My first real fighting folder was a Smith & Wesson SWAT folder. This was a liner locking folder, with a stainless steel, semi-serrated blade, and aluminum handles. The blade was almost 3.75" long and I just loved the way it opened and closed with authority. Back then, all the S&W folders, produced an audible click somewhere in the middle of their blade travel, as well as when fully opened and fully closed. This feature was cancelled from later production, even though it is not difficult to re-enable it if you like it, like I did (see other article in "John's Collection"). It also had a clip, which allowed you to carry the knife with the blade tip down (when folded). As is often the case, I bought that first folder, because of its looks and the name on its blade. I didn't knew much about those items back then.

That folder had accompanied me for years, I took it even abroad, to places where it was not even safe to have it in your luggage. I'll never forget the envious look of a security guard, at the entrance of a fancy restaurant in Kiev, Ukraine. That particular restaurant was located on the top floor of a bank building, so it shared the security resources of the bank. There was an airport-specs metal detector at the entrance and there was provision for locked, individual drawers, where guests could safely leave their hardware. My S&W was stored in one of those drawers during dinner. The security guard was quite astonished to see that I packed a folder knife, instead of a pistol. He probably though that I was a knife expert, so he treated me with utmost respect. I finally offered that knife, as a gift, to my wife's brother in Ukraine, from whom (as far as I learned) it was unofficially confiscated (for no reason) by the local police. What a pity!

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