Buying a Hinderer: Please Advise

J85909266

J85909266

Joined
Jun 6, 2005
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So, I've been carefully considering what I want in my next folder purchase, and I have decided to buy a Rick Hinderer. One reason is that I've just never tried one, and as an enthusiast, I feel the brand has earned a shot. Another reason is that the newer models, particularly the Half Track and MP-1 are really visually stunning, in my opinion. Finally, I like that they go back together just as easy as they come apart, and even have hardware customization options.

That said, I still have a lot of questions that I'm hoping the community here can help me out with:

I have read that it is simple to find and purchase Phosphor Bronze washers to replace the Teflon stock washers, at least in the XM series. Is the same true for the Half Track and MP-1? If so, where are some places I can find them?

Do you find the relatively thick stock on Hinderer knives to make for unpleasant cutting compared to something like a Sebenza 21?

For those that own both the Half Track and MP-1, which do you prefer, and why?

For those that have tried those knives in both the half Ti and full Ti configurations, how do they compare, and what do you prefer?

Are there any little quirks or details about the knives or customer service that I should know about before purchasing? Common fit and finish issues like off center blades or uneven scales? I am an absolute nitpicker when it comes to things like that.

I know these are a lot of goofy questions, but this will be a very expensive purchase, for me, and I'm in the obsession stage right before I pull the trigger.

Thanks!
 
I own several XM 18s. I've never seen any issues with fit or finish. Blades are dead center.

I find the thicker handle allows for better purchase.

As far as the washer, if you feel you must replace it, that's fine, but I would say that there is zero actual need to replace it. The knife operates fine as it is stock.
 
My experience and advice is similar to krezyhorse. I've owned two XM-18s, a 3" and a 3.5". Both were completely stock from the shop, no mods. I had no issues with them at all. F&F, detent, flipping action... all were fine. The 3" spanto XM-18 was a bit smaller than I expected it to be and the 3.5" skinner XM-18 was more "perfect" for its size than I expected. It carried easier and worked better than I thought it would just from considering the size of the larger knife.

I have used teflon or nylon washers on Mayo, Emerson, Hinderer, and some other brands. Never had an issue with them, either. No tearing, no bunching up, no problems of any kind. I do find that I use less lube on knives with teflon or nylon washers, which helps keep the knife pivots a bit cleaner. Haven't sacrificed any smoothness that I've noticed, either. IIRC, Sal Glesser said that Spyderco used to use them quite a bit and the main reason they went to PB was customer demand rather than CQI. Won't go to the stake for it, but I believe I read that on the Spyderco factory forum some time back when I was researching teflon washers.

OTOH, a lot of folks that like to mod their knives have done this successfully with Hinderers, so it's definitely a possible user mod. If I were buying another Hinderer, I'd go for a 3.5" slicer grind. Speaking honestly, rather than out of my fantasies and imagination, 90% of my cutting involves poking a hole and slicing something open. A nice tip and a sharp, thinner edge works best for me.

Enjoy the hunt and show us what you got when you get it.
 
J85909266 said:
So, I've been carefully considering what I want in my next folder purchase, and I have decided to buy a Rick Hinderer. One reason is that I've just never tried one, and as an enthusiast, I feel the brand has earned a shot. Another reason is that the newer models, particularly the Half Track and MP-1 are really visually stunning, in my opinion. Finally, I like that they go back together just as easy as they come apart, and even have hardware customization options.

That said, I still have a lot of questions that I'm hoping the community here can help me out with:

I have read that it is simple to find and purchase Phosphor Bronze washers to replace the Teflon stock washers, at least in the XM series. Is the same true for the Half Track and MP-1? If so, where are some places I can find them?
Click to expand...

I've replaced the teflon washers on one of my XM18s with phosphor bronze washers, and left teflon on the other XM18s I have and I have noticed absolutely no difference at all. So if you want to do it then by all means more power to you, but I don't know that I would go into it expecting to have to replace them. As for where you can get them, I'm not sure if it is okay to link to a vendor that isn't a sponsor, so I suggest just searching Google for "phosphor bronze washers for Hinderer" and you'll find what you are looking for within the first several results.

J85909266 said:
Do you find the relatively thick stock on Hinderer knives to make for unpleasant cutting compared to something like a Sebenza 21?
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I would say that a Sebenza will be a better slicer (even when put up against the Hinderer slicer grind), but I find the difference to be pretty negligible myself. I wouldn't say my Hinderers (slicers and harpoon tanto, I've also had a skinner) have been unpleasant cutters at all though.

J85909266 said:
For those that own both the Half Track and MP-1, which do you prefer, and why?
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Haven't owned either, but I have handled a Half Track and I would really like a full ti version. Knife fired open wonderfully and felt great in hand, extremely solid. I recommend watching/reading what Smitty with USA Made Blades has to say about the Half Track, he is a huge fan (and a great vendor) of them and once I held one I understood why. Never messed with an MP-1, I like the blade shape but I dislike the thumbstuds not acting as blade stops--though I still wouldn't mind trying one out.

J85909266 said:
For those that have tried those knives in both the half Ti and full Ti configurations, how do they compare, and what do you prefer?
Click to expand...

Haven't handled the Half Track (or MP-1 as previously stated) in a half ti configuration, but the full ti configuration felt wonderful. I have had full ti and half ti XM18s (G10 and carbon fiber) and they all feel great in hand and extremely solid. I think this really just depends on what you like feeling in your hand more--I like carbon fiber and ti personally, with probably a slight preference to full ti.

J85909266 said:
Are there any little quirks or details about the knives or customer service that I should know about before purchasing? Common fit and finish issues like off center blades or uneven scales? I am an absolute nitpicker when it comes to things like that.
Click to expand...

None of the Hinderers I have owned (6 total--3 new, 3 used) have had any sort of fit and finish issues at all, and I can be extremely nitpicky as well. However, they do come with a pretty tight pivot and I recommend watching 1all's video on YouTube about how to properly setup a Hinderer to get the best flipping action you can.

J85909266 said:
I know these are a lot of goofy questions, but this will be a very expensive purchase, for me, and I'm in the obsession stage right before I pull the trigger.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Not at all goofy, they are all questions I pondered myself when looking to buy my first expensive knife. Good luck on your purchase!
 
Try not to get too hung up on the washer thing, guys. It's just a personal preference thing, for me. I know that they work just fine, as shipped, and that PB washers don't improve the action or smoothness. I didn't even think about the vendor rule, though. Good point.

Thanks for the posts, so far. I will definitely check you thread out, halden.doerge.
 
I'm not a flipper guy. Plus, I do prefer thinner blades. The xm-18 3.5 non-flipper slicer grind would be my pick without hesitation. Gorgeous knife, I also think the choil looks great.

Do you have a Seb 21 yet? That's definitely where I would start. IMO
 
P2P said:
I'm not a flipper guy. Plus, I do prefer thinner blades. The xm-18 3.5 non-flipper slicer grind would be my pick without hesitation. Gorgeous knife, I also think the choil looks great.

Do you have a Seb 21 yet? That's definitely where I would start. IMO
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Oh, yeah. I've owned three different Sebenzas. I've tried multiple examples of pretty much every major brand aside from Hinderer.
 
Agree that the slicer grind is great. Fit and finish is spot on. Easier to use than knives with all metal handles. Haven t had to use the customer service.
 
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View media item 33I love all of my Hinderer's. A few things that I would suggest though. The telfon washers are surprisingly tough and should not be worried about. There is a break in period with all Hinderer's but within a short period of time they are smooth as glass. A pivot tool (or make your own) is helpful in disassembly and tuning the knife. Finally, ask the vendor to choose one with a stronger detent.

Buying a Hinderer is easier than ever and there are numerous vendors on the web. Usamadeblade is absolutely fantastic to deal with. Great customer service and will take the time to help you in any way.
 
It's a great time to buy a Hinderer, they are selling at Hinderer's retail pricing after years of short supply and high aftermarket pricing. The 3.5" XM-18 is a beast, but in a slicer version cuts extremely well. Rick puts a great edge on his knives and they slice newspaper as good as any knife I've owned. Also, its a flat grind so there's no problem touching one up. The 3" XM-18 is pretty small but fits my hand well. The flippers work extremely well, after a short period of break in, no wrist action is needed. The days of weak detents are long gone. They are rock solid and I mean rock solid, you can fling that blade open with no worry about damage.

The Halftrack is a different knife, it's a tank in a short handle. It doesn't slice as well (IMO) as the larger XM-18 in a slicer version. But it is the best "flipper" Hinderer makes. It's a little slippery in an all Ti smooth version, the G-10's are better (for me).

I have no experience with either the MP-1 or Jurassic but Whittty at USA Made Blade (BF member) is sold on it and he knows Hinderers.
 
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Thank you to everyone who mentioned us, you have no idea how much we appreciate the support of everyone here.

To the OP. I will give you my opinion and experience. Yes I am a dealer but I am also very much a Hinderer nut and carry at least one everyday.

The Half Track-As everyone knows I am nuts about the Half Track. It is truly my small EDC grail knife. It flips great, is way overbuilt and just the perfect everywhere carry knife. Like any knife, it is not for everyone, which is why there are so many different knife models. It is a decent cutter/slicer but not great. I like it because for such a small knife it fits my big hands really well.

The MP-1- This is a great 3.25" EDC. While I like the MP-1 it is not as attractive to me personally as some other options. It is however one of the best slicers from all the Hinderers I have owned. They typically flip great (note others comments about a break in period). It is very well built and is the thinnest from side to side of any Hinderer except the 3" inch XM-18s.

Ti vs. G10- I am a Ti nut. I would love for all of my knives to be Full Ti. With the Half Track though it is tough because there is so much ti already on the G10 models. I own both full ti and G10 Half Tracks and I would say that the decision really comes down to budget and preference. As much of a full ti fan as I am, I find myself carrying a G10 model 95% of the time. On the MP-1 I really like the full ti model the most. They both are great so no loss either way. Side note (You know I am being honest because we have no full ti MP-1s in stock;)). I noticed in your post you liked the fact they were customizable. If you like this fact then the G10 model of either might be more attractive as you can change out scales as they become available. Just something to consider.

Quirks/Issues- Every knife company has issues as they are all run by Humans and mistakes happen. I will say with Hinderer they are few and far between. Some do have more of a break in period than others but all have a slight break in period. Typically this is just the parts getting adjusted to each other. While most flip decently out of the box some of the working finish and DLC blades can be a little sluggish. This goes away pretty darn quick and I have not seen one yet not turn in to a fantastic flipper. As for centering that is one issue I have never seen as a problem with any Hinderer. I have taken a ton of these apart for anodizing and been very impressed with how easy they are to dead center back up.

Lastly Hinderer customer service has been batting 1000 with my customers and I have to believe they are doing the same for everyone else. I feel confident if you buy from us or any other Authorized Hinderer dealer that either the dealer or Hinderer is 100% going to take care of you. So when you make your decision buy with confidence.

Make sure to chime back in and let us know what you decided on. Good luck!
 
halden.doerge said:
I have a whole thread in the "Tinkering" forum about my various Hinderers, how I've sharpened them, and added bronze washers to them. You might find it helpful.
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I replaced my MP-1 washers per this thread with phosphor bronze. I polished them with Flitz before installing and lubed with a light film of Slide Glide (preferred lube I use on most knives including Chris Reeves). I didn't notice any difference at first but after a lot of flipping for a few weeks I think it flips a little better but that could just be break-in. The swap might be worth it for someone that likes to tinker as I do but it's certainly not necessary.

This is my first and only Hinderer. I like it. I am a bit annoyed that Hinderer has no scales or backspacers for sale. I contacted them and was told backspacers should be for sale in the future but the message simply said scales are not available for purchase. It seems a bit silly for a knife with "modular" in the name that few options exist for mods.
 
My experience with RHK is limited to only two XM-18 3.5s, one spanto the other bowie. There are to me good reasons why these knives are priced at $400+. Fit and finish is absolutely top notch, ergonomics is no doubt among the best (BTW much better than CRK), dissembling is easy and the knives remain the same after being taken apart multiple times. They are truly bulit for tough and rough tasks so understandably they are not the best cutters for light weight cutting tasks (think about cutting wires vs fruits). Not sure how much it helps OP but I would like to share.

EDIT: obviously I managed to forget to mention the most important thing about Hinderer XM-18s: they are definitely among the most beautiful folders ever made (yes I know this is subjective).
 
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I have the Hinderer XM-18 3.5" Bowie. Before I bought it, I saw all sorts of youtube videos complaining about how this guy or that guy couldn't flip open his Hinderer like a ZT. But most of these videos were with older versions of the knives. I have a Gen 4 Bowie and it flips beautifully, albeit using a slightly modified way to engage the flipper. It's more of a push-down-light-switch style of engagement of the flipper tab versus a straight light switch engagement. But it flips open with ease a locks up solid. My Hinderer has the best lockup of any knife I own. It is tuned perfectly, ZERO lockstick, and he does this without the need for a lock-face insert. It is a design marvel. I too think the slicer grind is a more utilitarian grind versus the Bowie, but I like the point on my Bowie.
 
I just took delivery of my Hinderer Eklipse and already put a down payment on a XM-18 bowie. This is my first hinderer and I am just enamored by this knife. I was so blown away with how smooth the knife was, I didn't believe they were running on Teflon washers. The last knife I owned with Teflon washers was an Emerson CQC8. I personally was not happy with the Emerson knife and swore off Teflon...until I held a Hinderer.

Side note: held a Jurassic and it is a nice beefy knife. I wouldn't mind owning one, but it will have to wait until I pay off the XM18
 
Doughboywarrior said:
I just took delivery of my Hinderer Eklipse and already put a down payment on a XM-18 bowie. This is my first hinderer and I am just enamored by this knife. I was so blown away with how smooth the knife was, I didn't believe they were running on Teflon washers. The last knife I owned with Teflon washers was an Emerson CQC8. I personally was not happy with the Emerson knife and swore off Teflon...until I held a Hinderer.

Side note: held a Jurassic and it is a nice beefy knife. I wouldn't mind owning one, but it will have to wait until I pay off the XM18
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If I'm not mistaken Hinderers run on Teflon, whereas Emersons run on Nylatron - two completely different materials. But you are right, Hinderers are extremely well made and top notch quality!
 
TickTock said:
If I'm not mistaken Hinderers run on Teflon, whereas Emersons run on Nylatron - two completely different materials. But you are right, Hinderers are extremely well made and top notch quality!
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I stand corrected. I took apart my Emerson due to the grinding issues when deploying and assumed the washers were Teflon. You are correct, they are Nylatron. Basically, I ignorantly ruled out anything that did not have PB washers. Boy was I wrong
 
Doughboy said "Side note: held a Jurassic and it is a nice beefy knife. I wouldn't mind owning one, but it will have to wait until I pay off the XM18"

Okay, I have to know where you can 'pay off' a Hinderer. Is there an online store that lets you make payments? The price of these is a killer for me personally.
 
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