Does M390 stand a Chance against MAGNACUT?! - Knife Steel Comparison - Steel Snobs Ep 7

[@sadisticD]

So 14C28N has a higher overall score than M390 and is only a point behind Magnacut? If anything this video has convinced me that 14C28N is actually an amazing value for what it is apparently.

[@Rollshambo]

14c is a budget supersteel, I made a steel snobs video on it..the problem is that most outfits aren't doing it at 60-62 rockwell with a cryotreat because it's a budget steel people don't ask for it...(kubey does) if you were to do a cut test with a kubey 14c blade and compare it to a miguron blade in 14c you'd see a massive difference between the two(allowing for similar edge/blade geometry).. 14c is incredible and almost identical to lc200n..and also depending on who makes it it is also commonly made using powder metallurgy...sorry..I'm a huge fan of 14c😂

[@ShoahBiz]

14c is an amazing bushcraft/camp knife steel because it’s so ridiculously tough while being extremely easy to sharpen. Aebl/14c (I group em together cause they’re essentially sister steels) def in my top 2-3 favorite steels. I prefer being able to sharpen a bushcraft knife on damn near anything, like a river rock, glass, ceramic (like the bottom of a coffee mug) whatever.

[@Blossire]

420HC is almost as good?

[@S1eww]

I’m a m390 user but love 14c and 154cm a lot

[@DavidV4444]

For my uses there’s literally no difference - I like both. Every person I know from mountain tour guides to heart surgeons use their EDC knives lightly enough that the differences are never, ever, ever seen in daily usage.

[@michaelcope2329]

I hunt and fish in South LA, including offshore fishing and salt water marsh deer and duck hunting, I've chipped both s30v and M390, and I've had S30V begin to rust. Magnacut and LC200N only thing that works for me down here. OH we also have extremely high humidity near year around, I've had a Tuna Valley stag folder on my desk for a letter opener for about 10 years, its in 154CM and it looks like a carbon steel blade, its rusted from stem to stern. Thats inside a climate controlled environment.

[@npenick66]

At my age I carry smaller edc fixies either in pocket or appendix carry. I love the magnacut knives that I have so far. Never owned any m390 but I know that Pete at Cedric and Ada favors K390. I first saw the Creely Mako on Pete's channel and was lucky enough to get one in Magnacut (63-64hrc) in just 3 weeks. It's been my daily driver on a small ranch, feed bags, twine, leather, pvc, cardboard, wire, etc. After 18 months I've quick stropped it monthly and only needed to sharpen it once after trimming a bunch of steel mesh fencing. Probably could have just stropped it back but it had been a while so a quick sharpen on the KME and it was gtg. I can't really speak for corrosion resistance. I'm a bit anal about cleaning my blades. I've made my own blade butter for decades, it's food grade mineral oil (1/3rd cup) and 1 oz of cosmetic grade bees wax, simmer and stir until mixed. Cheap on Amazon, get some little tins and one batch will last for years. Wipe on and buff off, coat under the scales a couple of times per year in humid area's. Never had any corrosion.

[@dougwinchester4963]

Just wanted to say , I'm a big fan of the Steel Snobs series, and also, to poke the algorithm. This series should be seen by all knife enthusiasts , imo . 👍

[@maxlvledc]

Love Larrin and his rating system...however...in use testing for magnacut, in basically every knife I've seen tested, magnacut has edge retention even higher than M390. Just check Outpost76, and cedric & Ada data. It's very curious

[@hissingoose]

Got my first MagnaCut knife a couple weeks ago and put it through the paces hunting. My main hunting knife was an S90V benchmade altitude. The MagnaCut knife (north arm knives) wasn’t lacking in anything and it honed up a lot easier after.

[@annasoH323]

I feel like S90V, Magnacut, and M390 (and its compadres) are in a three-way competition for being the "superest" "mainstream" super steel (i.e. the most ubiquitous high-end steel, barring other "exotic" super steels). It's a slippery slope so I'm glad for the work done to try to quantify things.

[@markwarren3535]

It's not " superstar " C'mon, don't be sounding like a semi literate babboon. The correct term is " Superest Duperest ". Now you sound like a PhD speaking latin.

[@beowulf_of_wall_st]

m390 is massively overrated

[@joet81]

Loving this series!Would love one of these videos on elmax!

[@Rollshambo]

Great idea! It's on the list! Just a matter of time🍻

[@annasoH323]

I second this! Elmax has an interesting reputation in the community from what I've observed.

[@godforever27]

My 20cv Kershaw link was my favorite pocket knife ever. I just got a new Kershaw link in magnacut but haven't had it or used it as long as 20cv. Both are great pocket knife edge holding steels but believe magnacut would be better for fixed blades.

[@Elmax17.5dps]

Happy Sunday RSB! Your videos are good and getting better

[@bigjim55able]

Thanks for bringing this back. Owning Hogue and AMB Magnacut has persuaded me that the high HRC is a winner. I have a couple of high-end knives in M390. They're great, but i think Magnacut is better.

[@Rollshambo]

I'm trying to commit to at least 1 steel snobs episode per month..its difficult because reviews are the channels meat and potatoes and the research and hours spent editing are a lot but it needs to happen, love this series

[@bigjim55able]

@@Rollshambo The effort shows.

[@GeezerWheels]

Fixed or folder? To answer your question: for years I carried either a Spyderco Native (1st Gen) or a Benchmade Griptillian (folders). Lately, I've grown quite fond of the ease of use of a small fixed blade (Omesio Compact neck knife - the pointy one not the Nessmuk in D2- belt carry, or a Watchman W204 in 14c28n- also belt carried; and occasionally an Esee 4). I live in a rural area and find the convenience of a belt carried fixie on my left, front side amazingly handy (I'm right handed). Dirty hands or busy left hand - no problem, just flick the fixed blade out of its Kydex sheath. Occasionally I actually pocket carry the Griptillian (standard size) AND a belt knife. Chores around the place call for knife use far more than when I lived in the city. If I need more blade "out and about" I carry the Ease 4 or a Cold Steel SRK in AUS8 - full size (quite a tough blade!). BTW, my latest deer & elk knife is a Buck Vanguard from Cabelas in S30V. Great edge retention, but NOT used as a hard use bushcraft knife, just game processing. Thanks for another great vid.

[@jakenorris5665]

I daily my kershaw livewire in magnacut, with the very pointy blade profile the extra toughness of magnacut is very much appreciated.

[@BenCase88]

I carry a Bradford Guardian 3 fixed blade in Magnacut and have folders in almost every popular steel. Alot of the time I end carrying a folder in Magnacut also but it depends on which folder I grab. Was carrying a Microtect MSI in M390mk steel yesterday. I like both but I have to admit Magnacut is my favorite when it comes from a company like Spyderco that I know the heat treatment will be good. My favorite for large fixt blades is CPM-3V.

[@Rollshambo]

Yeah 3v is fantastic for fixed blades, I think magnacut is just the beginning for a new era of knife steels though, I'm excited to see what Larrin comes out with next

[@TheDemocultis]

I just got my first quality made knife. It's a Spyderco Manix 2 in S110v. I'm absolutely in love with it and I've got the itch to buy more. That being said it would be really cool to hear a breakdown of S110v on steel snobs!

[@danielfinger6223]

I love m390 mainly for the corrosion resistantance! I haven't tried magnacut yet! If you cut consistently cut cardboard, rope, etc. Try maxamet, 15v, or rex121!

[@BluetoothBlades]

I ADORE the steel snobb series...keep em coming 😊

[@Madman6505]

I noticed that bladehq's steel comparison also takes into account ease of sharpening. I'll take magnacut any day, but honestly I'm not nearly hard enough or careless enough with my folders for it to matter a whole lot.

[@natehoover5266]

I'd take probably heat treated magnacut over m390 all day long. There's so much m390 out there it's just boring. Elmax and magnacut are my favorites. I've had a couple knives in Vanax but haven't sharpened any. It seems to be a huge favorite. And k390 seems to be a big favorite as well but it's rarely used and personally I don't know if I'd sacrifice the corrosion resistance.

[@ShoutenKen23]

Love your writing my man, turns out to be a great lecture!

[@beowulf_of_wall_st]

Magnacut is really nice, sharpening it is so much nicer than M390. Some steels want to be sharp, Magnacut is one of those, and M390 tends to fight you

[@stephenwest798]

I tend to match the knife steel to the task at hand and while I really don't need another knife sooner or later, I will acquire a knife in Magnacut, when the price is right.

[@ElonaldTrusk]

I do a lot of work around my property in the Sierra Nevadas. Over the years my fixed blades have gotten smaller.. now I carry an lt wright bandit. But for the most part I carry two folders, one for regular work(usually a Spyderco native 5 lw s30v) and a beater (usually cold steel verdict g10 aus10). I can't speak on m390 /20cv... Never had a knife featuring them. I do love magnacut for its ease of care and sharpening. I enjoy sharpening knives so I don't mind sacrificing a bit of wear resistance for corrosion resistance.

[@GaryWiens-c8o]

I always carry a folder but have a fixed blade or two in my truck in case I need more blade than my folders provide. There are so many great steels on the market that serve certain purposes but if I had to choose one steel for all my knives it would be hard to say no to magnacut.

[@AlanMarcaski-hw5mu]

In all of these steels I noticed a difference in sharpening and perceived sharpness more than anything else

[@the_knights_edge]

Love your steel videos buddy, keep up the great work!

[@Rollshambo]

They take forever to make but hopefully they stick around for years to come!

[@louzher6968]

What... a... kiss-ass. 😁

[@louzher6968]

What... a... kiss-ass.😁

[@louzher6968]

@the_knights_edge what... a... butt kisser.😁

[@timtitus2532]

Don't own any Magnacut or M390, but I do own a couple in 20cv. Hope to obtain a knife in Magnacut soon.

[@Rollshambo]

Magnacut is taking the market by storm, tons of new options out there every month emerging with magnacut, it's only a matter of time🍻

[@steelasura]

This opened my eyes to a lot in terms of data. I can see with my own two eyes that neither of these steels are worth it if you need an everyday EDC fixed blade you can use like a prybar, and getting cooking oil on it once a week should keep it from rusting, that's cpm 3v, I mean holy shit a 9 for toughness. Came here for a magnacut-m390 comparison leaving with 3v needs

[@stephenyeung6341]

I think most people would be hard pressed to notice much of a difference for regular use. There are certain aspects that appeal to different users. People who use knives in marine environments will probably prefer the incredible corrosion resistance of Magnacut. Outdoorsman will also prefer Magnacut for its extra toughness, allowing for harder use. I believe that Magnacut is also easier to sharpen than M390. I’d say Magnacut is the new king of knife steel even though M390 is still an awesome steel.

[@OreoDave]

Beautiful breakdown 👐

[@Rollshambo]

Thanks for watching Dave!!

[@jacklowe9017]

I know these videos are for knife steel snobs, which I feel I am way to smart to ever be one,, but I am amazed how some people would spend so much money on the latest fashion of knife steel. I suppose if one is rich and money is no object it makes sense to have thee best, but the vast of us out here do not fit into that category. As long as the price of these steels are up there in the stratosphere I won't be buying anything make of it. Its more cost effective to by normal steels...and buy a few favorites, instead of one golden calf magnacut/M390.

[@jefferys9593]

Cru-wear and Elmax are two great steels that rarely get mentioned. Not sure if have done either steel in steel snob series Roll?

[@Rollshambo]

Great suggestion! I do in fact need to do episodes on each of those individually...theres a lot more to make in the steel snobs series.. episode 7 is in the books - onward to the next one!

[@ShoahBiz]

Cruwear is a favorite but in use it’s pretty much like a less stain resistant (tho still pretty stain resistant especially if using a low temperature temper) version of magnacut. Cruwear supposedly has a bit more toughness and maybe a hair better edge retention but I doubt most people would ever be able to tell the difference in real use.

[@matthewofriel5683]

Magnacut is just as easy to sharpen as d2 in my opinion. M390 takes way longer. Only had one m390 knife a Microtech and two Magnacut in Kershaw. I need to get a m390 in a Kershaw and a magnacut in Microtech to give a real answer. But so far Kershaw is killing the Magnacut gang!

[@MFD00MTR33]

Depends in the HT. Production Magnacut is pretty easy to sharpen. But i have a custom fixed blade in it at 65-65.5 hrc and even though its only 0.008" bte, its a pain to sharpen. It just scates on most stones. Reminded me of s125v and some other high carbode steels. I had to use a coarse edge pro diamond matrix stine to set the edge and go from there.

[@gregkollaeg2365]

In an EDC knife toughness isn't that important for me. Longer edge retention is more important for me. Corrision resistance is basically the same. I don't see a benefit from from Magnacut over M390 in an EDC knife🤷‍♂️

[@evaneason6906]

Kershaw Belair magnacut a good choice?

[@michaelschall9619]

How does M390 compare to LC200N?

[@Rollshambo]

M390 is less tough, less corrosion resistant but far higher wear resistance

[@JoJo-JoJo-JoJo]

10:17 My lil' Launch 4 🥰 I'm in the P.R.K; sandy eggo sector 🙄

[@tonytramonti5828]

I heard Tom Hanks favourite steel is Cpm-m4

[@NedimTabakovic]

I saw magnacut toughness tested and it chipped like most others when hammering bolt, nothing special, while 3V shined....

[@Rollshambo]

What makes magnacuts toughness impressive is it's relation to its wear resistance not that its supposed to be the toughest steel out there and certainly not tougher than steels who's primary focus is toughness.. 3v is exceptionally tough but for example is far less wear resistant, won't hold an edge nearly as long and will rust far more easily..they're both great steels but with different strengths

[@NedimTabakovic]

@@Rollshambo Isn't that property called edge retention?

[@josearroyo5621]

Where can I find that spreadsheet

[@Rollshambo]

The comparison spreadsheet that I put together is based on Knifesteelnerds ratings that can be found at knifesteelnerds.com, the spreadsheet itself is housed on the channel members discord- memberships are often gifted during livestreams on Wednesdays and Saturdays, drop by!

[@mikereese15]

Another aweskme steel breakdown. Both great but magnacut has it

[@HPAcustomriflesandcerakote]

My experience with my Bradford Guardian 3 and Guardian 4 made of M390 blow magnacut away. Not even comparable

[@Rollshambo]

According to bradford they do their m390 at 61-62(ideal for that steel)...that said they also say they do their magnacut at 61-62(not ideal for magnacut wear resistance)....

[@HPAcustomriflesandcerakote]

​@Rollshambo ofcourse this goes in to brand as well. As we know not all heat treats are created equally. Now M390 is not as tuff as Magnacut but who really plans on creating that much shock to a knife. As far as sharpening i dont consider that an issue because even Rex121 can be easily sharpened with a resin bonded diamond stone. I always will take the edge retention. I also like the Spyderco Enuff ll in K390. Regardless I am not knocking Magnacut as I do like it and CPM-3V

[@loosieclocker]

Magnacut is stainless cruwear

[@rshear618]

The toughness of magnacut is why I prefer carrying it over m390 which is notoriously chippy. Also the market is over saturated with m390 and it’s just getting old.

[@deadvikingtrolls]

Agreed, 20cv too. S30v, s90v, d2, all common chippy steels. I can't justify buying any of it because I collect users and often cut dirty, abrasive stuff at work. I'm not trying to be facetious about it, just don't want my edge getting hurt all the time. That's the opposite of edge retention. Magnacut is the new golden standard but if you value stainlessness less I'd recommend my favorite, cruwear. They have the same edge retention, cruwear is a bump tougher but less stainless. Still more stainless than a former industry standard, d2. (Dark times.)

[@stevenlachance8576]

What are you guys cuting to chip these steels? Only time I’ve gotten true chipping is when I impact metal or stone.

[@evile1174]

@@deadvikingtrolls20cv is the same thing as m390. Just fyi

[@rshear618]

@@stevenlachance8576 heavy duty pallet straps will put some stress on knives

[@deadvikingtrolls]

@@evile1174 I'm aware.

[@optimuscrime608]

M390 is much better than Magnacut. Magnacut is just better balanced. I’ll take the edge retention of m390 over Magnacut all day

[@beowulf_of_wall_st]

edge retention is about the same

[@I_Might_B_Wrong]

Heck no lol MagnaCut blows M390 away The very first knife I picked up in M390 I could not for the life of me understand why the steel was so popular. Edge retention was good, but not leaps and bounds better than other steels. Sharpening took noticeably longer, though. And over time, since I’m a big nerd and like to look at my edges with a jewelers loupe to make sure it looks consistent after free hand sharpening, I noticed that the edge likes to microchip. I’d sharpen and strop to get a nice clean edge again, and it would not take too long before the edge would get microchips again. Seems to be a part of how its edge retention works, creating microchips that feel like microserrations. Every other knife I tried with M390, maybe a half a dozen in total, same outcomes. I stopped buying M390 after a while because I just don’t like this type of edge. MagnaCut, I was skeptical about. I fully expected it to be marketing hype. It’s given me excellent edge retention without microchipping. It’s just plain better IMO.

[@beowulf_of_wall_st]

@@I_Might_B_Wrong yes, Magnacut is a way, way better steel than M390. Similar edge retention, way tougher, more corrosion resistant, much nicer to sharpen.

[@brucecoulthard7879]

I’d like to see someone make a three blade stocknife with Magnacut blades. Is stockman cowboys still carry these as well as pocket clip knife’s. For years we have used old timers and uncle Henry with basic steel now these super steels are around I’d like to a decent stock knife

[@echosierra9990]

Folder and MagnaCut every time. MagnaCut steel knives seem to be cheaper, on average.

[@justbeingmeyoutube]

MAGNACUT ALL DAY, M390 is GOOD, but MAGNACUT IS GREAT.

[@elde667]

The facial close-up is annoying. Really. Topic & info terrific. 🎉

[@Rollshambo]

thanks for your opinion and for watching

[@possumlodge2740]

save myself the headache. stay a Batchelor

[@ThirdoptionJCSU]

Mfnacut is better than m390 but not as good as Cru wear

[@ShoahBiz]

Magnacut and cruwear are both fine by me

[@cursed_earth_edc]

I’d like to see 14c28n vs. Magnacut. ❤

[@Rollshambo]

Oooh that could definitely be an episodr

[@stevenlachance8576]

Magnacut has been held to higher standards HRC than m390. Imagine m390 at 62-64 HRC. A Relaunch of M390 at the higher HRC would revolutionize the steel. Not the Microtech renaming the steel. Toughness I’d is over rated on folder. On another question how much does coating like with DLC do to the HRC.

[@Rollshambo]

Interesting ...I'd say it's easy to overlook toughness in favor of wear resistance on folding knives because the latter has much more reasonable use case scenarios on average than per-say a fixed blade.. That said it's all fun and games until you drop your knife on carpet and watch the tip snap(witnessed this happen first hand with a friend's maxamet manix 2)..also on that note if edge retention(wear resistance)is truly what you're after the beauty of a tough steel like magnacut is that tougher steel means you can lower the angle of the edge bevel much further(it's been proven than edge geometry is vastly more important to edge retention than the knife steels rockwell/hardness/properties) a soft steel with a lower edge bevel angle will outperform a harder steel of the same composition but higher edge bevel angle....just my 2cents though, thanks for watching and commenting🔥🔥🍻

[@LonestarTaoboy]

How can M390 get an HRC that high when it's maximum is 62. 63 is only theoretical as no one attempts that high a rating because it will be heat damaged.

[@RelentlessRevolver7]

HERETIC HYYYYYYYYYDRA MAGNUHCUT

[@krazy_roach1698]

Thanks bro

[@gregvanderlip7726]

Told ya id be here for this lol 😊

[@Rollshambo]

Hahaha enjoy the episode brotha🔥🔥🍻