Smith And Wesson H.R.T. VERRY SURPRISING!

T

TheMartialWay

Joined
Jul 2, 1999
Messages
1,347
Hello all,

Lets start this off by saying that I am no stranger to displaying my disgust at the quality of Smith And Wesson's knives.

I was placing an order the other day and decided to throw one of these knives in it so I could see if S&W's quality had improved. I was completely surprised at the outcome, especially since I went into this review with a biased attitude. This knife is flawless. Fit and finish is honestly PERFECT. Everything is rounded and smooth, from the handle edges to the thumb groves on the spine. Lock up is solid with absolutely no play at all. The blade is centered perfectly between the handles when closed. On to the edge: perfect, the bevels are exact and the edge is literraly razor sharp. I am surprised to say that it is actually the sharpest knife I have ever seen, EVER! Production or custom, I have never experienced an edge this sharp. The ergos on the handle are great and the knife naturally locks into your hand. The entire knife can be taken apart with a T-8 Torx driver, and reassembles with ease. The clip needs a T-6 torx to be removed and is secured with 3 torx screws. I really can't believe the quality of this knife. I am surprised to say the least. Smith And Wesson has been one of those knife companies that you love to hate. Whenever someone would mention their knives it would bring about uncontroled laughter. If this knife is an accurate sample of S&W's new quality then I can no longer make fun of them. This knife gets my recomendation any time.
 
I like that model too; and the price is right at about $50. Next gun and knife show, look out.
 
There's a couple of versions of the HRT. The one I have is the magnesium-handled one with the dual "flippers/guards". You are right. The quality is very surprising. Perhaps things bode well for S&W.:cool:
 
Louis, yours is one of 2 Darrel Ralph designs produced in S&W's H.R.T. line. They are well made and represent a solid buy for the money. It's too bad that many choose to overlook them because of Taylor Cutlery's past.
 
I might try to pick up one with the flippers. I know I'll never be able to afford a MAXX and the Cuda is too big, so this might just be the next best thing. That is, unless Camillus decides to make the MAD MAX and the Micro MAX which I desperately hope!!!
Matt
 
While I abhor some of the past business practices of Taylor Cutlery, Darrell Ralph gave them a chance and did the HRT collaborations with them. Since I believe he was a past victim of their practice of rip-off-the-design and saw fit to forgive and forget, I decided to try it too. I'm glad I did. DDR's designs just beg to be owned and used.
I can highly recommend the HRT Combat knife. It's the 440c re-curve fixed blade. Mine has seen a lot of chopping duty and has held up very well indeed. The handle is kind of flat so you should handle one if possible to see if it'll work for you.

I also have the Wharnecliffe bladed "Fighter" model. It has a bit of a thick blade, but is comfortable to hold and use and has one wicked edge on it.

Finally, I got the Magnesium handle folder for the cool factor and it too is a winner. A bit thick in the cross section and the thumb studs double as the blade stop so it takes a little getting used to when deploying. Actually, it is no different than the CRKT M-18 and M-16 series. If you like this feature on those models, you might get along well with this one. When closed, the blade sits dead center between the liners. Lock up is tight, secure and passes the spine whack. Gotta love it.:)
 
I was told by Darrel that a few changes took place at Taylor and that was one of the reasons he was willing to work with them. From looking at the entire S&W line, I would recommend sticking with Darrel's designs. Not all of the S&W line has improved in quality to where Darrel's designs are. By the way, I was also told S&W has some really cool knives coming out soon!
 
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