SWAT Bali vs. BM 42

G

Gibberish*

Joined
Mar 31, 2001
Messages
88
...turns out that I've received a lil' sum of money for my birthday yesterday, and am having a yard sale this weekend as well... So i'll finally have enough money to blow on my addiction: cocai... er, i mean, balisongs. Yeah. Anyways, I know that I've read reviews on the BM 42 and the new SWAT stating that they are both quality knives... And i know they are different in weight and size and whatnot... But since they are very close in price, it would be helpful to have a few opinionated comparisons of the two balis, and which one you would rather buy if you could only buy one? Right now, i'm leaning to the SWAT, it looks damn um... spiffy. Thanks for any help.-
-Gibberish*
 
Hey balisongs may as well be cocaine for us. Such an addiction.
I have never handled one of the SWAT balis but my guess would be the BM42. Unless you like 5" blades. This is just a half informed opinion. Maybe they will have one at the gun show.
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I have a sword in my pocket!
 
BM 42. No contest. I haven't even touched a SWAT bali yet. But just from the looks of it, that knife doesn't really turn me on all that much.

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Steve
(Third Mate...hired!)
 
I would never give up my 42 but the Tiger is a very nice bali for the money. TripleAught has them for under $115, which is right in line with the 42's........IMHO both are very good and have their place. The 42 swings a little easier than the Tiger because of more weight in the handles.
 
Get the 42,you won't be sorry cause it totally rocks.It seems to flip by itself,all it needs is a hand to release and catch it...peace
 
So the 42 has heavier handles than the swat? Just wondering, do the brass bushings in the swat make it have less play in the handles or whatever? Thanks for all the responses, like i said before, i know i've heard nothing but good reviews of the BM, but was looking for more of a comparison of the two.-
-Gibberish*

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In the time of chimpanzees i was a monkey.
 
The S.W.A.T. uses teflon bushings at the pivots; the 42 uses a stainless alloy for their pivot bushings. Since the handles on the Tiger are two piece and have no back/spine, and the fact that aluminum is lighter than titanium, the handles on the 42 are not only a little heavier but shorter. This adds up to not quite as much inertia when swinging the longer handles; they don't come around as fast.
 
I just got my S.W.A.T. yesterday. As others have said, it does feel very light (almost too light) which may take some getting used to. Mine has no wobble in the handles and is unusually quiet (with the black handles, you might call it a stealth bali). I'm not crazy about the blade style, but I do like the how the tang looks in the closed position. I'm not usually a fan of black-coated blades, but I think it would have worked nicely on this knife.

If you have to choose one, you can't go wrong with the 42. The Advanced Tech is worth getting if you're looking to add another quality bali to your collection.
 
  Well, since you're asking for opinions ...

  I have a 42A, 42S, and a SWAT Bali. I like all three, but if I could only afford one, I would pick my favorite which is the 42S (but it's definitely a personal choice). I agree with the comparisons in the earlier posts, especially Eishunken's about the SWAT blade style ... but that's me & others may prefer it to the BM's Weehawk.
 
I just got my SWAT yesterday, and while I am very happy to have the opportunity to buy a good quality bali made of premium materials, especially in my favorite size, the SWAT is not in the same league with the model 42 in terms of finish and craftsmanship. The SWAT is a very well made knife, but crude in design and finish. The SWAT is a must have for the American butterfly knife aficianado, but only after you have a model 42 and a 42a, in my humble opinion.

A picture is worth a thousand words. I will try to put up some close-up comparison shots this weekend.

I like swinging the SWAT though. I like the relaxed speed and arc of big knives. The knife seems to be very well made, with good tolerances, and is very quiet. While the handles are light, the blade/handle weight is well balanced, so the blade moves as quickly as the handles, and doesn't rotate reluctantly. Latch drop openings are even more problematic with the SWAT than with the 42.

The bottom line is that I think the SWAT is a great knife, but one that would probably retail from a large manufacturer for around $75, and that would be it value relative to the 42 at $100 for me. Glad to have one at any price though.
 
Alright... so it sounds like the BM42 is what i'll be getting... only thing now is, where is the cheapest place to buy them that has them in stock? If i can't find the BM for cheaper than $115 in stock i'm just gonna buy the SWAT : )... I've looked in past logs and done some searches, but any links to places or phone numbers that sell BM42s for a good price and in stock would be appreciated-
-Gibberish*

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In the time of chimpanzees i was a monkey.
 
I just mailed a check yesterday for a '42.

<A HREF="http://www.americanoutdoorsports.com/">American Outdoor Sports</A> has the Benchmade 42 for $102. They don't list the prices on thier site, you can e-mail them for it. So you can get it for under $115, shipped...
 
Thanks for the link man, i emailed them about the pricing and whatnot... i'll make an order tomorrow if they get back to me : )... i can't friggin wait... heheh... the blade on my jag cut through another spine thingy on the handle, and now the blade goes though the handle : )-
-Gibberish*

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In the time of chimpanzees i was a monkey.
 
I haven't touched a butterfly in months since I sold my Jaguar to my "student", so yeah, I kinda want my BM42 too.
 
Ohh I forgot, if you search the Forums, Clay, and a few other people did some nice reviews on it. Some great photos as well.
 
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