Smith &Wesson Knives

I think that it comes down tom just that, Most I have seen are worth what they cost. Theyare not great knives but they are not spendy either. I have one made in China Kniofe that is really good quality, that one, an outdoor edge folder.
 
I have a S&W multitool and it works well for the duty that i use it for--working with computers.
 
Did I rag on Chinese Knives, no I ragged on S&W knives, from personal experience. I have a friend with a Vex who loves it. All my current kitchen knives are Chinese made. All I said was that my S&W says 440C and it clearly does not cut or hold an edge like my other 440C blades. Sorry for speaking!
 
averageguy said:
You guys are full of crap.

More and more it is the case that there is nothing overtly wrong with Chineese knives. Making knives isn't rocket science - but China is one of the very few countries that is advanced in this area. It's mainly CAD and CAM.

Virtually all of the major brands now do some manufacturing in China.
There are only a handful of major factories in China (and around the world for that matter) and they produce all the different brands we see. It's quite possible that a more recognized brand like Benchmade has knives made in the same factory that produces M-Tech.

Taylor Cutlery has been around for a long time - probably longer than you guys have been alive. I'm sure they are capable of providing adequate instruction to the technicians in China - and probably know a little more about making a knife than you.

Yes, at this time in our history quality knives can be had very inexpensively.
Knives like the Kershaw Outcast and Ka-bar heavy Bowies are proof of that.

As far as I'm concerned you can be as elitest as you please - I've been there and it's difficult for me to accept less than a certain perceived level of quality. There are probably quite a few people here however who own a S&W or similar knife and can testify that indeed you get your moneys worth.
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OK you name a few good Chinese knives in an ocean of crappy knives. Of the knives made in China 90% are junk. Another big problem is supporting that sorry country wen you buy there products. I would have a little more respect for them but they are the biggest country for knife design theft. Pakistan knives are right up there with them.
 
okbohn said:
There is no comparison between the average knife from China and the average US knife. Even with the same specs, the US knives are better—hands down.
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I haven't found this to be the case at all. In fact, the worst knife I've ever used, or seen for sale, is the Gerber Paraframes. There are some other Gerbers just as bad. I've owned a number of cheap, crappy Chinese knives and junk though they were, they weren't as crappy as some of the Gerbers I've seen.

Even though Smith & Wesson has taken some hard knocks, I've found several knives that cut and sharpen very well for their price. Some, like their Magnesium HRTs, are complete and utter jokes. I mean, over fifty bucks for a S&W folder?? Who would buy such a thing? Even if made in the U.S. from quality 440C stainless, it wouldn't be worth that much.

But S&W does offer some dandy inexpensive folders. I even bought a few of their Magnesium HRTs for $11.50 each and for that price they're all right. I still don't see the reason for a magnesium handle, but it's okay, especially if you have a magnesium deficiency! Not everyone can afford expensive folders, nor do some people use them aggressively day to day. For them, the Chinese knives have an active market. The country is another matter. I'm convinced that the Chinese are not our friends and will stab us in the back with one of their characteristically cheap knives as soon as they can get away with it.
 
justa nothger on goign argument...there is no good answer because everyone eher has different ideas of what a good knife is...So the opinins are just that opinions...

A $5 knife will serve a 12 yo just fine for cutgin bark off a branch or a strign fof a shirt, but the kid thinks hes got a great knife! and a good deal to boot...on the other ahnd the same knife in the hands of say a farmer will fail misserably and the farmer will think its a piece of crap...So how could we be so bague as to say all knives that coem from a certain country is crap, or good for that matter, I think that some knives from China are good, some bad, same for the US...my argument is that the argument at ahnd it way to vague for any realistic facts...So this is just a big pile of opinions...including this post, lol...
 
i have lots of USA and German made knives, mostly traditional folders, as well as Sebenza, Hinderer, Dozier, etc. i also have a number of China made folders: Marbles, Rough Rider, Steel Warrior, Schrade, Owl Head. i work outside on 90 acres of mountainside homestead and the China made knives hold up fine. maybe not quite as well as a Case or others, but they are attractive, sharp, cut and hold an edge well enough (like very well) and many have strong springs and most have smooth walk/talk. my "heart" prefers the non Chinese, so i often carry the China ones, because i do lose knives. the Marbles i have found to be particularly nice and very inexpensive (nobody else bids on them). roland
 
S&W knives are not the knives to be used if your life even remotely depended on them. There are plenty of other companies that make knives that are made in the USA, Japan, Germany, Finland, Canada, etc...
If you buy a cheap import, don't expect the money invested to last.
 
I agree with Confederate that China is our enemy. I hate supporting that horrible regime, but I must admit there is a lot of China-made stuff in my house. :( Good thing I don't believe in karma. :(
 
Dang. I'm sorry to read this because PVKnife.com had a neat looking S&W on sale: the magnesium HRT listed above. They have a hawk billed blade too.

I lost a CRKT folder - my backup knife - over the weekend and want to get a replacement. I guess I'll aim at getting a Byrd model.
 
China produce whatever the importer is willing to pay for. So if you want to blame anyone, blade the importer.
 
averageguy said:
"There is no comparison between the average knife from China and the average US knife. Even with the same specs, the US knives are better--hands down."

That's just straight-up bull****.

A correctly manufactured item from China is no different than that same item correctly manufactured in any other part of the world.
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If it is correctly manufactured! I'm from that part of the world and I have seen manufacturing practices from the plants. If there is noone breathing down the neck of the production line, I assure you there will be problems. I hope things have changed but when I last visited China (in '04) there was not much change. Though in Taiwan there is less of these "That's good enough" in the plants. I would still trust knives made in Taiwan than those manufactured in China, even with the same specs.
 
jzmtl said:
China produce whatever the importer is willing to pay for. So if you want to blame anyone, blade the importer.
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I also have to agree with jzmtl, it's just the majority of the Chinese population can't afford to pay for quality knives, so they'er manufactured for importers only. I pretty sure those who work in the knife plants have never handled stainless 154cm, aus8, quality 440c it's super steel to them. Those who works in the knife plants thinks they're the best in China and in point they are.
 
jzmtl said:
China produce whatever the importer is willing to pay for. So if you want to blame anyone, blade the importer.
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Well, I suppose that's one way of taking care of the problem, though I had hoped we'd come up with a non-violent method!

Regarding the HRT mentioned by goillini, the old model made in Tiawan was actually fairly decent. It was smooth to operate and felt great in the hand. But the ones made in China are hideous. Comparing the two, one can see where liners were removed on the Chinese versions and other shortcuts in quality. The Chinese versions are clunky and the blades inferior. The photo shown, incidentally, is the Tiawan version, not the Chinese.

As stated elsewhere, I have found the S&W Homeland Security Tanto to be an outstanding knife. It has G10 handles, full tang construction, titanium coating of the blade and an excellent grind. The blade sharpens easily and manages to keep an edge quite well. It comes with a "better than most" sheath and a diamond sharpening pad that works very well. It's a great survival/camping knife and, for the $29 sales price at Smoky Mountain, is a bargain. Again, I truly hate buying products from China, but this is one knife I found too good to pass up.

smithhrtcombomagnese.jpg


This is a knife I had hoped was a harbinger of change at S&W; however, the Chinese version that replaced the Tiawan
version (above) was clunky and wouldn't snap open. The cause was found to be liners that were left out of the Chinese
model. The better Tiawan version wasn't worth the $57 it was selling for, but it was evidence that S&W could produce
good quality knives. I've seen the Chinse version going for as little as $11.50.
 
Confederate said:
I haven't found this to be the case at all. In fact, the worst knife I've ever used, or seen for sale, is the Gerber Paraframes. There are some other Gerbers just as bad. I've owned a number of cheap, crappy Chinese knives and junk though they were, they weren't as crappy as some of the Gerbers I've seen.
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Gerber's paraframe (and other budget lines) are actually made in china. I have one and there is no manufacture location stamped on the blade, where my gerber Easy-Out (which has served me quite well for nearly 10 years) proudly states that it was made in the USA.

That being said, I've owned, worked with a few S&Ws, and I have to say, they aren't bad for the price. I've been able to get them shaving sharp without too much trouble, but they didn't hold the edge very long. However, for a $20 knife, it's not a bad cost / function comparison.
 
for the price their good knifes, or atleast the ones i have seen....though i don't like to support china....i'd rather support another country more directly than through manufactures who claim "seki japan" is gods country for knives so they can add 50$ to the price
 
I have several of the S&W knives and they seem to work fine. The only thing I've had to do is loosen the pivot screw about a 1/4 turn on a couple of new ones, and then they were fine. So far, on the ones I've seen, fit and finish is pretty good, which is adequate to get the job done, which is cutting. Stewart Taylor is a businessman, and a very good one, too. He knows the market he wants to sell to.

My only complaint with Taylor's is that he keeps letting his son design knives. Someone needs to help the kid understand that non one will by a knife that feels like a 2x4 with a blade stuck in it.

And, to compare Chinese-made to an American product: sadly - and I know I'll step on some toes here - most of my S&W's are finished WAY better than any Bear brand knife I've seen. I haven't bought a Bear knife yet because I haven't found one that didn't have major flaws.

thx - cpr
 
It will all end badly for the Western world.
China is the new power and in less than 20 years it will become clear.
I sell what was US made machinery.
Now its Puerto Rico and called made in USA.
The rest is made in Brazil, Ireland and more and more China.
Its mid way high tech stuff thats micro processor controlled.
Is the Chinese stuff worse??????
No its as good or better.
China and then India will rule the roost in a short time, talk to a financial analyst about shares etc.
They are the new power house and there is no stopping them.
 
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