CPM MagnaMax, produced by Crucible Industries using powder metallurgy, is engineered for maximum corrosion resistance and wear performance. Its high chromium, vanadium, and nitrogen content ensure excellent hardness, toughness, and edge stability. The steel is highly suited for knives and tools used in humid, wet, or outdoor conditions where both durability and corrosion resistance are critical.
MagnaMax is targeting high wear resistance, high carbide alloy segment with improved toughness and stain resistance. As a baseline for comparison we could consider well known and popular(to various degree) knife steels such as Bohler-Uddeholm K390, Bohler-Uddeholm Vanadis 8, and Crucible CPM-10V, Crucible CPM S110V. MagnaMax carbide content is double compared to MagnaCut steel. Primary carbide formers in MagnaMax would be Vanadium(V) and Niobium(Nb). Both in the premium carbide former category. Niobium notable for very small and hard carbides. Stain resistance is reduced compared to MagnaCut steel, which I'd expect given higher carbide content. To me that's absolutely reasonable and acceptable tradeoff for the increased wear resistance. Toughness in on par with the Crucible 154CM, Crucible S35VN and Carpenter XHP steels. For comparison, that toughness is better than that of the popular high wear resistance stainless steels like Crucible CPM S110V, Bohler-Uddeholm M390, Crucible CPM S60V, and Crucible CPM S90V.