For me, Fällkniven‘s U1 pocket knife has been flying under the radar. You might think it is not the most exciting knife, a small slip-joint with simple build, but then again perhaps it is….
Now that I’ve been living with and using this knife for an extended period, I have found it is one of those no-nonsense practical every-day-use knives that just does the job without any fuss.
Also seen in this review is the super handy FS3 Flipstone with combined ceramic and diamond sharpening stones.
The Video about the Fällkniven U1 I wasn’t going to make: Originally I wasn’t going to include a video in this review, but after living with the U1c for several months, I felt compelled to add one. Before getting to the detailed galleries and the rest of the review, here it is:
A few more details:
What’s in the box?:
I also got the Fällkniven flipstone at the same time, so you can see it’s packaging here. An unfortunate reality, but the Fällkniven box also has the special authentication label to allow you to confirm it is a genuine Fällkniven. The U1c come in its own dedicated belt pouch.
The Belt Pouch:
As with any knife, the sheath or pouch is hugely important for how easy it is to carry and use. The U1 comes with a perfectly matched small fabric belt pouch with velcro closing. The belt loop design allows for vertical or horizontal carry.
A good look round the Fällkniven U1c – Things to look out for here are:
The construction is kept very simple, and is in fact a 100 year old slip-joint design. The blade pivot sits directly onto the handle liners (perhaps not really even ‘liners’ as they are exposed). The wooden grips of the U1c cover around 3/4 of the handle. Fällkniven are steel laminating experts, and the U1c is no exception, with the 3G-steel visibly laminated into the blade core.
The Blade and Handle – Detailed Measurements:
For full details of the tests and measurements carried out and an explanation of the results, see the page – Knife Technical Testing – How It’s Done.
What is it like to use?
It’s a small slip-joint. I say it that way on purpose, as that is the reality – it sounds a bit boring and not worth taking much notice. Yes, it is a Fällkniven, so that does make it more interesting, and it has a 3G laminated blade, so more interesting again.
But, wait, this does not do it justice in the slightest!
Fällkniven say it is a 100 year old design. Designs that don’t work, don’t stick around, and this has been proven to me again and again while carrying this knife. This is not just and EDC knife, it is an EDU knife (Every Day Use – coining a phrase). Carry it and you will use it over and over, every day.
In my hand, it is a three-finger size knife (I cannot get four fingers to fit on the handle). Remember that your first three fingers are where the majority of your hand strength is, so it is not a handicap at all. The size of the knife makes it all the more easy to carry, and this is massively helped by the dedicated belt pouch, which is itself small and easy to forget about on your belt.
Although there is a double nail-nick (one either side of the blade), I find it easy to open with a pinch-grip on the blade. The action is positive and the blade perfectly secure for every day tasks.
The slight full convex grind on the relatively thin blade allows it to slide through what you are cutting with ease. And that brings me to the 3G steel and the factory edge. Normally in the course of the review testing I will need to re-sharpen an edge, or improve/re-profile it to my liking; over the couple of months I have been using the U1c, it still has a hair popping original factory edge, and I don’t want to re-sharpen it until it really needs it. No noticeable loss in its eagerness to cut from day one – seriously impressed.
Popping on a small lanyard makes getting it out of the pouch much easier and is well worth doing.
There was something that stopped me loving the U1c straight away, and that was the sharp corner on the blade stop and back-spring. These sharp corners give the ‘H’ it’s precision and clean look, but every time I handled the U1c i kept feeling the catch of these sharp edges and it put me off.
Taking a diamond stone to these corners and just easing them slightly transformed the experience of handling this knife. Only a small thing, but suddenly no catching on these sharp corners, instead just appreciating the size, feel, handling and cutting ability. Such an easy fix, if this little detail did bother you, it is easily resolved and worth doing.
As you have already seen, I ended up making a video I hadn’t intended to, simply because this little EDU knife fell into the U1c-shaped hole we all have in our lives.
Review Summary
The views expressed in this summary table are from the point of view of the reviewer’s personal use. I am not a member of the armed forces and cannot comment on its use beyond a cutting tool or field/hunting knife.
Something that might be a ‘pro’ for one user can be a ‘con’ for another, so the comments are categorised based on my requirements. You should consider all points and if they could be beneficial to you.
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What doesn’t work so well for me
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Slight sense of being unfinished with some sharp edges.
Nothing else.
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Things I like
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Superb cutting from the thin convexed blade.
3G steel just keeps holding its edge.
Compact three-finger size disappears on your belt.
Comes with excellent belt pouch.
Simple, classic, time-proven design.
Blade can be opened with a pinch-grip.
Firm spring and good resistance to closing.
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In the UK, Heinnie Haynes is an institution and essential in the search for knives as well as outdoor and EDC gear. Having been a specialist in knives for so long, not satisfied with just selling standard production knives, Heinnie Haynes have been commissioning customised and enhanced special editions, many of which are slip-joint conversions of lock knives (to allow UK EDC). In this review we are taking a look at three of these Heinnie special editions – a slip-joint conversion of the CRKT Pilar and MKM Isonzo, plus a the sleek Heinnie designed Penfold.
The details:
This video has a quick look at the Heinnie Penfold and MKM Isonzo, and then a much more detailed examination of the CRKT Pilar.
A good look round the Heinnie CRKT Pilar – Things to look out for here are:
The exclusive special edition features include the G10 scales and spacer in Heinnie red, plus the conversion to slip-joint using a double spring-and-detent concealed within the handle.
A good look round the Heinnie MKM Isonzo (Cleaver blade)- Things to look out for here are:
Originally using a liner lock, the remains of this lock are clearly visible, but with the addition of a detent on the sprung bar (previously the lock bar). Highlights of Heinnie red let you know this is the special edition.
A good look round the Heinnie Penfold – Things to look out for here are:
Entirely a Heinnie design, the Penfold takes the classic pocket-spring slip-joint knife, and streamlines it with a beautiful simplicity and clean look.
The Blade and Handle – Detailed Measurements:
For full details of the tests and measurements carried out and an explanation of the results, see the page – Knife Technical Testing – How It’s Done.
The Torque measurement:
What is it like to use?
As a little ‘cherry on top’ I’ve added a couple of Heinnie beads onto paracord lanyards.
Inspired by the rasp-like grip texture of the MKM Isonzo handles (plus noticing other ‘pocket ripping knives’ over the years), a new test was born – the pocket-shredder test. Taking some raw calico and fitting and removing the knife’s pocket clip onto the calico fabric as if it were a pocket edge. This was done only 5 times; here you can see the comparison of how aggressive the pocket clip grip is. The MKM is a shredder!
Heinnie Edition CRKT Pilar – It’s a compact knife, three-finger-grip size, so, frustrating for it to be a lock knife where carry restrictions prevent EDCing a locker. Heinnie Haynes special slip-joint edition makes this a lovely, and EDCable, working knife. It is a slight disappointment that it only has a tip-down pocket clip. I initially thought this might be a deal breaker and this does conflict slightly with the lanyard hole, as to use the pocket clips means stuffing the lanyard into your pocket, opposite to how it should be. However, thanks to its small size and ease of handling it actually hasn’t been a real issue.
The sheepsfoot blade shape is very practical, presenting the tip and edge nicely for draw cuts.
One-handed-opening is easy and the slip-joint detent is firm enough (assuming correct cutting technique). Thanks to the vision of Heinnie Haynes, we have a super usable, easy to carry, and inexpensive EDC pocket knife.
Heinnie Edition MKM Isonzo Cleaver – This knife drew me in as soon as I saw it, Jesper Voxnæs’ distinctive design, which was also originally a liner-lock knife. With Heinnie Haynes stepping in and arranging for a slip-joint conversion to open up this excellent knife’s EDC-ability.
In this version, it has the ‘cleaver’ blade (although effectively this is really a slightly deeper sheepsfoot shape), with the characteristic downward presentation of the tip, making it a very practical cutter.
The peeled G10 scales have a texture that almost reminds me of the rasp side of a box grater (the one you end up skinning your finger joints on). This texture is super grippy, and I feel I could keep hold of this despite oil or anything else slippery on my hands.
For its overall size, the Isonzo is quite wide when folded; wide enough I could not fit it into any of the knife belt pouches I have. The secure grip from the rough handle texture is actually really good, and feels fine for general use, so I definitely want to carry this. Despite being my preferred tip-up clip position, its ferocious grip texture makes the pocket clip something I won’t use, as it will rip pockets to shreds; so, I just popped it into the bottom of whatever pocket or pouch/bag I had.
With a deep full flat grind, the blade had the narrowest primary bevel angle of the three in this review, and proved a great slicer with lots of control.
Heinnie Penfold – Those sleek lines make the Penfold beautiful in its simplicity. This is a knife imbued with elegance and sophistication, and a joy to behold every time you bring it out. When this arrived, I got out an old leather belt pouch I’ve had for probably over 25 years, and it’s been on my belt every day since then (with the Penfold in it of course).
Initially I was a little put off by the thickness of the blade. In terms of visual design, the thick blade looks super, but a thick blade loses out in slicing ability, so I didn’t have high hopes for the usability. Well, I could not have been more wrong; every task I’ve used it for has been completed with ease and not impeded by the blade thickness. There will be some cutting jobs the blade thickness may end up slowing down, but so far this has proven a cracking daily carry!
Review Summary
The views expressed in this summary table are from the point of view of the reviewer’s personal use. I am not a member of the armed forces and cannot comment on its use beyond a cutting tool or field/hunting knife.
Something that might be a ‘pro’ for one user can be a ‘con’ for another, so the comments are categorised based on my requirements. You should consider all points and if they could be beneficial to you.
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What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________
Pilar – tip-down clip position.
Isonzo – pocket shredding grip texture.
Penfold – thick blade and steep primary grind angle.
Penfold – lanyard point fiddly and a tight fit for 7-strand paracord.
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Things I like
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Pilar – converted to a slip-joint for EDC.
Pilar – sheepsfoot blade shape.
Pilar – compact and easy to carry.
Isonzo – converted to a slip-joint for EDC.
Isonzo – super grippy handle texture.
Isonzo – very easy to one-hand-open.
Penfold – elegant and stylish design.
Penfold – S35VN and Titanium.
Penfold – slim and narrow making it a low profile carry.
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In this review, the Fox Suru on test is not just any old Suru, it’s the ‘Heinnie Haynes Edition’. As well as having global reach, Heinnie Haynes is the UK’s largest seller of knives and EDC gear. With its roots in the UK market there is particular interest in knives which are UK EDC Legal. There is much confusion over the knife laws in the UK, thanks to plenty of misinformation, despite the law actually being very simple. Sticking to the basics of the law, any non-locking folding knife with cutting edge less than 3″ can be EDCed legally.
The Fox Suru in its standard form is a compact, integral-lock, flipper knife – an almost perfectly unsuitable knife for the UK market, but Bruce from HH had the vision to see great potential in the small robust folder, if only it could be made a flipper-free non-locker. After working out the details with Fox, we now have exactly that, a slip-joint Suru. Though intended for the UK market, the creation of the slip-joint Suru has streamlined the original design and resulted in a knife suitable for users around the world with, or without, similar EDC knife carry restrictions.
A few more details:
We’ll start of with the presentation of the knife, both from Heinnie Haynes and from Fox. The review sample was sent to me exactly as with any other HH customer order.
What’s in the box?:
That Red H is always a sign of good things to come.
Fox have a good logo.
The Suru comes in a quality pouch.
A Couple of Extras:
With Heinnie Haynes having so many extras to choose from, also included for use during testing was the MAM slip pouch, and Maxpedition’s Micro Pocket Organiser.
A good look round the Fox Suru Heinnie Haynes Edition – Things to look out for here are:
This is one of four different colour options and has a black PVD coated Titanium handle (though this is actually more of a very dark grey) with Bronze coloured hardware. The Heinnie Edition Suru started as the frame-lock flipper Suru, but as you will see, nothing looks out of place, instead appearing as if it had always been designed this way.
Spot the difference from the standard Suru.
The Suru is an open back design.
Also different in the Heinnie edition is the lock side handle. It has a detent spring instead of a lock-bar.
In this version, the clip and other hardware has a bronze finish.
The clip has a ball bearing for the contact point.
The handle spacer also has a lanyard hole.
Fox's logo sits next to the rounded plunge line.
The edge bevel width has been kept consistent over the entire cutting edge, despite the geometry and thicker tip.
A generous finger choil allows for fine control.
M390 steel is used.
A couple of images showing the slip-joint detent action. Here it is engaged with the blade open.
Looking into the knife you can see the detent ball engaged in the blade tang. Also note the washer.
With the blade partially open the detent spring bar is pushed open.
The detent ball riding up on the tang.
Explained by the Maker:
The reasons for certain design choices may not be clear when simply looking at an object, so this section is intended to give an insight into the thinking behind a design by speaking to the designer themselves.
Bruce from Heinnie Haynes took the time to speak with me about the knife.
This particular ‘Heinnie Haynes Edition’ actually came about the very day before the Suru won knife of the year at Blade Show 2018. It happens to be Bruce’s favourite size of knife and he particularly liked the solid feel and thick blade coupled with the strong, precise, feel and operation. After seeing and loving the original Suru, with the UK market in mind, Bruce knew that the flipper was going to make it impossible to sell, so asked Fox if they could do a run without the flipper. Fox said they could do that but would need to cut a new blade shape separately, meaning a minimum of 300 being made. At a starting point of 300, with the knife being a lock-knife it would still limit the market for the flipper-free version. So Bruce took it one step further and asked that if a new blade is being made, can’t the rear be extended and an extra detent added. This would be so that the lock-bar doesn’t close behind the blade instead converting it to be non-locking (with detent holding the blade open). Initially Fox were concerned this would make it seem like the knife was ‘broken’ and the lock not working, so were very reluctant. Bruce stuck to his convictions and persuaded Fox to go ahead with the Heinnie Edition.
After placing the order, Bruce had to wait for the final production run to actually see the knife he had redesigned; it was a bit nerve-racking opening the first box. When they arrived it turned out that not only had the blade been changed, but the lock-side handle had also been changed and it was no longer a frame-lock handle; instead the detent spring has been moved to the centre of the handle. Bruce originally thought he was asking only for the blade to be changed and felt a little guilty the handle needed to be changed as well; however, the result is even better thanks to this extra work by Fox.
Making this knife EDCable broadens its appeal in the UK market considerably with the relatively limited choice of suitable knives. Being a Heinnie customisation HH currently have exclusive rights to the slip-joint version.
If the current run sells well enough Bruce would like to go for a few more variants than the initial four. Always a bit of a guessing game, the split in sales between these four variants is so far not as originally envisioned. The black/bronze one (in this review) is the most popular, followed by the black/blue and the plain level-pegging in second, with the plain/blue being the least popular (at the time of writing). It was the plain/blue one that Bruce most likes and thought would sell out first.
Interestingly, as the number of ‘flipper’ knives is still on the increase, and with this being a genuine problem in the UK, (as it not something that can be sold), Bruce (and I also agree) is starting to see flippers as ugly; the flipper tab sticking out makes the knife ungainly especially when folded. This Heinnie edition of the Suru looks much more streamlined without the flipper tab getting in the way.
The Blade and Handle – Detailed Measurements:
Now even more detailed!
Taking things far beyond most knife specifications, in this section I will be carrying out a detailed examination of geometry, balance, edge bevels, factory sharpness and structural edge testing using the industry leading measuring tools.
These measuring tools include a Vernier protractor, callipers, fixed radius gauges, the unique Arc Master adjustable radius gauge, Edge On Up’s BESS Certified PT50A and SET tester along with CATRA’s Hobbigoni LASER Edge Protractor. The BESS ‘C’ scale of sharpness (Brubacher Edge Sharpness Scale) will be used to verify the sharpness of the factory edge and allow the knife to be brought to a minimum standard sharpness before testing a blade’s cutting performance.
A set of gauges and precision measuring equipment including a Vernier protractor, callipers, fixed radius gauges and the Arc Master adjustable radius gauge.
One critical parameter is the primary grind angle.
Using a straight-edge to confirm the primary bevel type.
The balance point is found using a pivot.
Sharpness is checked using an Edge On Up PT50A 'BESS Certified' tester.
A chart showing where on the BESS scale a blade is.
The CATRA Hobbigoni measures blade and bevel angles with a LASER.
The Hobbigoni provides a lot of information about the blade and cutting edge.
A CRK Inkosi with polished Wicked Edge bevel.
A fully convexed edge on the Fällkniven F1.
Movakniv's Bushcraft showing the Scandi-edge and micro-bevel.
Spyderco's Sliverax showing the effect of surface finish.
This is the Edge On Up SET (Structural Edge Tester). A precise load (the white tac on the platform is used to adjust the load) applies pressure to an 'impactor'.
The 'impactor' roller is at a 12 degree angle.
The impactor is moved along the edge to roll the edge apex. The amount of roll can then be measured.
After testing the blade is stropped to recover the edge.
The measurements have been tabulated and are presented along with a few reference blades. The ‘Balance relative to the front of the handle’ tells you if the knife will feel front heavy, or if the weight is in your hand (a positive value means the weight is forward of the front of the handle). The ‘Balance relative to the centre of the handle’ indicates how close to a ‘neutral balance’ the knife has in the hand.
The balance point.
Checking the grind.
Main grind angle.
Checking the edge bevel.
The blade is made from M390 steel.
What it is like to use?
Having not previously handled the original Fox Suru, I was not familiar with the size of this knife. Certainly on first seeing it I was surprised how compact it actually is. From photos of it on its own, there is a sense it is a larger knife. Considering that this is intended to be an EDC knife, that compact size has proven to be a real benefit and just made it an easy carry.
Frequently, frame-lockers can be reluctant to open with the thumb as it is so easy to accidentally apply pressure to the lock-bar and so engage the blade retention detent more firmly. With Fox changing the lock-side handle as they have done, it make this version of the Suru very good at OHO using the opening hole. The action is crisp, with a good snap into the open position.
As you can see in these photos, the handle is really a three-finger-grip handle due to its compact size. You have two choices for the normal forward grip, firstly and most naturally, you choke up on the blade with your index finger sitting in the finger choil in front of the pivot with you remaining fingers on the handle. This grip will give you the most control and power, but if you want a little more reach for the blade, you can come back on the handle so your index finger is now behind the pivot. Not as safe (though perfectly safe if using the proper cutting style for non-lockers), but it does give a bit more reach.
Before discussing the next gallery, there was just one minor problem I came across during testing; the blade pivot loosened to the point the blade was quite wobbly and way off centre when closed. This was after a few hundred opening and closing cycles, but I had not thought to check the pivot screw before starting testing, so I don’t know if it was already loose when it arrived. A quick and easy adjustment later using a T9 Torx screwdriver bit, and the pivot was back to how it should be, with the blade having no play and opening smoothly. Concerned it had worked loose during normal use, I went about positively trying to get it to loosen up again and have unrelentingly opened and closed it (having to change hands frequently – and yes it works perfectly left or right handed) hundreds of times. I do apply a reasonable amount of sideways pressure to the blade when OHOing the knife and the pivot has loosened again. Once it starts to get loose, it then loosens even more quickly. Actually this doesn’t really impact on its use, giving you enough warning to tighten it up again before it gets too bad. I think a spot of thread-lock is imminent.
People like to carry knives in a few different ways. I’m not a fan of carrying a knife clipped to the edge of a pocket as I don’t like collecting pocket lint, wearing away the edge of the pocket, and those instances where as you move about and sit down, that a knife can be pushed up and off the pocket edge; lots of knives are lost that way. So this leads me to the two other options here. The MAM slip-pouch is a simple leather pouch to keep the knife dust and scratch free while in your pocket. It is a snug fit for the Suru needing a ‘toothpaste tube squeeze’ technique to get it out of the pouch, and has kept the Suru in perfect condition.
I am frequently swapping coats and bags and tend to loose track of my EDC gear if I have it distributed and doubled-up (tripled etc) across all those coats and bags, so prefer a small organiser pouch that gets moved from coat to bag to bag to coat, and means I know exactly what I’ve got.
Though the Suru came in a pouch, and that pouch is very nice quality, it is too big for the size of knife. I have re-used that pouch for a much bigger folder.
The Maxpedition Micro Pocket Organiser is the best size I’ve found so far. I would prefer it even smaller, as unlike many people I don’t like to cram my EDC pouch full of gear that then rubs up against each other. For me this is the essential ‘knife and light’ combination, placed in the pouch so they can’t make contact. The Suru has mostly been living in this pouch with an Armytek light.
Back onto the subject of size. Included in the gallery are a few size comparison photos with some classic slip-joint knives. There is also a direct comparison with the ultra-light Spyderco Dragonfly II, which you can see is equivalent in size. The Suru has a much more substantial build, with Titanium handles and thick blade, so gives you the feel of a heavier folder in a package that is small enough to easily EDC, yet have enough cutting power to be seriously useful.
These comparison photos also show the non-threatening look of the Suru. SAKs are universally accepted even by extremely-non-knife-people, but many of the UK EDC Legal knives look a little bit too ‘pointy’ to be as easily accepted. The Suru with its wide blade and upwardly sweeping cutting edge has a softer look that is much easier for non-knife-people to be relaxed around.
Size comparison to other slip-joints.
Is a 4mm blade too thick for a folder this size? It certainly could be. The Suru’s blade is however much deeper than your typical folder of this size and with a nearly full flat grind, it means the blade’s primary bevel is a fine enough angle to cut very well. Where you do lose out a little is as you near the blade tip. The primary bevel and thick blade stock combine to give a very strong blade tip, but a relatively thick one.
This brings me onto the factory edge. With the grind geometry, the blade thickness behind the cutting edge increases as you go from the heel to tip. Fox have very neatly executed a factory cutting edge bevel that has a consistent width along the entire edge. Consequently, this factory edge bevel angle changes from 20DPS (degrees per side) at the heel to about 35DPS at the tip. So that is a 40 degree inclusive edge bevel at the heel and a 70 degree inclusive edge bevel at the tip; that is more than I’d put on an axe! Fox did make that edge a good sharpness, but the angle means it is not the most eager cutter. A lot of urban EDC cutting tasks involve the point, and with the factory edge, the Suru comes up feeling lacking. What also doesn’t help is that the point angle is quite wide, and with the upward sweep of the cutting edge to the tip, the cutting edge sits almost parallel to the material being punctured and cut – like this is needs a finer edge to really work.
So, time for a re-profile of the cutting edge, and I’ve take it to 15DPS along the entire cutting edge. The width of the edge bevel at the tip is now four times the width at the heel, but that is the cost of having the consistent edge bevel angle.
With this new edge, the Suru has woken up, and with the point work transformed it has allowed me pay more attention to how well the rest of the blade cuts. With a nicely exposed blade heel (just in front of the finger choil), you can carry out very fine and controlled cuts. Despite the 4mm blade stock, this part of the blade cuts like a thinner blade would.
Having an all metal construction (Titanium handles) the Suru is not a super-light folder. Other knives of a similar size are thinner and lighter, but feel insubstantial in comparison. As a non-locker, it is possible to EDC this knife where other knives cannot go, and even though compact, it has a satisfyingly solid build that gives you the confidence use it for jobs you might otherwise be reaching for a bigger knife to do.
Review Summary
The views expressed in this summary table are from the point of view of the reviewer’s personal use. I am not a member of the armed forces and cannot comment on its use beyond a cutting tool or field/hunting knife.
Something that might be a ‘pro’ for one user can be a ‘con’ for another, so the comments are categorised based on my requirements. You should consider all points and if they could be beneficial to you.
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Things I like
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Excellent fit and finish.
Titanium handles.
Solid construction.
M390 blade steel.
Ambidextrous OHO.
Compact.
Non-locking.
‘Friendly’ look.
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What doesn’t work so well for me
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Thick blade tip reduces piercing ability.
The blade pivot seems to work loose after a few hundred openings. (Needs some thread-lock)
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Hinderer Knives’ XM-Slippy was designed to answer the high demand from the European market for a Rick Hinderer knife that could be carried in areas with more restrictive knife carry laws; as its name suggests, it is a slip-joint knife. The knife was debuted at IWA 2017 and is currently entering into its second production run. The XM-Slippy shown in this review is a first run knife and externally there is no visible change when compared to the second run. Designed to be as universally EDC legal as possible, the thumb disc can easily be removed for two-handed opening if required.
New Review Format 2018!
Tactical Reviews is known for very detailed reviews using many high quality images. This has meant quite a lot of scrolling to read most reviews. In the new format, the review contains ‘responsive image galleries’ to better display these images as a slide show with captions.
NOTE: On a PC it is best to use the arrow keys to move through the images. Captions can be hidden by clicking the small ‘x’ in the caption box. To enable them again, close the gallery and reopen it.
A few more details:
What’s in the box?:
In the box is the XM-Slippy in a plastic bag, along with a small Allen key and instruction sheet for the re/movable thumb stud.
A good look round the XM-Slippy – Things to look out for here are:
This example has the VERY orange G10 handles, but the XM-Slippy is also available in much more neutral colours. The stonewashed steel pocket clip is fitted by default in the tip down position and is pretty thick and sturdy (also read ‘stiff’).
One design aspect needs a little more attention; the smoothing/easing of all edges. A very obvious example of this are the edges of the back-spring, and the bevelled edges provide shadow lines along the back of the handle. The fact all edges are eased/rounded gives it a distinct look and feel and a great comfort in the hand and pocket. Some might criticise the fact that the H doesn’t look as tight as they would expect, but this is as it should be; the combination of the easing and the fact there is an internal stop-pin results in this appearance, the blade itself is spot on and perfectly positioned.
Peering into the liners, you can see the very end of the clip screws just coming through the liner, but there is no contact with the blade; it does mean the screws are as stable as they possibly could be as they fill the threaded hole completely.
The Hinderer logo - always a good thing.
This example has the very orange G10 handles.
A stonewashed steel pocket clip is fitted by default in the tip-down position.
The tip-up clip position has a blanking plate fitted.
On the clip side of the pivot bolt, the nut is flush and uses a 'security' style two-slot design.
The pivot uses an Allen head bolt.
All edges of the back-spring are eased/bevelled providing shadow lines along the back of the handle.
A closer look at the back-spring and the jimping for a reverse grip.
Jimping on the handle goes through the liners and G10.
Blade centring was spot-on.
Peering into the pivot, you can see the phosphor-bronze washers and the very end of the clip screws just coming through the liner.
The clip is made from thick steel and is very sturdy.
A wide finger/sharpening/safety choil spans the smooth plunge line.
By intent, all edges are eased/rounded giving it a distinct look and feel.
The combination of the easing and the fact there is an internal stop-pin means the H doesn't look as tight as some would expect, but it is as it should be.
Exploded view.
Rick Hinderer’s Thumb Disc:
The Hinderer adjustable thumb disc uses a small grub screw (0.035″ Allen key) to secure it in place. The Thumb Disc channel is the same on both sides of the CPM20CV blade, forming a T-shaped section that the thumb disc slides onto. The thumb disc can be positioned anywhere along the channel, or removed, allowing the user to find the best location for them.
The Hinderer adjustable thumb disc.
The Thumb Disc channel is the same on both sides of the CPM20CV blade.
Looking at the top of the disc you can see the small grub screw used to secure it in place.
The Thumb Disc can be positioned anywhere along the channel, or removed.
This allows the user to find the best location for them.
The channel on each side of the blade forms a T-shaped section that the thumb disc slides onto.
Using the 0.035" Allen key provided, the thumb disc position can be adjusted.
A close look at the thumb disc when taken off the knife.
With the shape of the channel, this is realistically one extreme position the disc can be located.
Moving to the other extreme position.
The XM-Slippy with Thumb Disc removed:
If you need to disable OHO or prefer the look without the thumb disc you have the choice as the thumb disc can be completely removed.
The thumb disc slot also acts like a large nail-nick giving you something to grip to open the blade.
Using the 0.035" Allen key the thumb disc can be completely removed.
If you need to disable OHO or prefer the look without thumb disc you have the choice.
The thumb disc groove also acts like a large nail-nick giving you something to grip to open the blade.
Explained by the Maker:
The reasons for certain design choices may not be clear when simply looking at an object, so this section is intended to give an insight into the thinking behind a design by speaking to the designer themselves.
While at IWA 2018 I had the good fortune to be able to talk to Rick Hinderer about this knife.
Video Edited with – Cyberlink Director Suite 5 (PowerDirector 16 and AudioDirector 7)
Camera – Panasonic HC-V770 Microphone – Tonor TN120308BL
The Blade and Handle Geometry:
Most knife specifications have a basic description of the blade geometry, but in this section I will be taking a more detailed look at geometry and balance.
Using a set of gauges and precision measuring equipment including a Vernier protractor, callipers, fixed radius gauges and the unique Arc Master adjustable radius gauge (the one that looks like a crossbow).
These measurements have been tabulated and are presented along with a few reference blades (8″ Chef’s Knife, 5.5″ Santoku and the popular Fällkniven F1).
Key aspects such as the primary bevel angle, grind type, blade depth, blade thickness, length, weight are detailed, along with balance information.
The ‘Balance relative to the front of the handle’ tells you if the knife will feel front heavy, or if the weight is in your hand (a positive value means the weight is forward of the front of the handle). The ‘Balance relative to the centre of the handle’ indicates how close to a ‘neutral balance’ the knife has in the hand.
In the case of full convex grinds the approximate centre of the grind is used for the primary bevel angle estimate.
The blade is made from CPM20CV steel.
New for 2018! BESS Certified sharpness testing:
The BESS ‘C’ scale of sharpness, developed by Mike Brubacher (Brubacher Edge Sharpness Scale) will now become part of Tactical Reviews’ knife testing process. Initially this will be used to verify the sharpness of the factory edge and allow the knife to be brought to a minimum standard sharpness before testing a blade’s cutting performance.
A chart showing where on the BESS scale a blade is.
The XM-Slippy’s factory edge has an average BESS ‘C’ sharpness of 399. This was a show exhibit knife, so I would not comment on the absolute sharpness after all the handling and trying out it has had. As it was, the edge didn’t appear to have any rolling or damage, and with this edge would slice 80gsm well enough although not the cleanest of cut.
For testing I have taken the edge to a 30 degree inclusive angle and a BESS score of 200, at which point it is shaving arm hair with ease.
What it is like to use?
Colour is a matter of taste, and for me the Orange is perfect. I like to see where I’ve put down important tools, or worst case dropped/lost, but moving beyond the Oranginess…
There is a finesse to the overall finish which starts to sink in the more you use it. The XM-SLippy, has only one sharp edge, exactly where it should be. All the other corners are smoothed so that nothing catches on your hands, gloves or pockets. I cannot stress enough how much this adds to the quality feel as nothing ‘jars’ while you handle or use it. Some knives have an unrelenting crispness to their finish and this can mean that edges are sharp, the corners of liners, blade stop, back-spring etc, all of which can become fatiguing to your hands and pockets – not so with the XM-Slippy.
Many slip-joints use a half-stop position for the blade, and in a two handed opener I don’t object to this, but for a one-handed-opener, I find this a big no-no. The XM-Slippy has no half-stop, so the blade swings out smoothly all the way to snap into the open position without interruption. In my view this is exactly as it should be for a OHO, slip-joint or not. There are some that argue that the half-stop add to the safety in case of accidental closing, so the blade doesn’t close on your fingers. I’d counter that by saying that if your slip-joint is closing on you, you are not using it correctly, and if you have sufficient force to start closing the blade onto your fingers it is quite likely to keep going through a half-stop anyway. Rick has definitely got this right.
A design feature shown in the gallery is the relatively large choil. This is not really a finger choil, though can be used as such carefully, and it is too large for a sharpening choil. Instead its design purpose is so that if the blade is closed onto your fingers, it is the choil that actually hits your finger (see gallery) giving you some protection from injury.
Being based on the XM platform, the look is of course familiar, but it also includes some jimping which might be a little overkill for a slip-joint. The forward thumb grip is useful, but clearly when applying a lot of force with a slip-joint you need to be careful. There is jimping for a reverse grip and I’d say it is wholly unsuitable to use a slip-joint with a reverse grip, so don’t take its presence as a suggestion to use the XM-Slippy like this.
Rick has designed in easy user customisation for the XM-Slippy; starting with the pocket clip, which has two options, tip-up or tip-down. Keeping the refined finish complete, there is a blanking plate to fill in the alternate clip position, and swapping the pocket clip position is nice and easy. Using a standard Phillips screwdriver, simply undo the two screws holding the pocket clip and the two holding the blanking plate. Swap round and replace the screws…but wait, there is the next part. With the pocket clip off the knife, there is only a single screw holding the handle scale on. Take out that last screw and the G10 scale can be lifted off. Its fit is beautifully precise. A nice feature when swapping the handle scales is that with the scale removed, the knife is still fully functional, as the liners are held together with other fixings.
This example is fitted with the Hinderer ‘slicer’ blade which is an excellent general purpose blade shape for an EDC knife.
Is the adjustable thumb disc a gimmick? Maybe, maybe not. Though I can never see the extreme positions you could put the disc being used by anyone, the length of the thumb disc slot looks right for the proportions of the blade. Even small adjustments can make a big difference for your experience of using the knife, so don’t be afraid to move it about and try. I’ve settled on a position that is different to all my other knives with thumb stud /disc. Then of course you can take it off, if you are visiting an area where the law does not permit one-handed-opening. I have found the thumb disc slot does collect a bit of pocket dust, but nothing compared to a pivot or the handles, so not to worry, and anything other than a perfectly plain blade will fail the ‘peanut butter’ test anyway.
The factory/show edge needed attention before I started to really use it, and the CPM20CV proved to be very easy to sharpen and took a razor edge with very little work. My current sharpening method is to use a small belt sander (120 grit with a light touch) with bevel angle guide to reprofile to 15 degrees per side followed by a good stropping with a polishing compound, the edge on this blade simply wanted to be super sharp.
The large choil provides a degree of safety if the blade closes by mistake. It brings the cutting edge away from the finger as shown in the half-open position.
Using the thumb ramp.
You can move slightly further forward to utilise the choil.
Not really suitable use for a slip-joint, but the reverse grip has jimping for the thumb.
Swapping the pocket clip position is nice and easy.
With the blanking plate removed the clip fits in perfectly.
Like this, the handle scale can be removed.
With both the clip and blanking plate removed, there is only a single screw holding the handle scale on.
The handle scale is beautifully precise in its fit.
With the scale removed, the knife is still fully functional.
To give an idea of scale, here it is next to a standard Victorinox.
Review Summary
The views expressed in this summary table are from the point of view of the reviewer’s personal use. I am not a member of the armed forces and cannot comment on its use beyond a cutting tool or field/hunting knife.
Something that might be a ‘pro’ for one user can be a ‘con’ for another, so the comments are categorised based on my requirements. You should consider all points and if they could be beneficial to you.
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Things I like
What doesn’t work so well for me
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High quality fit and finish.
Expensive when compared to most slip-joint knives.
Adjustable / removable thumb disc.
Pocket clip a bit tight for my taste.
All edges smoothed making it especially hand and pocket friendly.
CPM20CV steel takes a super sharp edge (with ease – depending on your sharpener).
Pocket clip can be positioned for tip-up or tip-down use.
Simple to replace/change handle scales.
Discussing the Review:
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