Looking to Buy My 1st Hinderer

Mad Mensch

Mad Mensch

Joined
Jan 25, 2015
Messages
74
Hi everyone,

After listening to a podcast interview with Rick Hinderer I've decided to make my next purchase an XM-18. I've never owned a Hinderer and I'm really new to knives in general; I actually just purchased my first "high-end" knife earlier this year and it's been downhill ever since! I'm not opposed to saving a few bucks and getting a pre-owned one however I do have a few questions that I'm hoping you guys/gals can answer for me so I can make a more informed decision.

I've been purchasing/collecting firearms for a while now and I remember wasting a lot of money on my first few purchases because I didn't stop to research or ask questions beforehand. Anyway, any advice is welcomed and appreciated. Questions below..

  1. I've seen brand new Hinderers around 450-500 online. Why are most used Hinderers on the exchange priced the same or higher?
  2. Are anodized or DLC coated Hinderers more expensive/sought-after?
  3. Are sterile blade Hinderers considered rare and therefore likely to be more expensive?
  4. Does Rick offer bead-blasted titanium frame gen 4 xm-18's or are they all stonewashed?
  5. Do gen 4's flip better out-of-the-box than gen 3's?

Thanks in advance!
 
  1. I've seen brand new Hinderers around 450-500 online. Why are most used Hinderers on the exchange priced the same or higher? It is a phenomomon called "supply and demand" and buyer awareness. Individuals and dealers can ask whatever price they like, it is a free market.
  2. Are anodized or DLC coated Hinderers more expensive/sought-after? They usually command a premium from Hinderer Knives and dealers and they are far less common so they typically command more then typical production XMs.
  3. Are sterile blade Hinderers considered rare and therefore likely to be more expensive? Rare? All XMs made after mid-2012 were marked via the laser, for the six years prior to that, they were basically sterile. The older knives probably don't exchange owners too frequently at this point, most of the active buying/selling is more current production.
  4. Does Rick offer bead-blasted titanium frame gen 4 xm-18's or are they all stonewashed? Bead blast, sand blast and working finish all exist but far less common than stonewashed.
  5. Do gen 4's flip better out-of-the-box than gen 3's? Beginning in approximately January 2015, the detent of the knives was made stronger which resulted in people being more easily able to "flip" them at the expense of thumbstud deployment. It isn't specifically tied to a generational change as it was done mid Gen 4 3.5" and Gen 3 3".

You should read through this thread as well:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...s-Generations-History-and-General-Information
 
RDA said:
  1. I've seen brand new Hinderers around 450-500 online. Why are most used Hinderers on the exchange priced the same or higher? It is a phenomomon called "supply and demand" and buyer awareness. Individuals and dealers can ask whatever price they like, it is a free market.
  2. Are anodized or DLC coated Hinderers more expensive/sought-after? They usually command a premium from Hinderer Knives and dealers and they are far less common so they typically command more then typical production XMs.
  3. Are sterile blade Hinderers considered rare and therefore likely to be more expensive? Rare? All XMs made after mid-2012 were marked via the laser, for the six years prior to that, they were basically sterile. The older knives probably don't exchange owners too frequently at this point, most of the active buying/selling is more current production.
  4. Does Rick offer bead-blasted titanium frame gen 4 xm-18's or are they all stonewashed? Bead blast, sand blast and working finish all exist but far less common than stonewashed.
  5. Do gen 4's flip better out-of-the-box than gen 3's? Beginning in approximately January 2015, the detent of the knives was made stronger which resulted in people being more easily able to "flip" them at the expense of thumbstud deployment. It isn't specifically tied to a generational change as it was done mid Gen 4 3.5" and Gen 3 3".

You should read through this thread as well:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...s-Generations-History-and-General-Information
Click to expand...

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. That was very informative.

BTW I did read that thread you linked however there was no information on various titanium finishes or coatings at all. Also regarding the sterile blade, according to that same thread even the Gen 1's had "Hinderer" engraved on the blade so that would not count as sterile in my opinion.
 
Adding to the Discussion.... Your motivation in acquiring your first Hinderer after watching Rick is understandable. Based on that desire, I believe you will be very happy with whatever you find that fits your needs and budget.
Certainly Blade Profile, Finish and Size are considerations.
After the reading you completed you have an idea of what is "out there".
Factor in your individual likes and EDC comfort level and you can narrow the choices down, we certainly can offer input.....
Rubi
 
Mad Mensch said:
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. That was very informative.

BTW I did read that thread you linked however there was no information on various titanium finishes or coatings at all. Also regarding the sterile blade, according to that same thread even the Gen 1's had "Hinderer" engraved on the blade so that would not count as sterile in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Actually, there is some information in that link on finishes as follows:

What is the difference between stonewashing (tumbling), working finish, and blasting? There are a variety of surface finishes used on XMs as follows:

  • Stonewashing is one of the more common treatments, it consists of tumbling the metal parts with ceramic media to impart random scratches
  • The working finish results when they take a ground or tumbled part, it is then sand blasted and then tumbled with ceramic media for a short period resulting in a hybrid blasted/tumbled finish.
  • Blasting can either be sand or bead, sand blast is coarser and generally appears darker while the bead blast is smoother and more matte.
  • Satin / Hand Rubbed results when the blade is hand ground by Rick and the flats (either blade and/or Ti lockside) are hand rubbed.

Good luck on your first Hinderer.
 
Just got my first xm18 skinner 3.5
From this forum only had it for 30 mins but I love it. It's like new not even broken in yet.
Got a great deal keep looking in the for sale thread.
 
Like the original post I am looking also for my first. What blade type do most people use? I will be getting the 3" version. Spanto,slicer or the wharncliffe?
 
MreeceC said:
Like the original post I am looking also for my first. What blade type do most people use? I will be getting the 3" version. Spanto,slicer or the wharncliffe?
Click to expand...

Most? Probably the Spanto. That is probably for a variety of reasons not the least of which It's the most tenured of the three(3) you listed.
As for personal preference, that would depend on the person and their tastes and/or needs.
Spanto may be considered "more" sturdy although the Slicer is plenty sturdy so is the Wharnie cept' for the pointy tip which I find useful and not particularly vulnerable. No knife likes to be dropped but..... If I had to choose one to drop it might not be my Wharnie.
Can't go wrong with any of them and what's more..... once you get your "First" you'll end up with the others anyway :)
 
RubiconSS said:
Most? Probably the Spanto. That is probably for a variety of reasons not the least of which It's the most tenured of the three(3) you listed.
As for personal preference, that would depend on the person and their tastes and/or needs.
Spanto may be considered "more" sturdy although the Slicer is plenty sturdy so is the Wharnie cept' for the pointy tip which I find useful and not particularly vulnerable. No knife likes to be dropped but..... If I had to choose one to drop it might not be my Wharnie.
Can't go wrong with any of them and what's more..... once you get your "First" you'll end up with the others anyway :)
Click to expand...



Seems to be easy to come by wharncliffe but not so much the others. I like the look of the wharncliffe. I might hold out a little longer for a spanto. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
 
I just got a 3" Wharncliffe. I like this blade for my EDC tasks. It will do everything I need it to do & more. I too was thinking of waiting for a slicer or spearpoint (?), but grabbed the wharnie.
This is my first Hinderer. The detent is pretty strong. I was wondering if that eases up after breaking in.
 
pmek5 said:
I just got a 3" Wharncliffe. I like this blade for my EDC tasks. It will do everything I need it to do & more. I too was thinking of waiting for a slicer or spearpoint (?), but grabbed the wharnie.
This is my first Hinderer. The detent is pretty strong. I was wondering if that eases up after breaking in.
Click to expand...

Several things happen, it probably does but so does your finger and technique gets better.... It's as if You and the Knife get to know each other.
My index finger was a little sore at first - not anymore.
 
RubiconSS said:
Several things happen, it probably does but so does your finger and technique gets better.... It's as if You and the Knife get to know each other.
My index finger was a little sore at first - not anymore.
Click to expand...

Your correct; I am learning that there is technique. The 3" size probably requires a little more technique than the 3.5" due to its size. I have read to be patient with normal break-in. I don't know why everyone feels they need to take apart their brand new XM and clean it.
Sorry, don't mean to hijack the this thread.
 
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