XM-18/24 Vs Strider SnG/SMF? have you had both? thought please

cziv :thumbup: i agree with all your points, i love my sebenza but the Hinderer is the better folder!!!
 
Had an XM-18 flipper and SNG Tanto. Still have the SNG. prefer its wieght and balance and overall feel over the XM-18. Tough as nails knife but not too big for EDC.
 
Thanks guys!!! Ordered an SMF for my B-day and also a NIB XM-18 winked at me so I got it too.... Very excited but so poor now... ramen noodles for a month. I'm sure it will be worth it.
I'll post my findings ;-)
 
I've read all your post, and have found this thread most helpful! I also poured literally days of research into getting my first high-end knife. After gut wrenching sleepless nights and months worth of day-dreaming, I arrived at the CRK Umnumzaan. It's blade is slightly longer than the Sebenza, it's carryability is better than the SMF and XM's all together, and the F&F is remarkable. I love this knife and will never sell it. THAT BEING SAID, I'm planning a trip to blade 2012 to try and score an XM-24 slicer grind. I do think that's a beast of a knife. But at that price, it had better be!

On a side note, I've noticed alot of the regular poster's in the CRK forum floating over here alot. ;) In fact, most of you.

I feel like I'm cheating on my wife posting here :o
 
I own and use a small sebenza at a work site. It gets a lot of use. I personally like the thinner blade for slicing and the overall size makes it less noticeable. Its on the top three. I do plan to get a 3.5 XM soon so we will see.
 
Fferrell1 said:
I've read all your post, and have found this thread most helpful! I also poured literally days of research into getting my first high-end knife. After gut wrenching sleepless nights and months worth of day-dreaming, I arrived at the CRK Umnumzaan. It's blade is slightly longer than the Sebenza, it's carryability is better than the SMF and XM's all together, and the F&F is remarkable. I love this knife and will never sell it. THAT BEING SAID, I'm planning a trip to blade 2012 to try and score an XM-24 slicer grind. I do think that's a beast of a knife. But at that price, it had better be!

On a side note, I've noticed alot of the regular poster's in the CRK forum floating over here alot. ;) In fact, most of you.

I feel like I'm cheating on my wife posting here :o
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It's great that we have all these wonderful choices isn't it? My CRK experience is different from yours though. I've tried like hell to like the Sebenza. I even did some serious mental gymnastics to try to prove to myself that I did because of all the great press it gets, but ultimately I ended up selling it. Maybe it is me and not the knife. Regardless, it didn't work out between us.

They're nice knives but CRK's are very different from XM's/SNG's/SMF's. I don't think they are really in the same category. CRK's are great slicers and great everyday regular use folders. Where as XM's are designed to be hard use. Obviously they must be great to have such a large fanbase but I do think a lot of this stuff is objective.

For example, you always hear people tout the ergonomics of Sebenzas, but I just don't see it. The flat, smooth, slim scales just don't feel right in my hand. The shape and position of the thumbstuds make opening the knife somewhat awkward for me. I spent the money to have double thumbstuds installed on mine and basically wasted my money because when it came back I still couldn't open it with my left hand.

I can pick up any of my XM's and fire them open with either hand. They feel comfortable, like the oft quoted extension of the hand. In contrast, I've had the Seb slip from my grasp on numerous occasions.

I don't agree that the CRK's carryability is better. I carry my XM'S everyday, all day and I don't even know they're there until I need them.

The other thing you always hear people mention is the smoothness of the Seb, but I didn't really find mine to be particularly so. I thought maybe mine just wasn't the average and I sent it in for a total refurb. When it came back it felt exactly the same. Not bad at all, but certainly not a life changing experience either. In the smooth opening category there is a definate, noticeable difference in the Hinderers. IMHO, The XM's absolutely take it hand's down.

I'm no hater, I came into this with an open mind and just found that for various reasons the Hinderer suits me best. CRK's are nice knives but they're not my cup of tea even though the knife has droves of fans.

The point is you can't just go by someone else's word on this sort of thing. You have to try it for yourself to really know.
 
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I found that with my umnumzaan, it smoothed out over time.. almost like the repeated opening and closing polished the washers. I think part of the reason hinderes are soooo smooth right off the bat is due to the teflon washers... though I could be wrong, and it could be something else entirely.
 
Well guyz here is my point i think the SNG and XM18 are better to compare such as the SMF would compare to XM24. Sebenza is a different kind of folder, then the 2 above, if you want something to pry with and stomp on alittle with, I would go with the Hinderer with Strider right behind. Dont get me wrong the Sebenza can take a licking and keep ticking....But.......All 3 are Great Folders i would be proud to own any one of the folders above, that's why i own all 3...ha ha.
 
When talking CRKs the Umnumzaan may be a better comparison as it is a more robust user knife than the Sebenza. I own a Zaan, large Sebenza and two smalls and love the quality as well as the ablity to tear them apart for cleaning. I still kick myself for selling my XM-18 3.5" though. At the time I was not using it much and they sell for so much $$ in the secondary market. This brings up another point. The CRKs are a much less expensive alternative to the XM-18s. Finding a Hinderer is difficult for anything under $600, and then only if you jump on it fast. Manufacturing counts are more aligned to a customer knife than CRKs or even Striders.
 
tomsch said:
When talking CRKs the Umnumzaan may be a better comparison as it is a more robust user knife than the Sebenza. I own a Zaan, large Sebenza and two smalls and love the quality as well as the ablity to tear them apart for cleaning. I still kick myself for selling my XM-18 3.5" though. At the time I was not using it much and they sell for so much $$ in the secondary market. This brings up another point. The CRKs are a much less expensive alternative to the XM-18s. Finding a Hinderer is difficult for anything under $600, and then only if you jump on it fast. Manufacturing counts are more aligned to a customer knife than CRKs or even Striders.
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And now CRK has raised his folder prices through the roof and they cost a LOT more than one from Rick directly and about the price of dinner for two difference, of an an aftermarket XM-18. Buy One! :thumbup:
 
BP Green said:
It's great that we have all these wonderful choices isn't it? My CRK experience is different from yours though. I've tried like hell to like the Sebenza. I even did some serious mental gymnastics to try to prove to myself that I did because of all the great press it gets, but ultimately I ended up selling it. Maybe it is me and not the knife. Regardless, it didn't work out between us.

They're nice knives but CRK's are very different from XM's/SNG's/SMF's. I don't think they are really in the same category. CRK's are great slicers and great everyday regular use folders. Where as XM's are designed to be hard use. Obviously they must be great to have such a large fanbase but I do think a lot of this stuff is objective.

For example, you always hear people tout the ergonomics of Sebenzas, but I just don't see it. The flat, smooth, slim scales just don't feel right in my hand. The shape and position of the thumbstuds make opening the knife somewhat awkward for me. I spent the money to have double thumbstuds installed on mine and basically wasted my money because when it came back I still couldn't open it with my left hand.

I can pick up any of my XM's and fire them open with either hand. They feel comfortable, like the oft quoted extension of the hand. In contrast, I've had the Seb slip from my grasp on numerous occasions.

I don't agree that the CRK's carryability is better. I carry my XM'S everyday, all day and I don't even know they're there until I need them.

The other thing you always hear people mention is the smoothness of the Seb, but I didn't really find mine to be particularly so. I thought maybe mine just wasn't the average and I sent it in for a total refurb. When it came back it felt exactly the same. Not bad at all, but certainly not a life changing experience either. In the smooth opening category there is a definate, noticeable difference in the Hinderers. IMHO, The XM's absolutely take it hand's down.

I'm no hater, I came into this with an open mind and just found that for various reasons the Hinderer suits me best. CRK's are nice knives but they're not my cup of tea even though the knife has droves of fans.

The point is you can't just go by someone else's word on this sort of thing. You have to try it for yourself to really know.
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For all the reasons that you mentioned I prefer the Sebenza, but agree 100% with how you arrived to your conclusion. You are right in saying it is different for everyone and the only way to really know is handle the knives to see what works best for you. :thumbup:
 
BBW said:
Currently I own an SnG. I know some people around here don't like them so much. Mine is super smooth; it took 3 days to brake in. Perfect engagement with no play and solid. Yes, blade is not perfectly centered; I would prefer it to be but I wouldn't send it to SKI just for that.
Hinderer... have never seen one in person but my thoughts are that is a Strider with Chris Reeves quality F&F...
Am I correct? would you say that the RH is a more refined version of Strider?
Thanks for your insight:thumbup:
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I have had both and IMO no comparison. The XM is a cut above and the knife I took with me on deployement. The XM is much smoother and much better ergonomics, fit and finish. The XM also feels just perfect in the hand. Love the Spanto blade.
 
Ladies and gentlemen!!
I received my XM-18 spanto 3.5 inch stonewashed :)
HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!! I couldnt sleep; what a beauty, sooo smooth..
Definitely a work of art. This thing is in a league of its
Own!
I ordered another Strider though ;)
I could see an XM24 in my future bwuahaha (evil laugh)
Cheers and thanks
 
BBW said:
Ladies and gentlemen!!
I received my XM-18 spanto 3.5 inch stonewashed :)
HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!! I couldnt sleep; what a beauty, sooo smooth..
Definitely a work of art. This thing is in a league of its
Own!
Click to expand...

Pictures or it didn't happen!
 
I've had 5 of the mentioned great knives. Small and large Sebenza's, SNG and SMF, and just got an XM 24 flipper yesterday. The 24 is far and away the nicest of them all. I also would add that I've had 3 RJ Martin flippers, and there's no knife out there that can open better.....BUT... the XM 24 is 95% as easy opening! I don't know how Rick does it....R.J. has his open ball bearing pivot and I had thought that the Hinderer's aren't assisted in any way, so it's really impressive how well it opens. As far as Sebenza's, I carried one a long time and liked it a lot, but it really wasn't "me". When I got a SNG, it felt close, but was too small for my big hands, so when I got a SMF, all was well, and I've been carrying it as my EDC ever since. It opens easily, solid lock-up, centered blade seemingly as stable as a fixed blade, and capable of anything you ask of it, and because my XM 24 is a new perfect one, and I have sort of a phobia about messing up a quality new knife, the XM 24 will just remain a totally non-user. And for now, I'm amazed at how great a knife it is. May have to trade it for a user, because I'd really like to carry one. But as has been said, they are really much harder to find than the other 2 brands (R J Martin's are also gone as soon as they are posted). I have sold or traded all f my Sebenza's and doubt I'd ever get another one, but totally "get" why people love them. But for me, they are #4 after Hinderer, RJ Martin, and Strider.
Thanks,
Bob (medit8)
 
Fferrell1 said:
Pictures or it didn't happen!
Click to expand...
A couple of cellphone pics so you believe me LOL ;-)

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6265581898_21047806c1_b.jpg
 
This is a good post. Now b/w the XM 18 and XM 24, which would be best? I like smaller blades. I own a small sebenza, b/c I prefer smaller blades b/c they are not noticeable and the weight is acceptable.
 
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