How does CTS-XHP compare?

[M390 & INFI]

Another hobby of mine is home audio. Two basic schools of thought. One is all about the music. Gear is necessary, but it's not the reason for the passion. Then, there's gear heads. I'm in this camp. Better than BestBuy sound is the game. There are no rules. Except that the only way to know what you have is to put some music on and listen. You can listen to the gear, or you can listen to the music. Or, in understanding, you can do both. One thing I have learned that translates equally between these two interests is that specs are fine for comparisons, but tell you absolutely nothing about how a particular piece is going to work for you as an individual, based on your own preconceived notions and experiences.

'We make the best product we can, but we can't make you like it. We hope you do, we REALLY like your money, but there's no accounting for taste.'

EDIT: Meaning, the majority of knife users won't use a knife enough to notice small differences in performance. The ones who are interested in that stuff, maybe 1-1.5% of users, have other options, and will seek them out if it's important enough. Everything else is just marketing

I use knives enough I can tell small differences, but that heat treat has to be the same also. Complete beater knife, needs a real sharpening maybe this weekend. It pops hairs but the edge looks terrible.

 

[justjed]

I can tell small differences in my use as well. I'm a fixed blade guy, my edc/box knife is S35VN. I like it better than CPM154, but it's close. Geometry is more important than steel type, tho. For folders, I'm partial to 14C28N, it's everything I want in a mid-grade steel. And for a blade I might loan out, or tear up myself, I prefer mid-grade steels. At least there's a better-than-zero chance the edge will survive the encounter....

 

[unwisefool]

When I was a Reeve dealer I saw how weak their lockbars are personally. Never had a Reeve close on me, but bent bars so far over they were turned into permanent fixed blades.

How often did this happen? I haven't heard of this being a widespread issue

 

[M390 & INFI]

How often did this happen? I haven't heard of this being a widespread issue

Not often I think twice maybe 3 times, but the bars are very soft on these knives. I pulled one out of stock myself after someone told me they "tapped" it with a stick to baton through some kindling. They swore it was not hard at all. I took a Axis lock Benchmade and a small sebenza out back and "tapped" the spine like he said, and I shook my head after the first tap on the spine with the blade locked. The lockbar was like a wet noodle, seriously.

I was able to go full throttle on the axis lock for at least 50 blows with zero problems. The reason we don't hear about it much is because I think most people are smarter than that to baton a Sebenza. or any folder. (especially in the locked position) Just my experience, and I am sure Chris has seen hundreds or thousands of them like that. I think they might be one of the softest lockbars out there. Not bashing Reeve, he was in my opinion the first man to make a truly almost perfect knife.

When I would get a shipment in, I would open all of them and compare the blade grinds, all were a little different some taller some shorter, but all in all very nice. I personally do like perfect machine ground blades though, call me OCD.

 

[unwisefool]

Hmm, I've stabbed and pried with my Umnumzaan and had no ill effects. I've even hammered it through a coconut a few times.

 

[M390 & INFI]

Hmm, I've stabbed and pried with my Umnumzaan and had no ill effects. I've even hammered it through a coconut a few times.

That is good it didn't bend. I used a small sebenza. Stabbing and prying should not be a problem. It is that batoning that kills them. I have spine whacked maybe 50 different Reeve knives and never had one fail. However for those who baton them locked up I would caution against it.