(03-16-2017, 04:07 PM)Mike Brubacher Wrote: I am hoping that we are on the same page with your question in that you are asking if a magnetized steel blade might have some advantage over a non-magnetized steel blade with regard to edge retention and/or sharpness.
Mike, you have perfectly formulated the tricky question!
Only a few substances are ferromagnetic (strong magnets); the most common are iron and nickel and their alloys. Physics tell us that the magnetic moments of iron atoms stick together and form so called magnetic domains which can be observed with a special microscope.
When iron/steel is exposed to a magnetic field the domain boundaries oriented with the external magnetic field grow. When the magnetising field is removed the domains may not return to the unmagnetised state. Above some temperature, called Curie point, iron loses its ferromagnetic properties.
In my understanding there is no doubt that on the microscopic level they are structural differences between magnetised and non-magnetised knife blade. The question is if those changes alter steel mechanical properties in a measurable way.
Jan