Location
Pennsylvania, United States
Company Overview
Latrobe Specialty Steel Co. is an American steel manufacturing and distribution company headquartered in Pennsylvania, United States. Marcus Saxman Sr., Charles Guttzeit, and others founded the company in 1913.
It was initially named Latrobe Electric Steel Company. Various companies purchased it before its current holder, the Carpenter Technology Corp, in 2011. Latrobe is known for its high-purity steel products used in the aerospace, defense, and energy industry, its largest market to date. Their alloy production is famous in military defense machines, jets, and motor crafts.
Latrobe is famous for its VIM-VAR (Vacuum Induction Melting-Vacuum Art Melting) unique melting process. VIM is a melting process or equipment used to eliminate impurities in alloy and control its chemical composition. At the same time, VAM is the second re-melting process done to heighten metal quality for highly demanding applications.
The company's VIM-VAR expansion was awarded in 2009 by the Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) for Project Excellence. In addition, Latrobe has AS/EN 9100, ISO 9001, ISO 9001: 2000, NADCAP, and ISO 17025 certifications.
Knife Types
Latrobe steel is used for cold-work knives and die steel. It is excellent for outdoor activities such as hunting, hiking, and fishing. Also great for folding and EDC Knife
Best known for
They are best known for their Latrobe LSS™ PGK Knife and Die Steel and CTS 204P steel.
Steel used
Now known as CTS (Carpenter Technology Steel), Latrobe uses air-hardening steel with versatile medium-chromium components. One of their famous steel, CTS204P, is proven for its excellent edge retention due to its carbon & vanadium components, best corrosion resistance due to high chromium components and toughness.
Handle used
EDC and folding knife manufacturers such as Zero Tolerance and Microtech commonly use CTS204P for their models. Combining it with hard handle materials such as aluminum and titanium handles.
Sharpening and Maintenance
It will take a long time for the Latrobe or CTS knife to be needing sharpening and maintenance. Thanks to its excellent wear resistance in comparison to other soft steeled blades. Suppose you decided to purchase a CTS204P knife model; you need to invest time in sharpening.
