Other brands smooth as Hinderer

NotSoSharpBob

NotSoSharpBob

Joined
Mar 26, 2009
Messages
255
I bought my first Hinderer a little while ago, a standard XM-18. I haven't done any embellishing but I did brave up, take it apart, polished everything and put it back together. It wasn't rough before but wow what a different that little bit of tuning did. It is now by far the smoothest knife I own. The only thing I don't like about it is it's a heavy knife in comparison to what I normally carry. Clipping to my lighter weight cargo pants is sloppy due to it's weight.

I also have the ZT brand that looks very similar to the Hinderer and the weight is about the same.

Are there other brands that are as smooth as the Hinderer but maybe a little lighter duty and weight? I have some of the $200+ Benchmades but IMHO there is no comparison, but the XM-18 is way north of $200 so I can understand why the Hinderer excels.

Thanks for any recommendations.
 
For me no one brand is smoother than another and it really comes down to the various factors of individual knives. Any frame or liner lock will be smoother with a satin finish rather than a stonewash, acid wash or bead blast. But many blade coatings can make a knife very smooth as well as many coatings are slick. The perceived smoothness has less to do with the pivot or maker and more with the detent ball material, its size and the finish of the blade.
 
Smoothest knife I have, is a 50 dollar plastic washer, CRKT Eraser. Thing opens and closes like it's riding on greased glass.
 
Blues Bender said:
In order to make a correct comparison, you will need to define "smooth" more precisely...
Click to expand...

Sorry I probably could have been more clear. Smooth to me is I can feel a very consistent and light resistance in the pivot when opening and closing the knife. I understand the amount of resistance is adjustable by tightening the pivot point and I have this loose to the point of just before blade play.
 
NotSoSharpBob said:
Sorry I probably could have been more clear. Smooth to me is I can feel a very consistent and light resistance in the pivot when opening and closing the knife. I understand the amount of resistance is adjustable by tightening the pivot point and I have this loose to the point of just before blade play.
Click to expand...

You are most likely feeling the detent sliding against the blade tang. What Purple said is spot on, and many knives can be tweaked to make the blade fall closed freely.

Don't spend more money for "smoothness", you'll just be throwing your money down the drain.
 
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