My "Razor Edged" Hinderer XM-18 Wharncliff 20CV Folder

[Gizler00]

This was inevitable man!! (Breaking that tip)

The design even out of the box is such a thin and sharp tip.
Add in the regrind, and the way you beat the hell out of a knife, and it becomes even more likeky that this was going to happen.

To be fair, Josh pointed this out before the regrind on mine, and because of this being a Wharncliff, there was really no option to leave more behind the edge at the tip like we did with my spearpoint SMF.

Don't feel too bad, I broke the tip on my El Patron, and that was in 3V!!

Easy fix, you did a perfect job, and now it will have much more behind it then it did before.
I don't think you will break it again, but hey, when you actually use a knife anything can happen!!

Totally right Alex!!

The broken tip was no ones fault but my own. There's also no doubt in my mind that the factory unground tip would have sustained the same damage.

If I break it again......I'll just do the same fix!! Ha.

Love this knife and the regrind!!!!!!!

I need to stop posting and start slicing!!!

 

[Gizler00]

Finally got around to doing a little food prep tonight. I was making a lunch for work tomorrow and ad a steak in the fridge that needed to be cooked.

While I was waiting for the steak to cook on the grill, I decided I wanted to make a steak salad and use some Banana peppers, and a green pepper that I had.



This thing now cuts like a LASER!!! Its crazy!!

I know that a wharncliffe style blade is not ideal for food prep because there really is no "belly" to the blade, but this thing it so sharp that I can slice everything up like Im using a razor utility knife!!

Here is how I made all my cuts. Not effort. Like cutting warm butter. In fact easier than that!



A few seconds of cutting and this is the result.



Now For the steak!




Again, Like a Freaking Laser! Effortlessly sliced the meat up like it was nothing!




The more I use this blade, The more I am totally impressed at the cutting ability that Josh has created here! Simply amazing! If anyone has any thought at all about getting a blade reground to make it a better cutter, please send it to Josh at REK!! I promise you that it will change your whole knife owning experience!

 

[ncrockclimb]

Not to hijack your thread too much, but it really is amazing how much a little regrind will do improve slicing ability. Josh reground one of my fixed blade knives, and the change in performance was nothing short of amazing. If you want to have work done to one of your blades, don't hesitate to contact Josh. His work is truly spectacular and he is a super nice guy.

 

[Bludgeon]

Maybe the blade was to thick to start with. Maybe tactical blades aren't that good at slicing and a sharp thin kitchen knife will do the same.

 

[JR88FAN]

Maybe the blade was to thick to start with. Maybe tactical blades aren't that good at slicing and a sharp thin kitchen knife will do the same.

Maybe if you read this thread, you would realize it was too thick of a blade, and that is why this thread is about a regrind...

Maybe when your out in the woods making lunch, you didn't bring your kitchen knives?

Maybe when you have two pockets with limited space you choose a knife that is the most versatile?

 

[Gizler00]

Maybe the blade was to thick to start with. Maybe tactical blades aren't that good at slicing and a sharp thin kitchen knife will do the same.

Maybe you should have read the entire thread. Maybe then you would have realized this thread was started to inform people about the benefits of a regrind.

Do you take kitchen knives with you to work, out hiking, on a motorcycle, or just have one around all the time when you need to cut up some lunch or dinner? Maybe I'm missing out on the benefits of that.

 

[REK Knives]

Maybe the blade was to thick to start with. Maybe tactical blades aren't that good at slicing and a sharp thin kitchen knife will do the same.

Yeah it was definitely too thick... When I checked it it was .040-.050" thick at the shoulders of the edge, and that was at 25 dps or so, not 15 dps like it is now. So it needed some major help hehe. Another RHK in the factory configuration I mic'd recently is running about .030" and up.

 

[vilePossum]

awesome pics and thanks for sharing. i am constantly amazed what people do with their knives (not in term of what they cut, though that is sometimes strange as well, but how they modify them).

 

[Gizler00]

Yeah it was definitely too thick... When I checked it it was .040-.050" thick at the shoulders of the edge, and that was at 25 dps or so, not 15 dps like it is now. So it needed some major help hehe. Another RHK in the factory configuration I mic'd recently is running about .030" and up.

I will be honest. I had my doubts about the ability to increase the cutting performance of this blade. It was very thick and did not cut very well at all. But after seeing Alex get some work done to his and seeing his results, i just had to try it out. So glad I did. I am now a believer of re-grinds for sure!!!

awesome pics and thanks for sharing. i am constantly amazed what people do with their knives (not in term of what they cut, though that is sometimes strange as well, but how they modify them).

Thanks man. Before this, you would have never seen me modify a blade unless it was for a repair. This is all new uncharted territory for me. But I really like the way its going so far.

 

[JR88FAN]

awesome pics and thanks for sharing. i am constantly amazed what people do with their knives (not in term of what they cut, though that is sometimes strange as well, but how they modify them).

I think the whole point of this is that we are trying to take knives we really love and make them better.....

It's a bit of trial and error for sure, but the results are shared, and it gives everyone a chance to see how these 'tactical' knives can perform with a much more optimal grind.

It's not that we don't think Strider's or RHK's are great out of the box, but their ability as slicers can be MUCH better, what we are trying to figure out is can we have the tough folders we love, and have them slice like lasers.....

 

[JR88FAN]

Yeah it was definitely too thick... When I checked it it was .040-.050" thick at the shoulders of the edge, and that was at 25 dps or so, not 15 dps like it is now. So it needed some major help hehe. Another RHK in the factory configuration I mic'd recently is running about .030" and up.

I hope that was a fat finger......18DPS?!

 

[Gizler00]

I hope that was a fat finger......18DPS?!

She was a thick one!

 

[REK Knives]

I hope that was a fat finger......18DPS?!

Haha yeah you are right, my bad. I set both of yours at 18 dps not 15, sorry about the typo!

 

[JR88FAN]

Haha yeah you are right, my bad. I set both of yours at 18 dps not 15, sorry about the typo!

All good man, I just didn't want to answer any questions from Mark...!!!

We should have had a side bet going on how long it would take him to chip off that tip!!
He did a wonderful fix on it though, and I am sure it will stay this time!!

 

[Gizler00]

All good man, I just didn't want to answer any questions from Mark...!!!

We should have had a side bet going on how long it would take him to chip off that tip!!
He did a wonderful fix on it though, and I am sure it will stay this time!!

Haha. I am really hard on my stuff. Practically everything I own sees some hard use at some point or another.

Thanks for the compliments on the repair!

 

[dr_fosg8]

Very cool re grinds on those wharnies guys! Recently got a 0562CF in trade that Josh has worked on. And to echo your thoughts, it cuts like a laser. The slicer grind finally living up to its name is the only way I can describe it. Even after it was too dull to shave leg hair it would still push cut copy paper!

 

[Gizler00]

Very cool re grinds on those wharnies guys! Recently got a 0562CF in trade that Josh has worked on. And to echo your thoughts, it cuts like a laser. The slicer grind finally living up to its name is the only way I can describe it. Even after it was too dull to shave leg hair it would still push cut copy paper!

That's great to hear!!

I have experienced the same thing. Will not shave hair, but push cut paper. Definitely like a laser!


PS: I just saw where you are from. I used to live in and teach in Naperville, IL. I was at Neuqua Valley High School.

 

[Gizler00]

Well, I am a few weeks in and have been using the XM-18 extensively as my only knife. I have used it for literally everything I can think of, And let em tell you................. its amazing!

Yesterday our Air Conditioning went out in our house, and the inside tempo was climbing up into the mid 80's even as the sun was going down. There is absolutely no air movement in our house due to the way the wind blows outside in relation to our house is situated.

Anyhow, I could only take so much and decided to fab up a little AC/swamp cooler unit from a cooler we have that my wife hates.

What better tool to use than the XM-18 right!!!!!!!!

This stuff is tough!




Didnt take very long. But the Lid is double walled, so it took some cutting on the inside as well.

This stuff is crazy thick. But much to my surprise the RHK has no issues whatsoever cutting through it. I mean literally slicer through like butter.



Final product to keep my boys room a little cooler.




So heres the deal!!!! I was for certain that I dulled the blade pretty good. I mean I was hammering through the plastic for a good 10 minutes............................STILL shaved hair on my arm afterwards!!!!!!!!

So I proceeded to cut up a few boxes and went to bed.

This morning at work, I had to dispose of a few more thick nasty cardboard boxes, so I put the RHK to work again!

This knife and regrind from Josh at REK just continues to amaze me and work wonders.

Here is a little paper test I performed just before typing this. Now keep in mind, I have not done anything to the blade after all this cutting. Crazy I tell you!!!





I know I have said it before, But SEND YOUR KNIVES TO JOSH!!! He will transform them into something you never thought they could be, and then then come back better than that!!!!!

As always, I will continue to pummel this thing every chance I get and report my findings for you guys to see.

Thanks for reading.

 

[JR88FAN]

A Shamless plug for Josh man!!!

It's well deserved.

I hate the term "Super Steel" but 20CV is deserving of that title for insane edge retention.

Nice to see you giving that thing a workout.....

 

[Gizler00]

A Shamless plug for Josh man!!!

It's well deserved.

I hate the term "Super Steel" but 20CV is deserving of that title for insane edge retention.

Nice to see you giving that thing a workout.....

Haha. I have to give credit where it's needed.

I love working this thing hard!