What's The Deal With Smith and Wesson Knives?

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Nephron44

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I hear people bash Smith and Wesson knives constantly, and claim they are junk and worthless.

Why is it that despite all of the disdain for Smith and Wesson knives, I constantly see officers, EMS, and firefighters using them? Why do they fly off the shelves at my local store? I get they are cheap, but there are many other knives right next to them on the shelf that are the same price if not cheaper, and supposedly are better knives?

If these knives were so horrible, why would many of the boys in red and boys in blue choose these over other comparable or better knives in the same price range?

I have a Smith and Wesson rescue knife, and it doesn't feel any better or worse than most of my Gerber or CRKT blades...I'd trust it :/

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
 
Nephron44 said:
I hear people bash Smith and Wesson knives constantly, and claim they are junk and worthless.

Why is it that despite all of the disdain for Smith and Wesson knives, I constantly see officers, EMS, and firefighters using them? Why do they fly off the shelves at my local store? I get they are cheap, but there are many other knives right next to them on the shelf that are the same price if not cheaper, and supposedly are better knives?

If these knives were so horrible, why would many of the boys in red and boys in blue choose these over other comparable or better knives in the same price range?

I have a Smith and Wesson rescue knife, and it doesn't feel any better or worse than most of my Gerber or CRKT blades...I'd trust it :/

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
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I had a few Smith & Wesson knives.
Some models were fine...some were total garbage.
One of the steel frame-lock knives I gave to my brother still serves as the knife that sits in his glove-box, despite him carrying (and using the hell out of) far more expensive knives.
It is a good knife, even though I bought it at the gun store for roughly double what the internet price would have been (I didn't own a computer at the time).

Another model I had, a liner lock, went to 100% engagement within a month, had terrible ergonomics, a pivot that loosened all the time, and was just generally pretty much crap.

As for why EMS, cops and firefighters can be seen with them, it's because they sell for cheap, yet have a brand name on them that is recognized.

If you see one of the good models for cheap, (and check it out in person...inspect the hell out of it), then by all means buy it if you want. :)
I would never--and I do mean never--buy one sight-unseen over the internet though.
 
I'd put S&W in similar quality as Gerber and CRKT. There are some exceptions but at the same price point they're about the same.
I think LEO and such buy them because of the name honestly.
 
I've owned a few of the $30-$40 S&W knives and they are just gimmicky and overbuilt with poor F&F. All the ones I had were the MAGIC assisted opening which was decent, overall I just found much better options for similar prices. However, there is one model that has caught my eye, the SWMP1600 USA, reviews show it to be a very solid knife. If they ever come back in stock again I will give them a try. http://www.bladehq.com/item--Smith-Wesson-Military-Police--13137
Untitled by Danny Nystrom, on Flickr
 
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Nephron44 said:
I hear people bash Smith and Wesson knives constantly, and claim they are junk and worthless.

Why is it that despite all of the disdain for Smith and Wesson knives, I constantly see officers, EMS, and firefighters using them? Why do they fly off the shelves at my local store? I get they are cheap, but there are many other knives right next to them on the shelf that are the same price if not cheaper, and supposedly are better knives?

If these knives were so horrible, why would many of the boys in red and boys in blue choose these over other comparable or better knives in the same price range?

I have a Smith and Wesson rescue knife, and it doesn't feel any better or worse than most of my Gerber or CRKT blades...I'd trust it :/

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Click to expand...



It's because they say "Smith & Wesson" on them.
 
Nephron44 said:
If these knives were so horrible, why would many of the boys in red and boys in blue choose these over other comparable or better knives in the same price range?
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There are probably a few reasons, but the one that springs to mind is that they are bought by people who need an affordable knife that cuts things when it has to, and not by people who worry about the difference between S30V and S35VN.

(Anecdotal)~
My first and last experience with a Smith & Wesson knife (S.W.A.T. variety) was not positive. First, the glued-on "skateboard tape" inlays began actually peeling off. Then, a small piece of plastic fell off and out of the knife ("Hope that's not important..."). Then I joined bladeforums.
 
Lol, the worst knife I've ever owned was a Smith&Wesson cutting horse. One day while opening the knife it came completely apart in my hand. Scales,pins,liners,every last piece laying in my hand.
Smith&Wesson doesn't make these knives and imho most of them are junk.
 
I wonder what Smith and Wesson would think of these knives with their names on them.
 
skyhorse said:
Lol, the worst knife I've ever owned was a Smith&Wesson cutting horse. One day while opening the knife it came completely apart in my hand. Scales,pins,liners,every last piece laying in my hand.
Smith&Wesson doesn't make these knives and imho most of them are junk.
Click to expand...

The four or five examples I've personally evaluated myself were far less than good. Go with an Ontario Rat for the same price.

Most people have no idea what makes a good knife and see "smith and wesson" and thinks it means something. In this case it doesn't. At all.
 
bodog said:
The four or five examples I've personally evaluated myself were far less than good. Go with an Ontario Rat for the same price.

Most people have no idea what makes a good knife and see "smith and wesson" and thinks it means something. In this case it doesn't. At all.
Click to expand...
I was gifted the knife and to have a knife fall completly & totally apart in my hand was so funny I'll never forget it. :eek::)
 
I think part of it is name recognition.

And the other part of it is price. A good knife from a name brand such as Benchmade, Spyderco or ZT is probably going to cost $100 and up. A lot of people that work but still have trouble with their home budgets will buy a $30 knife instead of a $150 knife.

Personally I think it is a shame that a Smith&Wesson knife does not even begin to live up to the quality of a Smith&Wesson firearm. Same way with Colt and Winchester branded knives, but even more so with them.
 
It isn't so much that S&W knives are bad; it's that we, as a forum, generally want better. If we were a gun forum, we wouldn't be a forum full of S&W, Ruger, Taurus, Kel-Tec, Savage, and Mossberg fans; we're the Colt, HK, Walther, Wilson Combat, Weatherby, Sako, Browning, Benelli types.

My S&W SWAT knife is a lot like my Taurus revolver. Loose tolerances, bad F&F, and beat to hell. Always works but never really trust it.
 
Years ago I had an L frame 686, and it was very well made, a pleasure to use. It was made by Smith and Wesson.
A while ago I had a cheap S W folder. It was cheap junk and I threw it away. It was not made by Smith and Wesson.
 
The Colt brand has some excellent traditional knives; stockman, canoe, trapper, etc. I can't speak on their modern knives, as I've never tried one.
 
I'm a Colt man, myself (the guns, not knives).

Smith & Wesson knives are very inconsistent in quality of materials and fit & finish. Many designs are also over the top. Combine those problems and in my mind you have a junk knife.

Many of the people I served with thought the were great. I never much cared for them but I have owned a few. I still have to see one that will take and keep an edge. Your mileage may vary.

So, why do EMS, PD, Fire people buy them?

1. They know the name, so they buy the name.

2. They like the price.

3. They don't want to spend a lot of money.

4. They don't see a need for anything better.

5. They don't know what they don't know. In other words, they don't know about better options or, they have never been taught the advantages of better quality blade.

6. They have never seriously trained with a better quality knife.

Keep in mind that S&W does not make these knives. They just sold the rights to use their name for a wad of cash. I am sure that the knives would be much better quality if they were made in house.

I recently heard gossip that S&W purchased the manufacturer that makes their knives. If true, time will tell if QC gets any better. I doubt it.
 
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danthaman1980 said:
It isn't so much that S&W knives are bad; it's that we, as a forum, generally want better. If we were a gun forum, we wouldn't be a forum full of S&W, Ruger, Taurus, Kel-Tec, Savage, and Mossberg fans; we're the Colt, HK, Walther, Wilson Combat, Weatherby, Sako, Browning, Benelli types.

My S&W SWAT knife is a lot like my Taurus revolver. Loose tolerances, bad F&F, and beat to hell. Always works but never really trust it.
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Personally I'd add S&W guns to the second list of brands. Their quality, f&f, and tolerances are among the top of production guns.

But as has been said, the branding name is leased to Taylor Brands for knife production. So the quality will vary on either side of Schrade, Uncle Henry, Old Timer, and Imperial. Save for a few select contract models. They have their $100 models, and $5 auto parts store models. Unfortunately the cheapies get bought because of the name, and it brings down the value of the decent models.

Colt knives are made alongside Rough Rider and others. Unfortunately inexpensive Colt models may be coming to and end. Don't know what the next chapter will bring with Colt Knives, but I've come to enjoy their price/quality point.
 
Because most people really don't know the difference between a good quality knife and a brand that they're familiar with.
It's really not that hard to figure out.
Why did you join this forum?????
If you're like me, you freaking love knives and want to learn as much as possible. Believe it or not, most folks don't share the same passion for knives.
 
Ajack60 said:
Because most people really don't know the difference between a good quality knife and a brand that they're familiar with.
It's really not that hard to figure out.
Why did you join this forum?????
If you're like me, you freaking love knives and want to learn as much as possible. Believe it or not, most folks don't share the same passion for knives.
Click to expand...

Thank you for that condescending post...
 
bflying said:
....But as has been said, the branding name is leased to Taylor Brands for knife production. So the quality will vary on either side of Schrade, Uncle Henry, Old Timer, and Imperial. Save for a few select contract models. They have their $100 models, and $5 auto parts store models. Unfortunately the cheapies get bought because of the name, and it brings down the value of the decent models.

Colt knives are made alongside Rough Rider and others. Unfortunately inexpensive Colt models may be coming to and end. Don't know what the next chapter will bring with Colt Knives, but I've come to enjoy their price/quality point.
Click to expand...

Do you know why inexpensive Colt knives are going away?

It is my understanding that Smith & Wesson bought Taylor Brands. Is this true? If so, that might be the reason for Colt's demise in the budget knife market. Of course that is assuming that Taylor Brands produced Colt knives.
 
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