The Magician
Illusionist
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2000
- Messages
- 1,580
I ran across this knife while looking for a self defense carry. I decided to give my impressions of it. I am well aware of the controversy surrounding the S&W name and the knives contracted by them from Taylor Cutlery. This post is all about the knife, its performance, materials, etc. Any problems you may have with S&W, please email them. Now for the good stuff:
The knife is part of the S&W HRT Series. The acronym stands for Hostage Rescue Team. There are several knives in this series as can be seen here at onestopknifeshop On to the review.
The S&W Badge knife is so named because it is designed to be carried around the neck with a badge attached. (see picture attached) This should work well for some LEOs. The sheath is very well designed for this purpose, and appears to be well thought out. The badge clip is easily removable, yet holds the badge securely. The sheath also comes with a clip for horizontal belt carry. This works pretty well. I am disappointed that the sheath cannot be carried vertically with the clip. If it were changed slightly, the sheath would be even more versatile. As it is it is functional, but could use improvements. The retention is fair, I prefer the tighter fit of kydex/concealex, but dont worry about this under normal use. For LEO, losing knife in a roll around on the ground could be very bad. I would definately go custom for this purpose. Overall the sheath is functional, but not fantastic.
The knife was advertised on the KnifeCenter web page as 440C stainless.
Mine is marked only as 440. I have heard some or possibly all of the other knives in this line use 440C. It is also marked R.O.C. For my use, the steel is not the important factor. I will only use it once as it is a pure defense piece.
I do not use it for anything else, ever. The knife is serrated and very pointy. Mine came very sharp and was very well ground. The handles are zytel and very comfortable while remaining thin. The finger hole is very large and should fit all hands. The blade is 2.25 long. The handle is 3.375"
The overall length is 6.875". Weight is 1.92 OZ. I found it very comfortable
to wear around the neck all day. A heavy badge may change that. Overall for under $25 bucks this knife makes a good SD piece for those on a budget. Check local laws and all that crap.
The knife is part of the S&W HRT Series. The acronym stands for Hostage Rescue Team. There are several knives in this series as can be seen here at onestopknifeshop On to the review.
The S&W Badge knife is so named because it is designed to be carried around the neck with a badge attached. (see picture attached) This should work well for some LEOs. The sheath is very well designed for this purpose, and appears to be well thought out. The badge clip is easily removable, yet holds the badge securely. The sheath also comes with a clip for horizontal belt carry. This works pretty well. I am disappointed that the sheath cannot be carried vertically with the clip. If it were changed slightly, the sheath would be even more versatile. As it is it is functional, but could use improvements. The retention is fair, I prefer the tighter fit of kydex/concealex, but dont worry about this under normal use. For LEO, losing knife in a roll around on the ground could be very bad. I would definately go custom for this purpose. Overall the sheath is functional, but not fantastic.
The knife was advertised on the KnifeCenter web page as 440C stainless.
Mine is marked only as 440. I have heard some or possibly all of the other knives in this line use 440C. It is also marked R.O.C. For my use, the steel is not the important factor. I will only use it once as it is a pure defense piece.
I do not use it for anything else, ever. The knife is serrated and very pointy. Mine came very sharp and was very well ground. The handles are zytel and very comfortable while remaining thin. The finger hole is very large and should fit all hands. The blade is 2.25 long. The handle is 3.375"
The overall length is 6.875". Weight is 1.92 OZ. I found it very comfortable
to wear around the neck all day. A heavy badge may change that. Overall for under $25 bucks this knife makes a good SD piece for those on a budget. Check local laws and all that crap.