Everyone I have seen are 440 or 440c never even Sandvic or anything like a high end steel. I am not a knife snob, but have a goodly collection of knives in D2, AUS8, M110, and other high end steels. I'd like a nice S&W knife to companion with a few revolvers.

S&W does not make any knives that I know of. They license their name to, I believe, Taylor Cutlery but have no say in construction or materials. If you want a Real S&W made knife get one of the fixed blade knives made in the 70's. 440C steel properly hardened, Wessonwood handles. In the 70's 440C WAS the latest wonder steel

As far as steel goes, There is nothing the new wonder steels will do that PROPERLY HARDENED steels like 440C, 154CM, or even 420 stainless and / or good old Carbon Steel won't. They newer steel may hold an edge a little longer if properly hardened but if not hardened correctly they are no better at all. Heat Treatment is much more important that alloy composition.

I have knives in 440C, 420, AUS8, 154CM, and plain old Carbon Steel ( 10XX series) and they all work well. The Carbon will rust if you don't keep after it and it develops a grey / black patina with use.

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Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

American Outdoor Brands, S&W's parent company, also owns Taylor Cutlery now, having acquired it about a year ago. Ed.

What is you source for 440C being used in the 1970 S&W knives? Smoky Mountain Knife Works recently sold one of the larger ones advertising it as 440A. I have not seen the alphabet letter in books.

I only have the smallest fixed blade, the Skinner, and have not used it yet. I bought if from an ad that only showed side views. I was surprised at how thick its blade stock is. It is probably made from the same stock as the larger fixed blades. That makes it undesirably heavy. However, it does go well with my revolvers.

My everyday carry knife is a S&W marked folder which I expect was made for them by Taylor as indicated above. I've been carrying this knife for at least 15 years and it has been reliable and retains a nice edge.
Jim

I have one came with a sheath

Seems the choices for knife steels are as mind boggling as the choices for gun cleaning products we so often discuss here.

The 1970's knives designed by Blackie Collins were outstanding knives, can't say what steel they used, but they would sharpen up very nicely. I had the entire line minus the display case and foolishly sold them to a friend of mine that is a S&W fanatic.....Traded the whole set for a pre-64 Model 70 in 30-06 with a Weaver K4 and a Ruger 77 in 250-3000 Savage.....still have the Winchester and it still shoots VERY well....The Ruger just would not shoot no matter what I did....so I sold that one.

Randy

Sign of the times. So many knives made in china that used to be made of quality materials in the U.S.

No source, going from memory. I thought they were 440C but they could well be 440A .

I also have a Skinner. with the box. I had a folder but let it go.

Yep, 440A

here's a link to a thread with the brochure.

S&W Knife Brochure

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Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

I have a S&W 3 knife hunting kit bought cheap at Wal-Mart. No idea if the 2 knifes are worth a darn but the clever looking thing w the rounded end will peel the hide off a wild pig better than anything I've ever used. Also pretty good chopping smoked meat for bbq sandwiches. Bought mine after I was going to show a buddy what a piece of crud he had wasted his money on when I was teaching him to dress out a hog. Gee was I wrong. So cheap looking in my gear it's embarrassing until folks see it work.

S&W Made the Survival Knives designed by Blackie Collins in house excluding the folding hunter. There is a great book, "The knives of Smith & Wesson" if you can find one of the 1000 printed. Up until about the mid 90's the knives were made in the US under license. Since than they have been produced in China by Taylor Brands LLC which S&W has since bought. After 1995 the quality is questionable. The American Series mfg. by Vermont knives in the 80's I find to be reasonably priced and quality.

I have a number of Taylor (China) S&W brand knives that I have bought over the years for much less than the MSRP and they seem to work fine. They look nice and I have no complaints about the few that I have carried. They seem to cut when called to do that. I do not think that they are any worse than any of the other branded knives that are all around.

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Gun Safety is no accident.