What makes a Hinderer great?

[mantzao]

Overbuilt. In fact I and many others find it too overbuilt for EDC. The sebenza is a workhorse, but does not stand well to super hard abuse (think prying and just trying to baton/destroy things with it). The Hinder excels at this. But to do so requires a much thicker, much larger blade, thicker handles, and with the choil you don't actually get a larger cutting edge either.

There is no perfect knife for everything. You should get one and try it...but if you EDC a knife and use it primarily for cutting, the thick blade stock is likely to disappoint you. The sebenza fits best for me (light to medium EDC with more cutting and no prying), which is why I own a dozen of them. The Hinderer will cut rope and a bunch of other things just fine, but when you start to try to slice food you are going to dislike the thick blade stock and the sebenza will really excel in cutting where the Hinderer physically cannot. You can however really just have at it on things like a 2x4 with the Hinderer (especially the spanto grind) and it is extremely unlikely the blade will fail you.

Besides that its got great fit and finish and will last a life time. You know it is a good knife if the first people to get them are FF/LEO/EMT/MIL... you just need to decide what you are looking for in a knife and what you are going to use it for.

I think the 25 is a bit beefier than the 21, so it is actually kind of bridging the gap between the sebenza and xm.

I've had two Hinderers: a 3" slicer-grind and a 3.5" spanto-grind; both XM-18's. Paid $625 and $725; sold them both within two weeks. Like au5T3N5 said above..."overbuilt."
For some folks, perhaps emergency personnel...okay.
For the more common casual EDC guys/girls, no way.
Went back to my CRK's, and happy.

words of wisdom
i agree 100%

I also had a 3" and a 3,5".
The 3,5" was never carried because it really was like a brick in the pocket.
The 3" was great but the blade too thick for my needs.
I stuck to my small insingo wich is perfect for my edc.
I do own a Hinderer now, a ZT0566
Same ergos, thinner blade and way cheaper.
Try one so you can get the feel of a hinderer and then, if you really like it but are not satisfied, take the next step

 

[hapasnyper]

I had 2 3" slicer grind xm18s they were great knives. But I have to disagree with finish being as good as CRK my g10 scales on the liners are not perfectly fitting they are very close but not perfect. Blade was not perfectly centered. It was a nice knife but I think that a sebenza is more my cup of tea.

 

[MRaymond]

The value proposition is so personal and individual. I will just say this, was the Hinderer worth what I paid for it? The answer is yes, and then some. Did I pay aftermarket price, sure, but not what you would pay for a dealer and not as much as it was say, a year ago. In terms of fit and finish, my slicer XM-18 3.5" is every bit on par with the my Sebenza 25. After lightly using and carrying the XM for a little over a week, there are times when I think it is actually a tiny bit better than the 25. Maybe I just got lucky with this as I did with my 25?

 

[Locutus D'Borg]

I recommend the 3" XM-18 for EDC. It is more like a Sebenza.

 

[Silvanus]

As a firefighter, I can get an XM-18 3.5" for $385 direct from Hinderer. Even if it cost me the same as a Sebenza, I'd pick the Hinderer every time. It's just my personal preference, I'm not inviting CRK fan boy bashing. For me it comes down to ergonomics and just overall style. F&F isn't a selling point for me honestly either. Just my 0.02

 

[The Logical One]

It's a work knife.... period. Ergonomics, size of the blade, shape of it, etc etc is just perfect for almost anything. I actually sold off most of my knives and I kept a Spyderco Chinook that I don't think I would ever sell, and my xm 18 3.5 spanto. The xm18 has been in my pocket for almost a year now and has seen a lot of use. And the fact that you can change the scales and put different color stand offs, screws, etc in means it'll never get boring as you can always change things up.

Honestly a regular XM is actually kinda ugly and the knife does not scream "collector piece/safe queen" at all. It shines when you put it to use. And guys whos work requires constant use of a knife will really be able to appreciate its functionality... which was exactly what Rick designed it for.

 

[Raylance]

I carry both and find myself reaching for the Seb to cut something more often than the xm18, the xm is an overbuilt knife but I don't have to pry open car doors on a daily basis. It pretty much stays in the pocket for those "just in case" situations.

 

[marthinus]

If hinderer made a gentlemens folder kind of mnandi-like that would be great.

Dont worry, many people forget Rick made knives before the XM-18, amasing pieces like this:

 

[Vegas Blade]

I have had an XM 3.5 Spanto flipper and could not love it. Not a fan of the Spanto. Too thick, too obtuse of an edge. Sold it to go up to a XM-24 Slicer. Everything I didn't like about the Spanto is remedied in the slicer blade. I do not EDC it, but nor could I bring myself to part with it either. The XM24 slicer is an absolutely beautiful tool. Key word is "tool". Just like I wouldn't use a Crescent adjustable wrench to work on a Porsche, I wouldn't use my XM24 to do a William Henry Gentleman's pocket knife's job. It's about matching the tool to the job. I do love the knife for it's intended usage. BTW, as a LEO, I carry a Spyderco Assist. It has more usable features for my particular use. YMMV.

 

[HikingIsLife]

CRK's are terrific. No doubt. After having every type I wound up hanging onto a Mnandi and a Sebbie 25. I still, however, prefer my Hinderers and my Curtiss F3 to any of my CRK's for EDC. I love the flipper action and they are well built. Tight tolerances, exceptional thought went into the fit and function of these knives. The Hinderer has much better ergonomics due to it's organic shape and love that you can customize them to make them unique. I use a Wharnie for my EDC and it has proved to be the most enjoyable folder to deploy, use, and carry that I have owned to date.

That being said, I would pay current market value for one (though would love to buy 2 more @ MSRP)…because that's where I think their value lies in quality and craftsmanship. That's the same price I paid for my Curtiss F3 (which I also really really love). Also I think it should be noted that the slicer and wharnie style Hinderers are terrific slicers and task oriented blade shapes and have no more bulk than any CRK aside from a slightly thicker stock.

and the Curtiss F3…

 

[plaincombo]

I have xm-18 3.5" slicer and xm-24 spanto. For work, I always carry xm18 or BM 755MPR. They are more compact than xm24 and lighter in my pocket. XM24 gets its time when I am off duty, pushing stroller for my sons. Things I love about xm18 is that "even though" it took almost 2 months get used to its size (I originally carried MPR or pipsqueak), it is more comfortable in my hand. Ergonomics is fantastic after all.

After losing pipsqueak during work, I looked for another secondary carry. Instead of going to large sebbie, I chose xm24 only because it is very capable TOOL. To me, knives are tool, not a collection item. So I look for certain specifics of the knives.

What makes Hinderer so wonderful is as follows:
1) Built like tank. Frame Lock has never failed me. Even after prying couple door frames, it made very very little side to side play (which I fixed by tightening screws).
2) Handle/Scale. It is one of the best. Not too grippy nor too slippery. Design of the handle is perfectly angled to accommodate your natural grip position (with gloves)
3) Blade. I typically carry slicer but when in total need of force (prying something when I don't have my tactical hatchet), spanto does its job like no other.
and
4) pocket clip. Not quite deep like ZT0560 or 0561. But not too tall either.

Spending $385 and $550 for xm18 and xm24 was probably the best investment I made in last 2 years. If you are only collecting Hinderer, you might not fully appreciate its built quality and its total potential. But when you forget about the $$$ and use it everyday for everything, you will see why it is worth more than $1k or two maybe.

That is my 2cents. Hope I didn't mumbled too much.

Peace out.