Under my radar, the Swift.

nephron

nephron

Joined
Aug 3, 2017
Messages
2,283
Any one have one? I don't now how I missed this one. I am figuring most people don't like the spring assist(and lock) is why its so obscure. I really like it, slotting right in there with the Code 4 for me. CTS XHP Blade and the lock not only locks the blade closed but also open, very nice click and positive action lock too. The G10 is really nice to look at and grippy.

IMG_4982 1.jpg IMG_4983 2.jpg
 
nephron said:
Any one have one? I don't now how I missed this one. I am figuring most people don't like the spring assist(and lock) is why its so obscure. I really like it, slotting right in there with the Code 4 for me. CTS XHP Blade and the lock not only locks the blade closed but also open, very nice click and positive action lock too. The G10 is really nice to look at and grippy.

View attachment 1410720 View attachment 1410721
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There seemed to be a bad batch early on where the springs would break...I'm sure that didn't help. I had one for a bit and it was very nice, but once I found out about the spring issue I sold it and just never bothered getting newer one.
 
jlauffer said:
There seemed to be a bad batch early on where the springs would break...I'm sure that didn't help. I had one for a bit and it was very nice, but once I found out about the spring issue I sold it and just never bothered getting newer one.
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Thanks, must be an embarrassment for them, I cannot find it on their website plugging in Swift/Swift 1/ etc
 
nephron said:
Thanks, must be an embarrassment for them, I cannot find it on their website plugging in Swift/Swift 1/ etc
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Looks like 2018 was the last catalog it was in. Came out in 2015 and the extra safety was added in 2016.
 
I bought one of the last ones they had for only $75 at their parking lot sale in late 2018. About half price. It's my guess they discontinued it because it was too hard to manufacture. There were a lot of problems with spring pressure and opening force if you browsed reviews. I tuned mine by adjusting leaf spring pressure with a Dremel and polishing critical interfaces. I believe most don't work well without careful tuning and polishing.
It's a beautiful knife when set up right. But the opening force is extreme (even after reduction) so I don't dare carry it without the safety on. The first ones didn't have the safety - yikes.
Also, like the Recon 1 it's ridiculously thick behind the edge, about 0.035". Not as bad as Recon 1 but bad. It looks good but I never use it. A good feature is the XHP steel which gets sharp as hell.
Ultimately an unsuccessful design. Same issue as many Cold Steel problems - too much spring pressure, including clips.
AD took out a patent on the action which is quite creative.
 
Regarding the Swift design, far be it from me to tell anyone how to do machine design. I just want to mention an anecdote from John Browning's biography. When designing the Colt 1911, JB built the moving parts from soft steel and observed how and where the steel battered and wore as he experimented with the action. When he had it working reliably with even moderate wear, he hardened the parts and retested. As we know, it fired 45,000 rounds without failure in the Army acceptance tests. Meaning he had good even margins throughout the design. Computers didn't even exist. He didn't need no stinking computer.
Here it's the 21st century, and there's excessive wear between the Swift's assist spring bar and the pin in the tang that it bears on. There's no reason for that.
 
Mark Spark said:
Regarding the Swift design, far be it from me to tell anyone how to do machine design. I just want to mention an anecdote from John Browning's biography. When designing the Colt 1911, JB built the moving parts from soft steel and observed how and where the steel battered and wore as he experimented with the action. When he had it working reliably with even moderate wear, he hardened the parts and retested. As we know, it fired 45,000 rounds without failure in the Army acceptance tests. Meaning he had good even margins throughout the design. Computers didn't even exist. He didn't need no stinking computer.
Here it's the 21st century, and there's excessive wear between the Swift's assist spring bar and the pin in the tang that it bears on. There's no reason for that.
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I got it NIB shipped for $50, CTS XHP/G10, hell of a knife for that. With my age and over 60 other knives to carry/use I'm not to worried about it. Comparing it to my 6 other AO knives it falls within the norm when you take into account how massive the blade is. Definitely a keeper for sure along with the rail gun.
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I got one in 2019. I played with it for a few weeks before put it away. Seemed fine to me. I do remember that the assist spring was very strong, and shot the blade out with a LOT of force.
 
Just an unnecessarily complicated design for no reason. It could have been a great manual triad lock knife.
Again, cold steel should really stick to their proven formula. I get the need to innovate, but not at the cost of decreasing the reliability and the safety of the knife.
 
jlauffer said:
Looks like 2018 was the last catalog it was in. Came out in 2015 and the extra safety was added in 2016.
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Thank you, saved me from having to go through them. I can't get into the archives what browser did you use? Luckily I saved them on my laptop.
 
If itnwasn't assisted, I would've kept mine. Everything about it I liked but I coukd never get used the way the assist worked in terms of enjoyment. I actually like the resistance of tri-ad and backlocks these days. I've dropped knives too many times and had them come open on me, especially axis lock knives.
 
bikerector said:
If itnwasn't assisted, I would've kept mine. Everything about it I liked but I coukd never get used the way the assist worked in terms of enjoyment. I actually like the resistance of tri-ad and backlocks these days. I've dropped knives too many times and had them come open on me, especially axis lock knives.
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Most people would agree with you, but I am not one, I like different variations of knives. That is what I like about CS, so many different ones, may not care for a all but thankful they do it.
And FYI this is the later model with the lock(quite positive one too)that locks the blade closed and open too, making it one of the safest around, at least for me pretty much impossible to inadvertently actuate.
 
nephron said:
Most people would agree with you, but I am not one, I like different variations of knives. That is what I like about CS, so many different ones, may not care for a all but thankful they do it.
And FYI this is the later model with the lock(quite positive one too)that locks the blade closed and open too, making it one of the safest around, at least for me pretty much impossible to inadvertently actuate.
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I did not know they updated it to such a thing, interesting. Doesn't matter much anymore; I picked up a goldeneye as my outdoor folder instead and love it. The ramped opener is pretty slick and I hope they do more like that.
 
bikerector said:
I did not know they updated it to such a thing, interesting. Doesn't matter much anymore; I picked up a goldeneye as my outdoor folder instead and love it. The ramped opener is pretty slick and I hope they do more like that.
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I never acquired a Goldeneye, thought it was a marketing ploy. Guess not if it works for you. I do carry a folder outdoors but the outdoors for me says fixed blade, my favorites.
 
nephron said:
I never acquired a Goldeneye, thought it was a marketing ploy. Guess not if it works for you. I do carry a folder outdoors but the outdoors for me says fixed blade, my favorites.
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No reason you can't own both and take what's convenient or you feel like having at the time. I often carry both and sometimes a SAK as well.
 
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