I'm sure either one will make a great choice. I look forward to seeing your pictures and hearing your thoughts once you get your Rockstead.
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Hinderer disappointments lead me to a surprising knife
- Thread starter Heartland_edc
- Start date
I'm sure either one will make a great choice. I look forward to seeing your pictures and hearing your thoughts once you get your Rockstead.
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2015
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- 842
My ONLY gripe with Hinderer is this:
Directly from Rick Hinderer Knives website - ***A side note for those of you who cant flip your knife open to your liking, this is not a warranty or service issue. There are plenty of threads on the subject in our online forums at bladeforums.com and usualsuspects.net as well as youtube videos that can help you. Oil, pivot adjustments, and technique is where you will find your answers .The same goes for blade centering, lots of threads and info on the forums to help you out
I don't mind that they state it is not a warranty or service issue, in fact...thanks for "clarity"...but if it's that much of an issue, put up some videos, an FAQ, or a quick "How To" so new customers and frustrated ones can quickly troubleshoot. That kind of messaging just says, "sorry bud...you're on your own.".
Rant aside, I've owned Hinderers that can flip with the best of them and I've owned "stronger detent" Gen. 4s that have opened in my pocket while walking. ZTs...centering is always on point as is action and their customer service is AMAZING.
IF you find a great Hinderer. Keep it. I still regret letting go of that "perfect" XM-18. The other XM-18s I have received didn't fire on all cylinders (poor flipping, obnoxiously early lockup, weak detent, horrible centering, etc.).
Directly from Rick Hinderer Knives website - ***A side note for those of you who cant flip your knife open to your liking, this is not a warranty or service issue. There are plenty of threads on the subject in our online forums at bladeforums.com and usualsuspects.net as well as youtube videos that can help you. Oil, pivot adjustments, and technique is where you will find your answers .The same goes for blade centering, lots of threads and info on the forums to help you out
I don't mind that they state it is not a warranty or service issue, in fact...thanks for "clarity"...but if it's that much of an issue, put up some videos, an FAQ, or a quick "How To" so new customers and frustrated ones can quickly troubleshoot. That kind of messaging just says, "sorry bud...you're on your own.".
Rant aside, I've owned Hinderers that can flip with the best of them and I've owned "stronger detent" Gen. 4s that have opened in my pocket while walking. ZTs...centering is always on point as is action and their customer service is AMAZING.
IF you find a great Hinderer. Keep it. I still regret letting go of that "perfect" XM-18. The other XM-18s I have received didn't fire on all cylinders (poor flipping, obnoxiously early lockup, weak detent, horrible centering, etc.).
I like my xm18 3.5 better than my 560. It just feels better to me in hand and seems more solid. I like the feel of my 551 better than my 560, but the 551 has recurrent lock rock , even after only light use following a return to the company to correct the problem. The quality of my Hinderer seems to be very close to that of my CRK. Very close.
I don t know what my next grail is.
I don t know what my next grail is.
All of this. I have an XM-18 and love it. But yeah, don't treat me like an idiot for buying your knife.
Wow, this is a terrible way to handle the situation. We sell a great product but if you wish to use it the way it was designed then you'll need to go elsewhere to learn what adjustments are necessary and then apply them on your own.
Also I don't find any product that tempting when you might have to purchase multiples before you find one that works.
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- Apr 21, 2015
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ain't that the truth!
after owning multiple Hinderers I think I finally found two that are perfect for me. Most of the ones I've own that I didn't like were 3" flippers with super weak detents - I mean weak to the point it barely held the blade closed....and I mean barely. I've owned/sold 2 or 3 of those.
Now I have two Hinderers that I'm really happy with. A 3" XM-18 slicer with a weaker detent - but on this one it's awesome because it's a non flipper. On that knife it's perfect!
I also have a newer gen 3.5" XM-18 Skinner and believe it or not, out of the box it had a detent that was borderline too strong. I'm not kidding... it's breaking in nicely, but still - if I accidentally push on the lock bar while taking out of my pocket or it I apply ANY pressure on the lock boar while opening it - it won't open.
I wasn't super happy with the cutting performance of the skinner so I had Josh work his magic on my blade. It's amazing now..
[video=youtube;psQ1l_WTN_I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psQ1l_WTN_I[/video]
I still think my ZT 0562CF is a better flipper - maybe it's because the flipper tab is smoother? The tab on my 3.5" XM-18 is so damn sharp that it feels like it could cut my finger if I'm not careful.
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- Feb 4, 2014
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- 305
Sometimes the product/movie/girl whatever, can never match the anticipation and the expectation that we can all generate for certain things. You can defiantly over hype things to the point where the actual thing can never live up to what you have imagined.
At the end of the day it's still just a knife. A great knife but it's not life changing or anything. I had the opposite experience of you. Had a few ZTs and the hinderer blew them away in all categories. I LOVE my hinderer.
At the end of the day it's still just a knife. A great knife but it's not life changing or anything. I had the opposite experience of you. Had a few ZTs and the hinderer blew them away in all categories. I LOVE my hinderer.
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- Apr 22, 2014
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Sorry, my OCD was off the charts
Thx for the paragraphs blues.
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- May 24, 2014
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- 596
This is a great thread! It's funny how we "knife lovers" have different perspectives and feelings for different knives. I totally get where the OP is coming from, I've gone through a similar arc in my knife journey. I got the Hinderer bug a couple of years ago and picked up a couple of used XM-18s when the secondary market was ridiculously high. I bought a brand new slicer from an authorized dealer for $700! I loved the knife, but the weak detent and super early lock up (less than 5%) bothered me, so I didn't feel is was for me for the price. The used ones I bought were similar with early lockup and weak detents, so I ended up selling those too. I figured for the prices they were going for I could get 2 or 3 really nice knives and not worry about babying them. I bought a ZT566 and ZT550, both were excellent as far as fit and finish, but they just didn't feel as good as the XM-18 to me so I ended up selling them too. Fast forward a couple of years and brand new XMs are $425, I still had the urge for an XM and at that price I felt like it was worth is so I ordered an XM-18 Bowie. I love the Bowie blade, the thickness of the blade, the ergos of the handle, the perfect fit and finish of the hardware. To me the XM just feels perfect. This new XM has a really strong detent (almost too strong, it's killing my finger from constantly flipping it for the last week) but I'm not complaining cause I prefer that to the shake out the blade detent of the earlier models, and the lockup is around 40% which I prefer over super early. I love my ZTs, I recently picked up an 808 and a 450CF, the 450 is one of the smoothest and best flippers I've had and that includes everything from a Les George Eagle to a Curtiss F3. That being said, the ZTs are awesome, great ergos, outstanding fit and finish, perfect centering, honestly they feel a lot more expensive than they are but....... there's just something about the XM that I love too. I've sworn to myself that I'm gonna use the heck out of this new XM and just really enjoy it rather than letting it sit in my knife roll to keep it pristine, but then again I always say that about every knife I get until something else catches my eye! lol I'd just say to anyone who's daydreaming about getting their grail knife whether it be CRK, Strider,Hinderer, etc. you'll never know if it really is "your" grail knife until you get it in your hands.
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- Apr 21, 2015
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Yes and Yes
I also have a ZT 450 and I agree that it's one of the smoothest flippers I've ever own - actually all the smoothest flippers I own are from ZT. LOL
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- Jun 10, 2015
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I wouldn't say the ZT is a "hotter" knife, it's certainly more widely available and a much more affordable interpretation of the Hinderer that has all the modern bells and whistles that people expect in a knife more than hundred dollars. "Fancy" Bearings, Super Steel, Steel Insert, etc.
Hinderer and Emerson are classics. There isn't really a reason for them to evolve...but I am glad ZT's versions are "modern" interpretations.
Sometimes the bonds with our possessions are the result of shared experience, the same with people. I have an old Benchmade 970 that was carried, used, dropped, sharpened and disassembled countless times over 15 plus years and through three continents (in pre-911 days). Yep, it's pretty beat but still close to my heart. Maybe the Hinderer needed to be used as intended.
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- Jan 11, 2014
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I thought my 0562 was perfect until i felt a genuine XM-18 3.5 Slicer. I absolutely love my XM and its everything i hoped for. Strong detent (albeit slightly modded) makes it a rocket flipper while still being able to use thumb stud, 40% lockup, 15 DPS edge, and perfect centering. For me...perfect!
But hey, different strokes for different folks. Carry, use, and buy what you like. Who cares what anyone else thinks, right?
But hey, different strokes for different folks. Carry, use, and buy what you like. Who cares what anyone else thinks, right?
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- Feb 28, 2015
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Ive owned 2 Hinderer XM-18's and, for me, they were not worth the cost.
Don't get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with them, but for my milage, I didn't feel as though I had my moneys worth.
Ive never owned the ZT comparison.
The hinderer's are great knives, but $400+? Not to me. But I think I was in the same boat as you when I got them, the hype was high and expectations were high. When I felt them, they didnt feel like the quality I had built up in my head.
Don't get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with them, but for my milage, I didn't feel as though I had my moneys worth.
Ive never owned the ZT comparison.
The hinderer's are great knives, but $400+? Not to me. But I think I was in the same boat as you when I got them, the hype was high and expectations were high. When I felt them, they didnt feel like the quality I had built up in my head.
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- Jun 23, 2014
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I've owned 2 of the ZTs and found nothing wrong with them, I reluctantly sold my 0560, to help pay for my first Busse, a TGLB. I'll get another one someday. I've been eyeballing the Hinderers but think I might have to pass, I have something else in my sights on the higher end of knife purchasing.
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- May 4, 2015
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I'm so happy i'm not alone in this "searching for the feeling" thing. Glad to hear some of you have experienced the same type of thing, and I'm glad you guys have enjoyed my thread! Great reading about everyone's individual experiences.