Cost.
Seriously, a good, serviceable, lasts-a-lifetime carbon knife can be had for 85USD. A good MagnaCut knife will cost you better than 850USD. The cost of steel manufacturing plus abrasives plus labor … sheesh. Knifemakers like 10xx series steels for a reason. Compared to food, even pedestrian iron carbides are pretty hard. Is that MagnaCut knife 10x better?? It’s awesome for hobbyists, but I don’t see ‘utility’ as the compelling argument for MagnaCut (or any PM steel, honestly).
A smattering of chromium to buff up edge retention and help calm damage from acid, and you’ve got a winner. A2 is a personal favorite sweet spot. (FWIW, what I think I like is small-carbide size, and there are a few tricks to get that, like micro additions of chromium and vanadium - not for edge retention, but to reduce carbide size. Also improves toughness).
I’ve had a few PM knives, including MagnaCut. Honestly, I don’t love the edges they take. I’ve worked them over on diamond stones in all different ways. Stropped on diamond-loaded leather. Does pretty good. The edge is thin, the grind is amazing. But an AEB-L knife from the same maker takes a toothy edge better, which lasts longer.
In a CATRA test, I fully believe the MagnaCut will out-cut AEB-L. No quarrel. But they don’t load CATRA with tomatoes. If they did, they’d find that steels which can produce micro-saw-teeth that are the perfect size and consistency to cut ‘maters are not made at the PM factory. I can bring that edge back on a simple steel in seconds. And it’ll keep cutting tomatoes longer, which is what I want to cut with that darn knife.
When my wife has a dozen over for dinner (as she often does), and I’m just slamming through prep, a non-toothy edge just won’t do. I can’t “make it work” when it’s not cutting. It needs a refresh. And I don’t want to bust out the diamonds and the matcha and have a tea ceremony with my sharpening. I just want a few swipes on a stone in-hand, then I want to get down to the party so I can stir fry some screaming-hot crispy pork, garlic and Chinese broccoli with 2x as many chilis as any human needs. I want to cook, to feed people, to have fun, and make a new memory. Sharpening (well) is entirely solitary. And I don’t want to think about “is it sharp enough to get me through dinner” or “will I have to duck aside and resharpen this beast” or “is everyone getting hungry and stir-crazy while they’re waiting for me to stir-fry.” Nope. Gimme something that’ll touch-up on a brick and my belt. Get me back to the human-circus, and the fun.
Some professional sharpeners with motorized equipment and a deft touch could definitely improve the edges I make at home. Next time I invite them to dinner, I’ll hand them the MagnaCut.
Disclaimer: No cocktails were harmed in the writing of this post.