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

Valmak said:
....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?....
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I think you did not like seeing the price tag and wanted to find reasons to keep you from spending your hard earned money. So you made it easy to be unimpressed. It wasn’t till you were away from the opportunity to part ways with a couple hundred dollars that you realized you liked how it handled. It is a stout knife without being crazy overbuilt and bulky.

I have a rare sparrow from hinderer. I like it a lot.

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As mentioned Hinderer XM-18s have a bit of a different technique to open but once you figure it out mine fire out and lock up great ... (I can't speak for other models as I only own some XM-18s) ...

It's more a forward pressure on the flipper tab and then down ... it's fairly easy to learn but some don't like it so it's kind of a personal choice.

And I would add ZT actually ended up doing Hinderer a bit better with the smooth flipper action on the ZTs ... and I own more ZTs but alot of that is price also.

I do enjoy the Hinderers I have and after a day learning the proper method they open as fast and lock up as hard as any of my ZTs.
 
ScooterG said:
Oh really? Mine pushes over just fine and won’t disengage without a pry bar.

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This is as far over as I have ever seen a Hinderer. I was just telling someone else recently that before Rob Orlando left Hinderer, he had only seen 2 knives that had traveled all the way over. Both owners openly admitted they had batoned heavily on the knife. I am not saying that is what you have done at all, that was just the case on these 2. I do think that if this goes much further or lock stick is a constant issue, that Hinderer would cover it under warranty. Could be wrong as I just sell them, I don't work there.
 
Valmak said:
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.
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I always had an interest in Hinderer Knives. When I started selling them I did not personally put one in my pocket. I was a very small business and I had no budget to keep a knife in that price range. Maybe a month in to being a dealer, a true Hinderer nut came in my shop to check some out. He asked me a few questions and I was very honest with him about my limited knowledge. The guy looked at me with surprise when I said I personally have not carried or owned one. I can quote exactly what he said. "How can you sell them if you don't know what they are all about." He said if I was ever going to be a successful dealer of Hinderer knives I had to put one in my pocket. He then challenged me to put a Hinderer in my pocket and carry nothing else for 2 weeks. He swore if I did I would understand it and be able to talk to customers better about them. Budget wise at the time I had no business doing it, but I accepted the guys challenge and put an XM-18 3.5" Skinner in my pocket. I carried nothing else but that Hinderer for 2 weeks straight. At the end of 2 weeks I went back to put my favorite knife in my pocket. When I picked up the knife I used to EDC, that is when it all clicked. Since that day it is rare to find me with out at least one Hinderer in my pocket.
 
I have a love/hate with Hinderer knives. I love the looks/designs of them, then I get one (mostly via trades) and I end up selling it a few weeks later due to being underwhelmed. I have done this 5 times now, the only one I really regret selling was my 3" Wharny, all have been extremely great quality and spot on fit and finish. They have all been XM-18's though, I would like to try some of the newer models. This is my only Hinderer at the moment, maybe i'll sell it and try a newer model :D
Untitled by Danny Nystrom, on Flickr
 
Seneca18 said:
I have a love/hate with Hinderer knives. I love the looks/designs of them, then I get one (mostly via trades) and I end up selling it a few weeks later due to being underwhelmed. I have done this 5 times now, the only one I really regret selling was my 3" Wharny, all have been extremely great quality and spot on fit and finish. They have all been XM-18's though, I would like to try some of the newer models. This is my only Hinderer at the moment, maybe i'll sell it and try a newer model :D
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I can relate to you with the 3" Wharny. While the one I have has fit/finish issues and a poor action (no-go flipper and the detent ball is gritty against the blade) I like the overall form of the knife enough that I can't see myself parting with it without regret.

I'm on a trip to Alaska right now and stopped in a great Anchorage knife shop that actually had some Hinderers in stock (along with lots of other great stuff). I got to handle another 3" XM-18 and a few 3.5" versions. I can't say that I was overly impressed with any of them. These examples were all previously owned items that they acquired from a collector. They hadn't see much if any real use and I don't know how old they were. Fit/finish were spotty on them. All of them flipped pretty well (not great) but all had excessive side-to-side play that need to be adjusted out as well. I would have liked to mess with them to see how they flipped after adjusting the pivot but I obviously wasn't going to do that with knives I don't own. After that experience I can't see myself buying another XM-18 unless I can see it in person.

I really recommend checking out an MP-1 and/or Half Track though. These knives seem to be on a whole different level in terms of fit/finish and action, at least in my experience with the examples I've handled. I mess with mine more that about any other knife (including my beloved Chris Reeves) because the ergonomics and actions just make them fun to play with. A couple of observations:
  • My MP-1 just starting developing a sporadic gritty action recently. It will open fine a few times then suddenly will only flip open about halfway and opening with the thumstuds feels gritty. It's coming from the detent ball because if I lift the lockbar up so that the ball doesn't touch the blade it moves smoothly. If I let the knife sit for a while this goes away but comes back after I open it a few times. I have disassembled the knife for a thorough clean/lube but the issue persists. It worries me because I really like this knife. My 3" XM-18 also has this gritty feeling though it's much worse. I'm hoping this is not something that happens as these knives age. I've already contacted Hinderer and I'm going to send it in once I get home long enough to do it.
  • I really like the Half Track. I think it's a great small, stoutly built knife but I can see how this knife would not appeal to some folks based on opinions I've read on here about other knives. I know not everyone likes small knives that are overbuilt. Also, this knife if not thin behind the edge, another criticism I've seen about other knives. If those things are issues for you the Half Track is probably not up your alley.
I'm not sure the Chris Reeve small Inkosi and Half Track are necessarily direct competitors because they are built very differently and likely appeal to different folks. However, a comparison can probably be made since they have similar blade lengths and price points. I always have a small Inkosi on me in a tiny belt sheath and usually a larger CRK in my pocket. The Half Track will not replace the Inkosi in my EDC lineup but I can see it often bumping the large CRK from my pocket.

i.ashx
 
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