I can give you my impression of the HTR right off the bat. I expected it to be difficult to use, but it actually works quite well. In a recent thread in General, a few folks were complaining that the sharpness of the Round Hole edges on some Spyderco models hurt their fingers. Personally, I've always found that sharpness to be an asset, as it keeps my thumb from slipping out of the hole. People bothered by the Round Hole will find the HTR a useful feature. I feel it offers just a little less purchase than a Round Hole but much more than a beveled hole. It also has the added benefit of reducing the hole's diameter, helping to prevent keys and other foreign objects occupying the same pocket from wedging in the hole and snagging the blade upon withdrawal (a pet peeve of mine and one reason I don't carry Spydercos more often).
As for S35VN's performance, time will tell and I'll be happy to report my findings. But if there's one thing I'm certain about when it comes to Cold Steel, it's that the company chooses its steels VERY carefully. Cold Steel never adopts a new steel without lots of testing. It's one of the reasons they've drawn so much flak from Forumites over the years for not routinely offering the latest boutique steels (even though Cold Steel actually has done its own versions of "sprint runs" with limited editions of certain models in non-standard steels). I have no doubt that my Golden Eye's S35VN blade will perform up to Cold Steel's lofty standards.
-Steve