XM 18 vs ZT 0551

fredhoward75

fredhoward75

Joined
Sep 24, 2007
Messages
146
Never held a Hinderer. Got a 0551 a few weeks back and currious how much difference there is between this and a XM18 (other than $500 and the blade steel). Thanks!!
 
There really is no comparing the two. My 0551s lock is springy after a few months, the pivot loosens(lloctited) the overall fit and finish are just leaps apart,the ti just seems so much higher quality on xm,the grinds, the lockbar stabalizer on xm is deep enough to prevent travel south to north as well as over extension,xm has a ti liner on g10 side as opposed to 410ss ,xm has a finger choil.,xm uses teflon washer as oppesed to bronze. The xm 18 imo is just leaps better then the 0551,that said I love my 0551 and it is well worth a couple hundred bucks.don't know if you handled these knives either but its like what a ti military is to a lg sebenza.
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My XM-18 is smoother to open and close, largely because the detent doesn't seem to sit in the blade, so I can wrist flick it open without much trouble. The 0551, while having a thick blade, will still cut slightly better than the XM-18. However, both will crack my apple open whenever I try to cut a piece out.

The two knives are entirely different. It might be more fair to compare the 0560 and the XM-18, but even then I suspect there would be significant differences.
 
However, both will crack my apple open whenever I try to cut a piece out.
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That's been my biggest complaint with my XM-18. :) Never realized how thick the blade was until I tried to cut up an apple for my kids. Not to mention trying to peel the skins off.
 
Having a Strider WP-C that's 1/4" thick at the handle makes me appreciate my XM-18 all the more. Of course, it's more for zipties, plastic bags, and other minor shallow cutting as opposed to fruits.

And would you say yours has a weak detent as well? Can't figure if mine was a lemon or if they're all this way.
 
Noctis3880 said:
My XM-18 is smoother to open and close, largely because the detent doesn't seem to sit in the blade, so I can wrist flick it open without much trouble. The 0551, while having a thick blade, will still cut slightly better than the XM-18. However, both will crack my apple open whenever I try to cut a piece out.

The two knives are entirely different. It might be more fair to compare the 0560 and the XM-18, but even then I suspect there would be significant differences.
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Why would the 0551 cut better than the XM?
 
fredhoward75 said:
Why would the 0551 cut better than the XM?
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One is duller than the other? :)

There are differences between the two, that's for sure. The XM-18 is buttery smooth and play free at the same time, and that's not easy to achieve. The difference is something noticeable while in hand, but on paper, the two are very similar. It's hard to explain but the 0551 feels overly rounded. It's as if in order to smooth out the looser tolerances between the components, they were rounded off more and feels less focused somehow. I hope that makes sense. That said, the 0551 is a great knife and priced to match.
 
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