Byrd (spyderco) Starling vs. S&W SWAT II

L

lachy

Joined
Dec 16, 2009
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136
Hey guys, Im new to the forums and knives. I want a nice, cheap folder as my first quality (ish) knife. I've done my research, and I know a little bit about knives (different steels, mechanisms, types, etc), but I dont know enough about the knives themselves, so I was wondering which would be best for me out of a S&W SWAT II or a Byrd (spyderco) Starling. The knives are going to be mostly just for collection, but might be used a little bit, just for every day chores.

I know a lot of you dont like Smith & Wesson knives, but the SWAT II, for a cheap price, has a 440C blade and is a decent size.

On the other hand, the Byrd Starling costs a few dollars more, has a blade made from 8Cr13MoV steel, is very small, and weighs a ton less.

Here are the links to the site I was looking to purchase one of them from. Oh, and if the prices seem a bit off to most of you, its because the prices are in Australian Dollars :).

S&W SWAT II
http://www.cuttingedgeknives.com.au/product_details.php?page=1&pID=2408

Byrd (spyderco) Starling
http://www.cuttingedgeknives.com.au/product_details.php?page=2&pID=1575

Also, if you spot anything else on that website that you think would be better, and is around the price range of the 2 knives above, that would be great if you could tell me about it.
 
I can't tell what the locking mechanism is on the S&W, but if it's a liner lock than my vote swings overwhelmingly to the Byrd.

Liner locks are the most tricky lock type to get right, and the less expensive ones don't get much hand fitting. The Byrd is a back lock, which is a design that is much more tolerant of poor fitting and sloppy tolerances.

Also, Byrd knives just have generally better construction than any of the S & W examples I've handled. That old saying about getting what you pay for rings true in this case as well. I think I would (in a pinch) trust my life to a Byrd but I don't think I could say the same of the other one. I know it's a bit more, but you might consider saving up for the Robin lightweight. The Starling you have picked is just a tad small for an all-around user knife in my opinion.
 
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Look at the Spyderco Tenacious it's around the same price as the ones your looking at, and it would make a great first knife.
 
puyallupn8ive said:
Look at the Spyderco Tenacious it's around the same price as the ones your looking at, and it would make a great first knife.
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If he values the Starling for being small and light, why would he want a Tenacious :p? And it's the same steel, so it's a tie there.
 
If the Swat side of Smith and Wesson is anything like the Military and Police side...then I'd go for the Swat II. The Military and Police are rock solid, the liner locker slides right into the middle of the blade and is rock solid, no blade play. Will def. last you a long time...plus 440c is a better steel than 8cr13.
 
puyallupn8ive said:
Look at the Spyderco Tenacious it's around the same price as the ones your looking at, and it would make a great first knife.
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Nothing is ever that simple in australia. Spyderco tenacious costs on average $80 here. i picked one up the other day though, fantastic knife and a great recomendation.
 
Thanks for all the input guys, and thanks for the links ikiddp9. I might look into that Buck Bantam. And yeah, puyallupn8ive, unfortunately in Australia we dont get very good prices, so the Tenacious is atleast $40 more than the others :(.
 
Actually, from what I've seen we can have Tenacious' anywhere from $60-$80+.
I really would like to import a knife from America (larger variety, less money) but theres just to much legal work that needs to be done. In Australia if you want to import knives you have to get permission from both 1. Some customs goverment person, and 2. Your local police, which can take up to 3 or more weeks. So I guess Im stuck with the high prices.
 
lachy said:
Actually, from what I've seen we can have Tenacious' anywhere from $60-$80+.
I really would like to import a knife from America (larger variety, less money) but theres just to much legal work that needs to be done. In Australia if you want to import knives you have to get permission from both 1. Some customs goverment person, and 2. Your local police, which can take up to 3 or more weeks. So I guess Im stuck with the high prices.
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I have imported many Knives from America and the only hiccup I had was with a couple of Kershaw's that were assisted openers.
No paper work at all, Customs opened most of the packages and sent them on.
I got the Tenacious on line from Oz for $60 when the Oz dollar was rock bottom and the price from the States with postage would have been similar.
Keep an eye out for postage costs from the USA some are nearly as much as the knife.
There is a guy from Tassie on a certain auction site that has some Knives at reasonable prices.
I have the Byrd Cara Cara and I think I paid $30 from the guy in Taz.
Good luck Mate.
 
Thanks. Would that guy happen to be Tassienerida Knives? If so, Im looking at his knives on ebay right now, they seem decently priced :).
 
Hell, Lachy, I'll gift you a Starling if you want, in an envelope. Would that run afoul Australia import law?
 
I think small knives are generally allowed, not sure though. The main factor is, Im 15, not sure how the parents would feel about it, lol.
 
S&W knives are made by a cheap china company and if its really 440c it probably got a crappy heat treat, I would not even give them a second thought. Anything spyderco is 10x better.
 
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