S&W knives

[Sundancer]

I picked up a S&W fixed blade at BPS this past weekend. Seems OK, but I was wondering if anyone knows who makes these, where are they made, and are they any good? I got this one to handle yeomans work like cutting cardboard, rope, etc. The only think I can say about it is that the handle seems like it would start to separate soon from the blade. Blade seems OK have not used it yet.

 

[BFMIN]

A friend of mine bought an S&W folder, the kind with a clip that lets you hang them over the edge of a pocket. The third day the locking spring broke & when he put his hand in his pocket the partly open blade sliced him up pretty well.

Not someting that impressed me.

 

[rj1974]

I would stay away from the S&W knives , seen too many of them fall apart . I would steer clear of gerber too except for a few of their older fixed blades and very few of their older folders .

If you are looking for a lower cost tacticalish folder check out CRKT . I carry mostly Spydercos but the ten or so CRKT folders I have had always served me well .

 

[MonkeyPunch]

While I haven't owned a S&W knife, my impression from friends who have and from looking online is that they are not quality knives.

 

[hodgepodge]

I had a cheap S&W knife. It was a piece of fudge and I returned it.

I agree with rj, CRKT is a good value as are most of the Kershaws.

 

[rj1974]

I had a cheap S&W knife. It was a piece of fudge and I returned it.

I agree with rj, CRKT is a good value as are most of the Kershaws.

I am pretty hard on my knives , I cannot complain about CRKT they have always held up to the abuse as have the Spydercos . I just like the Spydercos for the slimmer design , they ride in the pocket a little bit better .

I have also had a Benchmade or two fall apart on me .

 

[Mt Airy]

I think I have 2 S&W knifes they were bought at the same time online (Impulse buy ) They are not much

 

[NickZac]

They source from a few different locations. Some knives use the same maker that Cold Steel and Camillus (before bankruptcy) have used for their products made overseas. Their steel is generally pretty low end.

I've also got a few of their HRT double-spearpoint fixed blades throughout the house. Good buy for 15 bucks!

However, it's not a knife I use for utility as it simply wouldn't hold up. For your application, you may find yourself gravitating towards the higher end blades because the quality and performance difference is massiv. Smith and Wesson knives have some cool innovations, offer numerous self-defense products, are inexpensive, and have a good warranty. However, for heavier utility, most aren't well-suited. They won't hold up and on some of their models, the lock strength will not be able to withstand heavy usage. Most of the steel they use doesn't hold an edge very well and some can be difficult to sharpen. If you are cutting a ton of rope and cardboard, teeth are good. Spyderco's Tasman Salt is great for this or an Endura/Delica with a full SpyderEdge. Additionally, Spyderco's H1 steel, which is an unusual nitrogen-based steel, does NOT rust...and further, the more it gets sharpened, the harder the steel becomes!!! For any sort of marine usage, H1 is a great steel. Cardboard quickly dulls a blade and so higher end steel will make a huge difference...

If you want a quality knife you can sharpen easily in the field (in other terms, a steel with good edge retention, excellent corrosion resistance, excellent impact resistance, and ease of sharpening with less-than-ideal sharpening products...and this blade will have great blade geometry, great ergos, and a strong lock), a Spyderco Endura or Delica in VG-10 (less expensive), Spyderco Military/Paramilitary (more expensive), a Benchmade Griptilian (less expensive) or 710 or Sibert in CPM-154, CPM-S30V (more expensive), or a ZT in 154 or S30 (more expensive), or a Chris Reeve Sebenza or Umnumzaan in S35VN (very expensive and my personal favorite) are all excellent choices. If the knife is going to be used in an area with a lot of dirt, the Chris Reeve Umnumzaan and most ZT0301 are easy to take apart to clean and it does not void the warranty...and they are built to withstand incredible levels of abuse in the fashion as if the folder was a fixed blade.

My personal EDC is either a Unique Graphic Small Sebenza or Umnumzaan with a Spyderco Matriarch or Civilian.

 

[smokey]

Short answer....no, they suck. I've seen a good amount of them come back, snapped in half. As a general rule of thumb, a knife with a gun manufacturer's name on it probably is overpriced for what it is.

 

[Sundancer]

They source from a few different locations. Some knives use the same maker that Cold Steel and Camillus (before bankruptcy) have used for their products made overseas. Their steel is generally pretty low end.

I've also got a few of their HRT double-spearpoint fixed blades throughout the house. Good buy for 15 bucks!

Yup - that is the one that I got - thought the price point was good enough for me to take the flyer. What is interesting is that S&W and Gerber knives must have 1,000 models each - I guess they spend more time creating zombie killer devices...Thanks for the input!

 

[alucard0822]

For inexpensive knives, SOG, Kershaw, Spyderco, CRKT, or Cold Steel are decent. They might use cheap steel, but the design is good, and they tend to be designed around the limited cost of materials, for $50 or a little less you can get a good knife with a good design, Tenacious, Flash, Skyline, Delica, M16 there are many to choose from without breaking the bank. More money gets you better steel, better construction, famous bladesmith designs and some novel features. For $200 you can get a knife that will outlast you, and hold up to anything and everything you can throw at it, higher end Kershaw and Spyderco, ZT, Benchmade, and many Emersons, these are the models I prefer for EDC, you still get a lot for your money, and have your choice of most production models. Above $300 you have functional works of art, Chris Reeve, Rick Hinderer, Strider, Todd Begg, and even elite custom versions of production knives with exotic materials or finishes, . IMO S&W knives, some Camillus and Gerber are just name brand fleamarket models, might work for a while if you get a good one, and don't use it a lot, but even at the $20-$30 they go for there are better choices that offer far more from your money.

 

[JustJohnny]

I believe the S&W knives are now imported by Taylor, made in China.

http://www.schradeknives.com/

 

[AJRB]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002OAY7WQ/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

Swmp4L isv the model I scooped from amazon from the link above. I'm very pleased with it especially at that price. It has nice weight to it and feels sturdy and well made. EDC since it showed up at my door. Blade is extremely sharp, no need to sharpen out of the box.

 

[casualmadness]

I'll probably draw some fire here as I'm disagreeing with some folks but I had a S&W several years ago. I paid $20 for it and it turned out to be a pretty decent knife. I bought it in...1996 I believe. I carried it for years-didn't use a great deal though. Just before deploying to Iraq in 2003, I decided I needed a good knife. So I sprang for a CRKT. What a POS that thing was. I paid over $100 for it because it was supposed to be one of their best knives. That thing was garbage. I carried it, my S&W, and my company issued Gerber to Iraq. Within about two months or so, my CRKT was rusty from my sweat (it was always in my right pocket). The handle was loose, blade was as sharp as a fresh turd. I kept trying to screw the little screws back in as best I could but they would work their way back out in a day or so. We were stopped on a convoy and I was trying to use my CRKT for something and the damn thing literally fell apart in my hand. Finally I was fed up enough I threw it as far as I could. Good riddance!
I used my S&W and Gerber for the remainder of that deployment. My S&W fell apart eventually but let me tell you-I beat the hell out of that thing. These days, I carry Benchmade primarily. But there's a world of difference between a $20 S&W and a $200 Benchmade. For $20, you can't beat S&W...IMHO.

 

[Stratman60]

I have several s&w folders and an auto and have no complaints. I got a fellow worker an auto and he's beat the crap out of it for years and it looks bad but works great and has never let him down.

 

[A1Uni]

We sell them. The worst problems we have seen are the pocket friction clips working lose and falling off. They have always been replaced under warranty with no questions asked.

The less expensive ones are made in China "ROC" for the most part.

 

[gunrunner]

I believe the S&W knives are now imported by Taylor, made in China.

http://www.schradeknives.com/

Schrade=junk. Simple.

 

[JustJohnny]

Taylor knives are so ubiquitous, it's hard not to have a couple in your collection. I was given a small Browning folder that is stamped Taylor. I also have a Taylor made S&W leatherman clone that I would not push much farther than opening cardboard boxes.

 

[md_rick_o]

I have a S&W folder that the locking bar goes too far if i open it too fast. I have to use a screwdriver or some flat tip thing to pry it back to allow the blade to close. Otherwise i like it.

 

[AJRB]

We sell them. The worst problems we have seen are the pocket friction clips working lose and falling off. They have always been replaced under warranty with no questions asked.

The less expensive ones are made in China "ROC" for the most part.

Where are you located? I haven't seen any sold locally. I'm not a fan of waiting for shipping.