#M390
Explore M390 steel, known for its outstanding edge retention, excellent corrosion resistance, and overall performance. Discover the best knives made from this high-performance steel, along with product reviews and comparisons.
Bestech Knives Teases IKA DAGGER: A Sword-Shaped Folder with M390 Steel and Carbon Fiber
Bestech Knives has officially teased its upcoming IKA DAGGER folding knife on Instagram, giving enthusiasts a first look at a design that blends ancient sword a...
Vosteed Coming Soon - Thunderbird V-: M390 Steel with Titanium Handle
Vosteed introduces the Coming Soon - Thunderbird V-, a new addition to their lineup positioned for premium EDC users. Whether you're an everyday carry enthusias...
Best Knife Steel Ranking (2026): Complete Comparison Guide
Choosing the right knife steel can be confusing. With so many options—Magnacut, M390, D2, 14C28N—it’s hard to know what actually performs best.This guide ranks the best knife steels in 2026 using a standardized scoring system based on:Edge retentionToughnessCorrosion resistanceHardness potentialEase of maintenance👉 The goal: help you quickly understand which steel fits your needs🏆 Knife Steel Ranking (2026)S Tier (90+): Top-Tier Performance#1 Magnacut — Score: 90Exceptional balance across all...
WE Knife Co. Unveils Limited-Edition Hull Folder
WE Knife Co. is in the midst of a limited-edition rollout, and the Hull stands out as a brand-new addition rather than a returning model. The design fuses a vin...
Bestech Knives x Ostap Hel Unveil the DUCI Series: A Pocket Knife So Light, It Almost Disappears
Ostap Hel is one of the most prolific knife designers working today. Based in Poland, he made his first blade in his father's workshop in 2009—while completing ...
LionSteel Wins Two Awards at Blade Show 2026: Best Slip Joint & Best Accessory
Blade Show 2026 , Atlanta — Italian knife manufacturer LionSteel added two more trophies to its already impressive Blade Show collection this year, taking home ...
Elmax Steel vs M390 Steel Edge Retention and Corrosion Resistance Comparison
Elmax and M390 are both premium powder metallurgy stainless steels from Böhler-Uddeholm. While they are often used in similar high-end knives, M390 is optimized...
CTS-204P Steel vs CPM S30V Steel Hardness and Toughness Comparison
CTS-204P is a premium "super steel" produced by Carpenter Technology (equivalent to M390), while CPM S30V is the long-standing industry standard for high-end kn...
K390 Steel vs M390 Steel Performance and Application Comparison
Despite the similar sounding names, Böhler K390 and Böhler M390 are completely different steels with opposite strengths. The primary divide is that M390 is stai...
M390 Steel vs CPM-20CV Steel Toughness and Edge Holding Comparison
M390 and CPM-20CV are chemically identical "super steels" produced by different manufacturers (Böhler and Crucible, respectively). Because they share the same a...
Nitro-V Steel vs Vanax Steel Corrosion Resistance and Toughness Comparison
Since your last query focused on Nitro-V and Vanax , here is a concise English summary of how they compare in the specific areas of corrosion resistance and tou...
M390 Steel vs M398 Steel Differences and Applications
Böhler M390 and M398 are high-performance martensitic chromium steels produced via powder metallurgy. While M390 is a "balanced" super steel, M398 is an evoluti...
M390 Steel vs M398 Steel Differences and Applications
The primary difference between Böhler M390 and M398 is their level of specialization: M390 is a highly versatile "super steel" with a perfect balance of toughne...
What is CPM S125V Steel?
CPM S125V is an ultra-high-alloy powder metallurgy stainless steel produced by Crucible Industries . It is widely considered the "final boss" of stainless steel...
What is 420C Steel?
420C Steel (specifically AISI 420C or DIN 1.4034 ) is a high-carbon martensitic stainless steel . It is a more carbon-rich variant of the standard 420 stainless...
What is Vanax Steel?
Vanax (specifically Vanax SuperClean ) is a high-nitrogen, high-performance "super steel" produced by Böhler-Uddeholm . It is widely regarded as one of the most...
What is Elamx Steel?
You likely mean Elmax , which we briefly compared earlier, but let's dive into it as a standalone "super steel." Elmax is a high-chromium, high-vanadium, high-m...
What is ZDP-189 Steel?
ZDP 189 is an ultra-high-carbon, high-chromium "super steel" produced by Hitachi Metals in Japan using powder metallurgy . It is widely considered one of the mo...
What is N690 Steel?
N690 (specifically Böhler N690 ) is a high-end conventional stainless steel produced by the Austrian company Böhler-Uddeholm . While it is not a powder metallur...
What is M398 Steel?
Böhler M398 Microclean is an ultra-high-alloy powder metallurgy stainless steel that serves as the "extreme" evolution of the famous M390 . While M390 is known ...
What is M390 Steel?
Böhler M390 Microclean is a premium powder metallurgy stainless steel produced by Böhler-Uddeholm (Austria). It is widely regarded as one of the most balanced "...
What is K390 Steel?
K390 Microclean is a premium powder metallurgy cold-work tool steel produced by Böhler-Uddeholm . In the knife community, it is revered as a "beast" of a steel,...
What is Elmax Steel?
Elmax is a high-end powder metallurgy stainless steel produced by Böhler-Uddeholm . It is considered one of the "big three" super steels in the premium knife ma...
What is CTS-204P Steel?
CTS-204P is a premium powder metallurgy stainless steel produced by the American company Carpenter Technology Corporation . It is functionally identical to the ...
What is CPM-S90V Steel?
CPM-S90V (formerly known as CPM-420V) is a high-alloy powder metallurgy stainless steel produced by Crucible Industries . It is widely regarded as one of the ul...
What is CPM-20CV Steel?
CPM-20CV is a premium powder metallurgy stainless steel produced by Crucible Industries . In the knife world, it is considered a "top-tier" super steel. It is f...
What is CPM-S110V Steel?
CPM-S110V is a premier stainless "super steel" produced by Crucible Industries . It represents one of the highest levels of edge retention and corrosion resista...
What is CPM-M4 Steel?
CPM-M4 is a high-speed powder metallurgy tool steel produced by Crucible Industries . It is a modern improvement on the classic M4 high-speed steel, designed to...
What is CPM-4V Steel?
CPM-4V is a high-performance powder metallurgy tool steel produced by Crucible Industries . It is designed to be the "middle ground" in the V-series, sitting pe...
What is CPM-15V Steel?
CPM-15V is an ultra-high-alloy powder metallurgy tool steel produced by Crucible Industries . It represents the absolute extreme of wear resistance and edge ret...
What is CPM-10V Steel?
CPM-10V (produced by Crucible Industries ) is a legendary high-vanadium tool steel that, for decades, has served as the ultimate benchmark for wear resistance a...
What is CPM MagnaCut Steel?
CPM MagnaCut is currently considered the "holy grail" of knife steels . Developed by metallurgist Larrin Thomas (author of Knife Steel Nerds ) and produced by C...
Magnacut vs M390: Which Knife Steel Is Better in 2026?
Magnacut vs M390: Which Knife Steel Is Better in 2026?When it comes to premium knife steels, few comparisons are as debated as Magnacut vs M390. Both are considered top-tier materials, widely used in high-end EDC and outdoor knives—but they perform very differently depending on what you actually need.If you're trying to decide which one is worth your money, this guide breaks it down in a practical, no-nonsense way.What Is Magnacut Steel?Magnacut is a relatively new powder metallurgy steel design...