Why is a Hinderer XM-18 worth $525?

[Bob6794]

That depends. Does the $50 scope have great clarity, light transmission,is made of durable materials, nitrogen filled, waterproof, have an acceptable reticle, enough magnification, and a lifetime warranty? If so, I’d say it wasn’t a bad purchase. If anyone knows of such a $50 scope, please share. I think it is a relevant comparison.

Do you need all that to hit your target? Because sometimes the low end barely acceptable option by enthusiast standards is really all someone needs or wants.

That was the point of the original comment.

If you wanted to stick to what is said in literal context, Id rather take a good set of peep sights over most scopes.

 

[Danke42]

Actually, I've much more often seen a $300 rifle with a $600 scope.

That's kinda the rule. The glass should cost X more than the iron.

 

[Huntnow]

In the field, yes. All those features may be a necessity. You may get by with a $50 scope as easily or poorly as you would breaking down large game on a hillside with bloody and slippery hands and an Opinel. I wouldn’t recommend it though. I think you are actually making the argument that you can get by with less than you want. If so, you can get by with less than a Hinderer. If you want one, you’ll have to pay as much as others are willing to pay and as much as the seller is willing to accept. That is simple economics.

 

[Therom]

If I need a working knife I either my Spyderco GB2 or my Cold Steel Pro-lite
Both has great qualities for a working knife at their price point

However I think that
1) Hinderer are very capable knives
2) their are part of the folding knife history - just like CRK is

Thèse 2 points make me think they are worth their price

For sure for the same material and capabilities I think you can find much cheaper elsewhere

But hinderer is more than a maker , he is a designer
I like the designs from Chris Reece, hinderer and Emerson
You can find cheapest equivalent but the intelligence in there design somehow « speak » to me and I accept to pay the price for it

 

[91bravo]

IF the $50 scope holds zero and you don't change settings the question becomes, was it really a bad purchase if you are still hitting your target?

Any old cheap scope will work for hunting but i too prefer a good ghost ring setup. Scopes really show their true colors when you need precision at longer ranges. Like at 500 +yards.

 

[WillB]

Can somebody help me understand why a Rick Henderer XM-18 is worth $525?
I have seen knives that are works of art, costing thousands, that had I the money, I'd buy joyfully. But this knife is not that, it is a functional knife like most Benchmades, Zero Tolerances, etc. It has good steel, but so do many less expensive knives. I'm not picking on Henderer, it's really a question about knives in this price range in general, and Benchmade and other well known brands have knives in this range.

But, unless you just have money to burn, why would a working man pay $525 for this knife?

Cuz he can get it? You have to know how this works: what really makes anything worth anything? Is a Rolex really "worth" 10k more than a Seiko? Value is always subjective even if objective measures added. Is a Henderer worth 2X+ as much as a BM when you factor in materials used and such? Yes for some, no for others. Me, no, I would not pay that for that knife.

 

[marrenmiller]

Having owned a few, I think it's important to distinguish between "value" and "worth".

In terms of value, you consider as objectively as you can the costs associated with producing the item. For an XM-18, there's a ton of small little parts, lots of high precision machining, decent quality assurance and production value, expensive materials, good heat treating, etc., and the knife is made in the US by a domestic workforce and is supported by a decent warranty policy. To produce a knife with a competitive level of profit and the above features, it might (or might not) cost $425. None of us really know for sure if we're getting gouged on price from a value level, but I think it's reasonable to assume we are not based on comparisons to other competing products.

Now, you may not think what they're selling makes sense to you, which is where worth comes into play. If you value the qualities listed above enough to pay the price for them, then it's worth the money to you. If not, then the knife isn't worth the money to you. Note how that's separate to the question of value.

Personally, most Hinderers are not worth the money to me. I've had bad experiences with their quality control, and most of their knives don't cut well by design. I have a skinny slicer 3.5" that I like a lot, but it flips terribly and has some small amount of lock play, as all 3 of my gen 6 models have. I still like this one enough to keep it around because I quite like the ergonomics, slim profile, overall build quality, customizability, blade grind and construction, and heat treatment. I don't object to the price from a value perspective; I only question the worth of owning most of the knives made by Hinderer for my own uses.

 

[halden.doerge]

It's been said a few ways already in this thread, but I think the question comes down to one simple fact: value is highly, if not totally subjective. What anything is "worth" is entirely dependent on the value given to it by the prospective owner, and that value will vary based on all sorts of factors that are unique to that person. Disposable income is certainly one factor, as is the nature of one's interest in pocket knives (in this case).

If you are interested in having a knife simply as a cutting tool to abuse and throw in your toolbox, a Hinderer will likely not have value to you, nor should it. If you are a knife enthusiast who likes to collect, maintain, investigate, use, and experience knives as a hobby, how you value one will likely be quite different.

There is no absolute "value" to anything, only the value that we give to things based on our interests, needs, and preferences. If you look at a Hinderer or Ferrari or $600 rifle scope or whatever and immediately respond, "How is this possibly worth X dollars?!" you already have your answer. To you, it's not. Simple.

 

[BD_01]

I still haven’t decided it’s worth $475 or $525 to me yet either...though I’ve been close a few times.

As others have said, it’s a personal thing.

If the right Hinderer shows up on The Exchange at the same time I’ve got some cash to blow, I’m still interested in trying to find the answer.