knife with CTS-XHP (440XH) Super Steel Video Review

This my biggest surprise of this year - unexpected American Super Performing knife. While Hitachi came up with ZDP-189, American knife industry was not able to offer anything close to it. Many attempts failed, until Spyderco - which was in a search for some steel as other companies, due to recent Crucible troubles, more or less randomly choose to try this good old Amrerican steel from Carpenter (used before for golf clubs - 440XH). Result was - just WOW!

It overpass ZDP-189 - easy and come very close (almost same) to Dozier heat treated D2 on manila rope cutting tests. What a surprise for everybody! And it is stainless, with production established for years and made in US! I am pretty excited to see more of this steel in knives in nearest future.

Manix 2 - attempt to refine Manix with more comfortable handel. Ball lock, G10 liners, anatomical comfortable handle almost like Spyderco Tyrade has, choil, full flat grind. I had to modify it, due to obvious design flow - took off from scale around lock hole so it will be possible to disengage lock with one finger, feature all other modern knives have.

This is American steel, I hope to see more knives from different manufacturers. This excellent steel worse top quality and good design. I will be lurking for this steel on the market.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• Spyderco
• Knife
• Manix
• by
• Eric
• Glesser
• Carpenter
• CTS-XHP
• (440XH)
• Super
• Steel
• Video
• Review
• G10
• Folder
• Folding

[deftoneslive123]

work at a plant nursery knives spend more time out of my pocket then in burlap twine plastic pots u name it i work my knives and i would def have to say zpd holds razor edge longer but only slightly both better then infi or m390

[nozh2002]

2 deftoneslive123

Thanks! So my testing on manila rope backed up by practical use.

I have now ZDP189 (Spyderco Bob Lum Chinese) on first place, Dozier heat treated D2 on second and CTS-XHP on third places. M390 - 21st place and Infi - 32nd place.

[gamerfromcanada]

So just a quick question. When you removed some of the G10 to get better access to lock, was there difficulties in opening and closing i for you?

[nozh2002]

2 gamerfromcanada

This is why I did this. Before it was impossible to open it normal way with one finger. It was possible only with two fingers pressuring on lock from both sides or use thumb nail to pick on lock. And I discussed it on Spyderco forum - everybody have this problem. Just unusual for Spyderco luck of attention to detail in design, on my opinion.

Once I "free" side access to the lock and able to apply pressure not perpendicular to lock movement - it works just fine, as you may see.

[gamerfromcanada]

@nozh2002

Ahh I see. I can't open it with just one finger. I have to use both. I missed it in the video. I might consider this mod. Thanks!

[nozh2002]

2gamerfromcanada

Be very careful! Use good dust mask and outside - glass dust from G10 (which is fiber glass) is extremely dangerous to breath.

[victorinoxfan]

awesome review. I also got this blade back in may. Probably 3 days before you posted this video. CTS-XHP has been great to me so far.

[OGCrystalBay]

This is a wonderful stainless steel nozh.

[gamerfromcanada]

I just got this blade about 2 weeks ago and absolutely love it. I've only used it for light duty edc and on a camping trip (whittling sticks etc.) It's performed great. Good to know top performers exist at good price ranges (considering it's like half the price of a dozier folder, if not less)