Created with a nominal alloy formulation that includes 1.6% carbon, 16% chromium, 0.5% manganese, 0.8% molybdenum, 0.4% silicon, 0.4% vanadium and 0.3% nickel, CTS XHP rivals the corrosion resistance of D2 and the hardness of 440C. Originally used as a formulation for durable bearings for the aerospace industry, CTS XHP has found solid use in implements for surgery, food processing, recycling equipment, ice skates, scissors and hand tools, as well as bladed tools for sporting, hunting, self-defense and military applications. A reasonably priced steel, CTS XHP excels in the qualities that knife makers like: wear resistance, high-performance reliability from batch to batch, edge retention and corrosion resistance.
Spyderco first began using CTS XHP on a knife that went into pre-production in 2012, slated for nearly 5,000 Carpenter employees at the…