Smith & Wesson Small SWAT Spring Assisted Knife Review

Horace Smith and Daniel Baird Wesson formed a partnership in 1852 to manufacture a firearm that could fire a fully self-contained cartridge. Form the beginning, Smith and Wesson firearms were noted for their innovative design, high quality production and reliability. The accomplishments of Smith and Wesson are numerous and its contributions to the history of firearms are vast. Smith and Wesson was an industry leader in 1852 when it was first founded and continues to lead the world today with innovations into the 21^st century.

Smith and Wesson first started manufacturing knives in 1974. As a company, Smith and Wesson is heavily focused on the safety and security business, and knives were an obvious step form their core activities. Smith and Wesson knives used to be manufactured in house, although for a period of time Vermont Cutlery Co of West Rutland VT made knives for Smith and Wesson. Today, Taylor Cutlery makes and sells Smith and Wesson knives.

A lot of the Smith and Wesson knives made today are manufactured overseas and cater to the police and military. Smith and Wesson provides a lot of rescue, tactical, automatic and assisted open knives at affordable prices.

Smith and Wesson’s Military and Police knives are some of the more popular Smith and Wesson knives made today. These are large folding pocket knives outfitted with Multipurpose Assisted Generational Innovative Cutlery (MAGIC) technology, a proprietary technology developed by the engineers at Taylor Brands. These knives come in a variety of finishes including a flat black Teflon coating, urban camo, or a kind of desert finish.

Today we will be talking about the Smith and Wesson Small SWAT Spring Assisted Knife.

 

The Blade:

The blade is made out of 4034 stainless steel. This steel is a very soft steel, which means that it will be easy to sharpen, although you will have to sharpen it pretty often because it does not keep its edge for long periods of time. Because this blade is made out of 4034, you can assume that this Smith and Wesson knife is made in China. This steel is not brittle. One of the biggest advantages of this blade steel is that it is very inexpensive. This means that you are getting a blade that can take on quite a bit for a low cost and a little bit of maintenance.

The blade has been finished with a bead blast finish. This finish is created by using abrasive ceramic beads. The beads are then blasted at the steel at a high pressure, which results in an even gray finish. A bead blasted finish reduces the reflections and glares due to its even matte surface. The blasting creates an increased surface area and micro abrasions make the steel more prone to rust and corrosion. A blasted blade, even form stainless steel, can rust overnight if left in a very humid environment, so you will need to make sure that you keep your knife dry before you put it away.

The blade has been carved into a drop point blade style. This is the most popular blade style that you can find in the market today, and for good reason: it is tough, durable, and all-purpose. The blade shape is formed by having the spine of the blade curve straight from the handle to the tip. The belly of the knife curves upwards to meet the point. The point of the drop point blade is lowered, which means that you will have more control over your cuts and slices. The lowered point is also extremely broad, which gives you the strength that drop point knives are known for. The strength of the point is also what makes this blade shape a great option for tactical or survival knives. One of the reasons that this blade is so versatile is because it has a large belly that is perfect for slicing. One of the most common tasks that you will be performing with this knife is slicing, so you will be perfectly prepared to take on almost any task with this knife. Drop points only have one major drawback: because of the broad tip, you do lose out on most of your tabbing or piercing capabilities. The drop point blade shape and the clip point blade shape are often confused with each other; the biggest difference is the tip. The clip point does have a fine and thin tip, you do have full piercing capabilities, but it is more prone to breaking. And while the drop point does not give you the piercing capabilities, you do need to remember that it has the famous drop point blade shape strength.

This knife features a plain edge, which is prepares you to take on a wider variety of tasks. The plain edge also gives you cleaner cuts and is easier to sharpen than a serrated blade would be.

 

The Handle:

The handle is made out of aluminum. Aluminum is a very durable material especially when used for knife handles. It is considered a low density metal, which means that it is lightweight, but still provides for a nice, hefty feel t the knife without weighing the knife down. Aluminum knife handles have extreme tensile strength. One of the drawbacks to an aluminum handle is that it has high conductive properties, so it will be cold to hold, especially if you are using it during the winter months.

The handle has textured inlays to give you the best grip that you can have. The aluminum parts of the handle are silver and the grip inserts are black. There is plenty of jimping that gives you the best grip possible while working with this knife.

The ergonomics of this knife create a very comfortable grip, even if you are holding it for long periods of time. The spine of the handle has a slight curve and the bottom of the handle has an elongated and shallow finger groove. The butt of the handle is flared out, which does give you more control over the knife.

Lastly, the butt of the handle does have a lanyard hole carved into it, which is ideal for keeping your knife on you at all times without it getting in the way. Plus, when you have your lanyard hanging out of your pocket, you are able to withdraw your knife more quickly.

 

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on this knife is a deep carry pocket clip, which means that it will be easier to conceal in your pocket. Plus, the deep carry pocket clip will keep the knife more snugly and more securely in your pocket throughout the day. This means that no matter how much you move around; it will still stay secure. The pocket clip is stainless steel, and kept in place by two small screws that match the rest of the silver hardware on this knife. The pocket clip is a tip down pocket clip.

 

The Mechanism:

This knife is a spring assisted knife that uses Smith and Wesson’s MAGIC technology. This knife features both a thumb stud and a spine trigger and sports a liner locking mechanism.

The MAGIC (which stands for Multipurpose Assisted Generational Innovative Cutlery) works when you deploy the blade using the thumb stud or the flipper, which activates the spring and automatically flips your blade open. Because this is a spring assisted knife, you don’t have to worry about the strict automatic knife laws. But, because laws are always changing, always be sure to know your local knife laws.

A thumb stud is just about the most common one-hand-opening feature. A thumb stud essentially replaces the nail nick found on more traditional knives. The principle is pretty straightforward—you hold the folded knife, place the tip of your flexed thumb on the stud and extend your thumb to swing the blade through its arc until the blade is fully open. Knives with a thumb stud usually incorporate a locking mechanism of some sort. One of the biggest drawbacks is that when you try to open this knife, your fingers do have to get pretty close to the blade. There have been plenty of cases where the user has cut their fingers when trying to open their knife with a thumb stud. Just be aware of what you are doing when you open this knife.

This Small SWAT knife enlists a liner locking mechanism. The liner lock is the most common to today’s blade-locking systems. In knives with locking liners, the handle consists of two metal plates on either side of the blade. Handle scales cover the plates. When the knife is opened, one side of the knife’s liner, often called the lock bar, butts up against the back end of the blade and prevents the blade from closing. The lock bar is manufactured so that it angles toward the interior of the knife, creating a bias for the locked positon. To close the knife, the knife user applies manual force to move the lock bar to the side so that the blade is unblocked and can be folded back into he handle.

 

The Specs:

The blade on this Smith and Wesson knife measures in at 2.8 inches long, with a handle that measures in at 3 inches long. When the Small SWAT knife is opened, it measures in at 5.8 inches long. This knife weighs in at 2.3 ounces.

 

The Pros of the Small SWAT Knife:

• The blade will be easy to sharpen.
• The steel is very inexpensive, which keeps the cost of the knife down.
• The blade has an even gray finish.
• The knife is very lightweight, which will make it easy for you to have with you at all times.
• The drop point blade has a strong point that is sharp and controllable.
• The drop point blade has plenty of cutting edge, which is perfect for slicing.
• The pocket clip is a deep carry clip, which allows you to more easily conceal your knife while also keeping it secure.
• The MAGIC technology works quickly and efficiently.
• The thumb stud is easy to use.
• Because this knife is spring assisted, you don’t have to worry about the strict laws surrounding automatic knives, but it still opens quickly and efficiently.
• The liner lock is secure and convenient.
• The aluminum handle is strong and durable.
• The aluminum handle is light, but still hefty enough to take on most tasks.
• The aluminum handle is extremely resistant to corrosion.

 

The Cons of the Small SWAT Knife:

• The steel is soft, so it will lose its edge quickly.
• A blade with a blasted finish can rust overnight if it is left in the wrong style of environment.
• The drop point blade is not as sharp as the clip point.
• The drop point blade is less suitable for piercing.
• The pocket clip on this knife is also a tip down pocket clip.
• The thumb stud puts your fingers near the blade, so you do have to be careful when you are using it.
• The aluminum handle is cold to hold.
• The aluminum handle can be a little bit slippery.
• The aluminum handle is going to be susceptible to scratches and dings.

 

Conclusion:

The Smith & Wesson SWAT Spring Assist knife snaps out amazingly fast and locks up tight. Using the M.A.G.I.C. (Multipurpose Assisted Generation Innovative Cutlery) system, this knife opens as fast as an auto knife. Built with a Drop point plain edge blade with a satin finish and a T6061 aluminum handle with grip inserts, the SWAT is an amazing knife that is perfect for daily carry. The blade opens using either the thumb stud or you can press the spine trigger and snap the blade right out. The safety is built right on the side of the handle for easy access. Comes with a pocket clip. The SWAT series features three size knives; this model is the small. The knife boasts a strong liner lock and tip down pocket clip. Pick up this fantastic knife today at BladeOps.