S&W &P knife: good/bad

[RobertH]

im looking into folding knives.  what should i know and look for in buying my first "real" folding knife?

ive been leaning to the S&W M&P knife, so i can have the M&P trifecta (rifle, pistol, knife).  anyone have the folding knife?

thanks for the insight.  im truly a noob at this knife stuff.

[Mike M.]

I have 2 of them. Not the most expensive but so far been good knives. Keep them clean and the auto assist is great. Let them get a little dirty and its slow and needs help.

[Ironfist]

Many knives are NOT made in the U.S.A. but some are. On the blade itself will tell you where the stell came from. Now some countries have acceptable blades but I buy only made in U.S.A blades. I carry a gator skin handle (not really gator skin but has that same texture) folding knife from Gerber. Kershaw is a fine knife maker. Cold Hard Steel makes some good blades and you can always go to some places that have fine blades that are not new per say but are made by some "use to be AMEICAN made" companies. Buck for one. Assist sure are neat but over priced like nothing else lol and to me not necissary. Happy knife hunting.

[Jesse T]

How do you tell if your steel is good or not?  My knives are gerber paraframes (2.25", 3" and 3.5") They don't say on the blade where its from.  I like them they are light and work great. But I too am an admitted knife newbie and really dont use them all that much. 

[Ironfist]

Gerber in general is a good blade. Any knife thats made in the U.S.A. most likely will have it stamped at the top of the side of the blade. Most gerbers are made in America but recently I have see a few made in China. However a knife not made in America does not = no good. Germany and Japan (when they want) have some dang fine steel. And of course buy a blade for your use as some just are not made for heavy use. As for me, a blade is best judge by 4 things. 1) Does it take a razor sharp edge? Not all blades will. 2) How long does it hold said razor edge for under certain usage. 3) Does the blade chip on me? Some steel is just crap. And 4) How does it feel and handle in my hand? A knife can be great but if it don't fit right in my hand and does not have a decent grip I risk personal injury or injury to others.  Much American blades have passed the test of time and you know when you buy an American made blade that your getting quality. Due to the fact so many things are being outsourced so fast to be manufacured it's hard to tell wheather or not they make quality blades. It's truely hit and miss/trial and error with that. As for your blades if they are working good for what you use them for then it was not a waste of money. Much of knives are a personal preference just like guns.