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- Mar 28, 2013
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- 22
Smith and Wesson S.W.A.T. Folding Knife
Knife Review
Knife Review
Overview
One knife i have been carrying for a while is the smith and wesson S.W.A.T. folding knife. for a lower end knife i have to say im pleased with it overall. This knife was $35 when i bought it last summer and is currently the most expensive knife i own up to this point. As of now it is my EDC knife. let me describe it for you with words and pictures. the model i got is all black with black hardware and blade coating. the handle is made of painted aluminum and has grip tape on it covering most of the blade. i like the look and feel of this feature and is a plus for me. it does gave a lanyard hole
. overall it feels sturdy and comfortable in the grip. so far i have developed zero blade play since last summer. this thing locks solid. there are is a larger version and a smaller version, a tanto version, a half serrated version, and comes in OD green and tan as well.
Safety and lock
the knife has a safety switch on the handle wich i like to have. it just seems like a neat feature. if you do not like it just keep it unlocked. the button is not loose nor does it move freely; you have to actually apply force to change the position so you do not have to worry about it becoming unlocked in you pocket. the lock also works when the blade is open as well as another safety to keep the blade from closing, even though it has just a standard liner lock safety which i stated above locks solidly. 
Opening mechanism:
yes i know its a little dirty.i like the way the knife opens. they added some sort of opening mechanism on the back of the knife that pushes the blade open. in the picture below. you pull down with you thumb on the tab that sticks out from the back and is connected to another tab that is circled in yellow that pushes on the blade itself to get it to open.im not sure why they did not just cut the blade in a way that left a little bit sticking out you could push with your thumb because the little mechanism on my friends knife broke and now he cant open it from the back. it also has thumb studs on both sides for abidexterous use. the knife has a spring to send the blade flying open once you give it a little push and man does it open quick.
Blade:
the one BIG problem i have with this knife is the blade steel. it is 4034 stainless steel which is roughly the same as 420hc steel. low end steel for such a nice knife IMO. i wish it came in something like 440c,154cm, or s30v(my top choice). it wont hold its edge for too long before resharpening but you can get some "mileage" out of it. one thing is that i have this blade extremely sharp. it'll take quite the sharp edge for sure and could cut well with ease for a while but still, i would prefer a better steel. it will cut very well through what i use it for. i use mine for tasks such as opening boxes, cutting paracord, zipties, fabrics, skinning small game(not not often though), ect. btw those chips in the finish in the pic below were from cutting open a MRE in 10°-20° weather. yes, cutting plastic below freezing took off the finish:grumpy:. its much worse near the tip where you cant see in the pic but if you look at the second pic in this post you can see it. like a quarter inch stripped away lol.
Conclusion:
overall i love this knife and am glad to own it. i will hopefully be getting a griptilian soon and that will be my first knife over $50.i would recommend this knife as a low cost edc for light or medium use. i hope you found this review helpful.Specs:
here are the specs of mine if you were wondering:SPECIFICATIONS:
Blade Type : Drop Point
Blade Length : 3.7 in
Overall Length : 8.45 in
Steel :4034 Stainless Steel, Black Finish
Handle Material : Aluminum, Black
Weight : 5.8 oz
Edge Type : Plain
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