Hinderer grinding

[bodog]

Has Rick ever outsourced the grinding of blades? As far as I know he only outsources the heat treatment and blade coatings. Has it always been that way?

 

[Hammer]

Has Rick ever outsourced the grinding of blades? As far as I know he only outsources the heat treatment and blade coatings. Has it always been that way?

A couple years ago Rick decided that to increase productivity he would send some of his blades out to be ground by a third party.

 

[Hammer]

I'm not sure I understand your second question. Could you rephrase the question?

 

[bodog]

First off, I'm jealous of your name. You gotta thank your parents. Second, there's a thread where what's been outsourced and what hasn't been outsourced is being debated.

 

[Hammer]

My parents both loved to read and were fans of Mickey Spillane.
Rick did his own heat treating for about 18 years but decided, for the same productivity reason as above, to out source that. The DLC coatings on the blades and frames are done by those that have the expertise to do it properly and efficiently.

 

[bodog]

Aside from hardening, coatings, and blade grinding has anything else ever been outsourced?

And is the blade grinding still being outsourced? Which models is that happening to?

And I don't blame him for outsourcing certain things. I guess some people may have a problem with it but if it helps, it helps.

 

[Hammer]

Aside from hardening, coatings, and blade grinding has anything else ever been outsourced?
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They used to buy scale screws but now they make their own.

And is the blade grinding still being outsourced?
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Yes. An easy way to tell the difference is all the production (outside the shop) grinds are flat ground and all the custom (in house by only Rick Hinderer) grinds are hollow grind.

Which models is that happening to?
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Well let me see if I can remember them. In the 3" XM-18, Spanto, Slicer and Wharnie. In the 3 1/2" XM-18, Spanto, Slicer, Wharnie, Spearpoint and Bowie. In the 4" XM-24, Spanto, Slicer, Bowie. The Eklipse model has only one blade style (Tanto) and it has been produced with a production grind in that style.
I think that's it.

 

[bodog]

They used to buy scale screws but now they make their own.


Yes. An easy way to tell the difference is all the production (outside the shop) grinds are flat ground and all the custom (in house by only Rick Hinderer) are hollow grind.

Well let me see if I can remember them. In the 3" XM-18, Spanto, Slicer and Wharnie. In the 31/2" XM-18, Spanto, Slicer, Wharnie, Spearpoint and Bowie. In the 4" XM-24, Spanto, Slicer, Bowie. The Eklipse model has only one blade style (Tanto) and it has been produced with a production grind in that style.
I think that's it.

Cool, thanks for the info. Basically anything that's not a straight up hinderer custom has an outsourced blade from grinding to heat treating. I'm assuming he cuts the blanks, please correct me if I'm wrong. Do you know about when that started?

Is the stonewashing and all that outsourced too?

 

[Hammer]

Cool, thanks for the info. Basically anything that's not a straight up hinderer custom has an outsourced blade from grinding to heat treating. I'm assuming he cuts the blanks, please correct me if I'm wrong. Do you know about when that started?

Is the stonewashing and all that outsourced too?

Stonewashing in done in house in one of 3 tumblers.
Yes, blanks are cut in house. Do I know when blade blanks started to be cut in house? They always have been.

 

[bodog]

Stonewashing in done in house in one of 3 tumblers.
Yes, blanks are cut in house. Do I know when blade blanks started to be cut in house? They always have been.

Sorry, I meant what generation the outsourced blade grinding started with. Has it always been the case that any flat ground blade was outsourced? Great info, btw.

 

[Hammer]

Sorry, I meant what generation the outsourced blade grinding started with. Has it always been the case that any flat ground blade was outsourced? Great info, btw.

Gen 3, 3 1/2" XM-18 was the first Gen that offered production ground blades. A lot of this is covered in the sticky above, linked here... http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...s-Generations-History-and-General-Information
As far as I know Rick has only ground one custom flat grind folder. One of the 4 4" Camp Knife folders was flat ground. All other flat ground folders are production grinds.