Yeah, KT makes the HiStop, as well as a few other cb hubs. I don't have much confidence in them. As far as that goes, almost anything would be a step-up from stock.
Funny you mention engagement. My Velosteel engages at about 30ish degrees, I'd estimate, on a good day. However, when I first rebuilt one, I used a lot of #2 grease, like I would on most cb hubs. Big mistake. The rollers in the Velosteel get gummed up, and engagement goes out the window. Best bet is to grease the ball bearings, but use oil on the rollers and either oil or a light coating of grease on the **brake** discs.
Coolest thing about the Velosteel, from a mechanic's POV, is that setting up/adjusting the cones is crazy-easy. The Velosteel is basically a mutated Fichtel&Sachs Torpedo; the F&S design was aped, borrowed, stolen, and bought by many firms over the years, including several Brit companies. The inside of a Velosteel is virtually identical to a Perry or an early (pre-SR--those are relabeled KTs) Sturmey-Archer ss cb hub. Here's how Sheldon suggests adjusting those cones:
" These English coaster brakes adjust differently from most coaster brake hubs. There's a square end on one end of the axle. The right cone is fixed to the axle; the left cone, as usual, is attached to the reaction arm.
To adjust the cones on a typical English coaster-brake hub, you leave it in the bike, but loosen both axle nuts. Use an adjustable wrench to turn the whole axle, screwing it in or out of the left cone, then re-tighten the axle nuts once the cone adjustment is correct.
These hubs use a roller-clutch, instead of the acme threaded driver/cone used on American coaster bakes. The 5 rollers sit around the base of the driver, which acts as a cam. When you pedal forward, the rollers are forced outward where they press against the inside of the hub shell, driving the wheel."
Works like a charm. You can quickly and easily eliminate slop without binding up....
For a tear-down/repack tutorial with pics, check out:
http://www.elegantwheels.net/upload/Velosteel Rebuild PDF.pdf
(I'm planning to oil-port my next Velosteel wheel, to keep the PITA factor down a bit.)
FWIW, I got some hubs from the elegantwheels site; I can vouch for'm. The owner, Guy, is a stand-up dude.