Boomerang "Swift Cut Knife" Hot

This is a decent knife but you have to really take care of it. After only a few trips on the salt and after always washing my gear down it started to rust. I'm not sure on the quality of the SS but it isn't very good. I like the concept of keeping it on a leash so you don't loose it.

I was contacted this Spring by the Boomerang Tool Company to see if I wanted to try out their “Swift Cut Knife". I reviewed their Snip Tool last year (Check it out here), so I was familiar with the other tools that Boomerang makes. I anxiously awaited the knife's arrival.

When I opened the box and finally extracted the knife from its packaging (I hate bubble packs), the knife had a very solid feel to it. It easily opened with one hand, and when fully opened it locked solidly into position and there was no wobble in the pivot point. The grip was comfortable in my hand, and the knife had a good feel to it. I checked out the built in Kevlar™ retractor. At 36” it is long enough to use comfortably, and since it has manual retractor (you have to push a button) you don’t have to worry about it slipping out of your hand and snapping back at whatever you have it attached to.

The blade of the Swift Cut Knife has both serrated straight blade sections. It also has a blunt tip that helps keep you from stabbing things you don’t want to. It is manufactured from 440C stainless steel. This alloy is described as:

“Stainless steel 440C, also known as UNS S44004. Grade 440C is a high carbon martensitic stainless with moderate corrosion resistance, good strength, and the ability to obtain and hold excellent hardness (Rc 60) and wear resistance. It is considered to be slightly cold workable by common practices and does respond to heat treatment.” Source: National Specialty Alloys

I’m not a metallurgist, but this description seems pretty accurate. The blade came out of the packaging very sharp, and after five months of use it’s just now getting close to needing a new edge. I have used it for scraping wood shavings for tinder bundles, cutting dock lines while redoing the rigging on my dad’s boat, as a prying tool (not a recommended use), and bleeding out fish that I am bringing home for dinner. So far the knife has done everything I have asked of it.

This knife, like every knife I have owned, will rust if you don’t maintain it. I am happy to say that even if you forget to rinse it off after fishing in saltwater and let it sit in the damp pocket of your life vest for a week, it cleans right up with a little work and some oil. However, if you rinse it in fresh water and give it a chance to dry I have not had any problems with rust.

So what didn’t I like about it? The attachment ring. All the Boomerang Tools come with a split ring to attach the tool to your vest (or wherever), and it is just a cheap chrome plated steel rung that rusts quickly. I wish they would use a stainless one, or even enlarge the hole on the end of the lanyard so you could use a carabiner.

With a list price of $26.95, this knife is a very good value for the money. It performs better then several knifes I have owned that cost nearly twice as much. If you’re looking for an affordable, solid knife to keep with you while YakAngling, I would recommend you give the Swift Cut a look.