Rick Hinderer Xm-18 Gen 5?

Is it my imagination, or does the gen 5 feel ever so slightly thicker in the handle than the previous generation?
Will check it out with a micrometer this evening out of curiosity...
Please do! Would love to know. I'll only be getting mine in a couple of weeks so any info before hand is appreciated.
 
Mine flips great. Detent is strong enough for the flipper, not too strong for the thumbstuds.
Had some annoying lock stick at first, but it seems to be gone already.
I like the sheepsfoot on the XM handle compared to the MP1, personally.
 
My first ever Hinderer arrived in the mail today. It’s an XM-18 Gen 5 with working finish 3.5” sheepsfoot blade, Battle Bronze titanium and FDE G-10.

Honestly, I was worried about poor flipping action, but mine flips just fine. No problem light-switch or push-button flipping. This is my first time ever touching a Hinderer. No need to push forward then back like online videos. It has a nice detent that keeps the blade shut and is really hard to shake open. The detent makes it a little hard to flick open with the thumb stud, but it’s doable.

I can’t find a single fault with this knife. It has the sharpest factory edge I’ve ever encountered out of the box. The edge isn’t as pretty as the mirror polish I get with my Wicked Edge, but it’s just as sharp. Everything else is spot on and works beautifully.

My first impression of the XM-18 wasn’t an orgasmic experience. However, it’s the only holy grail knife purchase I haven’t been disappointed in or had issues with out of the box.
 
My first ever Hinderer arrived in the mail today. It’s an XM-18 Gen 5 with working finish 3.5” sheepsfoot blade, Battle Bronze titanium and FDE G-10.

Honestly, I was worried about poor flipping action, but mine flips just fine. No problem light-switch or push-button flipping. This is my first time ever touching a Hinderer. No need to push forward then back like online videos. It has a nice detent that keeps the blade shut and is really hard to shake open. The detent makes it a little hard to flick open with the thumb stud, but it’s doable.

I can’t find a single fault with this knife. It has the sharpest factory edge I’ve ever encountered out of the box. The edge isn’t as pretty as the mirror polish I get with my Wicked Edge, but it’s just as sharp. Everything else is spot on and works beautifully.

My first impression of the XM-18 wasn’t an orgasmic experience. However, it’s the only holy grail knife purchase I haven’t been disappointed in or had issues with out of the box.
Congrats!

We are going to need to see some pics
 
My first ever Hinderer arrived in the mail today. It’s an XM-18 Gen 5 with working finish 3.5” sheepsfoot blade, Battle Bronze titanium and FDE G-10.

Honestly, I was worried about poor flipping action, but mine flips just fine. No problem light-switch or push-button flipping. This is my first time ever touching a Hinderer. No need to push forward then back like online videos. It has a nice detent that keeps the blade shut and is really hard to shake open. The detent makes it a little hard to flick open with the thumb stud, but it’s doable.

I can’t find a single fault with this knife. It has the sharpest factory edge I’ve ever encountered out of the box. The edge isn’t as pretty as the mirror polish I get with my Wicked Edge, but it’s just as sharp. Everything else is spot on and works beautifully.

My first impression of the XM-18 wasn’t an orgasmic experience. However, it’s the only holy grail knife purchase I haven’t been disappointed in or had issues with out of the box.


Great to hear! Congrats on the first Hinderer. Every Gen 5 we have had come through so far has been dialed in really tight. Things really seem to be running really well at the Ranch.
 
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Huh, really weird seeing that on the inside of the lockbar then, I can't see any reason for that kind of milling above the insert and for the insert is very clearly taller than it needs to be given the height of the lockbar insert.

2 stabilizers?

40429409351_91ae61b31f_c.jpg



Maybe the cutout on the frame and overhang on the insert is there to facilitate the removal/installation of the lock face? You never know.

I can tell you from experience that’s it’s very difficult to remove interfernace fit parts that are flush
 
Are they using threaded standoffs now as opposed to handle nuts? Keep seeing pics of Allen heads on both sides. Or does the handle nut now have an Allen milled in it?
 
Are they using threaded standoffs now as opposed to handle nuts? Keep seeing pics of Allen heads on both sides. Or does the handle nut now have an Allen milled in it?

This is specific to the Sheepsfoot Blade. They had to do this or the blade would hit the standoffs. The Spanto and other style blades will still have the standard handle nuts, standoffs and handle screws.
 
Are they using threaded standoffs now as opposed to handle nuts? Keep seeing pics of Allen heads on both sides. Or does the handle nut now have an Allen milled in it?
According to some online dealer descriptions, the sheepsfoot XM-18 uses the same standoffs and screws as the Hinderer Eklipse. All of the custom anodized hardware kits for the Eklipse are listed as fitting the sheepsfoot XM-18.
 
Anyone ( whitty whitty ) have picturs of this next to the MP-1 for a blade comparison?

Love the MP-1. Mine came blunt as a brick and needed a good sharpening (I don't mind putting an edge on my knife), but after an hour or so it's sufficiently, phone book paper sharp and I love this blade! Sheepsfoot for the win. But I am curious about edge geometry and comparison of the bevel, etc.
 
This is specific to the Sheepsfoot Blade. They had to do this or the blade would hit the standoffs. The Spanto and other style blades will still have the standard handle nuts, standoffs and handle screws.

According to some online dealer descriptions, the sheepsfoot XM-18 uses the same standoffs and screws as the Hinderer Eklipse. All of the custom anodized hardware kits for the Eklipse are listed as fitting the sheepsfoot XM-18.
That answers my question. Thank you, gentlemen.
 
Well I liked the new gen 5 so much that I snagged another.

So now I have the sheepsfoot and also a spanto on the way.

These are excellent blades for the price point. I remember buying used XM18s for 900 dollars back in 2011. Boy how things have changed.
 
Used the eBay 20% off coupon to snag a gen 5 sheepsfoot today. It seems everyone is happy with them?

Is hinderer 20CV tough to the point it’s easy to chip?
 
Well, this was a super unplanned purchase for the year. But whenever I saw these Gen 5 Sheepsfoot blades come out I was really interested. Add that to the fact that I bought a 0562cf and really enjoyed it and whitty whitty just being an outstanding dude and here I am anxiously awaiting my first Hinderer.
 
Just got my Gen. 5 sheepsfoot and I'm sorry to report there's a couple issues that I noticed right away.

1. My knife have lockstick, that feels pretty bad considering it has a steel insert. My two previous Gen 4 knives have no lockstick at all with TI on steel. Not even my ZT 0562 have lockstick...

2. Extending the knife into its locked position I can hear something rattle. I've tried tightening every screw but nothing seems to fix the issue.

A smaller thing is they changed the handlescrews from Hex 5/64 to T6 Torx which means the Hinderer armorers tool is no longer standalone anymore.

Yeah coming high off gen 4 this is really feeling bad already...

Added: Found the rattle culprit. It's the internal stoppin/top standoff. It fits completely loose inside. Shipping it like that is frankly disappointing for such an expensive knife... wow... When it's closed the blade is resting on it so there's no rattle. But when knife is open it's no longer contacting the blade and it spins freely making obnoxious noises...
xm18gen5problem_____dvphu.jpg
 
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If you don't plan to return it (but I think you should), add a half drop of blue loctite should stabilize the stop pin.
 
If you don't plan to return it (but I think you should), add a half drop of blue loctite should stabilize the stop pin.
Yeah the stop pin can be fixed but the lockstick is really bad, like shockingly bad. It just sucks that I live in Europe so I have to ship it to my retailer that then have to ship it to Hinderer. It's going to take ages. Too much of a hassle to send it in when the knife is not straight broken, but I gotta be honest I'm very disappointed with the quality control here.

I'm hoping the lockstick will go away as I wear it in. If it's still like this in a couple of weeks I'll send it back.
 
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I asked about the lock stick on this forum and a couple of other places and was assured that it's normal and will break in with time and use. It seems to be getting better on mine.
 
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