11 Knife and Multitool Blade Steels Compared: Hardness, Edge Retention, Toughness, and Sharpening

What Is Blade Steel, and Why Does It Matter?

Blade steel is the alloy a knife or multitool blade is made from. Its chemistry and heat treatment decide four things you feel in use: how long the edge stays sharp (edge retention), how well it resists chipping and tip breaks (toughness), how well it resists rust (corrosion resistance), and how much work it takes to sharpen. No steel wins all four. Every choice is a trade-off, and the right trade depends on how you use the blade.

The Main Comparison Table: 11 Blade Steels

Sorted by measured CATRA edge retention. 440C at 57 HRC (425 mm) is the 100% baseline.

PM = powder metallurgy. "est." = estimate; see the methodology below.

How to Read This Table

Rockwell hardness (HRC). The typical range you will see on production knives and multitool blades. Harder steel resists rolling and holds an edge longer, but usually gives up some toughness.

CATRA TCC. CATRA is a standardized machine test. A blade slices a stack of silica-loaded cardstock under a fixed load for 60 back-and-forth cycles, and the machine records the total cardstock cut (TCC) in millimeters. Higher is better. All measured values here come from Dr. Larrin Thomas's testing at Knife Steel Nerds, which used the same knife shape, a 30-degree inclusive edge, and the same 400-grit CBN sharpening for every steel. That consistency is why the numbers can be compared.

Test hardness matters. CATRA results rise about 15.8 mm per HRC point, so we list the hardness each steel was tested at. 1095 and 14C28N were tested near the top of their ranges; a softer production blade in either steel will usually cut less.

Sharpening difficulty is our editorial rating, based on how much hard carbide a steel contains and what kind. Low-carbide steels (1095, 420HC) sharpen fast on any stone. Steels loaded with vanadium carbide (S30V, M390, MagnaCut) are harder than standard aluminum oxide stones and go much faster on diamond or CBN.

Chip and tip-snap risk is also editorial. It is based on Knife Steel Nerds toughness testing and ratings. Large or plentiful carbides (D2, M390, 440C) mean lower toughness and more chipping. Fine-grained, low-carbide steels (420HC, 14C28N) are the hardest to break.

Methodology and Data Notes

• Measured CATRA values: M390 (tested as 204P, which Knife Steel Nerds treats as the same composition), S30V, CPM MagnaCut, D2, VG-10, 440C, 14C28N, and 1095. The MagnaCut value is read from the published chart, so it is approximate.
• Estimated values: 420HC, AUS-8, and 8Cr13MoV have no published CATRA result from this test series.
  • 420HC: KSN measured about 330 mm for a lower-carbon 420 at 55 HRC. Adding 15.8 mm per HRC to reach 57 HRC gives about 360 mm. Since 420HC has a little more carbon, this is likely conservative.
  • AUS-8 and 8Cr13MoV: KSN rates them the same as 14C28N and AEB-L for edge retention. We averaged those two measured steels and shifted the result to 58 HRC, which gives about 330 mm. Treat it as plus or minus 30 mm.
• Disclosure: CPM MagnaCut was designed by Larrin Thomas, the same metallurgist who ran these tests.
• Limits: CATRA measures abrasive slicing wear. It does not measure chipping, rolling, or rust, which also dull real blades.

What Is PM Steel?

While reading this article you may be wondering what PM steel really is?

PM steel is steel made by powder metallurgy. Instead of casting molten metal into an ingot and rolling it, the steel is atomized into fine powder, compacted into a shape under pressure, and then sintered at high heat so the particles fuse together. The result is a near-net-shape part that needs little or no machining.

The composition is essentially the same as conventional steel — iron with carbon and alloying elements like chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, or tungsten — but the powder route lets you mix in things that would segregate or crack during casting. That’s why PM is the go-to for high-speed steels and tool steels, where uniform carbide distribution matters more than anything.

The benefits are real. You get a very fine, uniform microstructure with no segregation, which means better toughness and wear resistance. You can hit complex shapes with tight tolerances, and you waste almost no material since there’s no machining scrap.

The drawbacks are cost and limits. The powder and compaction equipment are expensive, so PM only pays off at high volumes. Parts tend to be smaller and thinner-walled, and residual porosity can hurt fatigue strength unless you do hot isostatic pressing to close the pores.

After learning more about PM steel and what it really was, I finally learned the benefits and how PM is superior for most blade steels that I prefer. I’ve learned to look for it and search for it and have found that it actually does create better tools.

The Top 3 by Edge Retention: M390 vs S30V vs CPM MagnaCut

The data confirms the top three: M390, S30V, and CPM MagnaCut. The order is M390 first and S30V second. MagnaCut's lead over D2 and VG-10 is small (about 4 to 5 percent), but MagnaCut is also far tougher and more rust resistant than either one.

M390: The Edge Retention Leader

M390 is a powder metallurgy stainless from Bohler with a large volume of chromium and vanadium carbides. That carbide load gives it the highest CATRA result of the 11 and very good rust resistance. The trade-off is toughness: at about 4.5 ft-lb it is the most chip-prone steel in the top three. It is a great choice for slicing tasks like boxes, rope, and food prep, and a poor choice for prying, batoning, or cutting against hard surfaces. On diamond stones it takes a fine, polished edge.

S30V: The Proven All-Rounder

Crucible designed S30V specifically for knives, and it has been a premium standard for more than two decades. It came in a close second in CATRA, just behind M390, and offers a little more toughness. Rust resistance is good but a notch below M390 and MagnaCut. Its 4% vanadium makes it slow to sharpen on ordinary stones, so use diamond plates. It is a strong pick for hunting knives and EDC folders.

CPM MagnaCut: The Best Balance

MagnaCut was designed with no chromium carbide at all. It relies on small, very hard vanadium and niobium carbides instead. That leaves more chromium in solution to fight rust and keeps the carbide volume low for toughness. The result is roughly double S30V's measured toughness, the best corrosion rating in this list, and edge retention on par with steels like S35VN at the same hardness. Because it stays tough, makers can run it harder (62 to 64 HRC), which narrows the CATRA gap. MagnaCut has also moved into premium multitools, where one blade has to handle everything from clamshell packaging to wet rope.

The Stories Behind the Top 3 Steels

Every steel in the top three was built to solve a specific problem. Here they are in the order they were born.

M390 (1989): The Mold Steel That Moved Into Knives

M390 came from Bohler, the Austrian specialty steelmaker. Today it is produced at the company's powder metallurgy plant in Kapfenberg under the Microclean name. Bohler was not thinking about pocket knives when it filed the patent application in 1989. It was serving the plastics industry, which needed mold steel that could resist both wear and corrosion. The starting point was K190, Bohler's powder metallurgy version of the tool steel D7. Bohler reduced the carbon and rebalanced the alloy to reach stainless corrosion resistance. The result is sometimes called "stainless K190."

For years M390 showed up only in the occasional European custom knife. The push into knives came from the United States. Around 2005, Latrobe Steel in Pennsylvania began selling a copy called Duratech 20CV and testing it with a major knife company. Carpenter followed in 2009 with its own version, soon renamed CTS-204P. By 2010, M390 itself was appearing in big-name production knives. It has been a premium favorite ever since, along with its twins 20CV and 204P.

S30V (2001): The Steel Designed by Asking Knifemakers

S30V started with a conversation at a knife show. Dick Barber, a metallurgist at Crucible in Syracuse, New York, met knifemaker Chris Reeve at an Oregon Knife Collectors event in Eugene. He asked why Reeve was using BG-42 instead of a Crucible steel. Reeve's answer was simple: make something better and he would buy it.

Barber and his colleague Ed Severson then interviewed knifemakers, knife companies, and heat treaters about what they actually wanted in a blade steel. The first lab heat went to Reeve, who made four test knives, and that feedback shaped the final recipe. Crucible started from 154CM and swapped some molybdenum for vanadium. When Reeve asked for more wear resistance, they pushed the vanadium up to 4%. They also kept the hardening temperature at or below 2000 F so knifemakers with common shop furnaces could heat treat it.

S30V was released at the end of 2001 and quickly became the benchmark premium stainless. Crucible later refined it into S35VN in 2009, and later S45VN.

CPM MagnaCut (2021): The Steel Without Chromium Carbides

MagnaCut has a fun twist. Its designer, Dr. Larrin Thomas, says the excitement around S30V's release in 2001 is part of what pushed him toward metallurgy. Years later, while working on automotive sheet steel and writing about knife steel at Knife Steel Nerds, he had an idea. What if a stainless steel could be balanced so that all of its chromium stayed in solution, leaving only small, hard vanadium and niobium carbides? His target was the toughness and edge retention of non-stainless tool steels like CPM-4V and CPM-CruWear, but rust resistant.

Thomas pitched the design to Bob Shabala of Niagara Specialty Metals and then to Crucible, whose team agreed to make a full production heat. It took just over a year before the first melt was atomized into powder. Thomas named the steel as a nod to the old Vanadium Alloys Steel Company and its "cut" high speed steels, adding Magna, Latin for great.

CPM MagnaCut was introduced in March 2021, after several custom knifemakers had tested it. Today it appears in both custom and production knives and multitools.

Which Steel for Which Buyer

Gift buyers. Choose a forgiving steel for someone who will not baby a blade. CPM MagnaCut is the premium pick: it holds an edge, shrugs off rust, and resists chips. On a budget, 14C28N or 420HC are low-maintenance and easy to sharpen. Skip 1095 unless the person enjoys oiling and maintaining carbon steel.

Everyday carry (EDC). For mostly slicing (mail, boxes, cord, food), M390 or S30V will go the longest between sharpenings. For mixed and occasionally rough use, MagnaCut is the safer all-around choice. 14C28N is the best value steel on this list for EDC.

Trades and jobsite use. Drywall, cardboard, wire insulation, and accidental contact with metal or concrete punish brittle steel. Toughness and fast field sharpening matter more than CATRA numbers. 420HC and 14C28N are easy to touch up on a pocket diamond rod. MagnaCut is the upgrade if you want both toughness and edge life. Avoid relying on M390 or D2 for prying or impacts.

Outdoors and wet environments. For fishing, boating, and humid climates, MagnaCut and M390 have the best rust resistance of the 11. 1095 is easy to sharpen in the field and tough enough at its usual hardness, but it needs oil and a dry sheath.

Budget knives. 8Cr13MoV and AUS-8 cut fine and sharpen easily. Expect to sharpen more often than with the premium steels.

Quick Profiles of the Other 8 Steels

• D2: A tool steel with about 12% chromium, but not stainless in practice. It has good wear resistance, large carbides, and below-average toughness.
• VG-10: A Japanese stainless common in kitchen and folding knives. It is a solid middle performer with decent rust resistance.
• 440C: A classic high-carbon stainless and our 100% baseline. Its edge retention is moderate, its rust resistance is good, and its toughness is modest.
• 14C28N: Sandvik's fine-grained stainless. It is very tough, very rust resistant, easy to sharpen, and takes a keen edge.
• 420HC: A tough, rust-resistant workhorse stainless. Its edge retention is modest, but it is very hard to break and very easy to sharpen.
• AUS-8: A Japanese budget stainless that is easy to sharpen and reasonably tough.
• 8Cr13MoV: A Chinese budget stainless with chemistry close to AUS-8. Quality depends on the maker's heat treatment.
• 1095: A simple high-carbon steel. It is easy to sharpen, rusts quickly, and has the lowest CATRA result here.

FAQ

Which knife steel holds an edge the longest of these 11?

M390, at 620 mm of cardstock in CATRA testing at 61.5 HRC. S30V is close behind at 596 mm. CPM MagnaCut is third at about 505 mm at 60.9 HRC, and higher when it is hardened to 64-65 HRC.

Is MagnaCut better than S30V?

For most users, yes. S30V cut more cardstock at similar hardness, but MagnaCut has about twice the measured toughness and better corrosion resistance. It can also run harder without chipping, which closes most of the edge retention gap.

Is 420HC a bad blade steel?

No. It has modest edge retention but excellent toughness and rust resistance, and it is one of the easiest steels to sharpen. That makes it a sensible choice for hard-working knives and multitool blades.

What does CATRA TCC mean?

CATRA is a standardized edge retention test. TCC stands for total cardstock cut: the millimeters of silica-loaded card a blade slices over 60 cycles. Higher means the edge lasted longer.

Which blade steel is easiest to sharpen?

1095 and 420HC, followed by 14C28N, AUS-8, and 8Cr13MoV. They have little hard carbide, so any stone works. S30V and M390 are the hardest of these 11, so use diamond or CBN for those two.

Which blade steel is the most rust resistant?

CPM MagnaCut, then M390. 14C28N and 420HC are also very good. D2 is only semi-stainless, and 1095 rusts without regular care.

Is D2 stainless steel?

Not really. D2 has about 12% chromium, but much of it is locked up in carbides, so it stains and rusts more easily than true stainless steels.

Who invented CPM MagnaCut?

Dr. Larrin Thomas, the metallurgist behind the Knife Steel Nerds website, designed it, and Crucible Industries produced the first heat. It was introduced in March 2021.

Sources

1. Knife Steel Nerds, Testing the Edge Retention of 48 Knife Steels: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/05/01/testing-the-edge-retention-of-48-knife-steels/
2. Knife Steel Nerds, Edge Retention Testing of Seven More Steels (420): https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/05/10/edge-retention-testing-of-seven-more-steels-xhp-spy27-maxamet-rex-45-420-t15-rex-76/
3. Knife Steel Nerds, CPM MagnaCut: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/03/25/cpm-magnacut/
4. Knife Steel Nerds, Knife Steels Rated by a Metallurgist: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10/19/knife-steels-rated-by-a-metallurgist-toughness-edge-retention-and-corrosion-resistance/
5. Knife Steel Nerds, CATRA Tests of M390 Knives: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2019/10/07/catra-tests-of-m390-knives/
6. Crucible CPM MagnaCut datasheet: https://nsm-ny.com/content/uploads/2021/07/CPM-MagnaCut-datasheet15.pdf
7. Bohler M390 Microclean: https://www.bohler-edelstahl.com/en/products/m390-microclean/
8. Knife Steel Nerds, M390 Steel - History and Properties (and 20CV and 204P): https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/06/01/m390-steel-history-and-properties-and-20cv-and-204p/
9. Knife Steel Nerds, S30V Steel - History and Properties: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/04/13/s30v-steel-history-and-properties/
10. Dick Barber, The true history of S30V development (BladeForums): https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/the-true-history-of-s30v-development.1015831/
11. Bohler, MICROCLEAN powder metallurgy steels (Kapfenberg, Austria): https://www.bohler.at/app/uploads/sites/248/2024/10/ST035En_MICROCLEAN.pdf