Carpenter CTS-XHP Steel AKA "Micro-Melt® 440-XH® Alloy"

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NRaiano

NRaiano

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Sooo... Anybody know why this steel is so rare? only ever seen one knife made with it which happens to be the Spyderco Manix 2 sprint run in foliage green.
From what I've dug up it beats cpm s90v and ZDP189 in wear resistance!
Anyone had positive experience with this?
 
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From what I gather its just now starting to be used (more widely) in the knife industry. I believe we will be seeing a lot more of it soon.

Where did you find that it is more wear resistant than ZDP and S90v? Was it Vasilli's testing? If not please provide a link, thanks.
 
From what little I dug up it is not as wear resistant as S90v or other high wear resistance knife steels. There are a few threads here with comments from knifemakers on it's properties.
 
Yeah I read it was a more refined S30V. S30V is definitely not up with S90V in terms of wear resistance.
 
I have a CTS-XHP Manix 2 in one pocket and a S90V Military in another at this moment. Whoever told you XHP is more wear resistant than S90V lied to you. XHP is comparable to D2, but S90V and ZDP are in another league.
 
CTS - Carpenter Steel is new to making knife steel but not to forging in general. that would be my guess why. The only other knife maker I've heard of that uses it is Rick Hinderer. I agree with Yablanowitz:
You've been hoodwinked, lied to, bamboozled, run amuck.
 
I have heard much of the same as you guys. When the XHP Manix came out I believe Sal said that it was like a stainless version of D2.
 
And in another post it was called a stainless A2, because the knifemaker thought it was easier to sharpen and took a fine edge. I also saw a post where it was claimed to have superior edge retention, and agree with Yablonowitz. :thumbup::D
 
I tried to find the same page again earlier but wasn't having any luck. It was a thread by a guy who tested a whole range of knives ability to cut through excessive amounts of manila rope and believe it or not claims that CTS-XHP fared the best out of all. I'll have another look but in the mean time anyone who's had experience with this steel would you recommend it over s30v? how about s90v? How does it rank in ease of sharpening and edge retention against these 2?
Thank you all!!! Hallelujah!:D
 
That is Vasilli who goes by Nozh. His methods have been debated and I think the conclusion was that he is the only one that trusts his results.
 
That was nozh/Vassili.

Carpenter advertises XHP as an improved 440C/stainless D2.

edit-I need to type faster :)
 
Ok, I've found a similar post by the same person but not the same one exactly.
Yes, it was Vassili's testing... Are these claims legit? So far from what everyone else has said it seem not.
LMK please,
Gabriel.
 
As has already been said, no, other people are not having the results he is. S90V and ZDP should hold an edge quite a bit better.
 
He put a lot of work into the testing, but it has not been verified. There was a fairly large discrepancy between the results of two test runs on one knife, and the others have not been retested.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
As has already been said, no, other people are not having the results he is. S90V and ZDP should hold an edge quite a bit better.
Click to expand...

To disagree with this statement would be pure madness. I must therefore fully agree. :thumbup:
 
I have talked with both the production mgr for Carpenter and the the metallurgist that developed this stuff...

The reason its kinda scarce is that no one realized that a new batch wasnt put into line for production...They are working fast to fix that. Also, its very new to them and still a bit of a project.

They are working to sign a deal with a distributor right now. Supposedly Carpenters paper work was the distributor for signature but as of a few days ago, not happened yet.

Also, the only way to get some now is if you order 1000lbs...and then your still waiting 2-3 weeks...And at the going price, 1000lbs is might steep ($20-$25k retail)

The correct description of this stuff per the Brian (metallurgist) is Stainless D2, but its technically not stainless..
 
Ok, some great info there. That must explain why it is very under produced. Perhaps Vassili started out the tests with a factory edge carpenter steel blade and used poorly sharpened knives of other steels in the tests so they might have dulled much faster but who knows. I was pretty pleased to read his results though right after I ordered one but I'm having second thoughts now. Maybe I'll get an S30V version too. I'd consider the carbon fiber version(S90V) if the price wasn't so much steeper. Heck, maybe I'll get them all if I like it!
Last thoughts on this... Who would recommend S30V over CTS-XHP?
From what I here it's a great steel even if it doesn't hold an edge quite like S90V...
I mean it sounds like it's D2 that takes a keener edge more easily and is more stain resistant! A true upgrade with no trade offs... That's a first :D
It's just a kind of compulsion for me to know that I'm using the best of the best before I crack it open for the first time. Maybe I'm mad but that's just the way I am.
Thanks for all of this great information guys, really appreciate it.
Regards,
Gabriel.
 
The Sept 2010 issue of Tactical Knives has an article about it. They quote Bob Dozier as saying, "It's 440C on steroids." He is apparently using it for some of his knives. I trust his opinion.

A customer of Bob's used one of his knives in CTS-XHP versus a S30V blade:

"'When compared to a new knife with an S30V blade, which cut through .5-inch manila rope at maximum of 200 times before the edge began to fail; an XHP blade with identical edge geometry was able to make 850 cuts. Obviously, the XHP blade possessed greater cutting endurance.'"

That is not a comparison with S90V, but it does give some credibility to the claim that it is a good, edge-holding steel.
 
If you are looking at the Manix 2 with those blade steels might as well get one of each.

:D:D


ManixWheel.jpg




willworship said:
The Sept 2010 issue of Tactical Knives has an article about it. They quote Bob Dozier as saying, "It's 440C on steroids." He is apparently using it for some of his knives. I trust his opinion.

A customer of Bob's used one of his knives in CTS-XHP versus a S30V blade:

"'When compared to a new knife with an S30V blade, which cut through .5-inch manila rope at maximum of 200 times before the edge began to fail; an XHP blade with identical edge geometry was able to make 850 cuts. Obviously, the XHP blade possessed greater cutting endurance.'"

That is not a comparison with S90V, but it does give some credibility to the claim that it is a good, edge-holding steel.
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850 vs 200 is a big difference and good to hear! I was assuming it was very similar to S30V but that is quite a jump.
 
Ring said:
The correct description of this stuff per the Brian (metallurgist) is Stainless D2, but its technically not stainless..
Click to expand...

Why isn't it technically stainless? It has sufficient chrome to be technically stainless.

What's seems to be unique about the steel is that it is the first powdered stainless D2. Now I'm told it's not stainless? :confused:

sal
 
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