First Hinderer arrived today

U

Ultrasport05

Joined
Oct 23, 2015
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67
I waited anxiously all weekend for my new XM-18 to arrive and it came today!

I was looking for ideas to casually pass my wife for Christmas:D: and I came across the ZT 0562cf. After watching many videos and reading review I knew I wanted it but it kept weighing on me that I still wanted a real XM-18 and no matter how many ZTs I got it would never satisfy the want so I said what the h*** and pulled the trigger on a XM.

Specs: 3.5in Spanto, stone washed scale and blade.

First impressions: The XM will split time with my ZT 0801 with the XM getting 80% of the pocket time. The biggest thing I noticed about the XM is that it doesn't hold a candle to my 0801 as far as flippers go. I know the XM needs to break in but I just don't see it ever being as good. That being said it doesn't bother me one bit. Nothing a small amount of wrist action can't fix. The XM feels smaller than it looks in the pictures but fits perfectly in my hand which I'd say are slightly larger than average. The grind on the Spanto blade is awesome and the stone washing is superb however it didn't come as sharp as I thought it would. Oh well easy fix

The XM like all of my knifes was bought to be used. I am in the military and I place high value on quality, value and durability. The XM has all of them. Everything even down to the hardware is high quality. I can tell I will never have to worry about this knife when I need it. I realized I didn't want to bring a bearing flipper (ZT0801) to the desert next time I go so that made it even easier to cough up the money for the XM. I will write a review when I get back with details on how it did. I intend to put "hard use" to the test.

In conclusion I would highly recommend a XM. For the majority of us, the price of admission on a Hinderer is a big pill to swallow and it wasn't easy for me to do it but I'm glad I finally took the plunge. Its reputation is well deserved and it's made in America by a relatively small outfit. To top it off it was designed by a first responder who still offers direct sales to military. There aren't many companies I'd rather give my hard earned money to. Do not let the negatives I wrote earlier deter you, they are just my opinion. I would say if you are just looking for a high quality edc or even a semi hard use blade, the ZTs would be a great option being they are half the price. The Hinderer fits my needs better and will require less maintenance when in the field which is a huge selling factor for me.

Sorry for the story book. I just wanted to share my thoughts incase anybody is on the fence about an XM.

Main points to take away:
1. The Hinderer oozes quality and is worth it despite the price
2. After finally getting the XM, I realized how great of a knife the ZT0801 is. Weird how that works
3. I need an XM-24 next:D
 

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Both are great knives. I think you will be very surprised when you break in your XM-18. They become addictive after you see what they can handle. The 24 I initially thought was too big, but now I carry a 24 skinner most days! It is an awesome beast!

Thank you for the post and most importantly your service!
 
whitty said:
Both are great knives. I think you will be very surprised when you break in your XM-18. They become addictive after you see what they can handle. The 24 I initially thought was too big, but now I carry a 24 skinner most days! It is an awesome beast!

Thank you for the post and most importantly your service!
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Im sure that will be the case. It makes me feel even better knowing that the knife will get better with age.

Ps, I almost bought a 3.5in spear point from you guys but I just happen to have found a Spanto for the same price and that's the grind I really wanted so I bought that. When you get a XM-24 Spanto in stock and I'll gladly be parted from more money haha. Unless my wife figures out what I'm up to and has me committed!

Wearing the uniform can be difficult some days but knowing there are still people that truly appreciate it makes those rough days much more bearable so thank you.
 
Glad you like the XM. You made a great choice. It will flip easier with time - mine took a lot of flipping while watching TV, but now it's great.

BTW, as others have said, thank you for your service!
 
Ultrasport05 said:
Im sure that will be the case. It makes me feel even better knowing that the knife will get better with age.

Ps, I almost bought a 3.5in spear point from you guys but I just happen to have found a Spanto for the same price and that's the grind I really wanted so I bought that. When you get a XM-24 Spanto in stock and I'll gladly be parted from more money haha. Unless my wife figures out what I'm up to and has me committed!

Wearing the uniform can be difficult some days but knowing there are still people that truly appreciate it makes those rough days much more bearable so thank you.
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No worries at all. If you are buying a Hinderer then the odds are very good you are supporting a good company. Glad you got what you wanted and are happy. I hope to see a follow up to this when the knife breaks in!
 
Once you learn to put your finger on the front, of the flipper and roll the blade out in a continuous motion, it will flip just fine. It's not a break free and pop out bearing flipper, like the ZT.
 
[video=youtube;1FqxxE5aVlY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FqxxE5aVlY[/video]

Once you get used to your Hinderer, you might be surprised that it not only flips great but, opens in ways your bearing flippers will never. That's my dad showing his skills with a 24.
 
The Hinderer tool is a must have. Most of my Hinderer's came with the pivot a touch too tight and needed a slight adjustment. The only draw back is the tool runs about $75.
 
jill jackson said:
Once you learn to put your finger on the front, of the flipper and roll the blade out in a continuous motion, it will flip just fine. It's not a break free and pop out bearing flipper, like the ZT.
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Yes that is something I will need to figure out. I watched that video you posted awhile ago. Very interesting. Like I said earlier I not worried that it's not the greatest flipper in the world. I didn't buy it for that. I need to tweak the pivot tightness and lube the washers and I'll see where it's at. Appreciate the responses.
 
DJC72 said:
The Hinderer tool is a must have. Most of my Hinderer's came with the pivot a touch too tight and needed a slight adjustment. The only draw back is the tool runs about $75.
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Yeah that's too much $$$ for me. I have a nice little screwdriver bit set that has all of the attachments that I'll need so I'm gonna stick with that.
 
Just cut a penny with a dremel (if you have one) to fit the unique pivot screw. Use another unmodified penny for the slotted screw side. Pre 1982 pennies are mostly copper and won't scratch the screws as much.
 
Nice buy op, you will appreciate your XM for years to come as I do mine. I've splurged on quality items my whole adult life and now have so many excellent tools, weapons, knives, toys, etc to enjoy everyday. I don't ever recall wishing I would have bought the cheaper model.
 
Bludgeon said:
Nice buy op, you will appreciate your XM for years to come as I do mine. I've splurged on quality items my whole adult life and now have so many excellent tools, weapons, knives, toys, etc to enjoy everyday. I don't ever recall wishing I would have bought the cheaper model.
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I agree quality is cheaper in the long run and I never have issues spending more money to get that quality.
 
Update. I put tuf glide on the washers and pivot and the knife flips way better now. Still isn't broken in yet either so I expect it'll get even better.
 
Recently got a XM18 myself and feel the same. Mine flips really well not like my 0562CF though.
 
scamero said:
Just cut a penny with a dremel (if you have one) to fit the unique pivot screw. Use another unmodified penny for the slotted screw side. Pre 1982 pennies are mostly copper and won't scratch the screws as much.
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Nice. I was going to suggest this as well. Has worked great for me.
 
Jill Jackson, I just tried that opening technique where you shake it out. That's cool.
 
Well, my second Hinderer arrived last night! An Eklipse. It has a medium detent and opens by all three methods. It is an equally awesome knife and that blade shape is just plain sexy! I've ordered a custom made scale for my XM - cf. I'm really excited about it and I will put up some pics as soon as it comes in and I install it on the knife. For the Eklipse, I ordered copper stand-offs. I'll put up pics of that as well once they are installed.

Overall, I have to say I'm really pleased with these knives. The quality, fit, and finish are spot on. I like them so much that it seems all my other knives have taken a back seat in the rotation with the XM now by primary edc. May be some knives coming on the exchange... ;)

I'd love to adorn them both with some SteelFlame crusader filler tabs, but those are rarer than unobtanium.
 
I'd love to get my hands on a smooth titanium scale for my XM...someday. I think the XM would be even better if it was full titanium
 
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