Smith & Wesson Neck Knives

[Bruise Lee]

Any opinions about these? I assume they are made my good old Taylor Cutlery, which seems to have a jaded past. But, recent offerings from S&W/Taylor Cutlery seem to be pretty decent. Any preference for the tanto or the the drop point style?

Is the steel in these things 440C? I had a SWAT (hey 440C and G-10 for $19.99! Where else can you get a deal like that?) and a new FL-2 and these are 440C.

I know the Arclite and LaGriffe are supposed to be good offerings in this catagory, but one thing I don't like about the Arclite is it seems to have no major texturing, ramps, or indentations to keep your hand from slipping onto the blade just in case you ever have to thrust it into anything really hard. The LaGriffe seems like it would be a superb slasher, but I keep thinking of fencing with a foil and how it is generally harder to block a straight thrust or jab than a circular blow. I may be wrong here, but that's my train of thought.

Bruise

 

[AlphalphaPB]

I cordwrapped my Arclite, the grip feels pretty secure to me now. Previously it was really too thin to grip properly. Now the height difference, between the raised area for the middle finger and the unwrapped index finger position, makes the grip more secure.

Using it as a neck knife, you don't need to worry about corrosion either. Since it's 420HC, it's really rust resistant. Sometimes I use it as a food preparation knife, and to clean it off I just wash the whole thing in water.

 

[Bruise Lee]

Originally posted by AlphalphaPB
I cordwrapped my Arclite, the grip feels pretty secure to me now. Previously it was really too thin to grip properly. Now the height difference, between the raised area for the middle finger and the unwrapped index finger position, makes the grip more secure.

Cordwrapping your Arclite looks like a good idea Alphalpha. I got a cool book of knots last year I could use to tie the knot. What kind of knot and cord did you use for this project? Parachute cord?

Bruise

 

[AlphalphaPB]

Yep, I just used OD parachute cord, and wrapped the handle Strider-style.

There is one underlayer of cord, and unlike the Strider cordwrap, it is contiguous with the rest of the wrap (I only used one piece of cord). I didn't remove the inner nylon, so the result is a fatter style of wrap, useful to increase size of the handle to a secure size. This size is perfect for my smaller-sized hands, and it feels very comfortable.

 

[Grapevine]

I have the SW neck knife. The steel is probably some sort of 420. It came somewhat dull. I carry it during the winter in my coat pocket because I can unsheath it with a thumb push on the sheath. I have the Arclite too but don't like the fact that you have to pull the knife hard to get it out of the sheath. It basically means you have to use it as a neck knife or use two hands to unsheath it.

The SW is okay for the price I guess. I carry it for city SD so I figure if it ever gets used it will be a one time occurence. For this kind of use I figure durability and edge holding are low on the importance scale. Heck, criminals use cheapo Chinese POS so the SW should hold up okay in comparison.