Smith & Wesson is better known for its handguns and ammunition than for its knives. Although many Smith & Wesson models carry tactical names like Swat, Homeland Security and Extreme Ops, blade styles and opening systems frequently qualify them as sporting knives. Many are suitable for civilian use, even though still popular with military and law enforcement personnel. Smith & Wesson no longer manufactures Smith & Wesson knives, which are now made in China and marketed by Taylor Brands, LLC.
Smith & Wesson began with the invention of a new type of firearm, and much later nearly met its end by cooperating with federal gun control policies. Smith & Wesson knives came and went somewhere towards the end of the cycle. The company began in 1852 when Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson formed the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company to produce and sell their invention, the volcanic pistol. The concept of a lever-action pistol failed to catch on, causing the sale of their first enterprise to Oliver Winchester.
Smith & Wesson departed in 1856 to try again, this time with the Smith & Wesson Company and the Smith & Wesson Model 1, a pistol with a revolving chamber which fired sealed metal cartridges. Rollin White owned the critical patent rights and assigned the patent to S&W in return for a royalty on every pistol sold. In 1964 the company passed from Wesson family control into the ownership of corporate entities. Tomkins PLC of Britain owned S&W in 2000 when the company signed a fateful agreement with the Clinton Administration, accepting limits on sales and controls on manufacturing standards. Consumer boycotts hit the company hard and angry gun owners flooded the market with used S&W weapons. By 2001 the company was in new hands, owned by the Saf-T-Hammer Corporation, who chose to immediately rescind the gun control agreement. Smith & Wesson became Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation in 2002.
Civilians seeking a Smith & Wesson knife today should look for drop point or bowie style blades with either one-hand manual opening or assisted opening systems. Since Smith & Wesson originally focused on the police and military markets, many S&W knife models retain a tactical look, with upswept points and recurved edges that find fewer applications in camping and hunting. Simpler blade styles make better sense for utility work and general outdoor uses.
Today’s Smith & Wesson knives do come from Chinese foundries, which deliver knives at lower cost but made to lesser standards than the old S&W knives. Many owners find the knives a welcome bargain, with features you’d find in knives priced in the hundreds rather than the tens of dollars.
See all of our Smith and Wesson knife reviews below
The biggest attraction of the Smith & Wesson SWMP5LS Liner lock knife isn't the upgraded design. What makes this five-inch (folded length) beast popular is the MAGIC Assisted Opening system. Currently, it's one of the closest substitutes for an automatic opening knife that civilians are allowed to own.
Possibly a ...
If you're just not comfortable without some sort of self-defense device on hand and knives no longer fit your lifestyle, there is another choice -- the tactical pen. Inspired by ancient fist load weapons popular with Asian martial artists and Japanese ninjas, the modern tactical pen fits discreetly in the ...
Smith & Wesson's H.R.T. O.T.F (Hostage Rescue Team; Out The Front) knives aren't quite as dramatic as their names, but they are useful. Check them out if you're looking for an assisted opening version of the classic stilletto.
With only three-inch blades, the H.R.T. knives lack intimidation factor, but the ...
With one of Smith & Wesson's easiest assisted opening systems, the S&W Military Police M.A.G.I.C. Scooped Tanto offers both tactical and emergency rescue features in a highly engineered but economical package. Manufactured to Smith & Wesson specifications in Taiwan, the knife is a good choice for anyone who needs ...
Smith & Wesson's Military Police Magic Assisted Tanto shows good quality in an American-sponsored imported design. The Taiwanese makers of the Military Police Tanto put together good features and good materials. Tactical users may be tempted and anyone who needs a good urban survival knife should take ...
The Folding Powerglide Tanto from Smith & Wesson uses some of the basic concepts of the balisong or butterfly knife, but modifies the system enough to qualify as a two-handed pocket blade. Though the action is slower than the traditional Philippine version, the Powerglide still provides the same compact ...
Smith & Wesson's updated version of the Ontario Knife Company M9 Bayonet, the SW3G Special Ops M-9 includes the essential features that survival knives in a technological age should have. Similar to the knives issued to military helicopter pilots in Vietnam, the M9's saw-toothed spine can cut through ...
This lightweight pocket clip folder is a little too military to be a great utility or camp knife, but the camouflage titanium coated tanto blade will still appeal to some. If you do need an emergency knife for a reasonable price, the Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops Serrated Tanto ...
In this gift set from Smith & Wesson, the well established manufacturer of police and military equipment, you get a good quality tactical folding clip knife and a tactical watch built for extreme conditions. This combination works well for anyone who spends time in rough places, whether work ...
Smith & Wesson's stainless steel Bullseye is an economical and reliable camp ax with a few odd points of styling that some will like. Blade styles of hatchets are often carried over from old designs, suited to tasks most users don't perform today. In colonial times, most hatchets ...
Take a look at this Smith and Wesson Bullseye Extreme Ops knife. At only 3.22" long, the 440C Teflon coated stainless steel, combo edge, tanto point blade is not big and scary. Rather, it has a sleek and stealthy design, and a great quality. Perfect for ...
Smith and Wesson often comes out with knives that are just on the outer envelope of sensible. This Search and Rescue Kukri is in that same class, just on the practical side of the fantasy weapon genre.
Everything about this knife looks solid, if not refined--some sharp edges on the hilt ...
Here's a heavy-duty knife that's worth taking a look at. If it's a Smith & Wesson product, chances are it's got a lot to live up to. And it looks like the Special Ops Bayonet Challenger can live up to it just fine... but that's just from the first glance. ...
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