Cts-xhp

[hatchettjack]

If the coating looks like rifle bluing and you can see the steel under it, it's the new steel! The old coating is solid shiny black!

 

[insta9ves]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I don't want to return it, as it was the last in stock and it was at a really great discount price. I did call to make sure, but the person I spoke to didn't know (I don't think they were an owner, or knife person). However, I don't think this dealer would have misnamed or misrepresented the listing.

I'd also prefer not to send it in, as I don't have experience with Cold Steel's warranty department.

I'd like to look into the pin placement method, but haven't had much luck seeing the difference.

i actually have great experience with CS's service/warranty department. i dont call/email, just ship my knife to them if there is any issue with a detailed note on what the issue is. I've done it 3 times and each time i got a replacement back from them within 2 weeks of me shipping the knife to them. It's fast probably because i'm in CA, but im guessing it's still fast if you are in another state.

My guess is that if you send it in CS will let you know if it's 2015 version. if they can't tell the difference themselves, i bet they would send you a new one with marking. I dont think it's costly to them to replace it than to lose the client's confident like that. the only problem is that you have to spend time and a few bucks to send it back...

Oh BTW, if you wanna go to the extreme, i can recommend another method i kinda found by accident and i found that only the new XHP steel behaves that way.
Last year I was using my XHP ultimate hunter to cut off the top of a banana so that i can peel it(just the skin, not the fruit), and i did not wipe it before putting it back and forgot about it. A few days later when the knife is back in my rotation, i found that the blade has a dark purple gray patina on the place where i cut the banana, and i've never seen that in the aus8 blade. You can try it but it's a long shot since there could be multiple factors affecting the chemical reactions that caused that.

 

[insta9ves]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I don't want to return it, as it was the last in stock and it was at a really great discount price. I did call to make sure, but the person I spoke to didn't know (I don't think they were an owner, or knife person). However, I don't think this dealer would have misnamed or misrepresented the listing.

I'd also prefer not to send it in, as I don't have experience with Cold Steel's warranty department.

I'd like to look into the pin placement method, but haven't had much luck seeing the difference.

Oh another way to find out is to look at the rear-most area of the blade near the round cutout where it contacts the stop pin. The AUS8A model is almost always unevenly ground on that part, i.e. that part of the blade facing the pivot screw side is always rounded while the opposite site is always more crisp. I have heard somewhere in this forums that this is because the older blade were stamped causing the uneven-ness while you dont find it on the new blade since it's water jet cut. CS rep never confirmed this officially but the difference is very obvious, especially on the Lawman and Recon 1 model.

 

[B.F.U]

i actually have great experience with CS's service/warranty department. i dont call/email, just ship my knife to them if there is any issue with a detailed note on what the issue is. I've done it 3 times and each time i got a replacement back from them within 2 weeks of me shipping the knife to them. It's fast probably because i'm in CA, but im guessing it's still fast if you are in another state.

My guess is that if you send it in CS will let you know if it's 2015 version. if they can't tell the difference themselves, i bet they would send you a new one with marking. I dont think it's costly to them to replace it than to lose the client's confident like that. the only problem is that you have to spend time and a few bucks to send it back...

Oh BTW, if you wanna go to the extreme, i can recommend another method i kinda found by accident and i found that only the new XHP steel behaves that way.
Last year I was using my XHP ultimate hunter to cut off the top of a banana so that i can peel it(just the skin, not the fruit), and i did not wipe it before putting it back and forgot about it. A few days later when the knife is back in my rotation, i found that the blade has a dark purple gray patina on the place where i cut the banana, and i've never seen that in the aus8 blade. You can try it but it's a long shot since there could be multiple factors affecting the chemical reactions that caused that.

That's good to hear, if I can't calm any doubt I'll send it in.

That makes sense, since banana has always seemed to patina blades quicker than anything else and the CTS-XHP has more carbon.

Oh another way to find out is to look at the rear-most area of the blade near the round cutout where it contacts the stop pin. The AUS8A model is almost always unevenly ground on that part, i.e. that part of the blade facing the pivot screw side is always rounded while the opposite site is always more crisp. I have heard somewhere in this forums that this is because the older blade were stamped causing the uneven-ness while you dont find it on the new blade since it's water jet cut. CS rep never confirmed this officially but the difference is very obvious, especially on the Lawman and Recon 1 model.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but everything looks even here:

 

[BITEME]

I called cold steel a while back cause my recon didn't have "xhp" anywhere on the blade ,they said you can tell when you see slight grind marks on the blade ,the aus8a blades are very smooth finished,hopes this helps

 

[B.F.U]

I called cold steel a while back cause my recon didn't have "xhp" anywhere on the blade ,they said you can tell when you see slight grind marks on the blade ,the aus8a blades are very smooth finished,hopes this helps

Hmmm.... the blade is very smooth and satin on mine.

 

[insta9ves]

That's good to hear, if I can't calm any doubt I'll send it in.

That makes sense, since banana has always seemed to patina blades quicker than anything else and the CTS-XHP has more carbon.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but everything looks even here:

Okay, the part of the blade right after the thumb plate looks very crisp to me, so i guess this is legit. But at this point i can only speculate...
The grind marks are not necessarily accurate since a lot of my 2015 XHP has very smooth surface finish too.

 

[B.F.U]

I appreciate the help!