Hinderer Spanto for edc ?

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Danny1994

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May 24, 2019
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I’m looking to get new hinderer and thinking of the Spanto blade, I know it’s pretty thick behind the edge and was wondering if any one finds this to be a problem with general edc task ? ( cardboard ,zip ties ect)
 
First of all I absolutely love the aesthetics of the XM-18 w/ a Spanto and it’s what immediately springs to mind when I think “Hinderer.” That said and, as you noted, it’s thick (esp. the 3.5”). Frankly it’s really not the best choice for cutting cardboard, zip ties, opening packages, occasional food prep, etc. and it can get kind of frustrating at times. Of course that doesn’t stop me from carrying one every now and then...:D
 
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I agree with JAB JAB , cool knife but more of a chopper. If you were to cut up an apple with it it would basically break it up in pieces. It'll do the things you're asking but a slicer grind is the best EDC cutter Hinderer offers IMO. I too carry the spanto on occasion but it's not the 1st Hinderer I grab out of the drawer.
 
I carry a Half Track spanto and it works fine
Not the best apple slicer for sure but I have no problem with cardboard, etc.
 
There is a difference between cutting and slicing. All knives should cut well, but not all knives slice well.

The standard XM-18 3.5" Spanto grind cuts well. It can also slice, but is not the best slicer.

IMHO the XM-18 3.5" Skinny in either Slicer or Sheepsfoot grind are Hinderer's best slicer and also the best for general EDC.
 
Bit off-topic, but what are examples of tasks associated with cutting vs slicing? Cutting as in severing rope and slicing as in separating cheese?
 
Have been using a s30v Spyderco PM2 to cut open bags of mulch lately. Maybe I sharpened the edge to too small degrees. Man it microchips like hell. I imagine a hinderer xm18 3.5 would be a better choice for the task.
 
sharp_edge said:
Have been using a s30v Spyderco PM2 to cut open bags of mulch lately. Maybe I sharpened the edge to too small degrees. Man it microchips like hell. I imagine a hinderer xm18 3.5 would be a better choice for the task.
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Great example of cutting. Most EDC tasks can be accomplished pretty well with a good cutter, slicy is probably most associated with food prep, or separating tight material like a thick mat or heavy rope. In general a slicy knife will work better in most situations where a good, thick BHE cutter (but not slicy) would excel at chopping and piercing due to a heavier tip and thicker edge profile.

You probably wouldn't feel underknifed with a spanto if you're not planning any kitchen work, they cut really well once reprofiled to 20 deg per side. For a one and done though it wouldn't be my 1st choice. In my case it was my 1st Hinderer, now I have 5 but only 1 spanto.
 
Mistman68 said:
Great example of cutting. Most EDC tasks can be accomplished pretty well with a good cutter, slicy is probably most associated with food prep, or separating tight material like a thick mat or heavy rope. In general a slicy knife will work better in most situations where a good, thick BHE cutter (but not slicy) would excel at chopping and piercing due to a heavier tip and thicker edge profile.

You probably wouldn't feel underknifed with a spanto if you're not planning any kitchen work, they cut really well once reprofiled to 20 deg per side. For a one and done though it wouldn't be my 1st choice. In my case it was my 1st Hinderer, now I have 5 but only 1 spanto.
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Yeah I was stupid enough to sell my gen 4 spanto for cheap. Am thinking about picking up one again. A battle black no choil from DLT has been calling me.
 
I carry an XM-24 most all of the time and have it sharpened with a 17 degree mirror polished edge by my Wicked Edge. I don't cut boxes or zip ties with it. It is a knife that I carry but I don't cut anything with it. But it is very capable of cutting most materials.
 
Wait,...you carry an xm-24 and never cut Things with it?!! How do you know it's even sharp then? Lol use your knife bro. It's an expensive paper weight if you don't use it for what it was intended for.
 
vjb.knife said:
I carry an XM-24 most all of the time and have it sharpened with a 17 degree mirror polished edge by my Wicked Edge.
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Same mirror polished edge here with an XM-18 3.5.
Not the best slicer but really satisfying to cut something with a badass knife like this.
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I found the Spanto XM-18 to be pretty bad at cutting things. It's extremely thick behind the edge and most nowadays are made in 20CV, which isn't a tough steel. Most people seem to leave their spanto XM-18s at well over 20 dps, as it takes ages to reprofile one down to a reasonable edge angle. Why even bother using M390/20CV when you're going to give it such an obtuse edge angle?

I would argue they aren't practical at all for EDC when compared with many options that are cheaper and better designed for cutting, but they sell because they're cool. The only practical Hinderers I've seen have been the skinny models, particularly the skinny slicer.
 
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DangerZone98 said:
Bit off-topic, but what are examples of tasks associated with cutting vs slicing? Cutting as in severing rope and slicing as in separating cheese?
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Cutting is where the edge separates a material. Slicing is when a significant portion of the blade passes through the material and has to push it apart. Or at least these seem to be the common definitions.

You cut paper, as the overall blade geometry makes little difference in difficulty after the edge separates the material. You slice an apple or a potato, or hard rubber, or anything else where the blade can get stuck.
 
I carry a Full Track Spanto sharpened at 23 dps to a BESS of about 200. It seems to cut anything that I need to cut and holds the edge for quite some time.
 
marrenmiller said:
Cutting is where the edge separates a material. Slicing is when a significant portion of the blade passes through the material and has to push it apart. Or at least these seem to be the common definitions.

You cut paper, as the overall blade geometry makes little difference in difficulty after the edge separates the material. You slice an apple or a potato, or hard rubber, or anything else where the blade can get stuck.
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This is a fantastic explanation of something I would have struggled to articulate -- thank you. :)
 
Depends on what you're doing with it, for the general EDC tasks the OP asked about they are not the greatest. My first high end knife was a 3.5 spanto, at the time I was just out of college and worked as a field engineer and also bought my first house which was every definition of a starter home and needed a complete remodel. For field work and house work the spanto was awesome as a general purpose edged tool and took everything I threw at it, including some very questionable tasks people would cringe at for a folding knife.
These days I work mainly behind a desk and the house is done besides smaller upgrades and I much prefer something like a Sebenza for EDC, but I still love spantos and know what they can handle.
 
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