RJ Martin Overkill w/ CF Inlays or Rick Hinderer XM-18 3.5"

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I'd go with the Hinderer. I do like RJ Martin's designs though.
 
Depends on what you're looking for. The XM-18 flips open poorly compared to other flippers and RJ's stuff flips open better than most. The spanto tip doesn't cut very well but that's the trade off you're asking for for uber-toughness in the tip. The XM-18 is designed to take stress from most any scenario:
-The flipper can act as a safety in the off chance the lock fails
-The hinderer lock bar stabilizer is there to prevent over extending the lock when releasing it and to keep the lock bar in place when gripping hard
-The saber-hollow grind gives the strength of the stock thickness of the blade while also allowing a nice slicing ability
-The thumb-stud/stop pin is one piece and press fitted to allow added vertical and lateral security

The big reality is however, either of these knives will do anything you'll ask from a folder. The XM-18 over does it for the extreme scenarios LEO/Fire dept/ Military/etc folks might have to face. The Overkill will slice better and open faster/smoother and the XM-18 might provide a better peace of mind and/or coolness factor because of its added toughness.

I've carried an XM-18 for over 3 years now I think and I love it. I've never owned a Martin custom but every one I've played with has outstanding quality. Both have excellent fit and finish.
 
The Overkill for sure. I say this on the authority of having both.

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The XM-18 is more overbuilt, has swappable scales, feels better in hand, and has stonewashed titanium(you don't see much of those). And yet, despite all that, the Overkill fulfills the basic function of a knife better, and that is the ability to cut. Not saying that the XM-18 can't cut, just that it wouldn't be my first choice for cutting say, thick pieces of cardboard. I'd want a tool that doesn't necessitate me using both hands to muscle the knife through the material I'm cutting. The next thing is of course, the knife's performance as a flipper. The XM-18 requires a "technique" in order to flip it open, typically by pushing against the blade protrusion up first, and then rolling downwards to generate the force necessary to open it. That actually takes a little practice to get right, and wouldn't be my choice of opening under stress. This is because the knife doesn't have a strong detent(mine doesn't seem to have any detent at all).

If you're primarily after a high-end flipper, I wouldn't look to the XM-18 for that. The XM-18 is primarily a hard use tool(I don't want to call it a prying tool, but the thick tip and blade grind would suggest it). Since you're in Toronto, why not give Brian Tighe a look?

P.S.
I've got the S110V version:thumbup:.
 
You should keep in mind that the OP posted a link to a full custom XM-18. Those have a saber hollow grind as opposed to the saber flat we see on the gen 3 outsourced grinds. I've owned both and the hollow grind makes a difference in slicing ability. The Martins will slice better regardless, but it might not be appropriate to judge the hollow grind's slicing ability based on your experience of the the flat grind's performance.
 
Kaizen1 said:
You should keep in mind that the OP posted a link to a full custom XM-18. Those have a saber hollow grind as opposed to the saber flat we see on the gen 3 outsourced grinds. I've owned both and the hollow grind makes a difference in slicing ability. The Martins will slice better regardless, but it might not be appropriate to judge the hollow grind's slicing ability based on your experience of the the flat grind's performance.
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True, though the Overkill will ultimately slice better on account of the higher placed hollow grind and the slightly thinner blade. And unless I'm mistaken, the Overkill has 3/8" in additional blade length, along with the recurve(which may or may not complicate sharpening), giving it more cutting edge.

But I think the deal-breaker is that the Overkill is a dedicated flipper(with the Roller Thrust Bearings and extra strong detent put there for that purpose), whereas the XM-18 is not.
 
RJ Martin Overkill everyday and twice on Sunday. I like my XM-18's, but I love my RJ's. You can find Hinderer's for sale all day on the different forums, but the prices are absolutely ridiculous. RJ's, on the other hand, don't pop up everyday and considering that RJ isn't taking any new orders right now it may be difficult to find exactly what you want.

If it is a good flipper that you want then you don't want an XM-18. As others have said, it takes decent technique to get the XM to flip open quickly and smoothly on a consistent basis. With RJ's flippers you put a bit of pressure on the flipper and the blade rockets open.

You also have to take the different grinds and blade profiles into consideration. We all know that the Spanto grind is a little less slicer and little more muscle. It can take a beating for sure and the blade is pretty easy to sharpen. RJ's knives have a deep hollow grind with a recurve. Some folks stay away from the recurve due to fear of resharpening. Personally I find the recurve quite easy to sharpen with either a Spyderco Sharpmaker and some strops or the Edge Pro with 1/2" stones and then strops. RJ's knives also come insanely sharp so keeping a fine edge on it is pretty easy. Lately I find that I just have to strop the edge a bit to bring it back to insanely sharp.

There is a downside to the Overkill and that is that it can no be fully disassembled. There are two press fit pins in the backspacer holding the scales together. The blade can be removed as well as the Roller Thrust washers, but the slabs can not be taken apart. RJ distinctly states that if anything goes wrong with the knife you should ship it back to him instead of trying to fix it yourself. Cleaning is a breeze though. What I do is just spray the hell out of everything with WD-40, then I blow it all out with compressed air, and finally I add a drop or two of oil at the pivot. This cleans the knife nicely and keeps the action super smooth.

Blade size is also something you should look into. The XM-18 blade has a 3.5" blade with a bit over 3" of cutting edge due to the choil. The RJ Overkill has a 3.95" blade and the cutting edge is almost the full 3.95".
 
Tony8179 said:
RJ's, on the other hand, don't pop up everyday and considering that RJ isn't taking any new orders right now it may be difficult to find exactly what you want.
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I've been thinking about aquiring a Q-36. On RJ's site the Overkill and the Q-36 are listed seperately and they look like different knives.

I posted both terms in YouTube and I get the same knife in videos - the Overkill?? :confused:

Tony8179 or anyone else have a few of these and care to elaborate on a few pros or cons on these models please? I'm interested in balance, weight, blade thickness, ergos etc.. :)

Q-36

Overkill

Devastator
 
Overkill is full Ti and frame lock. Q-36 has liner lock and bolster handle. Both have the same blade design. Q-36 is the original. Overkill is a variant of the Q-36.
 
If you really want to go with a high end flipper. You need to look at a flipper with a IKBS system. Nothing else comes close in smoothness and speed.
 
never have a IKBS yet, but I'd say RJ's bearing system is the best so I had & (no offence) i remain in doubt if IKBS is substantially better than RJ's RTBS. maybe someone with both experience can do a comparison between them? I'd like to know.

I'd say overkill is perfect for a formal wear, don't have the Q36 so I can't comment on that, devastator is BIG, a full 4" blade! & you might want to be aware of its width if you don't like carrying large folders.
 
I wish I could afford all 4 of the knives he has available on his site right now. Tony 8179 said he's not taking orders anymore so maybe they're not available, but the order/quote button and prices are displayed.

Does RJ sell through any dealers where you might catch a slight break on prices? :confused:
 
Les Robertson is his dealer, but through him/2nd market, you'll be lucky to find one.

Usually tends to sell pretty fast
 
RJ Martin Overkill.
Why?
Because we don't see enough of those fantastic knives here. Those are some fine knives to be sure.
 
Seven1Niner said:
Overkill is full Ti and frame lock. Q-36 has liner lock and bolster handle. Both have the same blade design. Q-36 is the original. Overkill is a variant of the Q-36.
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This is right. The Q-36 has Ti liners and liner lock, Ti bolsters, and offered with different scale materials. The Overkill is Q-36 framelock. The Overkill can be customized with different inlays and blade steels. Because of all the Ti the Overkill is heavier than the Q-36, but I'd have to weigh the two to give you the difference. I believe that the Q-36 opens faster and smoother than the Overkill, but that is simply due to pressure from the lockbar and any resistance that comes into play from your fingers on the lock bar. The Devestator has a 4.25" blade and is a beast. I don't own a Devestator, but that doesn't mean I don't want one. I'd like to find one without striations in the blade and some nice CF overlays.

It is true that RJ isn't taking any orders right now. Perhaps he will open up his book again after Blade Show? I guess it never hurts to try and get in touch with him and see what the deal is.

When it comes to smoothness and ease of opening you can put IKBS and RTB in the same category. They both offer silky smooth opening and closing while being able to really tighten the pivot and not lose that smooth action. What seperates the two is that the RTB are actual washers that you can remove with German made steel barrel bearings installed rather than loose ball bearings. I also believe that the smooth barrel bearings will cause way less wear on the blade and its milled channel compared to the round ball bearings that will begin to score the blade and milled channel after some time. I give the win to Roller Thrust Bearings of IKBS, but only by a slight margin.

Les Robertson is a dealer for RJ as well as True North Knives. I believe I've seen an RJ or two for sale by Bob Neal as well. As far as catching a break in the price, well you're going to have to search long and hard for a deal. I've scored a few deals on some RJ's that I am extremely grateful for. I got my first Q-36 on EBay for song and I scored my Dress Havoc on another forum for a great price as well.
 
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