CTS-XHP Pros/Cons?

[TK Steingass]

I was talking to a knife purveyor the other day and he recommended that I look into adding CTS-XHP to my line. I understand that it's a pretty good steel and finishes as well as CPM-154CM, which I use on my mirror finish blades. I don't see it listed on Aldo's site, but I heard it was pretty pricey. Any of you fellas care to comment on this steel, how you like it, where you get it, and how it works?

 

[Mr. M]

AKS carries it

 

[jdm61]

I priced some the other day with the Specialty Metal folks in Arlingron,TX, which is the former Crucible Service Center. Hot rolled .103 stock suitable for kitchen knives is $558 for a 12 x 72 sheet, which worked out to a bit over $19 per pound. They said that the .103 stuff finishes out to .093, so we are over $20 a pound for the stuff in a usable form. I have talked to a couple of folks who have used it and they say that it is fairly easy to grind an finish even hardened.

 

[james terrio]

The only "con's" are finding it in the size you want, and to a lesser extent, the cost. It is truly excellent steel. It's very much like CPM-154, except a little bit better.

 

[TK Steingass]

The only "con's" are finding it in the size you want, and to a lesser extent, the cost. It is truly excellent steel. It's very much like CPM-154, except a little bit better.

James: That's what I expected from some of the literature I've read - good stuff, high price - "D-2 on steroids" says Bob Dozier. I'm going to have to try some just for shits and grins. AKS has some in my thickness but it's 3" wide - I don't have a metal bandsaw - so that's no good!

 

[S.Grosvenor]

James: That's what I expected from some of the literature I've read - good stuff, high price - "D-2 on steroids" says Bob Dozier. I'm going to have to try some just for shits and grins. AKS has some in my thickness but it's 3" wide - I don't have a metal bandsaw - so that's no good!

If you give them a call they'll most likely cut it into whatever you need.

 

[jdm61]

I just heard that there there have been some issues with this otherwise excellent steel as it comes from the mill. The story I heard is that some of it has shown up bowed and one batch of hot rolled .250 stock had to be flat ground down to .190 in order to clean up the surface and make it usable. That is unacceptable for stuff that costs as much as it does i would think.

 

[butcher_block]

they were working out the proses to roll their thin stuff in house (they now out source till they can work out the kinks)
yes 1/4 inch is thin stock to them