need help on XM-18

Joined
Nov 17, 2014
Messages
162
I have an XM-18 3" with spanto blade. The blade is touching and rubbing the middle standoff. I even have a small detent in the blade where it touches. Is there an adjustment I can make?
 
Is your pivot adjusted properly? Is your knife assembled correctly?
 
Is your pivot adjusted properly? Is your knife assembled correctly?

I don't know and I don't know. My obvious answer would be I think so but I don't know. You talking about the tightness on the pivot? That's the only adjustment I know of.
 
Ok, let's back up to what you do know. Did you buy the knife from Rick Hinderer Knives or someone else? Is it new? Have you ever disassembled it? When the knife is properly assembled there is no way that the blade can contact the standoff, the blade stop will not allow it.
 
I bought it second hand and I have never disassembled it. I'm thinking it must be the stop pin,but what???
 
Hmmm....first question.....is it a Gen 2 or a new Gen 3.......just wondering if it's a Gen 2 if the stop pin could have been somehow bent / damaged by the last owner......???

Second question......take your XM apart......are all the standoffs the same size or is it possible that the last owner accidentally put a 3.5 standoff(s) in by mistake.....compare them to the standoffs on your 3.5.....they should all be smaller.......and they should all fit onto the standoff posts precisely....... with ZERO movement/wiggle room......

If all the pieces are correct and it has been assembled properly......it should be physically impossible for what you are describing to happen.......
 
It's a gen 3. You helped me determine that :D. I think you may be on to something. They just might be 3.5 standoffs. I don't have a 3.5 to compare it to though. Let me ask you this... Should you be able to feel the standoffs at all when rubbing your finger along the spine of the knife? I can slightly feel mine.
 
OK...cool.....wasn't sure if it was the same one.....just checking......

Please excuse the crappy pics......they are meant to give you a visual.......the standoffs should basically be flush with the edges of the liner/scale and lockside......you should not be able to see them when looking straight across.......





That said......I've never tried putting 3.5 standoffs on a 3".......I assume it would look different......but that's really the only thing I can think of since the stop pin should make it impossible for your blade to make contact with the standoffs.......
 
That's basically what mine look like.
he-1.jpg
 
When my blade stops I can actually push it down and feel it hit the standoff. Probably goes down a 16th or 32nd of an inch.
 
Hmmmm......Mike is right......the stop pin would prevent your blade from going down any farther into the XM than it should.......but if you can push your blade down further after it's been closed........your blade is not making contact with the stop pin......

So the only thing I can think of is that the standoffs are possibly 3.5's and not 3".......I'm stumped........

Maybe Mike, Rubi or Rich have another idea......???
 
I had a 3" that did the same thing. I emailed Rob and mailed the knife in. They fixed it and mailed it back out in one day. It even came back sharper than before. I am not sure what the problem was (latest generation and bought direct) but they fixed it just fine.
I think it was the blade though, because the same standoff were left on the knife. I am guessing they re-ground the blade shorter or replaced it completely.
 
I had a 3" that did the same thing. I emailed Rob and mailed the knife in. They fixed it and mailed it back out in one day. It even came back sharper than before. I am not sure what the problem was (latest generation and bought direct) but they fixed it just fine.
I think it was the blade though, because the same standoff were left on the knife. I am guessing they re-ground the blade shorter or replaced it completely.

I may have to do the same thing. I just hate to have to send it in.
 
I think at this point you should probably get ahold of Rob Orlando at Rick Hinderer Knives.
rob@rickhindererknives.com
I'm not sure if he's working tomorrow or not but Monday for sure.
 
Last edited:
I find this interesting. As I read this thread, bells are going off. Ive had a tiny nick in the blade of my 3" spanto pretty much since a few days old. I bought direct in june '14. I just assumed it was from use as i am not easy on it. I touch her up on the sharpmaker, yet it just re-appears in the same spot. I just took a much closer look at the standoffs and there is a definite clearance issue. Ill be contacting Rob once everyone is settled from the holidays
 
Last edited:
I find this interesting. As I read this thread, bells are going off. Ive had a tiny nick in the blade of my 3" spanto pretty much since a few days old. I bought direct in june '14. I just assumed it was from use as i am not easy on it. I touch her up on the sharpmaker, yet it just re-appears in the same spot. I just took a much closer look at the standoffs and there is a definite clearance issue. Ill be contacting Rob once everyone is settled from the holidays

Shoot Rob an email. He told me to send mine in and they'd have a look. My dilemma now is...what to carry while it's out.:eek:
 
Back
Top