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My personal notes on the xm folding series
A high value folder.
When you first hold a Hinderer knife the immediate reaction will be how much more detailed the knife is in comparison to other knives. The next thing will then be the question how he could put so many features & detailed work into a knife that he retails for $400 to professionals in military, law enforcement, firefighters etc when other makers sell their knives for more & they're not as detailed.
The Xm-18 is a perfect knife in our opinion. This is why his knives are so sought after.
Mr. Hinderer doesn't raise his prices to match the market demand like other makers. He still offers this knife for the normal price point to those in public service occupations & dealers. This is very honorable & only a handful of makers continue to do this. This is also why for civilians to purchase his knives they are so exclusive because he is constantly meeting the demand to supply orders from military, firefighters, law enforcement etc.
So is it worth it?
Rick Hinderer's XM is one of the most refined & perfected designs in the hard use tactical category of folding knives. Of all knives I've tested that are made in the framelock style, His are the only ones to walk away undamaged & not fail abusive testing. Every aspect of the knife from lock bar's cut out being on the outside, to screw hardness, to blade profile, & of course how the lock up occurs is done in a way that focus on hard use performance.
Mr. Hinderer's methods come from his personal experience as a firefighter & being able to test his knives to the limit. Hinderer XM's are
We do not qualify as an authorized dealer at this moment & all commentary here is based on our personal evaluations & testing/ results.
When you first hold a Hinderer knife the immediate reaction will be how much more detailed the knife is in comparison to other knives. The next thing will then be the question how he could put so many features & detailed work into a knife that he retails for $400 to professionals in military, law enforcement, firefighters etc when other makers sell their knives for more & they're not as detailed.
The Xm-18 is a perfect knife in our opinion. This is why his knives are so sought after.
Mr. Hinderer doesn't raise his prices to match the market demand like other makers. He still offers this knife for the normal price point to those in public service occupations & dealers. This is very honorable & only a handful of makers continue to do this. This is also why for civilians to purchase his knives they are so exclusive because he is constantly meeting the demand to supply orders from military, firefighters, law enforcement etc.
So is it worth it?
Rick Hinderer's XM is one of the most refined & perfected designs in the hard use tactical category of folding knives. Of all knives I've tested that are made in the framelock style, His are the only ones to walk away undamaged & not fail abusive testing. Every aspect of the knife from lock bar's cut out being on the outside, to screw hardness, to blade profile, & of course how the lock up occurs is done in a way that focus on hard use performance.
Mr. Hinderer's methods come from his personal experience as a firefighter & being able to test his knives to the limit. Hinderer XM's are
We do not qualify as an authorized dealer at this moment & all commentary here is based on our personal evaluations & testing/ results.
Rick Hinderer's XM-18 3.5" Generation 4
The choice of firefighters & tactical experts.
What's a Hinderer for? Rick Hinderer's XM-18 is a tactical folder that's also very capable for outdoor & hunting uses. Many people mistaken the term "heavy" use as meant for cutting tasks against strong materials but the knife's steel choice focus more on toughness & not breaking.
-The blade grind is great for woodworking or tactical use.
-The flipper action is smooth for quick deployment like other tactical knives with bearing systems but even the non-flipper version is smooth enough to be flicked open with a wrist motion which makes it illegal to receive in Australia unless tightened prior to shipping.
- All along the handle is jimping for grip. This is a good feature when grabbing the knife with wet hands. The flipper isn't necessary as the knife locks in but if you are wearing thick gloves then a flipper version is recommended when considering the 3.5' version.
The key features that make the XM-18 a superior tactical folder.
Hinderer created the lock bar stabilizer a disk that keeps the lock bar from being overextended when unlocking the knife. Many people don't know that the there's a second function to the stabilizer that's more important which is to keep the lock bar from moving inwards toward the spine if it receives heavy negative force on the lock when stabbing. This is one of the greatest features made for knives that only through heavy field use & creating a lock bar that moves inward rather than failing by moving outwards that Mr. Hinderer could realize this. The new Gen 4 also has an increase in the blade's lock tang so the lock bar won't move further inward when gripped hard.
What's a Hinderer for? Rick Hinderer's XM-18 is a tactical folder that's also very capable for outdoor & hunting uses. Many people mistaken the term "heavy" use as meant for cutting tasks against strong materials but the knife's steel choice focus more on toughness & not breaking.
-The blade grind is great for woodworking or tactical use.
-The flipper action is smooth for quick deployment like other tactical knives with bearing systems but even the non-flipper version is smooth enough to be flicked open with a wrist motion which makes it illegal to receive in Australia unless tightened prior to shipping.
- All along the handle is jimping for grip. This is a good feature when grabbing the knife with wet hands. The flipper isn't necessary as the knife locks in but if you are wearing thick gloves then a flipper version is recommended when considering the 3.5' version.
The key features that make the XM-18 a superior tactical folder.
Hinderer created the lock bar stabilizer a disk that keeps the lock bar from being overextended when unlocking the knife. Many people don't know that the there's a second function to the stabilizer that's more important which is to keep the lock bar from moving inwards toward the spine if it receives heavy negative force on the lock when stabbing. This is one of the greatest features made for knives that only through heavy field use & creating a lock bar that moves inward rather than failing by moving outwards that Mr. Hinderer could realize this. The new Gen 4 also has an increase in the blade's lock tang so the lock bar won't move further inward when gripped hard.
Blade Steel: Stainless Options
Hinderer's steel choices primarily focus on having toughness & not chipping. The choices are all stainless options & range from tougher to focusing on edge retention:
1. Duratec 20CV (toughest) HRC 59-60 2. CTS-XHP (mid) HRC 60-61 3. S35VN (most edge retention) HRC 60-61 The XM-18 use Teflon washers made by Virgin. They have had no issues according to Hinderer but a spare hardware set is available directly from Hinderer's website. Some people prefer phosphor bronze which has a reputation of being stronger & more durable but wuite a few makers (Warren Thomas fe) use teflon & teflon still has a high heat tolerance (of course since this a knife made by a firefighter) |
Best of Hard use Frame locks
The frame lock of the XM-18 is one of the best possible. The lock bar is designed in a way to last over long term use while still not disengaging with extreme use compared to other knives that either wear well but disengage or don't wear well but don't disengage. Hinderer's lock up lasts & doesn't fail easily. Even the cut out is on the outside to provide the proper line up of force to secure the knife & not have that area give out.
The previous Gen 3 locks would move inward when used gripped hard but the new gen 4 resolves this issue by increasing the slope slightly to prevent the lock bar from sliding further inward (left is Gen 4 right is Gen 3) |
Knife specifications:
Blade Material Options: Duratec 20CV, CTS-XHP, S35VN
Blade Style: Spanto (spear/tanto) or slicer Blade Thickness: o.165" or 4mm Stainless: Yes all options Hardware: Stainless but slightly soft (tougher but more easily stripped) Closed: 4.75" Overall Length: 8.25" Washers: Teflon Handle Material: G10 with o.o5" Titanium Liner & o.165" Titanium for frame lock side Weight: 5.6oz |
Video Talk:
Things to consider for prospective owners:
- Hinderer multi-tool required for maintenance & disassembly but you could grind of the end part of the male to allow a Philips head screwdriver (of course this would void warranty or you can just buy another pivot from hinderer first) Some people create a tool out of a steel washer. - Prior to Gen 4 the Generation 3 XM-18s didn't have a strong detent (there are exceptions *watch vid). You can remove the lubrication since Teflon Washers don't require it thus making the action stiff. If you want a little lubrication you can use Teflon RC Oil or even Bicycle Chain Oil which are both not very smooth. The next option is to tighten the pivot but this will uncenter the blade - Newer Generation 4 Hinderer XMs have a solid detent so the issue was resolved - Screws are not hardened so care is required when handling but this makes them less likely to break when receiving impacts |
1 Available Knives for Sale layaway available email for info
Gen 4 FLipper Spanto: sold
Early lock up. Centered. Good blade retention (detent). New rounded surface thumbstuds
Price: $1000 USD SOLD |
gen 4 xm-18 Flipper : sold
$970.00 USD
Price includes shipping |
Hinderer XM-18 3.5" Gen 3 Flipper: SOLD
Mint condition with Duratec 20 CV blade steel. Smooth lock disengaging and virtually no imperfections. Blade grind is even on both sides. This one is the nicest of the recent batch. Opening action is super smooth while blade retention is still strong. Price includes priority shipping (2-3) days & is insured for $1,100.00 by U.S. postal service.
Shipping to Australia is limited please email first for info. $1,100.00 Status: SOLD |
XM-18 Gen 4 Flipper Slicer Grind: sold
The best outdoor utility folder now perfect!
Price includes USPS 2-3 day with insurance & tracking For international we only will ship with UPS gauranteed shipping which is 2-3 day & insured but $80.00 extra charge In stock: 0 |
XM-18 Gen 4 Spanto Flipper SOLD
Email for info
New GEN 4 Flipper Coyote Brown G10 scale Stonewashed blade & Ti S35VN Steel Price $1000 USPS Tracking, shipping, insurance all included |
XM-18 Gen 4 Slicer Grind w/ FLipper: sold
New from Hinderer. Bought on secondary market.
Detent issues solved no more problems!!!!! Slicer grind s35vn steel price: $1000.00 USD includes shipping & insurance & CA taxes Email to inquire about discount |
