If you've been spending time in knife enthusiast spaces recently, you've probably noticed that MagnaCut has gone from an exciting newcomer to a genuine challenger to M390's long-held position at the top of the premium EDC steel conversation. Both are serious steels with serious pedigree. Both appear on some of the most well-regarded production folders available today. And both are available at Blade Forge in a range of knives at different price points.
So which one should you be buying? The honest answer is: it depends on what you're doing with the knife. This guide breaks down the comparison across every dimension that matters — composition, edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, sharpenability, and real-world use — and tells you which steel wins where, and why.
The Steels at a Glance
M390 is a martensitic chromium steel produced by Böhler, an Austrian metallurgy company with roots going back to the 1860s. It was developed specifically for high-performance cutlery and surgical instruments, and since its introduction it has become one of the most widely used premium knife steels in production cutlery. Its composition includes approximately 1.9% carbon, 20% chromium, 1% molybdenum, 0.6% tungsten, and 0.6% vanadium — a combination designed to maximise wear resistance and corrosion resistance simultaneously.
CPM MagnaCut is a powder metallurgy stainless steel developed by Crucible Industries and metallurgist Larrin Thomas, released in 2021. It was designed from the ground up to address what Thomas identified as a fundamental trade-off in stainless knife steels — the idea that you had to sacrifice toughness to get corrosion resistance and edge retention, or sacrifice one of those to get toughness. MagnaCut's composition includes approximately 1.15% carbon, 10.7% chromium, 2% molybdenum, 4% vanadium, and 2% niobium, with a deliberate reduction in chromium carbides that frees up chromium to remain in solution and provide corrosion resistance without compromising toughness.
Both are powder metallurgy or near-PM steels, which gives them a finer, more uniform grain structure than conventional steels — and that matters for both edge quality and consistency across production runs.
Edge Retention: M390 Has the Edge
This is the category M390 was built for. With higher carbon and more chromium carbides in its microstructure, M390 achieves excellent wear resistance — it holds a working edge for a long time under sustained cutting use. In standardised CATRA testing (a common benchmark for edge retention), M390 consistently performs at or near the top of the premium stainless category.
MagnaCut is no slouch. Its edge retention is solidly in the upper tier of stainless knife steels — significantly better than steels like 14C28N, S30V, or even 154CM. But side by side with M390, M390 holds the advantage. If you're a heavy daily user who cuts a lot of material and wants to go as long as possible between sharpenings, M390 is the pick.
Edge retention advantage: M390
Toughness: MagnaCut Wins Decisively
This is where the comparison shifts dramatically, and where MagnaCut's design philosophy pays off most clearly. By reducing chromium carbides and incorporating niobium carbides instead, Larrin Thomas was able to dramatically improve toughness without sacrificing the other properties buyers care about.
In Charpy impact testing — the standard measure of steel toughness — MagnaCut records figures more than double those of M390 at the same hardness. This isn't a marginal difference. It's the kind of difference that matters when a knife is used for prying, batoning, lateral stress, or any task that puts impact load on the blade rather than pure slicing force.
In everyday EDC use, most people will never encounter a situation where M390's toughness is insufficient. But for tradespeople, campers, hunters, outdoor users, or anyone who puts their knife to work in demanding conditions, MagnaCut's toughness advantage is real and meaningful. It's significantly more resistant to chipping and tip breakage — two failure modes that affect real working knives, not just lab samples.
Toughness advantage: MagnaCut (significantly)
Corrosion Resistance: MagnaCut Is Surprisingly Strong
Conventional wisdom said you couldn't have high toughness and high corrosion resistance in the same stainless steel — that the same chromium carbides that reduced toughness were necessary for corrosion resistance. MagnaCut disproved this. By keeping more chromium in solution (rather than tied up in carbides), it achieves corrosion resistance that matches or exceeds M390 despite having considerably less total chromium.
In salt spray testing, MagnaCut and M390 perform comparably — both are solidly stainless in any real-world environment. For Australian users in coastal conditions, humid summers, or around saltwater, both steels are reliable choices. Neither requires the same level of attention as a non-stainless steel like D2.
Corrosion resistance advantage: Effectively a draw, with MagnaCut slightly ahead in some tests
Sharpenability: MagnaCut Is Easier
Higher wear resistance and more carbides — the properties that give M390 its edge retention — also make it harder to sharpen. M390 can absolutely be brought back to a keen edge on standard equipment, but it takes more time and effort than lower-carbide steels. A diamond plate is the practical choice for a full reprofile; a ceramic rod works for light touch-ups.
MagnaCut sharpens more easily than M390, despite performing comparably in many categories. Its lower carbide volume means it responds faster on whetstones and ceramic equipment, and it takes a very refined, keen edge that is immediately noticeable in use. For enthusiasts who enjoy the sharpening process, MagnaCut is more rewarding. For anyone who wants to spend as little time as possible on maintenance, MagnaCut's easier sharpening and M390's longer edge life roughly balance out — but the sharpening experience itself is more pleasant with MagnaCut.
Sharpenability advantage: MagnaCut
Availability and Price: M390 Has the Broader Selection
M390 has been the benchmark premium stainless steel in production cutlery for over a decade, and the range of knives available in it is considerably wider than MagnaCut. At Blade Forge, our M390 collection spans a wide range of brands, price points, handle materials, and blade shapes — from mid-range folders under $200 AUD all the way to premium builds like the Remette RT-Steed.
MagnaCut, being newer, is found on a smaller but growing selection of knives. The brands using it tend to be the ones paying closest attention to steel developments — which often means the knives themselves are designed and executed with the same level of care. At Blade Forge, our MagnaCut collection includes some of the most compelling hard-use and premium EDC options we carry.
Selection advantage: M390
Head-to-Head Summary
| Category | M390 | MagnaCut | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edge retention | Excellent | Very good | M390 |
| Toughness | Good | Outstanding | MagnaCut |
| Corrosion resistance | Excellent | Excellent | Draw |
| Sharpenability | Moderate | Good | MagnaCut |
| Production availability | Very wide | Growing | M390 |
| Best use case | EDC, precision cutting, dress carry | Hard use, outdoor, demanding carry | — |
So Which Should You Choose?
Choose M390 if: You want the widest selection of knives to choose from, you prioritise edge retention above all other properties, you use your knife primarily for everyday cutting tasks rather than demanding outdoor or trade use, or you want a knife that holds its edge as long as possible between sharpenings.
Choose MagnaCut if: You use your knife hard — trade work, camping, hunting, outdoor tasks that put real lateral stress on the blade. You've ever chipped a tip or rolled an edge on a premium steel and want better insurance against that happening again. You want a steel that punches above its weight in corrosion resistance despite its toughness. Or you simply want to carry what many metallurgists consider the most well-rounded knife steel currently available in production cutlery.
The honest take: for pure urban EDC with no hard use, M390 is excellent and the broader selection makes it easier to find exactly the knife you want. For anyone who uses their knife as a genuine tool — not just a box opener — MagnaCut is the more capable steel, and the gap in toughness is significant enough to matter in real-world use.
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