Buyer's Guides

See why the hot powder metallurgy steel is all the rage in knives.

You might have heard that CPM MagnaCut is the latest in high-end blade steels. You might have seen that knives with MagnaCut blade steel have been selling fast. Everyone wants MagnaCut! But what exactly is it?

What Is Magnacut Steel?

MagnaCut is the latest super steel offered by Crucible Materials of Syracuse, New York, the same folks who make such high-end blade materials as CPM S30V, S35VN, S45VN, CPM 154, 20CV, 3V and others. Metallurgist Larrin Thomas, winner of the BLADE Magazine 2024 Publisher’s Award, invented MagnaCut. His objective was to create a stainless blade steel whose properties are balanced and that would perform well in the critical areas of edge holding, corrosion resistance and toughness.

With other high-end steels there’s usually a degree of give and take where you might sacrifice a bit of one characteristic to gain more in another. This is something knife folks have endured for so long that they’re used to a certain degree of compromise in order to get a blade steel suitable for their needs. Simply put, MagnaCut could very well be the steel that has all the characteristics knife guys want in a blade material. Basically, it’s their dream steel come to life.

Compared with other CPM steels, MagnaCut has less toughness, though don’t look at that as a bad thing. It’s actually very good in that MagnaCut is easier for a knifemaker to work; that is, it grinds and drills easier. On the knife user end, it means MagnaCut is easier to resharpen than other CPM steels whose toughness rates higher. Still, I recommend using diamond abrasive sharpeners on MagnaCut to obtain the best results.

See now why MagnaCut is all the rage in the knife industry? Just about every major manufacturer is using it and even some custom makers. The switch to MagnaCut can be seen as a way for manufacturers especially to level up the performance of their knives.

Kershaw Launch 17

Among the latest factory knives to offer MagnaCut blade steel is the Kershaw Launch 17. The Launch 17 presents a slender carry handle profile with a highly usable 3.5-inch clip-point blade. At 5 inches closed the Launch 17 is on the bigger side of EDC knives, but its svelte handle makes it very comfortable to carry. The flat-ground blade is a great working shape that tackles just about any cutting chore.

The handle is machined T6 6061 aluminum anodized grey and features textured black G-10 inlays for a neat contrast of color as well as purchase. The grip is symmetrical and an integral double guard keeps your hand in place. The handle is mainly an open-frame construction that allows easy cleaning with compressed air or water, and a clip mounted at the butt provides very deep pocket carry for ultimate concealment.

The only downside I see is the placement of the firing button. I want to grab the handle in a way that my thumb falls right into the button. I had to consciously readjust my grip to where I hold the handle a bit further toward the butt so my thumb falls just behind the button. It’s not really a big deal and certainly not what I would call a dealbreaker, but just something to be aware of.

The clip point blade is one of the knife’s key selling points. An excellent shape for general use, it has a defined point for scoring and fine cutting tasks, and there’s plenty of edge real estate to tackle your toughest chores quickly. The opening action is quick yet with very little recoil. The lockup is very tight with zero play. The Launch 17 makes a great EDC auto that’s light both in the pocket and on the wallet. MSRP: $239.99.

Kershaw Launch 17 Auto/Folding Knife Clip Point, Gray – Smooth Action for Easy Use – 7951

$259.99 $146.99

Palmetto State Armory $146.99 Optics Planet $145.99

Prices accurate at time of publishing. Affiliate disclosure.

Fox Knives/Terzuola ATCF Original Gangster

BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Bob Terzuola introduced his quintessential custom tactical folder, the ATCF (Advanced Technology Combat Folder), in 1986-87. It is Terzuola’s best-known folder and most imitated design. The original included a host of features that are now standard on any top tactical folder, custom or production, including screw-together construction and a notched thumb ramp for aid in a nonslip grip and applying pressure for power cuts. It also incorporated a checkered thumb disc for ambidextrous blade deployment.

Fox Knives teams with Terzuola to release the ATCF Original Gangster. The knife is built almost exactly the way Terzuola builds his custom version, complete with the aforementioned features as well as MagnaCut. The 3.5-inch modified drop-point blade has a swedge. The addition of a flipper tab ushers the ATCF OG into the modern tactical realm and provides two blade-deployment options: ambidextrous thumb and flipper opening.  The test sample is the SQ-ATC-OG01 with a titanium handle and stonewashed blade. The blade rides on bearings for ultra-smooth action. Like the addition of the flipper, this is also a modern innovation incorporated into the reproduction of the legendary folder.

With its integral forward guard and slanted butt, the handle is another Terzuola signature design. The titanium scales have a matching stonewash finish and are devoid of any machining—just smooth titanium that’s comfortable in-hand. The lock is the tried-and-true linerlock. The blade-tip-up-carry clip secures via a single T6 Torx head bolt and is held in place inside a machined cavity that captures the clip and prevents it from rotating. Before you complain about the clip not being reversible, remember that the ATCF was introduced at a time when pocket clip folders were still a relatively new concept, much less ambidextrous clip carry. A solid G-10 spacer rounds out the look and leaves most of the handle spine open for easy cleaning. A pin recessed in the butt accepts a lanyard, though standard 550 cord is too thick to fit.

Everything works on the knife, from the integral single guard to the thumb disc for ambidextrous opening. The flipper works well, too. I like the drop-point blade, an all-around favorite of mine for a variety of tasks. It’s highly adaptable, from utility to survival to tactical. The titanium handle has a nice heft and it’s pure function with no additional machining or coloring added. It just works. Country of origin: Italy. MSRP: contact Fox for more information.

Spyderco’s Para Military2 Salt Black G-10

The BLADE Magazine 2024 Most Innovative American Design, Spyderco’s Para Military2 Salt Black G-10 is in the company’s line of corrosion-resistant knives designed especially for fresh water and saltwater environments. It is basically a regular Para2 with the addition of MagnaCut blade steel and other steel parts such as liners, pocket clip, screws and standoffs covered in a black protective coating to boost corrosion resistance.

The 3.45-inch blade is a great size for a work knife. It’s not too long nor too short. A large blade hole aids in easy thumb opening and works well if you’re wearing work gloves. The blade secures open via Spyderco’s Compression Lock, which is designed to be both strong and easy and comfortable to operate. The blade’s full flat grind allows it to sail through a host of media, and right out of the box is razor sharp and ready to work. That’s one thing about any Spyderco knife—the blade shapes and grinds are optimized for high-performance cutting.  

The handle surface is machined in a radial groove pattern that distinguishes the knife as a premier member of the Salt Series. Spyderco calls it the Caribbean Bi-Directional Texture pattern and it greatly enhances grip traction, more so than standard peel-ply texturing. An excellent choice when dealing with wet hands, the grooves channel water away for a surer grip. The handle includes four-way pocket-clip mounting, open spine construction and a Compression Lock. Releasing the lock is super easy and can be done with one hand, as well as closing the blade. The way you release it keeps your fingers out of the way of the blade’s rotation path, therefore negating accidental cuts. The Compression Lock is a rock solid design, one of the best locks around.  

The full flat grind coupled with a distal taper of the blade from tang to top make the Para2 Salt a lean cutting machine. It goes through most any material, thick or thin, with ease and little force—a sign of a well-engineered blade. Not only is the blade shape very efficient but the handle design is, too. It fits my average-sized hand very well and instills true user confidence in its comfort and safety. Country of origin: USA. MSRP: $315.

Spyderco PARA-MILITARY2 G10 PLN

$183.82

Natchez Shooting & Outdoors $183.82 BattleHawk Armory $209.25

Prices accurate at time of publishing. Affiliate disclosure.

Dead Reckon Ridgeback

Dead Reckon is a new knife manufacturer and the Ridgeback folder is its first offering. There’s a lot going on with this folder, from the button lock mechanism, flipper opening and sealed bearings in the pivot to the integral handle. Crafted in the company’s Grove City, Ohio, facility, each knife is precisely and carefully manufactured to high standards that would satisfy the pickiest knife enthusiast.

An example is the Ridgeback in its “wharncleaver” blade and integral titanium handle. The 4.1-inch MagnaCut blade is of a hybrid wharncliffe/cleaver pattern with a distinctive slant nose tip and straight-line cutting edge. The knife offers two methods of opening: flipper tab and oblong blade hole. Whatever method you prefer, the blade operates smoothly thanks to the sealed bearing pivot. Just ahead of the flipper is a cutout for choking up for precise control.

The handle is Grade 5 titanium, which is 6Al/4V titanium alloy. It is of an integral construction, which is difficult to manufacture. Only one other company I know of has pulled this off successfully. The Dead Reckon production staff takes one billet of titanium and machines the channel in the middle where the blade rests in the closed position. It’s all one piece with no assembly screws. It’s a very strong handle design and the lack of screws makes for a very clean appearance. 

On most knives the pocket clip is a stamped and bent piece of steel. Nothing fancy or flashy but utilitarian. The Ridgeback clip is of a milled titanium that sports a very cool-looking geometric shape. It is quite eye catching, not an afterthought but an aspect that adds to overall appearance. The clip is at the right tension to hold the knife to the pocket without it wanting to slip out, while the ability to remove the knife remains fairly easy—the best of both worlds!

For a very utility-friendly blade shape, the wharncleaver is it. There’s a lack of a defined blade tip, though there is one of sorts at the front of the cutting edge. Using a gentle pulling motion, you can use it to score materials easily. When cutting full on, the straight-line edge does so smoothly. With multiple grip options and a notched thumb rest, along with the cutout, this knife is easy to adapt to the cutting scenarios at hand.

Want more power? No problem. Use the thumb ramp to place more pressure on the blade. Want more control?  Choke up on the blade using the finger cutout. The canted blade makes the Ridgeback more comfortable to use on a flat surface by offering enhanced knuckle clearance. You might think the appearance is a bit weird but don’t knock it until you try it. Country of origin: USA. MSRP: $475.