Was unimpressed with Hinderer knives but now I can't stop thinking about them.

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Valmak

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Aug 9, 2017
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So I went to a knife show this past weekend and I handled some Hinderer knives. I was really unimpressed initially. When I pressed the flipper, they only went up about half way. The action didn't seem that smooth but instead felt choppy. But after I went home they are the knives that pop into my mind the most out of all the knives I handled at the show. WTF is going on? Is this normal? Maybe there is something intangible about them that is drawing me to them? I don't know.
 
I’ve had an MP-1 for a while and just got an XM-18 3” and Half Track. I really like the MP-1 & Half Track. The machining is very nice and flipping actions are good, though not the best available. The ergonomics and overall designs are very appealing to me.

The XM-18 is a different story:
  • Its flipping action is as you describe, basically nonexistent, unless I adjust the pivot to the point of unacceptable blade play. It does open nicely via the thumbstuds though.
  • The lockbar has some vertical play while the knife is open though no blade play with pivot properly adjusted.
  • The machining is nowhere near the quality of the others. The jimping is roughly executed. Check out the “Hinderer” label on the scale. The milling tool did not come up far enough and left a bunch of trails both within and between the letters.
  • Look at the fit of the scale and liner. I thought this was a defect or something but after some Google searching it appears to be normal. Why? It looks bad, unfinished.
  • Overall I like the design and blade shape but it’s not well executed in my opinion.
Basically, from my experience I’d recommend an MP-1 or Half Track but I’d pass on an XM unless you can see it in person. Admittedly, my Hinderer experience is limited though to these three examples.
Edit: And one other Half Track but it was modified by a third party before I got it. There were issues with it but it’s unfair to judge the knife since I don’t know what it was like from the factory.

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Flipping an XM, especially some of the older ones, takes a bit of technique...and most people aren't happy with the action until they figure it out. If you read some of the threads posted in the past couple of years, you're likely to find comments referencing how to flip a Hinderer.
Personally, I like that the detent on my XM18 (and MP-1) allows me to bump the blade loose with minimal pressure... which also makes it easy to open with the thumb studs. I only have two Hinderers; but I like them a lot. (I also have a few ZT Hinderer collabs, if that counts)
 
Hinderers seem to be everywhere, remember when he was really really big around the time I bought my first serious knife the Cryo II back then. Has the quality changed? or just stayed the same?
 
Hinderers have to have the pivot tightened to the exactly right degree, to flip well and not have blade play. Same with any washer flipper, the pivot will be mashed tighter and tighter until the blade won't even open at all. Bearing flippers aren't affected hardly at all by pivot tightness, but I have seen some titanium framelock ones have slight up and down play, if the pivot is too loose.

As, far as the g10 scales being overlapping on the XM18 they come that way and the XM24, does not. Why is a mystery to me, but all I've seen are like that.
 
I’m impressed with my Hinderer’s and can’t stop thinking about them! Ha ha. Sorry to hear some have had F&F issues. I own six of them and they are close to perfect in the f&f department. The only negative is while detent strength had improved they can still be inconsistent. I am most impressed with the lock up. I am a Zt fan but my Zt Hinderer’s, even when cutting through light items see significant lock bar movement. My Hinderer’s barely move, if at all when cutting through substantial mediums.
 

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I'm a little different I guess. I've had three XMs and one Eklipse over the last three years and they have been some of my favorite knives ever. I am not attracted to any of the other designs. Personally I don't want a flipper that fires out like a rocket regardless of how I press it. I don't want bearings. I surely don't want a fall shut closing action. It's a knife not a frikkin' spinner. The feel of opening/closing/lockup on the RHKs I've had are somehow unlike any other knives I've handled. The design of the XM just works in my hand. The pivot and handle fasteners on XMs are as good as it gets. (17-4PH steel, Female threaded "pin" with a non threaded spacer)
 
I think those knives were coated with a super secret love potion that is absorbed into your skin upon handling. I tell ya... you're a Hinderer victim! :)
 
So, I have four XM-18's....All flip great. All are well made. No issues. I barely use my XM-24 because it's just huge. I find myself using the 3" spanto blade the most
 
I have ..uh..a couple Hinderers & I've never had a QC or F&F issue with any of them. All the actions came a little stiff & I made minor adjustments to the pivot to suit my needs, but they're not bearing flippers & won't fly open like my ZTs. Bear in mind when adjusting the pivot that there's only a couple degrees difference between too tight, just right & sloppy loose. All six of mine flip easily & none have any blade play in any direction.

Edit: As for the overlap on the scales, once upon a time I read a FAQ about Hinderers somewhere on the error-net, and Rick Hinderer stated that he had a specific reason for doing the scale that way. I can't find the article now & can't remember why he made them like that. I'm sure it would be just as easy to make the scale flush with the liner, but there was a specific reason that he didn't.
 
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There is absolutely nothing like a Hinderer XM. The combination of ruggedness, customize-ability, ergonomics, various blade grinds available, sizes - all in an American made high quality piece that is even fun to "fidget" with. There is just something about the XM that checks so many boxes with me; the fact that they are made in my own home state makes it all the better to me.

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Valmak said:
.....I was really unimpressed initially. When I pressed the flipper, they only went up about half way..... But after I went home they are the knives that pop into my mind the most out of all the knives I handled at the show. WTF is going on? Is this normal?....
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^^^^This is me!^^^^

The XM-18 Bowie kinda sorta haunts me. I’ve only ever handled them at out-of-town retailers and they always leave me feeling flat....yet I still want one. For the price (even Exchange price), I’m afraid I’d wind up frustrated.
 
4mer_FMF said:
^^^^This is me!^^^^

The XM-18 Bowie kinda sorta haunts me. I’ve only ever handled them at out-of-town retailers and they always leave me feeling flat....yet I still want one. For the price (even Exchange price), I’m afraid I’d wind up frustrated.
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Not if you thrown it in your pocket and use it. When you get used to an XM, other "better" flippers begin to feel somehow fragile. I have plenty of nice high end folders, many flippers too, but there is just something reassuring about the XM. This one gets the lion's share of my pocket time:

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ourgon said:
If you want good quality Hinderer buy ZT Hinderer, same or less price, higher quality.
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I’ve got several ZTs including some Hinderer collaborations (3x 0550, 0562, 0566). These are nice knives that cost substantially less than a real Hinderer. I don’t necessarily agree that the ZTs are higher quality (except in the case of my XM-18 example) but I’m not sure that the difference in quality is congruent to the increased price. I think there is room in the market for both options.
 
4mer_FMF said:
^^^^This is me!^^^^

The XM-18 Bowie kinda sorta haunts me. I’ve only ever handled them at out-of-town retailers and they always leave me feeling flat....yet I still want one. For the price (even Exchange price), I’m afraid I’d wind up frustrated.
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Watch the exchange & give one a try. If you don't like it you can always resell it. They seem to go fast on the exchange. They're pricey, overbuilt & like CRKs, some people just can't justify the expense. And that's OK. It's what suits you that's important. I've accumulated a lot of quality knives over the years & they were all bought to be users, but my CRKs & Hinderers are the ones that get carried all the time & the ones that make me smile.
 
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Ironbut said:
Watch the exchange & give one a try. If you don't like it you can always resell it. They seem to go fast on the exchange. They're pricey, overbuilt & like CRKs, some just can't justify the expense. It's what suits you that's important. I've accumulated a lot of quality knives over the years & they were all bought to be users, but my CRKs & Hinderers are the ones that get carried all the time & the ones that make me smile.
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^^^ Bingo, my Large Inkosi is the biggest challenger to the spanto in my previous post.
 
At the risk of being labeled an enabler; my most recent "must buy"
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XM-18 3 1/2' Fatty Tanto
 
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