Hinderer XM18 3.5 vs SNG vs CRK Ummmnum

LMT66

LMT66

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Hinderer XM-18 3.5 vs SNG vs CRK Ummmnum

I'm looking to dive into a quality folder and could use some input from those that have handled these.

I've had a Strider SNG and loved it. Fit my hand perfect and carried well in my pocket. I'd be happy with another one but...............

I have never handled either of the other two in the Title.

Any thought anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.
 
My vote is for the XM18. It is tank tough and very smooth. If I had to pick only one folder it would be the XM18! Good Luck. Kevin:D
 
I sold my SNG to help pay for an XM from Rick. If I needed a folder to do ANYTHING without a second thought, the XM was it... as an EDC, the SNG sliced better due to the FFG, but I felt the fit and finish on the XM was much better. I have not had an umnum, but I never regretted selling the SNG to get the XM... if you want a knife for slicing, grab a cheap FFG spyderco... the XM is a tank, super comfortable, and smooooth as butta. My .02
 
Agreed - I owned the XM-18 and SnG and handled the Umnum.

Go with the XM-18 if you can find one.
 
If anyone has side by side, side and top pictures, would be greatly appreciated.

The XM looks to have a really thick handle compared to the other two. I base this only on photo's i've seen. Does it carry well in the pocket or is it better off in a sheath?

On the Hinderer, any input on the pro's and cons of the flipper would help.
 
My honest take is that the XM-18 is superior to the other two.

I've owned two Umnumzaans on two seperate occassions and just never really enjoyed the way they felt in my hand. No chamferring on the lock bar so it was a little rough on the thumb. I couldn't get over the fact that the blade was locking up on a small ceramic ball. Also, I wasn't a fan of the rubber O-rings on the studs as they started to wear and become rather loose. If I was going to go CRK I'd by a Sebenza. I still own my Sebenzas, but the Umnumzaans have moved on.

After owning a regular SnG and then a Tanto SnG CC and not liking either. The blade on the tanto wouldn't get sharp and I didn't like the way the boxy regular SnG handle felt. Also, the lock stuck so bad on the regular SnG that sometimes two hands were needed to unlock the knife. I finally found an SnG CC drop point that I liked enough to keep. Funny enough that I trade an Umnumzaan for this SnG CC. The blade was messed up on it though and it needed to be completely reprofiled. After that was done this knife was definitely to my liking. I'm not a huge fan of a solid G-10 non locking side. I'd rather see a Ti liner with a G-10 slab, but even so it's a solid knife.

I owned a Gen. III XM-18 and I loved it straight out of the baggie. It was nice and sharp, no lockup issues, smooth opening, felt good in the hand, and just overall was a fantastic knife feel wise and looks wise. I owned it for about 7 months and then traded it for my first Yuna, which is just awesome and I love it. Eventually, I found another XM-18 at a pretty darn good price, but this one was a Gen. I model that had a Gen. II full liner and scale attached, but came with the original patial liner and scale. This one won't be going anywhere. Again, smooth opening, excellent lockup with no issues, super sharp blade, excellent feel in the hand, and a beautiful satin hand grind to boot.

If I had to choose between the three and all three were readily available I would without a doubt choose the XM-18.

For your new question's I didn't see. I'm not 100% sure, but I think that the regular SnG handle is just as thick if not thicker than the XM-18's. About the flipper. I had a flipper on my Gen. III XM-18 and I liked it, but even after months of opening and closing the knife still wouldn't flip without some wrist action. The Gen. 1 I have now has no flipper and I like the way it feels better when I choke up to use the choil. Without the flipper it offers a little more room for your finger. BUT, the flipper does offer a guard when not choked up so that your finger can't slip over the blade. Also, when the knife has the flipper it's not as easy to use the thumbstuds.
 
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hope this helps
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Wow! So much info in such a short time!

Thank you and keep it coming!
 
Striders are really easy to maintain. Use them, wash them with water, a little WD40 and it's good to go again. Most people don't even use any type of lube in it. How does the XM-18 compare?
 
I've had all three as well, but currently only own the Umnum. IMO, the XM is the best of the three if you can get one for a decent price. The 3rd gen. aren't worth the asking prices($500+) on the secondary market, but are a steal at the MSRP. IMO, the XM is worth around $450-$500, theSnG is worth somewhat less than the MSRP, while the Umnum is probably right about where it should be, pricewise. F&F is equal on the CRK and XM, while the SnG is a notch(or two) behind. My tanto Umnum was by far, the sharpest knife I've out of the three(and possibly the sharpest knife I've yet to own out of the box). The XM felt the most substantial, but I found the Umnum more comfortable in my hand. That being said, I've carried a Sebenza for over 4 years as my EDC, so that makes sense the similar ergos of the Umnum would feel better to me. I would consider the tanto SnG to have a blade that would be the most stout of the three, but in contrast, I'd also consider the drop point version of the SnG to be the least stout if that's the version you're looking at. There's no doubt the XM has a lot more "wow" to it as is likely quite a bit more exclusive, but I imagine the tanto version of the Umnum is very limited as well. I found the cut-out on the XM to be thinner than I'd like, but I also found the same thing with the SnG. Neither appeared to be an issue, but I just figure why not leave more metal there if possible? The bearing on the Umnum leaves me wondering if it's gonna stand up for the long haul, but I figure Mr. Reeve knows exactly what he's doing, so I doubt it will ever be an issue
If you could get the XM, I'd go for it, as the other two are much easier to come by, but not if it costs you a hefty secondary market price-tag. I don't really think any one of the three clearly outshines the other two in terms of real world use, but that's just me.Hope that helps and doesn't leave you more confused. :thumbup:
 
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Can I ask what you will be using the knife for? That will make a huge difference. Aside from the quality folder part (as all three fit that bill.) What do you find to be most important in a folder?
 
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oh yeah striders and hinderers dont like lots of or any lube!! they like it raw lol!! you will end up getting all three in time anyway ;)
 
I have a SnG and a 3.5" gen 3 XM-18. The XM-18 has better FF and is suupppeer smooth but is noticably thicker in the hand, it is also heavier. The SnG is lighter/thinner and cuts better due to the FFG. I also really like the hole on the SnG vs the thumbstuds. The XM has the slight edge on overall toughness but I highly doubt you'll break anything on the SnG as it is already super overbuilt anyway. I really like the large choil on the Sng also.

To be honest I don't like one or the other "more". I carry both and switch off between the two every other day or so.

Today I gave both of them a little torture test and stabbed them both through a old laptop screen. That screen is a lot harder than you might think! I only got pics of the SnG stuck in the screen since the thicker spanto tip and heavier weight of the XM wouldn't allow it to stick. I would post them but it seems ever since my gold member ran out and I went back to a registered user that, that privlage has been removed. Both knives suffered a pretty blunted tip. I fixed up the SnG today and will do the XM tommarow. Other than the blunted tip neither knife suffered any damage.

I like them both for different yet similar reasons (if that makes sense). Just get both!:D
 
I have all three and they're all great in different ways. Umnumzaan is great for slicing. I love the way the SnG feels in hand and it's also very sharp and the lightest I think. The XM-18 is awesome, but I haven't been able to get it nearly as sharp as the other two yet. I have the flipper and it feels very solid when it locks open. The Umnumzaan carries the easiest, then the XM, then SnG last but I carried it the most. The XM would be the last knife I would sell due to how hard it is to get one at a reasonable price. I've been carrying a DGG SMF for the last couple of weeks and I like it a lot. It's a lot of knife in a light , thin package.
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Vids are done but will take foreveeeeeeeeer to upload, because I just got it like that :grumpy:
 
I have all three and rotate a 3rd gen (scored as MSRP) XM18, a Strider FNH SnG and honestly love them both. I like the slim profile of the CC SnG, but the XM18 is more like a block lego style SnG in width and weight. The Hinderer is slightly heavier than the SnG. The CRK Ummy is very nice, but the all Ti handles do nothing for me. If it was decorated Ti or something, I would like it more.

Also, the fact I don't like bead blasted finishes is a big detraction on the Ummy. The nice thing about the SnG is that when you get one, you have no reservations about using it hard. Strider backs thier knives and so does Hinderer, but Striders almost beg to be beaten on. I would rate them this way....

XM-18 > Standard Lego SnG
CC SnG = XM18
CC SnG > CRK Ummy
CRK Ummy >= Lego SnG

Also, one thing to note is the frame lock setup on the XM-18 is by far the best I have ever seen. Every one of them locks up fantastic. Sometimes the SnG can be a hit or miss and that causes every single miss to end up being ranted about on a forum somewhere.
 
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