know what the chart maker intended. Perhaps this is an example of something being dumbed-down too far.

[Rp5]

I had the same thought. The axes* on charts should always be labeled, at least that's how I was taught.

*Yes, I looked it up.

Some of the AXES should be labeled, and some should be sharpened. It is puzzling what the Y axis is. If it's a 1-10 scale, why is there a 12? And certainly they're too low for foot pounds, although, there are multiple tests for toughness that yield different ft/lbs. I don't have them memorized, but Larrin does. But we still don't know what the chart maker intended. Perhaps this is an example of something being dumbed-down too far.

Careful... we don't know who made the chart.

I agree the most likely scenario is a 1-10 chart, with 12 being room for improvement. Dare to dream of tougher 3V. The tests for different foot pounds was what I thought at first, but to get that low on toughness, you'd have to be at like 80 hardness.

[Deadboxhero]

The advantage of the CPM D2 would be not needing diamond/CBN to sharpen.

But people still complain about D2 being difficult to sharpen? At least with the ingot version

Is it the abundance of chromium carbides, the large grain structure, or something else?
I guess xhp is also there competing with cpm D2/psf27

Well, I said CPM D2 and PSF27. Not D2.

Also there can be many reasons why the random masses of people have difficulty.

It's more available to a higher volume of less experienced sharpers, perhaps Person A uses only cheap soft steels with low carbide volume and hardness and has luck with "honing" burnishing edges back to life with some reasonable form of sharpness that D2 doesn't respond to as well due to the carbides resisting the mediocre sharpening.

Heat treatment is also a big factor, however, I think the biggest culprit is just people and their sharpening technique and tools.


So, the sharpening has to be ruled out first before coming to wild conclusions about one steel being more difficult to sharpen universally than another steel. Even then, the next thing to rule out would be geometry and heat treatment, steel is last

[TomAiello]

Does anyone know when more magna cut (just steel for blade making, not finished knives) will be available at Niagara?

[Deadboxhero]

Does anyone know when more magna cut (just steel for blade making, not finished knives) will be available at Niagara?

Get it from the distributors, NSM is focusing more on getting to dealers not direct sells, you just missed out on the last batch from Pops knife supply
SB Specialty Metals should be getting some, you'll have to make the rounds and figure it out.