CPM MagnaCut heat treat: austenitize, quench & temper chart
CPM MagnaCut is a powder metallurgy knife steel. Here is the full heat-treat schedule — austenitizing temperature, quench, cryo and a tempering-temperature chart mapping each temper to final HRC — with every number cited to the source, not guessed.
The CPM MagnaCut heat-treat schedule
Austenitize: 1950–2200°F (2050°F recommended), hold 15 min once to temperature. A controlled oven or kiln beats forge colour for hitting this window repeatably.
Quench: Plate quench. Also acceptable: Parks 50. Never use Water, Brine, Duratherm 48, Parks AAA, Canola oil. Plate or oil quench. Soak varies with temp: 30 min @ 1950°F → 5 min @ 2200°F.
Cryo (recommended): Cold treatment after quench bumps hardness. Household freezer acceptable if steel enters directly post-quench. Straight from the quench into cryo, then temper.
Temper: 2 passes of 2 h at 350°F for the recommended edge (~61–63 HRC). Temper twice for 2 hours at 350°F gives 61–62.5 HRC balanced. Higher austenitize + lower temper → 64+ HRC for edge retention.
CPM MagnaCut tempering-temperature chart
Two-hour temper (×2), HRC after cryo where used. Pick the tempering temperature for the hardness your knife needs:
| Tempering temperature | Resulting hardness |
|---|---|
| 300°F (149°C) | 63–64 HRC |
| 350°F (177°C) | 61–63 HRC |
| 400°F (204°C) | 60–62 HRC |
Target hardness for CPM MagnaCut by knife type
| Use | Recommended HRC |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | 62–63 HRC |
| EDC | 61–62 HRC |
| Hunter | 60–61 HRC |
| Hard-use chopper | 60–61 HRC |
Most common mistake
Steel of the year for 2021. Designed by Larrin Thomas — citation discipline is straight from the source.
FAQ
What temperature do you austenitize CPM MagnaCut?
1950–2200°F, with 2050°F recommended, held 15 min once the steel is fully up to temperature.
What is the best quench for CPM MagnaCut?
Plate quench. Parks 50 also work. Never Water, Brine, Duratherm 48, Parks AAA, Canola oil. Plate or oil quench. Soak varies with temp: 30 min @ 1950°F → 5 min @ 2200°F.
What HRC does CPM MagnaCut reach?
60–64 HRC across the usable tempering range; about 62–63 HRC for a kitchen knife. Temper at 350°F for ~61–63 HRC.
How do you temper CPM MagnaCut?
2 passes of 2 h at 350°F for the recommended edge. See the chart above to pick a different tempering temperature for a harder or tougher blade.
Can you forge CPM MagnaCut?
CPM MagnaCut is best heat-treated in a controlled oven or kiln rather than forged by colour — its austenitizing window and quench are too tight to hit reliably by eye.
What you need to heat-treat CPM MagnaCut
Repeatable hardness comes from controlling temperature and quench speed — eyeballing colour is how blades end up soft or cracked.
- A heat-treat oven or kiln holds the 2050°F austenitizing temperature — the single biggest factor in repeatable hardness.
- Air-hardening steel plate-quenches between aluminium quench plates — no oil bath needed.
- Verify the result with a Rockwell hardness tester or hardness files — don't trust the schedule blind.
- Wrap in stainless tool-wrap foil to stop decarb and scale at high austenitizing temperatures.
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Sources
Heat-treat schedules are the cited published values for CPM MagnaCut; every furnace, quench and blade geometry varies, so verify against your own hardness testing. Getting steel to non-magnetic is not the same as reaching austenitizing temperature — use a controlled oven or kiln for repeatable results.