Two popular premium steels that have made their name on the market are S30V and Magnacut. Both of these steels have their reputation for being reliable, strong, holding an edge, and corrosion resistant. But how do they compare? In this article, we will look at each steel and see how they compare.
Short Answer:
S30V is known for its excellent balance of edge retention, corrosion resistance, and toughness, making it a popular choice for a wide range of applications. Magnacut, on the other hand, has better edge retention and far better corrosion resistance.
Now that we have looked at the short answer, we can look at each steel, how the steels compare, and the best knives in each steel.
In-Depth Look at Magnacut
Much like S30V, Magnacut is made to be a balanced steel. Not the best at any one area, but not the worst, by far. It is one of the better steels money can buy and has no real downside other than its price.
Here is its composition:
- – 1.35% carbon
- – 20% chromium
- – 3% molybdenum
- – 3.75% tungsten
- – 1.5% vanadium
- – 0.3% nitrogen
Edge Retention: Magnacut sets new benchmarks in edge retention for steels that are known for all around good performance, outperforming many other high-performance steels currently available with the expectation of specialty steels like S90V.
Toughness: Magnacut exhibits remarkable toughness. It is resistant to both chipping and rolling due to its moderate carbon level as well as the high presence of balancing elements.
Corrosion Resistance: This is the area where this steel really shines. It has a lot of chromium so it naturally going to be resistant to rusting or staining.
In-Depth Look at S30V
S30V is a premium stainless steel developed by Crucible Industries. It is best known for its ability to be good at just about anything.
Here is the composition of S30V:
- 1.45% carbon
- 14% chromium
- 2% molybdenum
- 4% vanadium
Edge Retention: S30V offers excellent edge retention. Compared to other steels, it has almost the best balance of edge retention and other measures of performance, aside from M390 or Magnacut.
Toughness: S30V maintains a good balance of hardness and toughness. However, there are not a lot of elements to balance out the carbon content of S30V, so it can chip if it is used too heavily.
Corrosion Resistance: S30V is a stainless steel with decent levels of chromium, and should have no problem fighting off oxidation.
In-Depth Comparison of Magnacut and S30V
Edge Retention: Magnacut offers unparalleled edge retention compared to S30V, making it the preferred choice for users who desire a knife that can get sharp and will stay sharp no matter what.
Toughness: Because of the greater presence of hardening elements, Magnacut is a very tough steel that can stand up to anything you put it to. Unlike S30V, which is far more likely to chip.
Corrosion Resistance: Magnacut has a lot of chromium, far more than S30V. So it will be better for humid or wet environments, and far better for use in salt water.
Sharpenability: While both steels are relatively hard to sharpen, Magnacut will take more maintenance because of its toughness.
Best knives in each steel
Now that we have looked at each steel and how each steel compares, we can take a look at what we have found to be the best knives the use each steel are.
Kershaw Blur – S30V
Normally, the Blur comes in D2, but this one’s got S30V for the blade making it better. It’s got thumb stud, SpeedSafe assisted opening, a reversible pocket clip, a liner lock, and anodized aluminum with Trac-Tec inserts for the handle.
If you’re looking for an S30V knife with more flashy features but is still reliable, then check out the Blur here.
Benchmade Saddle Mountain Skinner – S30V
Benchmade’s Saddle Mountain Skinner is a fixed-blade survival/hunting knife. It has a 4.2-inch S30V steel blade with a full-tang design. It has a classic-looking wood handle. And to top it off, this knife weighs only 4.2 ounces.
You can check this knife out here (link to Amazon)
Houge knives Deka (Magnacut)
The Houge knives Deka is a unique knife that is great for any everyday carry task you could ever come across. This knife has a 3.25-inch black Cerakote finish blade, a 4.25-inch polymer handle, and weighs only 2.5 ounces. If you want a lightweight EDC for a reasonable price, this is a good choice for you.
Conclusion
These are two steels that can do just about anything you could need them to. Neither one has a real downside to it, and neither one is the best at anything. However, they are on different levels, S30V is less expensive, but is slightly worse than Magnacut. Magnacut is more expensive, but, in turn, will offer better performance.