MagnaCut vs S30V

MagnaCut beats S30V on all four ratings: it holds an edge longer, is tougher, resists corrosion better and is easier to sharpen. The biggest gap is toughness (8/10 vs 4/10). S30V is the cheaper steel (mid-range vs premium price tier).

MagnaCut vs S30V ratingsMagnaCut: Edge retention 7/10, Toughness 8/10, Corrosion resistance 9/10, Ease of sharpening 5/10; S30V: Edge retention 6/10, Toughness 4/10, Corrosion resistance 7/10, Ease of sharpening 4/10Edge retention7 / 6Toughness8 / 4Corrosion resistance9 / 7Ease ofsharpening5 / 4MagnaCutS30V

Who wins each property

MagnaCut vs S30V: rating differencesEdge retention: MagnaCut 7, S30V 6; Toughness: MagnaCut 8, S30V 4; Corrosion resistance: MagnaCut 9, S30V 7; Ease of sharpening: MagnaCut 5, S30V 4← S30V betterMagnaCut better →Edge retention+1Toughness+4Corrosion resistance+2Ease of sharpening+1

Side by side

MagnaCutS30V
TypePowder metallurgy stainless steelsPowder metallurgy stainless steels
Hardness61–64 HRC58–61 HRC
Edge retention7/106/10
Toughness8/104/10
Corrosion resistance9/107/10
Ease of sharpening5/104/10
Price tierPremiumMid-range
MakerCrucible (designed by Larrin Thomas)Crucible
MagnaCut vs S30V hardnessMagnaCut: 61-64 HRC; S30V: 58-61 HRC55 soft60 mid65 very hard507061–6458–61

Composition

ElementMagnaCutS30V
Carbon (C)1.151.45
Chromium (Cr)10.714
Vanadium (V)44
Molybdenum (Mo)22
Niobium (Nb)2—
Nitrogen (N)0.2—
Manganese (Mn)0.40.5
Silicon (Si)0.40.5
Phosphorus (P)0.030.03
Sulfur (S)0.030.03
MagnaCut vs S30V compositionMagnaCut: 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%; S30V: C 1.45%, Cr 14.0%, V 4.0%, Mo 2.0%, Mn 0.5%, Si 0.5%, P 0.03%, S 0.03%0%5%10%15%Carbon (C)1.151.45Chromium (Cr)10.714Vanadium (V)44Molybdenum (Mo)22Niobium (Nb)2–Nitrogen (N)0.2–Manganese (Mn)0.40.5Silicon (Si)0.40.5Phosphorus (P)0.030.03Sulfur (S)0.030.03MagnaCutS30V

Property by property

Edge retention

MagnaCut holds an edge longer: 7/10 against 6/10 for S30V, a 1-point gap.

Toughness

MagnaCut is tougher: 8/10 against 4/10 for S30V, a 4-point gap. Typical hardness: 61–64 vs 58–61 HRC; harder blades trade toughness for edge holding.

Corrosion resistance

MagnaCut resists corrosion better: 9/10 against 7/10 for S30V, a 2-point gap. Chromium: 10.7% vs 14%, 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 S30V, a 1-point gap.

Knives in each steel

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

S30V

KnifeBrandBladeWeightLockList priceBuy
Benchmade Bugout 535Benchmade3.24"1.85 ozAXIS lock$200Blade HQ
Benchmade 940 OsborneBenchmade3.4"2.9 ozAXIS lock$300Blade HQ
Benchmade Griptilian 551-S30VBenchmade3.45"3.88 ozAXIS lock$175Blade HQ

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FAQ

Which is better, MagnaCut or S30V?

MagnaCut beats S30V on all four ratings: it holds an edge longer, is tougher, resists corrosion better and is easier to sharpen. The biggest gap is toughness (8/10 vs 4/10). S30V is the cheaper steel (mid-range vs premium price tier).

Which is harder, MagnaCut or S30V?

MagnaCut is typically run at 61–64 HRC and S30V at 58–61 HRC.

Is MagnaCut or S30V more rust resistant?

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

Related comparisons

Full steel pages: CPM MagnaCut · CPM S30V