Now that I have my Swick...

[peacefuljeffrey]

(Yay! It came today! ) Now that I have it, and it is an everyday-wear neck knife, I need to know if I should do anything special regarding care. It will be on when I shower, and I would like to know about the CPM S-30V steel it's made from. Is this a "stainless" steel, or is it subject to easy rusting from normal shower water if I don't pat it dry? How maintenance free is it?

Also, what would you call the finish on this knife? It has a mottled appearance. Is it bead-blasted? Something else?

I like the solid feel of the knife. It's not flimsy and it's not particularly thin, but since it has no handle scales it's just fine as a necker. It locks securely into its sheath. It's not perfect in my hand, but a knife like this can't be built to fit every individual hand perfectly, especially when the index finger has to go through a hole that is fixed in one immutable position. I would have put a choil (is that the word for the cutout at the near end of the cutting edge?) to make sharpening easier, and I think I would have upswept the blade just a little. But it's still a satisfactory neck knife, far better than the recurve-bladed S.P.O.T. original.


-Jeffrey

 

[rifon2]

Nice! I especially like the sheath - like the Ronin sheath - much better than the SPOT sheath.

Question: Does it have to be "popped" out of the sheath or can it be drawn smoothly?

 

[smcfalls13]

It will be on when I shower, and I would like to know about the CPM S-30V steel it's made from. Is this a "stainless" steel, or is it subject to easy rusting from normal shower water if I don't pat it dry? How maintenance free is it?]

It's stainless, but any steel will rust if it stays wet long enough(except for H-1) so I'd recommend a quick pat down just to keep it dry. Unless you take exceptionally long showers, it shouldn't be a problem.

Also, what would you call the finish on this knife? It has a mottled appearance. Is it bead-blasted? Something else?

It's a stonewashed finish, if I remember correctly.

 

[smcfalls13]

Question: Does it have to be "popped" out of the sheath or can it be drawn smoothly?

Mine can be drawn smoothly, but when I first got it, it had to be popped. Once the sheath breaks in a little, it becomes easier.

 

[peacefuljeffrey]

What I was really asking for is that I have heard of other new steels that are the new "wonder steels" but need more care than, say, 440C. Maybe I'm confusing it with D2 and other high-carbon tool steels... The new stainlesses, are they pretty "stainless" comparatively?

-Jeffrey

 

[smcfalls13]

The new stainlesses, are they pretty "stainless" comparatively?

Yes. S30V is very stainless. Definitely better than D-2. Not sure about 440C though. One of the steel gurus may be able to answer that one better than I.