Rick’s journey in knife making began in the late 1980’s in a 14’ x 18’ turkey coop. The first knives to leave this shop were “art knives” with handles made from any material he could get his hands on. Fast forward to 2005, after years of designing for major knife manufacturing corporations, XM-18 model was born. It was with this model that Rick Hinderer Knives’ trajectory in the knife industry took off.

Rick’s time as a first responder gradually transitioned his focus from creating art knives to designing tactical folders.
The designs for his folders were based around Rick’s real-world experience as a Fire Fighter/EMT. His time as a first responder proved to him that there was a need for tougher everyday tools.  Today, Rick Hinderer Knives are marketed as knives that are built to be used and tackle any task. However, their design does not completely ignore Rick’s art knife history. Rick’s designs and blade grinds create a knife with the perfect combination of aesthetically pleasing lines and toughness.

Today, Rick Hinderer Knives is no longer in a turkey coop, but in their shop in Shreve, Ohio on Rick’s property that customers have dubbed “The Ranch”. There, they have a state-of-the-art production facility, featuring CNC mills, lathes, and grinders. Although the manufacturing process has been streamlined with the help of CNC, the knives are still hand assembled. Their assemblers still cut the lock by hand, detent, assemble, and tune each Rick Hinderer Knife, to ensure the highest quality fit and performance.