It's widely known, at least in "knife people" circles, that Taylor Cutlery produces the officially licensed Smith & Wesson line of knives.  To me it seems the folks at S&W take an almost cynical view towards the merchandizing of their brand name, promising that Smith & Wesson silk-screened or otherwise applied on or to your product will allow you to "share in the success of a major American corporate brand" that offers "a high-end customer profile."

There is little doubt in my mind that this is the case where Taylor Cutlery is concerned.  I'm told through several sources that the Smith and Wesson knives sell extremely well, despite the fact that they do not (in my opinion only) represent the best quality available versus the prices asked for them.  The HRT (Hostage Rescue Team) line of S&W-badged tactical knives is proving quite popular, marketed with savvy and in collaboration with big names like Darrel Ralph.

The HRT dagger, designated SWHRT9B, follows the classic pattern established by the Gerber Mark 1 -- a simple double-edged dagger about nine inches long, with a substantial cross-guard and a vaguely bell-shaped handle.  It is coated in Teflon for a non-glare finish. The sharply tapered 440C blade has a fuller running most of its length.  The interior of the lanyard hole in the butt of the knife is uncoated and is a dull gray color.

The grooved handle is an improvement over other copies of the Gerber Mark 1.  It provides fairly good traction and feels pleasant.  The knife handles and moves well, too, though the only grip that felt really secure was a modified saber grip (in which the thumb is placed on the wider portion of the handle).

The leather boot/belt clip is fairly unremarkable.  The material on the clip side looks and feels almost like Vinyl, while the front of the sheath looks to be of decent quality.  The snap closure is quite firm and the spring clip on my sample is very tight.

I've always found the best application for daggers in spring clip sheaths to be IWB carry behind either hip.  The knife could be used as a boot knife, but it would be relatively inaccessible in that role, suitable only as a back-up blade.

The Teflon coating on my HRT dagger shows wear in several spots, though it has not been carried extensively save for a few days of testing.  As the knife has no moving parts and is of a very conventional design, finish wear is probably the only factor that would be of concern (or interest) to the average user.

There is not really much to say about this knife.  Those who still remember Smith & Wesson's capitulation to the Clinton Administration's gun control schemes will be reluctant to buy licensed S&W products, but the brand name has little meaning to the function of Taylor Cutlery's dagger.  The knife is inexpensive and should appeal to those who are inclined to spend about 20 to 30 USD for a blade of this type.

Check your local and state laws regarding dirks and daggers.  Your mileage may vary.