# wear resistant steel comparison



## HSC /// Knives (May 22, 2022)

Curious if anyone here has a Z wear (or equivalent) and Magnacut knife and care to offer their experience on edge retention comparing the two.
I'm looking for your practical real world opinion

thanks


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## Benuser (May 22, 2022)

Abrasion resistance and edge retention are very different notions. Some poor stainless are crazy abrasion resistant due to large, even clustering carbides but won't take a good edge for that very same reason. Expect carbides breaking out. Lack of edge stability.


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## M1k3 (May 22, 2022)

Benuser said:


> Abrasion resistance and edge retention are very different notions. Some poor stainless are crazy abrasion resistant due to large, even clustering carbides but won't take a good edge for that very same reason. Expect carbides breaking out. Lack of edge stability.


He's talking about MagnaCut specifically. Not Global chromova crap.


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## daveb (May 22, 2022)

Send me a Magna Cut Suji and I'll report back soonest!  

Hope France is treating you well.


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## HSC /// Knives (May 22, 2022)

daveb said:


> Send me a Magna Cut Suji and I'll report back soonest!
> 
> Hope France is treating you well.


I just made this one yesterday from leftover material to play with and test my process.


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## Benuser (May 22, 2022)

M1k3 said:


> He's talking about MagnaCut specifically. Not Global chromova crap.


Thanks!


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## Troopah_Knives (May 22, 2022)

HSC /// Knives said:


> Curious if anyone here has a Z wear (or equivalent) and Magnacut knife and care to offer their experience on edge retention comparing the two.
> I'm looking for your practical real world opinion
> 
> thanks


I have done a good amount of testing with both steels and have been unable to detect any difference in wear resistance between the two. As a result, I only really use Z-Wear at lower hardnesses (<62RC) where it has better toughness than MagnaCut. Maybe people with more discerning taste could see some difference due to the larger carbide size and presence of softer carbides in Z-Wear but I really couldn't tell.


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## Barmoley (May 22, 2022)

I've tried and have both Z-wear and MagnaCut. In my real use I can't tell the difference in edge holding. I also can't really tell the difference between these and pd1 or vanadis 23. All of these seem to hold an edge for similar length of time and dull in a similar manner. To me MagnaCut seems to sharpen a bit easier than the rest not much, but it feels smoother and more buttery somehow. Feels like it grinds easier. It also deburrs really nicely and cleanly. Again not a big difference as Z-wear deburrs nicely too, but I think I detect a little difference. Z-wear also feels a little toothier when finished the same. This might be in my head though as the difference is very little and might be due to something else. Where I see more of a difference is that MagnaCut is more corosion resistant. Z-wear feels almost stainless, but it discolors a little over time. MagnaCut doesn't patina at all so far. Bottom line, I don't think if you gave me 2 similar knives in these steels that I would be able to tell which is which from edge retention standpoint.

Now, the k390 knife that I have has noticeable better edge holding than the others, so at least in my use wear resistance is a pretty good predictor of edge retention when the steels are similarly hard, like in my case.


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## HSC /// Knives (May 22, 2022)

@Troopah_Knives @Barmoley 
Yes I’m in agreement and this is more or less what I found in my experience similar to your findings. 

I just wanted to hear what other users have to say


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## Barmoley (May 22, 2022)

By the way it is not only with kitchen knives that I can't really tell the difference. I have Spyderco mules in pd1, MagnaCut and had 4V at the same time before it was stolen. Anyway, I did a lot of regular utility type cutting, cardboard, zip ties, wood witling, cutting branches, etc. Nothing scientific just whatever that size knife is used for and I couldn't really tell the difference among these. I am sure it exists, but in my use without actually tracking number of cuts and such they are close enough to not matter. With these too, corrosion resistance is the obvious difference with 4v being the most reactive by a noticeable amount and MagnaCut not reacting at all. I start seeing differences in performance when I step to A11 mule and then to maxamet. Maxamet clearly has better edge holding especially with cardboard.


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