In the last year, the knife industry faced some challenges that could have had some long-lasting impacts. From the closing of a primary U.S. steel supplier to threats of tariffs that disrupted supply chains and pricing, 2025 was, in certain regards, a hot mess.
During that time of unrest, rumors of a new super-premium knife steel started to float around the internet and in circles where knife nuts gathered. As political and economic factors around the industry have cooled somewhat, it’s time to see what MagnaMax steel is all about!
Check out GearJunkie’s guide to Knife Steels.
It Starts With MagnaCut
MagnaCut first launched in early 2022. In December, I got my hands on “The Kline” by The James Brand and quickly understood what the commotion was all about.
Developed by Dr. Larrin Thomas, MagnaCut is a premium powdered steel with admirable corrosion resistance, toughness, and edge retention. And it has the added bonus of easy resharpening. It’s a well-balanced steel, great for EDC and outdoor knives.
Three years since MagaCut’s debut, nearly every knife manufacturer has at least one knife in the product line that carries the steel. The only other feature in the knife world that has this popularity and impact is the crossbar lock mechanism.
Major Change in Suppliers
Early in 2025, news broke that Dr. Thomas was working on another steel (what we now know was MagnaMax). It was rumored this steel would be superior to MagnaCut — possibly even a replacement. However, it all came at a time of turmoil in the knife industry.
Crucible Industries, the largest U.S. manufacturer and supplier of all the most popular powdered knife steels, including MagnaCut, closed its doors. No one really knew what was to become of our favorite knife steels, let alone this new “super” steel.
Thankfully, New York–based Niagara Specialty Metals, another well-established steel house, stepped up to make sure there was no bottleneck in supplying MagnaCut.
Additionally, Erasteel, a well-known steel manufacturer from France, picked up all of the other knife steels left behind from Crucible’s demise. These efforts combined to help avoid major restructuring in knife steel production and supply.
Since Erasteel stepped into its role as a major player in knife steel, Trump’s tariffs haven’t noticeably impacted knife steel prices. This is great news, as it is the manufacturer that will supply MagnaMax to the masses.
MagnaMax Will Not Replace MagnaCut
Though MagnaCut and MagnaMax share a lot of similarities, MagnaMax focuses on edge retention. It still has impressive corrosion resistance ratings, but it will trade off some toughness for superior cutting and edge-retention qualities.
With less than half a dozen knives on the market right now using MagnaMax, it’s still too early to tell which brands will jump on the bandwagon. However, there are popular steels out there now — M390 and 20CV, for instance — that lack the toughness of other desirable knife steels, but remain favorites for EDC and outdoor knives.
Ready to Test
I’ve already got my feelers out for a sample of a new Pro-Tech folder with MagnaMax last week at SHOT Show. Additionally, the Spyderco Mule Team and the Minnow from knifemaker Gary Creely are on my MagnaMax radar. GearJunkie will have a review of this wünder-steel soon!
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