#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...
Zyac Z01S: A Titanium Folder Whose Handle Shrinks While the Blade Stays Open
Zyac's Z01S folder collapses its handle while the blade is open, adds a second lock for the short grip, and runs a 208 mm overall length on an M390 blade.
Kizer Drop Bear 292 AirTi: 200 Numbered Titanium Pieces for White Mountain Knives
Kizer's AirTi concept gets a dealer exclusive: 200 numbered Drop Bear 292 folders in full titanium at $169, each with a 2.92-inch M390 blade on 2.0 mm stock.
A $99 M390 Titanium Folder Exists, and r/knives Wants to Know Who Else Sells It
A r/knives thread on a $99 M390 titanium folder from Miguron exposes how much of a knife's price comes from steel, and how much from the distribution chain beh…
GiantMouse's Elmer Auto Returns in Three Blacked-Out Limited Editions
GiantMouse's Elmer automatic gets three limited blacked-out treatments with abalone and gold pearl buttons, black PVD MagnaCut blades and a $395 price.
Vosteed Nymble A4701: John Rusk's Multi-Deployment Design Gets the Vanchor Lock
The Vosteed Nymble A4701 brings John Rusk's front and back flippers and dual-milled oval opening together with a Vanchor Lock and a 3.25-inch Elmax tanto.
Kansept Quasar K1099V11: CPM-20CV and Shred Carbon for $110
Kansept 's collaboration with Paul Munko has produced a run of knives that share a certain curved, almost organic geometry, and the Quasar is the most restraine...
Benchmade's Mini SOCP Folder Puts a 3.76-Inch Blade in a Fighting Knife Frame
Benchmade's Mini SOCP Folder adapts the combatives fixed blade into a 3.76-inch S30V folder with thumb disk, thumb stud or Emerson Wave deployment.
WE Knife Suisei: Dew Hara's Reverse Tanto With a Carbon Fiber Core
WE Knife 's collaboration roster has always leaned toward Japanese makers, and the Suisei adds another name to that list: Dew Hara . The designer's signature is...
We Knife Co. Tiercel: A Falcon-Named Wharncliffe Built for Daily Work
The We Knife Co. Tiercel brings a 3.24-inch wharncliffe in CPM MagnaCut to a contoured titanium frame lock — a stripped-down daily user that ships at the end o…
Bestech Nyrrdreki: New Designer's Debut Cleaver EDC Folder Brings Imposing Presence
Bestech has been steadily building its reputation as a manufacturer willing to take risks on unconventional designs, and their latest move is a statement of int...
Spyderco Sage 6 CPM Rex 121: The Most Elite Sage Ever Built
The Spyderco Sage line has been a cornerstone of the brand's catalog for nearly two decades and six generations. It's a platform built on a simple idea: each Sa...
New Release:Vosteed Thunderbeast: M390 Steel with Titanium Handle
Vosteed introduces the Thunderbeast, a new addition to their lineup positioned for premium EDC users. Whether you're an everyday carry enthusiast, a tactical us...
Bestech & Fabian Hobbelen Collaborate to Launch New Folding Knife NYRRDREKI
In the world of everyday carry (EDC) knives, Bestech (Yangjiang Baishengchi Industry & Trade Co., Ltd.) has long been recognized for its exceptional manufac...
The James Brand Wrapped a $799 Titanium Integral in Wool and Somehow Made It Work
The James Brand 's Barnes Solidwool is a 24-piece limited run that wraps an integral titanium frame in actual wool composite — 50 percent sheep, 50 percent bio-...
WE Knife's NexoMorph Is the First EDC-Friendly Morphing Knife That Actually Belongs in a Pocket
WE Knife's NexoMorph is a three-mode morphing folder that folds like a standard EDC knife, transforms into a tactical push-dagger, and does it all with an M390 ...
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...