Most hunting knives don't fail on the first cut. They fail late in the job, somewhere between the hind quarters and the backstraps, when your hands are cold, the light is going and the edge has quietly rolled. That's the problem blade steel is supposed to solve, and it's why most of our fixed blades are made from MagnaCut.
Here's what MagnaCut is, why it works so well on a hunting knife, how to take care of it, and why a few Kestrel models use something else on purpose.
What is MagnaCut?
CPM MagnaCut is a powder-metallurgy stainless steel designed by metallurgist Dr. Larrin Thomas and produced by Crucible Industries. It came out in 2021 with a fairly specific goal: give knife users a steel that holds an edge well, resists corrosion very well and stays tough, without the usual trade-offs between those three.
The short version of how it does that: in most stainless steels, a good share of the chromium ends up tied up in large chromium carbides. Those carbides add wear resistance but cost you toughness, and the chromium locked inside them isn't helping fight rust. MagnaCut is built around smaller vanadium and niobium carbides instead, which leaves more chromium working against corrosion and keeps the structure fine. The powder process keeps those carbides small and evenly spread.
You don't need the metallurgy to use the knife. What it means in the field is an edge that lasts, a blade that shrugs off blood and wet weather, and steel that's less likely to chip when you hit bone or joint.
Why MagnaCut suits a hunting knife
A hunting knife has a hard job. It cuts hide, hair, fat, cartilage and meat, gets wet and bloody for hours, sometimes lives in a sheath for days without a proper cleaning, and every so often meets a bone you didn't plan on. Each of those asks for something different from the steel.
Edge retention
Hair and hide are hard on an edge. A steel with good wear resistance stays sharp through more of the animal, which means fewer stops to touch up and less chance you're finishing the job with a dull blade. That's the idea behind our Mountain Caper 2.0: an edge that holds through the entire animal, so sharpening happens after the hunt, not during it.
Corrosion resistance
Blood and moisture are corrosive, and nobody cleans a knife perfectly on a sheep mountain or in a duck blind. MagnaCut's corrosion resistance is one of its biggest strengths. It gives you real margin when the knife goes back in the sheath wet, or rides in a pack through a week of rain. It isn't rust-proof, and good habits still matter, but it's very forgiving.
Toughness
Toughness is the steel's ability to resist chipping and cracking. On a thin, light hunting blade that matters. Working around joints, ribs and the pelvis puts side loads on an edge. MagnaCut has a good reputation for toughness relative to other steels with similar edge retention, which is a big part of why it has become a favorite for hunting knives.
Easier to sharpen than you might expect
High-end steels with lots of very hard carbides can be slow to sharpen and fussy to deburr. MagnaCut is generally considered more approachable than many of them. It still takes more work than a basic steel, but a decent stone or a good field sharpener will bring it back without a fight.
Care and sharpening tips
- Clean it after use. Rinse or wipe off blood, fat and debris, especially near the handle and in any jimping.
- Dry it before it goes back in the sheath. Don't store the knife wet or dirty, and dry out the sheath too.
- Touch up early. A few light passes when the edge first starts to drag is faster than restoring a dull edge later. Our UL Field Sharpener adjusts to blade angles from 11° to 21° and fits in a pack.
- Use light pressure and finish clean. On stones, keep a consistent angle, let the abrasive do the work and remove the burr with a few alternating light strokes or a strop.
- Let us do the full sharpening. Every Kestrel fixed blade comes with free lifetime sharpening. Send it in and we'll sharpen, clean and tune it. We pay return shipping within the U.S.; customers outside the U.S. pay return shipping.
Which Kestrel knives use MagnaCut
These models are listed in MagnaCut on our product pages:
- Ovis Hunter 2.0: our do-it-all hunting knife, built to handle most of the work on an animal. Also available as the Ovis Hunter S.E. 2.0 and Ovis Hunter Camo 2.0.
- Mouflon Skinner 2.0: a dedicated skinner with a deep belly and just enough tip to stay versatile.
- Mountain Caper 2.0: a 20-gram (knife only) caping knife for detail work around the lips, ears and nose.
- Ovis Skeleton 2.0 and Skeleton Skinner 2.0: skeletonized, paracord-wrapped versions for hunters who count every gram.
Not sure which one fits your hunt? Start with the full lineup, or email sales@kestrelknives.com and tell us what and how you hunt.
Why some Kestrel models use other materials
MagnaCut is a great hunting steel, but it isn't the answer to every job. A few of our knives use other materials on purpose.
Scalpels: titanium. The Ovis Scalpel 2.0 and the Mountain Scalpel are machined from 6Al-4V aerospace-grade titanium and take replaceable scalpel blades. The body needs to be light, strong and corrosion-resistant, and titanium is all three.
Skeleton EDC: AEB-L. The Skeleton EDC 2.0 is a 28-gram (knife only) everyday carry knife made from AEB-L, a fine-grained stainless steel. It's very sharp and easy to touch up, which is what you want on a knife you reach for every day for small chores.
Right tool, right material. That's how we pick.
Backed for life
Every Kestrel knife is made in the USA and backed by our Lifetime Warranty. Pair that with free lifetime sharpening on our fixed blades and a steel like MagnaCut, and your knife is ready to go hunt after hunt. Use it hard. We'll keep it sharp.
