Hinderer XM-18 Problems...PLEASE HELP!!!

T

thk2009

Joined
Nov 24, 2009
Messages
3
Hello,

I am new to this site, but I was hoping that some of the veterans might be able to help me out with a problem. I do not know a great deal about knives, so please bear with me.

Two weeks ago, I bought a Hinderer XM-18 for my younger brother who is a firefighter. I saved up all summer to get the knife for him for Christmas, and after hearing him talking about the XM-18 for months, I was crazy excited at my luck in having Rick send me a brand new one for the list price.

Maybe it is because of the way my brother talked about the knife, the hype the knife commanded in the forums, or the insane cost of the knife, but I was expecting a lot. However, when I finally got the knife I was completely let down.

Right off the bat I noticed the flipper was very very stiff and not that smooth and that the blade was fairly dull (I had to use a sawing motion to cut through paper without tearing it). I emailed Rick immediately with these two issues (asking him if I needed to oil the pivot and what is best to sharpen the blade) and I got a response back a few days later. He said that the blade was suppose to be stiff and the flipper required a certain technique to open the blade fully. The pivot he said, did not need oil. He also said that the blade was not suppose to be really really sharp because it was a hard use knife.

Like I said before, I don't know a lot about knives, but I have a Buck/strider that I bought at walmart and it will easily cut through paper (even a year later without sharpening) and my brother's crkt flipper flips right open when i use it. Both of those knives look like hard use knives to me. I finally broke down and put a little oil in the pivot as well as loosened the pivot ever so slightly (I fabricated my own spanner tool which I am giving my brother for Christmas as well) and it opens smoother now, although not as smooth as his crkt.

From what I have read from scouring the web, everyone seems to love their xm-18. Everyone has said how sharp it is, how excellent the fit and finish is and the videos show a extremely smooth opening, so I feel a bit crazy saying anything to the contrary.

Maybe it is that I am just ignorant when it comes to the expensive knife world and I am actually worrying about nothing, but I spent a lot of hard earned money on that knife and I want to make sure it wasn't spent in vain. Has anyone else had any of these "issues" with this knife?

Please help me....even if it is only to tell me I don't know what I am talking about and not to worry about it!

Many Thanks and Best Regards,
Tyler
 
When one spends X amount of dollars on a knife, they usually know what they're getting, or expect to get from it.
XM-18's do not have the finest cutting edge, they arent really for cutting paper.

The Pivot will smooth out.

If you're new to knives, the 'amount' you've spent might be regretable in terms of what you recieve.
 
This thread may require popcorn. The jury is still out.

My advice would be to break in the flipper on the couch and sharpen the knife, but again, I don't spend that kind of coin on knives.
 
yeah, break it in. mine was very stiff when I got it, and now it's the smoothest knife I've ever owned, by far. mine's a non-flipper so I can't comment on the flipper.
 
If you decide he won't like it or decide you want your money back you could easily sell it and make your money back no problem. The resale on those is astronomical.
 
Yes, it ahs a fairly obtuse edge so its not really a slicer.

And yes you need a wrist flip to open it via flipper, one it a haveay blade, two its brand new and stiff, three Rick sends em out so that they can not be easily flipped open by inertia to prevent them from being conficated by an over zealous and jealous cop'er.

Give it some time it will grow on ya!
 
i think you just need to start using your knife...you are going to use it, aren't you?...mr. rick told you straight out it's a hard use knife...
 
First of:

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

Now, the XM18 is a great knife and the price you paid for it directly from Rick is great, they can sell between $500 $600 etc because of the huge demand (Rember Rick makes everything himself on the XM18, Including screws etc). Those knives are designed to smooth out over time. Chris Reeve Sebenzas, Striders all smooth out with use. The sharpness is a not an issue. One just sharpens it.

It is a Christmas gift for your brother and he has not shut up about it. He will be ever grateful! Just explain that it will smooth out over time. It was designed to be like that.
 
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I've owned a Gen 3 flipper, a Gen 2 flipper and I currently own a Gen 3 non-flipper so I have a little experience with these.

Regarding the edge: It can get sharp enough just fine. The thick grind does not interfere at all with being able to slice paper. I can pushcut newspaper, shave arm hair without touching the skin and whittle hair with no problem with my XM-18. I was able to do it with all of my XM-18s. I'm a bit surprised that Rick would make it seem like they can't get that sharp. All of my XM-18s have been able to get waaaay past slicing paper sharp. That being said, your brother's knife only needs a good sharpening. Of the 3 that I've owned, only one of them came directly from Rick and that was plenty sharp. It went through paper effortlessly. Just today I compared how much resistance I would feel in slicing through cardboard with my XM-18 and my Case Wharncliffe Trapper that I reprofiled for a thinner edge. The difference was noticeable but negligible. The XM-18 can slice just fine.

About the flipper: There is a technique to it. It will not flip like a lot of other flipper knives. It does take some getting used to. I have had to loosen the pivot on them to get them to flip without wrist action so you may need to play with that. Just make sure that it's not so loose that the blade starts to make contact with the non locking side of the frame. I ended up preferring that the pivot was a little tight so I just gave a little wrist action with the flipper. That's not a biggie to me. It may bother others.

Other than that, your knife sounds fine. Get it sharpened, loosen the pivot a little and practice flipping it open until you get the hang of it. Hope this helps and welcome to the forums:).
 
thk2009 said:
Like I said before, I don't know a lot about knives, but I have a Buck/strider that I bought at walmart and it will easily cut through paper (even a year later without sharpening) and my brother's crkt flipper flips right open when i use it.
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Really? How much you want for it? Sounds like it must use some super super super steel if it's still sharp after a year of use with no sharpening. :rolleyes:
 
Welcome to Bladeforums!

For someone who doesn't know a lot about knives, sharpening is an arcane art. It gets easier with time and experience, and good tools. I suggest you ask on our Maintenance, Tinkering & Embellishment forum how you might get an edge on that.

Turning it over to a self-proclaimed expert in a knife shop could ruin the blade. Some are good, some are totally unsuited for sharpening fine cutlery.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Turning it over to a self-proclaimed expert in a knife shop could ruin the blade. Some are good, some are totally unsuited for sharpening fine cutlery.
Click to expand...

Thats what would worry me, I would either sharpen it myself or have someone do it that you KNOW can sharpen a blade. I would never turn over my knife to a stranger to sharpen, let alone an XM-18. :eek:
 
Hey man, welcome. If your brother has been talking about this knife then give it to him with no hesitation and he will literally jump out of his skin with thanks. Seriously...if he knows this knife then he will lose his mind to own one, and you may want to take a mask and snorkel or he will drown you with tears of thanks and love. Things like the sharpness and flipper action will not even enter into his mind, especially since a $10 Walmart knife will flip and cut paper fine and a Hinderer clearly is superior by several million percent.

I gave my brother a Spyderco Caly3 for two bdays and Xmas all rolled into one a couple of weeks ago and I got teary eyed with the experience, and he only knew about the knife in the first place because of me!

The knife is a Ferrari on a sugar high, so don't worry about your pangs of buyers remorse---it is surely cool. The only catch is that you have to report back and tell us all how it went. Enjoy :thumbup::thumbup:
 
marthinus said:
First of:

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

Now, the XM18 is a great knife and the price you paid for it directly from Rick is great, they can sell between $500 $600 etc because of the huge demand (Rember Rick makes everything himself on the XM18, Including screws etc). Those knives are designed to smooth out over time. Chris Reeve Sebenzas, Striders all smooth out with use. The sharpness is a not an issue. One just sharpens it.

It is a Christmas gift for your brother and he has not shut up about it. He will be ever grateful! Just explain that it will smooth out over time. It was designed to be like that.
Click to expand...
:thumbup: +1
 
Even though, i wouldn´t pay that much on a knife, it still is a christmas gift and your brother seems to know, what he is talking about.

If you buy a Hinderer, you were not looking for the sharpest blade, ever made. But, the grade of sharpness is something, the user can put on, as desired.

Keep the knfe as it is.
 
Krein is a good option if you don't want to sharpen it yourself. Forgot to say in my other post, your one hell of a brother. I bet your brother will be super stoked to recieve that as a gift.
 
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