Opening Knives

 Videos make instruction so much easier.  Instead of line drawings or pictures that take 10K words to explain, or pages of text carefully written and rewritten by a technical writer, a couple of short videos show you how to repair a leaky faucet, change an oil filter, and perform open-heart surgery.  Well, maybe not the last one.

Let me show you two short videos on opening knives.

The first is Rick Hinderer’s XM-18, his and Ohio’s first legally manufactured auto.  If I was to annotate the video, I’d say, “Press.”

The second is a unique design called the Warlock Sorcerer Supreme from Paragon Ashville Steel.  Here I would annotate this video with, “Squeeze!”     

Now you know!

                                                                                Press!

                                                                        Squeeze!

The Freedom to Manufacture

April 12, 2021 is a special day in Ohio. The bill allowing the manufacturing of automatic knives, originally sponsored by Senator Joe Uecker and carried on by others, went into effect that day. 

Prototype Hinderer Automatic, the first legally manufactured auto knife in Ohio

One driving force behind this was Rick Hinderer. Rick makes high quality knives with what he describes as “medical precision.” And it is a long story from the first knife he made to a building filled with state-of-the-art automated mills.

Rick Hinderer in the lobby of his factory

Rick started as a farrier and limited resources caused him to forge his first knife as a retirement gift to a friend. Rick discovered that not only was it fun, but he had a knack for it. He turned the profits back into the business like many entrepreneurs and gained a following. And this following grew partly because of his feelings about warranties.

 “What good does a warranty do if you’re hanging from a cliff and your life-saving tool breaks?” he asked. “It doesn’t do you any good. So, I offer a lifetime warranty because everyone does, but I make my knives so the warranty never needs to be used.” 

This insistence on quality and performance has led him to a point, where despite the price, every knife he makes is already sold before he can finish it. All of his knives are assembled by hand, carefully fitted until each knife is perfect. That is what creates demand! It also has found him favor with the military. He has sent sample knives to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and they like them! 

Rick started with art knives and evolved into tactical knives

So where do automatic knives come in? Previously, in Ohio, you could own and you could carry an automatic knife, but you couldn’t manufacture. Our neighbors in Indiana and West Virginia have that ability. 

 So, what happens if he gets a call from the military for an order of 20 thousand automatics? “I can’t do it here,” Rick explained. “But I’m not saying no to an order that size or from our government either.” It’s a dilemma, and it has a simple but unwanted decision. 

 Located in Wayne County, Hinderer knives is a major source of revenue and tax dollars. He’s created jobs and opportunities in an area that needs a little help. Equally important he likes living in the area. 

Doug Ritter and Todd Rathner from Knife Rights got behind Rick and started recruiting legislators. Some senators and representatives studied the current Ohio laws and realized they were nuts. It took six years to straighten them out. Along the way the bill ran into roadblocks, got sidetracked but with help, the bill finally made it to the Governor’s desk. And Governor DeWine signed it. 6 years is a long time, but it is here now. The law went into effect April 12 2021. 

The law allows the manufacturing of automatic knives in Ohio. And Rick isn’t the only manufacturer who will benefit from this change. Other current and future knife entrepreneurs will also benefit. So will the communities from where men and women will be drawn, polished and turned into masters of their art.  The impact of creating jobs, improving the tax base and giving people the opportunity to become skilled tradesman cannot be under estimated. 

The bill also moves the legal focus off the object and onto the user’s action. This is huge! The law takes the rational view that an object isn’t responsible for breaking the law. The responsibility is shifted to the doer causing harm by breaking the law. Many police officers have long felt this was a more enlightened stance. Now the pen in your pocket is just a pen until you assault someone with it.

The House of Hinderer

 This benefits the knife collector. I’ve been to shows and heard horror stories of displays of expensive, classic fishtail automatics seized by overzealous enforcement agents. Or the customer who now feels relieved because the tool she carries isn’t a reason to be arrested. 

The machinery needed to bring Rick's designs into existence

If you never have been in a modern factory, forget your old stereotypes. The air is clean and the floor sparkling. Men and women work in well illuminated environments, hand-fitting each component together. Anyone who tells you modern knife makers don’t have the quality of the cutlers of the past, is in my opinion, talking out their hats. Hinderer knives are masterpieces of quality and manufacturing. 

Senator Kristina Roegner modeling a sheet of titanium handle cutouts 

Part of the morning was spent showing us the modern tools of knife manufacturing. Water jets using a simple abrasive cut out titanium blanks. Pods of automatic milling machines do 26 different operation with different tools producing 4 blanks each in just 80 minutes. Finished blades are custom laser engraved. But despite modern automated machinery, Rick has his knives sharpened by hand. Machines just can’t seem to do the job right, he insists.

One of the assemblers checks and rechecks all the parts that are custom fitted 

Every component of a Hinderer knife is made on premises. Rick designs everything from the clips on the back to the smallest screw to the beefiest blade. 

Automated machines can improve production and quality but first you have to learn how to use them. To make the screws he wanted, Rick told us about buying a lathe. How do you learn to use a lathe? Mostly by doing and he realized he needed to teach himself. He decided that a pen was a simple enough shape to practice on. And out of perseverance came opportunity. 

At one of the shows in Las Vegas he met a homicide detective who had a need and he hoped Rick could solve it for him. You can’t take weapons into holding cells when you interview people under arrest. That’s common sense, but you’re still in a small room with a man who has nothing to lose. This LV detective was attacked by a suspect and saved by his partner. The detective wanted to know if Rick could make something that would give him an edge. The tactical pen was borne from that request. Rick claims that was the first tactical pen sold and it was his idea. 

Perhaps. Still, it is a great story. 

But the highlight of the day was Rick assembling the first legally manufactured automatic knife in Ohio. It was an unsharpened prototype and I’m sure it will see some changes, but I was there to watch history be made. 

Parts and tools needed to assemble the Hinderer prototype auto  (Rick didn't do the photographers any favors using a black background with silver parts!)

 Now, perhaps it is small h history being made. But in ten years it could be big H history spawning a homegrown statewide industry and creating opportunities for many people. Who knows where it will go? 

The first legally manufactured auto knife in Ohio, the Hinderer prototype automatic

You can find out more about Hinderer Knives at: https://www.rickhindererknives.com/ 

If you love knives and you love the freedom to act responsibly in public, join Knife Rights. I’m a member too. https://kniferights.org/

Rumors!

Few industries are rumor free.  The knife industry isn’t even close.  Here's a few I've picked up that have some credibility. 

Rick Hinderer is breaking ground for an improved, expanded facility.  A grinding company I know reports they see a multitude of Hinderer blades for grinding after heat treatment.  Perhaps Rick wants to keep it all in house.  I have seen at least one potential misfire.  But in all honesty, the question remains, was that a real ZT Hinderer or did a Chinese knock-off get picked up by the distributor?

Starting now and finished by January 2015 Zero Tolerance will drop their distributors in favor of factory direct to brick and mortar stores.  I hope I’m wrong.  Some people claim that this generates exclusivity and protects their stocking dealers from Internet sales.  Benchmade went this route several years ago and there are plenty of new Benchmade on EBay.  I think this causes them to just lose market shares.

Shadow Tech is working on a folder and hopes to have it ready by the 2015 SHOT show in January.  If not SHOT certainly by the Blade Show!  It almost seems a natural progression to start with a simpler fixed blade and then progress to the more complicated folder.  I suspect the market for folders is larger than that of fixed blades.  Most of us carry a folder every day, but the fixed blade makes our co-workers nervous.

Stag prices have increased and custom knife makers are already increasing prices.  It seems unfair, but they have to replace a consumable with a pricier version.  

The Hinderer 0550 Misses the Mark

I just got a ZT/Rick Hinderer 0550.  It’s a lovely knife.  


 

What a great looking knife, a great handle and a very nice blade.  Too bad for ZT.

At least I thought so until I went to open it. 

I thought I was going to bust my right thumb pushing on the opening stud.  I changed to my left thumb.  Still no joy.  The knife remained sealed shut.

No, there’s no lock.  Just grab the blade anywhere and it pops open.  But you’ll snap the bone in your thumb if you try to force it open using the opening stud.  I am so surprised about this considering the reputation Zero Tolerance has for quality knives.

  

It’s hard to sell a tactical knife you can’t open with one hand, so I called my distributor.

They didn’t want to believe me.  They sell a lot of ZTs and they never had opening trouble before.

“Tell you what,” Bob said.  “I’ll go out to the warehouse and get one and call you back.”

Five minutes later my phone rings.

“You know what the problem is?”  It was Bob back from the warehouse.  I expected to be told I was holding the knife wrong, or it just needed a touch of oil, or I didn’t use the super-secret unlock feature.

“Damn stud is in the wrong position!  I can’t get it open either if I hold the knife in the regular grip.”

The ZT 0550 is a tactical knife that can't be opened tactically.... NYC would love it!!

At least it wasn’t me. 

“If I hold the knife low in my hand and come at the stud from the 6:45 pm position and press sideways while I jump up and land on my left foot, assuming you’re right handed…..”  I kind of zoned out on the rest of the opening ritual.

Huh,  no.  This isn’t going to work.  It’s going back.  So if you’re thinking of buying a Zero Tolerance Hinderer 0550, make sure you can return it.  Unless you like jumping onto your left foot to open a knife.