MagnaMax has been in development for a long time. When I first proposed the idea for MagnaCut to Crucible and Niagara in June 2019 I also proposed a high wear resistance version I was calling “stainless 10V.” This version was intended to match the combination of toughness and wear resistance in the non-stainless grades K390, Vanadis 8, and CPM-10V. K390 has developed some popularity in recent years from Spyderco using it in many knives. This steel hits a real sweet spot for having good toughness with very high wear resistance. That high wear resistance gives it excellent edge retention. MagnaMax achieves that same level of toughness and edge retention but with the same excellent corrosion resistance of MagnaCut. MagnaMax achieves these properties by using the same general approach to composition as MagnaCut while increasing carbon, niobium, and vanadium for wear resistance. We are still waiting for the ok from our patent lawyer before releasing the composition, but that will hopefully come soon. The first commercial “heat” of MagnaMax has been delivered to a few knife companies, so it is time to talk about the steel, even if we can’t reveal every detail yet.
I spent a good deal of time talking steel this week at SHOT. Mostly with Shawn Houston. I have heard that standard MagnaCut is getting harder to come by, but anecdotes are not data. However you are seeing a lot of new Elmax and Rex 121 in 2026 knives. Stay tuned, I am sure that we will hear more as the year progresses.
You can read the whole thing at KnifeSteelNerds.com
MagnaMax Is Here: The Next Evolution in Knife Steel
As is often the case, there is an accompanying YouTube video…
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