CTS-XHP vs M390 which is better?

M390 is really, really good stuff. Nearly as good as S90V but a bit tougher in the knives I have used. It is also incredibly stain and rust resistant. I think its a better steel than XHP, but I have only read about XHP and not used any. In my eyes, M390 is one of the best steels on the market. It takes an ultra fine edge, and holds it forever. Very good steel. It is also very easy to get a mirror polished edge on and it stays that while for a long time. Edge holding is a bit better than ZDP in my uses.
 
I had a PM2 in XHP, and a BM MPR and XM-18 in M390. I like(d) the M390 a lot better (edge retention mostly), but it's not easy to compare because all three knives have such wildly different blade designs and edge geometries. Still, it's all I can tell you. :)
 
Perhaps the question to ask is whether you would notice any difference. I have knives in both XHP and M390, yet I have only had to sharpen the M390 to date, probably because I use it more. That said, I consider M390 to be a 'miracle' steel, for it's ability to hold a razor edge and more importantly to me, it's ease of sharpening. I kid you not, M390 feels like a combination of AUS-8 and S30V on the stones and will take a beautiful mirror polish. I have never come across anything quite like it.
 
A.P.F. makes a good point. Miracle Steel is a good fit for M390. It sharpens like S30V except takes a finer edge, yet somehow manages to be a better steel than it's numbers suggest as far as wear resistance and toughness goes. I know, it has 1.9% Carbon, 20% Chromium, 4% Vanadium and a few other ingredients, but these numbers are nowhere near S90V, yet somehow M390 seems to only have a little bit less wear resistance, and better toughness. I think it's a testament to the quality of steel coming from Bohler. This stuff must be extremely clean and pure along with having incredible grain refinement and dispersion of it's alloying ingredients. Try M390, plus in the PM2 I think it looks better. Like I said, I'm not sure how many steels are better with this kind of corrosion resistance, toughness, and wear resistance.

Not to mention, edge retention in my knives is better than ZDP-189, yet this steel sharpens up MUCH easier. I would guess it takes about 30% less time per inch to sharpen and that's a big difference on an Edge Pro.

My M390 710-2 has had the same shaving edge for over 3 months with EDC for most of that, and it's still an extremely keen edge. I am blown away by M390, you will be too.
 
XHP is just about my favorite steel overall.

Stainless, long edge-retention - not as long as some, but pretty easy to sharpen. Takes a very similar toothy edge (with little effort) to D2, and that toothy edge doesn't dull, but rather becomes a smoother better-than-working edge that lasts for a long time.

It's sort of the perfect balance to me (I'm still a VG10 fanboy though - ease of maintenance will almost trump edge retention for me).

Absolutely nothing against any of the other steels btw, I've got plenty of low-end and super-steels.
 
philwar said:
I had a PM2 in XHP, and a BM MPR and XM-18 in M390. I like(d) the M390 a lot better (edge retention mostly), but it's not easy to compare because all three knives have such wildly different blade designs and edge geometries. Still, it's all I can tell you. :)
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XM-18 in M390? Such a beast does not exist???

Duratech 20cv perhaps?
 
I like XHP more honestly.

From use I find the balance between wear resistance and toughness to be great. I don't find one overpowering the other.

...and I love that D2-like toothy edge that's super easy to sharpen. :thumbup:
 
I have an xhp manix 2 and a xhp xm 18,I have a cf military with m390 and had a 755mpr with m390. I would pick XHP , for me it holds a shaving edge longer then m390 . M390 might hold what some would call a working edge longer but for me a working edge is a edge that can shave .I also prefer the way xhp cuts
That's an m390 phil wilson south fork at 62 in my avatar that I would pick over xhp . But we are talking production para vs para
 
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I like them both. :)

If I had to pick one I would choose M390 at high hardness.
 
looks like I'm having difficulting finding the PM2 in the M390 right now, the sprint run on the Carpender XHP is out right now so that may be my only option. thanks for the input.
 
They are both really good steels IMO. I've used CTS-XHP much more in a Spyderco Manix2, and it was excellent in the edge retention department. It is very easy to sharpen back which was the part that really impressed me. I thought I was going to be sitting there for at least an hour, but it took a few swipes on the Sharpmaker and the edge was back.

As far as M390 goes, the Benchmade model 805-TSEK was my most used in that steel. It was surprisingly sharp and stayed that way for a while before it needed a touch up. Again, it took a few swipes on the Sharpmaker and there was a super sharp edge back to work. It's hard to really be able to tell the difference.
 
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