MagnaMax heat treat: austenitize, quench & temper chart
MagnaMax 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 MagnaMax heat-treat schedule
Austenitize: 2050–2250°F (2150°F recommended), hold 10–15 min once to temperature. A controlled oven or kiln beats forge colour for hitting this window repeatably.
Quench: Plate quench. Never use Water, Brine, Parks 50, Duratherm 48, Parks AAA, Canola oil. Plate quench for faster cooling + slightly higher hardness. Two protocols: LN₂ baseline 2150°F × 10 min, or freezer baseline 2100°F × 15 min.
Cryo (recommended): Place immediately in LN₂. Freezer / dry ice acceptable with lowered austenitize (2050–2100°F). 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. Acceptable range 300–450°F.
MagnaMax 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) | 62–64 HRC |
| 350°F (177°C) | 61–63 HRC |
| 400°F (204°C) | 60–62 HRC |
| 450°F (232°C) | 59–61 HRC |
Target hardness for MagnaMax by knife type
| Use | Recommended HRC |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | 62–63 HRC |
| EDC | 61–62 HRC |
| Hunter | 60–61 HRC |
| Hard-use chopper | 59–60 HRC |
Most common mistake
Newest steel in the library (May 2026 release). Community traction confirmed on BladeForums. Schedule may sharpen as more makers test.
FAQ
What temperature do you austenitize MagnaMax?
2050–2250°F, with 2150°F recommended, held 10–15 min once the steel is fully up to temperature.
What is the best quench for MagnaMax?
Plate quench. Never Water, Brine, Parks 50, Duratherm 48, Parks AAA, Canola oil. Plate quench for faster cooling + slightly higher hardness. Two protocols: LN₂ baseline 2150°F × 10 min, or freezer baseline 2100°F × 15 min.
What HRC does MagnaMax reach?
59–64 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 MagnaMax?
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 MagnaMax?
MagnaMax 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 MagnaMax
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 2150°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 MagnaMax; 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.