I just received my first Hinderer...a Gen 4 (correction, no Gen 4, just the current version) XM-18 3" Slicer Non-Flipper from a swell fellow forum member. Prior to receiving this incredible piece, I read countless threads and postings and watched just as many videos about these amazing tools. And now I finally understand what all the hype is about! It's actually not "hype", it's everything everyone says it is. Honestly, it is. Seriously. The quality and craftsmanship makes me wish everything was built this way.
One of the things I love is the ability to swap out scales, clips, standoffs, etc. It makes ownership that much better because it's not just a great tool, it's a great tool that you can have some fun with too. Almost like getting a whole new knife over and over again! My wife thinks it's great to be able to "accessorize" it. I'm like, honey...it's a bad@$$ tool, not something you accessorize. I'm not going to put rhinestones on it. "But it's great because you can", she says. Um...yeah...I'll get right on that. Anyone know where I can get some stonewashed rhinestones?! Anyway...I digress...
Ok, so I did have to scramble a little and do some research on the whole issue of proper tools to disassemble and assemble. There are bits and pieces of information out there, but not exactly what I was looking for. It also varies depending on which model it is. Having finally pieced together the information, I thought I would share it with those who may not know this already...
First of all...anyone can take this thing apart and put it back together (disclaimer: ok, almost anyone). You don't need to be an Engineer or even that handy, as long as you have the proper tools. I was fortunate enough to acquire the awesome little Armorer's Tool, which is sold out just about everywhere. If I can impart one piece of advice, I would say invest in this little tool. You don't have to, there are certainly other options out there, but this thing is built like a tank and so easy to use and carry, etc. They are expensive, but so is the knife so why skimp here. Let me add one other little piece of advice...if you see an OEM accessory that you may want - like this tool or some scales, standoffs, lanyards, etc., don't hesitate too long - everything seems to sell out quickly and restocking seems to take quite some time. So while you are laboring over the decision to purchase a $65 replacement scale, you may find that a few minutes later the decision has been made for you - it's gone. So two pieces of advice...get the Armorer's tool and don't debate too long if you see other items you may want. Just my two cents.
Ok...back to the tool...The Armorer's Tool has a flat head screwdriver built into the "nose" for unscrewing the pivot screw. It notches in perfectly. The last thing you want to do is use the wrong size driver and bung up the head of the pivot screw. That would suck. Same issue with the spanner wrench to hold the other side. It fits perfectly, why risk it with something that isn't quite right for the job.
Unscrew the head of the Armorer's Tool and inside there is an Allen Wrench Bit, also called a Hex Bit (not a Torx Bit contrary to what many seem to think). This will ONLY work on the XM-18 3.5" and XM-24 handle screws, not the XM-18 3" version. The tool is supplied with a 5/64" Hex and you need a 1/16" Hex for the 3" version of the XM-18. Imagine my disappointment when I went to change the scale and found that the Bit was the wrong size! No problem...a quick trip to the local hardware store and I was able to buy a 1/16" Hex Bit. Not all hardware stores will have this tiny little wrench Bit. Good hardware stores may, but it's not a common find. You may need to get one online, which is easy to do and only costs a few dollars at the most (Hinderer may have these if you inquire, but I don't know for sure). You will need it to be a 1/4" bit size to fit in the Armorer's Tool slot (1/4" bit size, 1/16" Hex head size for the XM-18 3" knife). You may actually have more luck obtaining a regular 1/16" Allen Wrench than a 1/16" Allen Wrench Bit.
You will discover next, as I did, that you need yet another tool to take the clip and filler tabs out. This is a Phillips head screw (though I've seen Hex heads on some of the older models). Be careful with this one...the screws are not as hard as one would expect, so using the wrong size Phillips screwdriver could strip the screw head...which again, would suck. You will need a "Number 1" Phillips head screwdriver. That size will lock in perfectly. Its a small head...doubtful that most will have one that size laying about in the garage. You may find one as part of a jeweler's screwdriver set, but I don't like those for this task - the handle is usually too skinny to get a good grasp on and sometimes these screws are tight and require a bit of torque. I managed to pick up a 1/4" Number 1 Phillips head Bit that slots into the Armorer's tool just as the Hex Bit does. Now I can swap between the Hex Bit and the Phillips Bit on the Armorer's Tool, which makes the Tool a 4-in-1 basically. This results in having 4 tools for 4 different tasks and allows you to completely dismantle and assemble the XM-18 3".
The Armorer's Tool should work fine as it comes for the XM-18 3.5" and XM-24, but you will still need to source the proper Phillips screwdriver for those clip screws.
Lastly...there is a hole in the head of the Armorer's Tool that can be used to fashion a "T" handle for extra leverage, if you need it. The tool doesn't come with anything to slide in there, so I made one myself out of a nail that fit perfectly into this hole. I simply ground off the head and the point of the nail, smoothed it out and now it's a perfect T handle. I doubt I'll ever torque the pivot screw hard enough that I'll need the extra leverage, but I may acquire one with that particular condition, so at least I'm prepared.
Ok guys...hope this consolidated info is helpful to some folks and that they can find this post fairly easily with a search.
Good luck!! And much gratitude to Rick Hinderer and company for their awesome products!
One of the things I love is the ability to swap out scales, clips, standoffs, etc. It makes ownership that much better because it's not just a great tool, it's a great tool that you can have some fun with too. Almost like getting a whole new knife over and over again! My wife thinks it's great to be able to "accessorize" it. I'm like, honey...it's a bad@$$ tool, not something you accessorize. I'm not going to put rhinestones on it. "But it's great because you can", she says. Um...yeah...I'll get right on that. Anyone know where I can get some stonewashed rhinestones?! Anyway...I digress...
Ok, so I did have to scramble a little and do some research on the whole issue of proper tools to disassemble and assemble. There are bits and pieces of information out there, but not exactly what I was looking for. It also varies depending on which model it is. Having finally pieced together the information, I thought I would share it with those who may not know this already...
First of all...anyone can take this thing apart and put it back together (disclaimer: ok, almost anyone). You don't need to be an Engineer or even that handy, as long as you have the proper tools. I was fortunate enough to acquire the awesome little Armorer's Tool, which is sold out just about everywhere. If I can impart one piece of advice, I would say invest in this little tool. You don't have to, there are certainly other options out there, but this thing is built like a tank and so easy to use and carry, etc. They are expensive, but so is the knife so why skimp here. Let me add one other little piece of advice...if you see an OEM accessory that you may want - like this tool or some scales, standoffs, lanyards, etc., don't hesitate too long - everything seems to sell out quickly and restocking seems to take quite some time. So while you are laboring over the decision to purchase a $65 replacement scale, you may find that a few minutes later the decision has been made for you - it's gone. So two pieces of advice...get the Armorer's tool and don't debate too long if you see other items you may want. Just my two cents.
Ok...back to the tool...The Armorer's Tool has a flat head screwdriver built into the "nose" for unscrewing the pivot screw. It notches in perfectly. The last thing you want to do is use the wrong size driver and bung up the head of the pivot screw. That would suck. Same issue with the spanner wrench to hold the other side. It fits perfectly, why risk it with something that isn't quite right for the job.
Unscrew the head of the Armorer's Tool and inside there is an Allen Wrench Bit, also called a Hex Bit (not a Torx Bit contrary to what many seem to think). This will ONLY work on the XM-18 3.5" and XM-24 handle screws, not the XM-18 3" version. The tool is supplied with a 5/64" Hex and you need a 1/16" Hex for the 3" version of the XM-18. Imagine my disappointment when I went to change the scale and found that the Bit was the wrong size! No problem...a quick trip to the local hardware store and I was able to buy a 1/16" Hex Bit. Not all hardware stores will have this tiny little wrench Bit. Good hardware stores may, but it's not a common find. You may need to get one online, which is easy to do and only costs a few dollars at the most (Hinderer may have these if you inquire, but I don't know for sure). You will need it to be a 1/4" bit size to fit in the Armorer's Tool slot (1/4" bit size, 1/16" Hex head size for the XM-18 3" knife). You may actually have more luck obtaining a regular 1/16" Allen Wrench than a 1/16" Allen Wrench Bit.
You will discover next, as I did, that you need yet another tool to take the clip and filler tabs out. This is a Phillips head screw (though I've seen Hex heads on some of the older models). Be careful with this one...the screws are not as hard as one would expect, so using the wrong size Phillips screwdriver could strip the screw head...which again, would suck. You will need a "Number 1" Phillips head screwdriver. That size will lock in perfectly. Its a small head...doubtful that most will have one that size laying about in the garage. You may find one as part of a jeweler's screwdriver set, but I don't like those for this task - the handle is usually too skinny to get a good grasp on and sometimes these screws are tight and require a bit of torque. I managed to pick up a 1/4" Number 1 Phillips head Bit that slots into the Armorer's tool just as the Hex Bit does. Now I can swap between the Hex Bit and the Phillips Bit on the Armorer's Tool, which makes the Tool a 4-in-1 basically. This results in having 4 tools for 4 different tasks and allows you to completely dismantle and assemble the XM-18 3".
The Armorer's Tool should work fine as it comes for the XM-18 3.5" and XM-24, but you will still need to source the proper Phillips screwdriver for those clip screws.
Lastly...there is a hole in the head of the Armorer's Tool that can be used to fashion a "T" handle for extra leverage, if you need it. The tool doesn't come with anything to slide in there, so I made one myself out of a nail that fit perfectly into this hole. I simply ground off the head and the point of the nail, smoothed it out and now it's a perfect T handle. I doubt I'll ever torque the pivot screw hard enough that I'll need the extra leverage, but I may acquire one with that particular condition, so at least I'm prepared.
Ok guys...hope this consolidated info is helpful to some folks and that they can find this post fairly easily with a search.
Good luck!! And much gratitude to Rick Hinderer and company for their awesome products!
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