Elmax vs MagnaCut

MagnaCut is tougher, resists corrosion better and is easier to sharpen, and the two tie on edge retention. The biggest gap is toughness (8/10 vs 5/10). Elmax does not beat MagnaCut on any rating, so pick it for a specific knife rather than for the steel.

Elmax vs MagnaCut ratingsElmax: Edge retention 7/10, Toughness 5/10, Corrosion resistance 8/10, Ease of sharpening 4/10; MagnaCut: Edge retention 7/10, Toughness 8/10, Corrosion resistance 9/10, Ease of sharpening 5/10Edge retention7 / 7Toughness5 / 8Corrosion resistance8 / 9Ease ofsharpening4 / 5ElmaxMagnaCut

Who wins each property

Elmax vs MagnaCut: rating differencesEdge retention: Elmax 7, MagnaCut 7; Toughness: Elmax 5, MagnaCut 8; Corrosion resistance: Elmax 8, MagnaCut 9; Ease of sharpening: Elmax 4, MagnaCut 5← MagnaCut betterElmax better →Edge retentiontieToughness−3Corrosion resistance−1Ease of sharpening−1

Side by side

ElmaxMagnaCut
TypePowder metallurgy stainless steelsPowder metallurgy stainless steels
Hardness60–62 HRC61–64 HRC
Edge retention7/107/10
Toughness5/108/10
Corrosion resistance8/109/10
Ease of sharpening4/105/10
Price tierPremiumPremium
MakerUddeholm (voestalpine)Crucible (designed by Larrin Thomas)
Elmax vs MagnaCut hardnessElmax: 60-62 HRC; MagnaCut: 61-64 HRC55 soft60 mid65 very hard507060–6261–64

Composition

ElementElmaxMagnaCut
Carbon (C)1.71.15
Chromium (Cr)1810.7
Vanadium (V)34
Molybdenum (Mo)12
Niobium (Nb)—2
Nitrogen (N)—0.2
Manganese (Mn)0.30.4
Silicon (Si)0.80.4
Phosphorus (P)—0.03
Sulfur (S)—0.03
Elmax vs MagnaCut compositionElmax: C 1.7%, Cr 18.0%, V 3.0%, Mo 1.0%, Mn 0.3%, Si 0.8%; MagnaCut: C 1.15%, Cr 10.7%, V 4.0%, Mo 2.0%, Nb 2.0%, N 0.2%, Mn 0.4%, Si 0.4%, P 0.03%, S 0.03%0%5%10%15%20%25%Carbon (C)1.71.15Chromium (Cr)1810.7Vanadium (V)34Molybdenum (Mo)12Niobium (Nb)–2Nitrogen (N)–0.2Manganese (Mn)0.30.4Silicon (Si)0.80.4Phosphorus (P)–0.03Sulfur (S)–0.03ElmaxMagnaCut

Property by property

Edge retention

Both rate 7/10 for edge retention. Vanadium: 3% vs 4%; more vanadium carbide generally means more wear resistance.

Toughness

MagnaCut is tougher: 8/10 against 5/10 for Elmax, a 3-point gap. Typical hardness: 60–62 vs 61–64 HRC; harder blades trade toughness for edge holding.

Corrosion resistance

MagnaCut resists corrosion better: 9/10 against 8/10 for Elmax, a 1-point gap. Chromium: 18% vs 10.7%, though what matters is the chromium left in solution, not the total.

Ease of sharpening

MagnaCut is easier to sharpen: 5/10 against 4/10 for Elmax, a 1-point gap.

Knives in each steel

Elmax

KnifeBrandBladeWeightLockList priceBuy
Fällkniven F1x ElmaxFällkniven4.02"7.8 oz——Blade HQ
Fällkniven R2 ScoutFällkniven3.15"4.7 oz——Blade HQ
Fällkniven U2 ElmaxFällkniven2.52"1.6 ozLockback—Blade HQ

MagnaCut

KnifeBrandBladeWeightLockList priceBuy
Zero Tolerance 0562CFZero Tolerance3.5"5.5 ozTitanium frame lock$375Blade HQ
Chris Reeve Knives Large Sebenza 31Chris Reeve Knives3.61"4.7 ozReeve Integral Lock$500Blade HQ
Hogue DekaHogue3.25"2.1 ozABLE Lock$184.95Blade HQ
Benchmade Adamas 275GY-03Benchmade3.82"6.54 ozAXIS lock$325Blade HQ
Kershaw Link 1776OLSWKershaw3.25"4.7 ozLiner lock$209.99Blade HQ

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FAQ

Which is better, Elmax or MagnaCut?

MagnaCut is tougher, resists corrosion better and is easier to sharpen, and the two tie on edge retention. The biggest gap is toughness (8/10 vs 5/10). Elmax does not beat MagnaCut on any rating, so pick it for a specific knife rather than for the steel.

Which is harder, Elmax or MagnaCut?

Elmax is typically run at 60–62 HRC and MagnaCut at 61–64 HRC.

Is Elmax or MagnaCut more rust resistant?

MagnaCut (9/10). Both are powder metallurgy stainless steels.

Related comparisons

Full steel pages: Elmax · CPM MagnaCut