Blade Steel Comparisons
Here at McMichael Knives, I use two different blade steels, depending on the knife and how it will be used. The majority of the time I use AEB-L but I also occasionally use CPM MagnaCut. Both these steels are among the best modern steels for use in knives.
Before we jump into specifics, let’s talk about how knife steel is measured. How well a knife can hold an edge is not simple because the mechanisms that cause a knife to dull are quite varied. The three main ways that a knife will dull will be through abrasion, edge chipping, and corrosion. The characteristics in steel that counter these mechanisms are, respectively, wear resistance, toughness, and corrosion resistance.
AEB-L Stainless Steel was developed in Europe in the 1960s for use in straight razors. The even distribution of small carbides in the steel makes this steel extremely tough. Carbon steel and tool steel are usually touted as being far tougher than stainless steels, which is generally true. However, AEB-L and it’s tiny carbides result in a steel that is notably tougher than almost any carbon or tool steel at a similar hardness. This allows AEB-L to be heat treated to very high hardness (which decreases toughness and increases wear resistance). The high toughness also allows knives to be ground to extremely acute angles that will cut effortlessly. The wear resistance of AEB-L is less than some other stainless steels, however, the acute angles and high hardnesses that I can achieve on these knives mean that these knives will outperform any factory-made knife while being much easier to sharpen.
A western chefs knife made from AEB-L stainless steel.
CPM MagnaCut is one of the newest (and most expensive) steels used in knives. It was first manufactured in 2021 and is one of the few steels that has ever been designed from the ground up for the purpose of being used in knives. This steel aims to strike the perfect balance of toughness and wear resistance (these two factors typically work in opposition). I have never seen a knife steel be so well balanced while maintaining fully stainless properties. The high toughness of this steel means that I can grind my knives quite thin to create ideal cutting geometry while the high wear resistance and small carbides mean that these knives will take an extremely sharp edge and hold it for a very long time.
AEB-L and CPM MagnaCut are two very different steels. The CPM MagnaCut costs me more than 5 times as much as AEB-L (which is already much more expensive than other options). This does not mean that CPM MagnaCut is necessarily superior to AEB-L in all regards. The advantages of AEB-L as compared to CPM MagnaCut are that AEB-L is tougher and thus can be ground to thinner and more acute angles (which makes for easier cutting). The tiny carbides in AEB-L paired with moderate wear resistance means that AEB-L is quite easy to sharpen and can take an insanely sharp edge with just moderate sharpening skill. The advantages of CPM MagnaCut are that the high wear resistance results in incredibly long edge holding. The carbides are larger and closer together than AEB-L so it will not be quite as tough and it will be more difficult to sharpen. Due to this combination of factors, I think that most people will be happier with a knife made from AEB-L rather than CPM MagnaCut. However, I do recognize that some knife enthusiasts would prefer CPM MagnaCut for the benefits that it offers so I offer it as an optional upgrade on our knives. I think that CPM MagnaCut really makes sense in the 4-inch Drop Point Hunter where edge holding while cleaning an animal is of the utmost importance. If you are not proficient at sharpening your knives, then CPM MagnaCut can be a great option, you can send us your knife for resharpening!
A paring knife made from CPM MagnaCut.
