Smith & Wesson SWHS1 Homeland Security Drop Point Knife, Black
December 23, 2009 | Posted by admin 
- Stainless steel teflon coated blade
- Black aluminum handle
- Drop point blade
- Comes with a pocket clip
Product Description
Smith & Wesson SWHS1 Homeland Security, Anodized Aluminum Handle, Plain Smith & Wesson forged its reputation for high-performance, high-quality precision and ruggedness when it first opened its doors in 1852. Take a look at where they’ve been and where they’re going.Smith & Wesson SWHS1 Homeland Security, Anodized Aluminum Handle, Plain Features:; Overall Length (inches): 8.10; Blade Length (inches): 3.40; Blade Material: 440, Black; Blade Detail: Plain Edge; Handle Material: Anodized Aluminum; Lock Style: Liner Lock; Carry System: Pocket Clip; Special Features: N/A
Smith & Wesson SWHS1 Homeland Security Drop Point Knife, Black
Categories: Hot Pick | 
Tags: Black, Drop, Homeland, Knife, Point, Security, Smith, SWHS1, Wesson | 
3 Comments »
I bought this knife because I wanted a knife with a flipper. The Homeland Security has a flipper, and it doubles as a finger guard. Combined with the other side of the blade, which also has a part that sticks up, this knife has kind of a hilt. That’s what immediately brought my attention to this knife.
LOCK: The Homeland Security uses a liner-lock. The lock is strong and there isn’t any blade play whatsoever. The liner doesn’t go as far across the base of the blade as other knives do, but since there’s no blade play, it’s a strong lock.
FLIPPER: I love the flipper on this knife. All I have to do is put my index finger on the flipper, and press on it. With a flick of the wrist, the blade snaps into the open position. The flipper also doubles as a finger guard, creating a hilt.
THUMB WHEEL: The thumb wheel on the blade allows for easy, quick, one hand opening.
HANDLE: Nice aluminum handle. It’s strong and it feels great in your hand. When I received my knife, I noticed that one of the screws on the handle looks like it might be stripped because it’s not perfectly straight. This is not a problem though. All the rest of the screws, including the pivot screw, are perfect.
BLADE: The blade comes sharp and I tested it by stabbing it into the mailing package that it came in. It has no problem going straight through the thick paper and bubble wrap. On the front side of the blade, it has the Smith and Wesson logo with: Homeland Security written below it. On the back of the blade, it says: Designed by: Morgan A. Taylor, and under that, the model number: SWHS1.
POCKET CLIP: The pocket clip is positioned for tip up carry. When you pull the knife out of your pocket, it’s in the correct position in your hand, making it ready to open and use quickly.
Overall, I really like my new Homeland Security knife. I look forward to using it.
Rating: 5 / 5
When I got this knife, it was already just about razor sharp, it had a nick in the blade, but I sharpened it out, it was also missing a nut, but that’s a manufacture problem that can be fixed under it’s warranty. When i got this knife, i put a razor’s edge on it, about a month and a half ago. It is still sharp, not as sharp, but still sharp enough to shave. I guess i’m trying to say this is the best knife i have ever owned.
Rating: 5 / 5
I have to say, of all the folding knives I’ve ever owned, none has withstood such a beatin’ as this one. I bought this knife when I got a new job working in the packing and shipping department of a brewery. It was a small brewery with minimal automation and finnicky equipment, so a lot of the work had to be done by hand, and it required a lot of cutting. It was a tough job, and I needed a tough, affordable knife. This one fit the bill quite nicely, and I have to say it’s an incredible knife, especially for the price. I carried it to work with me every day for a year, and it never failed me once.
BLADE: The blade, I believe, is 440 stainless, pretty standard – not the best, but a good mixture of hardness and toughness. It can be made razor sharp with a bit of effort, but I generally just kept a typical utility edge on it. Even though I was working the knife real hard, I only had to sharpen it about once a week. The thumb wheel is well positioned for quick opening, but I found it often got in the way when I was cutting boxes and such, so i removed it and simply used the flipper on the back for deployment. The black coating on the blade wasn’t really significant for my purposes, but i find it aesthetically pleasing, and despite heavy use it never scratched away or wore off.
LOCK: The lock is a standard liner lock, and it’s quite sturdy. Even after all mine has been through, there’s no side-to-side or vertical play in it, the blade locks in rock solid with a satisfying click.
HANDLE: The aluminum handle is tough. My knife’s been dropped, stepped on, run over by a pallet jack, and used as a hammer, and the handle’s no worse for the wear. It’s got a good weight and feels right in the hand. Though it can get slippery when wet, it’s got a finger guard – almost like a subhilt – to prevent slippage, and that combined with the integral blade guard (which also functions as the flipper) makes it pretty difficult to lose your grip.
CLIP: The clip is fairly sturdy, and it’s positioned for tip-up carry, which is a huge plus for me. Just be careful – the screws that hold it on are short so keep ‘em tightened or the clip could fall off.
I only have two gripes with this knife. The first is that the screws that hold it together seem to be made of a low grade of steel and are prone to stripping. Second, there’s the center pivot screw. It’s adjustable so that you can change how easily the knife opens, but i haven’t a clue as to what kind of tool you would need to turn that screw – it’s not torx or any of the usual kinds, it’s a circle surrounded by four smaller holes. I don’t know what kind of tool fits in there and i sure don’t have one, so it’s a chore to adjust, I just have to finneagle it with a pair of pliers.
Overall this is a great knife that can stand up to a ton of abuse and come out lookin’ fine. I used mine for cutting everything from boxes to rope to bands, scraping paint, chopping wood, as an improvised screwdriver and even used the butt as a hammer on several occasions. When you factor in the great low price, it’s a no-brainer. Highly Recommended.
Rating: 4 / 5