IMPORTANT REVIEW ABOUT THE BORDER GUARD SWBG2TS.
Smith & Wesson Border Guard SWBG2TS Review :
I have had many Smith & Wesson knives in the past. Because of this I favor to the Extreme Ops folding line as they last me forever. They maintain a favorable blade and besides the screws loosening over time, please me for the price. With my hard use and general mistreatment as work tools, the screws’ having come loose are the least of my worries! Here is my Smith & Wesson Border Guard SWBG2TS Review.
Recently I went to Disneyland and low and behold I had my trusted pocketknife with me. And what do you know, they couldn’t let me take it in the park. Instead of fighting long lines, shuttles, and the hotel, I decided to give the knife to the nice security guard.
Online I found the Smith & Wesson Border Guard SWBG2TS. Amazon brags of over 1800 reviews and an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Not bad right!?
Introducing my first impression of the Smith & Wesson Border Guard SWBG2TS. review. The blade is advertised at 4.4 inches with a carrying handle of 5.6 inches with a weight of 8.8 ounces. It is Tanto shaped, is partially serrated, and is made of black oxide high carbon stainless steel. The handle is made of black aluminum with Trac-Tec inserts. On the butt end there is a lanyard whole, a glass breaker, and a seat belt/strap cutter. Doesn’t sound that bad.
Observations:
My first impression after opening the box is wow, this thing is big! Comparing this to my other S&W folding knives this knife is bigger. Its mass is more than I expected or realized. It fits inside the palm of my hand, extending from top to bottom. The Border Guard SWBG2TS also fills out my fist as I wrapped my fingers around it, barely touching my fingertips to my palm.
Second observation. Picking it up I realize this 8.8-ounce knife was heavier than expected. Not disappointing, just in shock. This thing has some weight. Placing this knife in my pocket or using the belt clip definitely leaves me no room to forget it is there as other folding knives I have had, did. So, if you’re looking to buy a knife for somebody that has a tendency to lose knives, the Smith & Wesson Border Guard SWBG2TS might be a good choice.
Upon opening the blade, it swings open in a nice mechanical way. The blade lock worked as designed, the Trac-Tec grips grabbed my hand, and it generally felt good to hold.
The Blade:
Initially this knife is impressive. For $18.00 I felt as though I made a good buy. Two points of disappointment I observed immediately were the belt clip and knife blade. The clip I will talk about later. The blade was extremely dull. I expected the knife to be much sharper from the factory. Its serrated teeth were nice and aggressive, but the strait edge was flat and dull. I spent a short time honing it in on a stone and it is better but not great.
The second thing is when I snap the blade open like someone would do when packing a can of chew, the blade opens so wide the locking mechanism would jam open. I have to push the blade of the Smith & Wesson Border Guard back against an object, smashing the bladed edge. This releases the pressure from the lock, unlocking the blade. Reading other Border Guard SWBG2tS reviews, I read the opposite problems describing the blade lock failing and folding towards the fingers of its user, compromising finger safety.
Choosing a locking issue, I would choose mine, but I think justifying a weakness especially in the locking mechanism, is bad regardless.
The Clip:
Another factor which I am still getting used to, is the fact the pocket clip is turned around. To my knowledge, all folding knives I have had in the past have had the clip starting where the knife rotates open and points to the butt end of the knife. The Smith & Wesson Border Guard SWBG2TS starts at the butt end of the handle and opens towards the rotation of the blade. My muscle memory was not prepared for this. Every time I pull the knife out of my pocket, I have to use both hands to open it with a flip, with the thumb tab, or use both hands to generally open it.
Notice the belt clip is at the window punch side of the knife. The Border Guard SWBG2tS is the first knife I have owned with the belt clip like this. Smith & Wesson Border Guard SWBG2TS review.
Border Guard SWBG2tS Review in closing:
The Smith & Wesson Border Guard SWBG2TS is a nice knife. For $18 I wont complain too much. I generally wish I would have paid $5 less and bought one of the Extreme Ops knives with a complete metal frame. With only routine maintenance of the screws, I have had great luck with them over the last 10+ years.
If you are in the market for a folding knife with some mass and one which will take a beating, consider this knife. If you are looking for one you won’t miss if you lose, break, or generally destroy, this might be that knife. The line cutter housing also makes for a very good bottle opener!
As a Prime Member on Amazon, you can pick this knife up for $18 with no shipping. The Smith & Wesson Border Guard SWBG2TS is for sale by other sellers or locations on the web for $22 + shipping.
***Update***
Border Guard SWBG2tS review update.
On my first camping trip and after a couple weeks of easy fishing and general use, I started to identify some problems with the knife. Almost immediately the Trac-Tec grips began to rattle or give off a tic sound. Not detrimental to its use, but a disappointment given how new it was.
I have been using this knife for about 4 months and just had the screws fall out holding the pocket clasp on. On multiple occasions I have tried to screw the screws back in and 3 of them are stripped. The idea of this happening so quickly blows my mind, and I am not happy. I also cannot keep a favorable blade on the knife….. I would buy another knife and skip this one if I could do it over.
