Outdoor Edge Swingblade
This Review Covers:
Outdoor Edge SwingBlade
Outdoor Edge Cutlery is a Denver based company specializing in Knives and Outdoor Tools, including an excellent range of innovative Hunting Knives, such as the SwingBlade Series.
Each Outdoor Edge product comes with a Lifetime Guarantee covering defects in materials and workmanship for the lifetime of the original purchaser.
Knife Steel
They use a variety of stainless steels in their knives including AUS-8, 8Cr13MoV, 420J2, and 440A.
AUS-8 is used in the Outdoor Edge SwingBlade.
I’ve Owned A Swingblade For Years…
That’s my knife in the photo showing the drop-point skinning blade.
It’s a bit stained after 10 years of hard work…
Despite the stains, I’m impressed with the AUS-8 steel in both blades, it has held up to hard use and a little bit of abuse.
Totally Reliable
Though at no time did this knife let me down, totally reliable every time.
Rotating each blade into the handle is still as smooth as silk, each blade locks securely into place, as it should.
Plus most important to me, after 10 years of use my SwingBlade still holds an edge – I wouldn’t want to hunt without this knife!
Swingblade – Overview
Best Skinning/Gutting Knife I Have Used!
SwingBlade® by Outdoor Edge Knives
This is an effective durable 2 blade combo that will do everything you need when you are skinning or gutting larger game animals like Deer.
Though in saying that, I combine this knife with my favourite boning knife for a very cheap but effective deer hunting knife set…
Why I Own A Swingblade…
- Quality AUS-8 Stainless Steel, easy to clean and resharpen, it holds a good edge good enough to process several deer without needing a sharpen.
- Comfortable To Use, the SwingBlade feels nice in hand, and having both essential blades in one handle makes a very efficient working knife – this is important to me!
- Great Price, If I’m going to work a knife really hard in all weather, I don’t like spending too much on them, the Swingblade is under $100, I’m comfortable spending that.
- Durable, Versatile, Well Balanced, Sharp & Strong, all the boxes are ticked for a solid deer knife.
- I Carry Three Knives, Gerber Pocket Knife, Solingen Bonning Knife, SwingBlade, the Pocket Knife is just a spare, but the Boning Knife and SwingBlade get a lot of use.
The Knife is kept secure in a well-made nylon sheath, the Gutting Blade swings into the knife handle, the drop point skinning blade slides into the sheath, not the gutting blade.
With a reassuring click, the Skinning Blade locks securely into a plastic reinforced nylon sheath.
If you are a dedicated leather sheath type of hunter, you will cringe a little, as you read this, but it does work really well,
Nylon Sheath
The one negative with the sheath is securing the knife handle using the push-stud…
You don’t really need it if you carry the knife in your day pack, as I do,
If you want to carry it on your belt? You do need the push-stud closing and releasing easily to secure the knife properly.
Expect to be fighting with it… mine has become very stiff and difficult to use, as it aged.
Knife Clicks Securely Into Sheath
It doesn’t concern me too much though, as even without the knife handle secured I can shake the SwingBlade quite vigorously while the sheath is upside down and the knife stays in the sheath… so in my bag, the Knife has always stayed secure.
In Use, It Is Fast…
In use, whether you are gutting or skinning the SwingBlade is fast and well balanced, it just feels great in hand, the non-slip rubber handle gives a secure grip even when wet with blood or in the rain…
Rotating Blades On The Swingblade
Swapping blades is easy, quick, and very smooth.
Simply press the locking button and rotate the blade to change from the 3.6″ skinning blade to one of the best gutting blades I have ever used on deer.
Best Gutting Blade
The gutting blade is much easier to use than the more traditional gut hook.
The Swingblade has a slightly curved 3.2″ blade with a blunt bulb at the end, this bulb is key to the speed of operation, as it reduces the chance of puncturing the gut bag, allowing you to work more quickly.
Warning!
You need to roll your hand out of the way as you rotate the gutting blade into the handle, as it comes very close to your fore-finger, I do this instinctively now, but it took a little time to do so – Thankfully, no blood was lost in the learning process…
Where Is The Swingblade Made?
My Outdoor SwingBlade is made in China, other products from Outdoor Edge Knives are made in Japan, Taiwan, or China… this may bother some knife purists, but I tend to judge a knife by the way it performs not its “Country Of Manufacture”.
It’s a great knife, actually, it is two knives in one, a bargain for well under $100! an excellent knife that has never let me down in 10 years of hard use…
Outdoor Edge Knives
David Bloch the owner of Outdoor Edge Cutlery produces a range of hunting knives including outdoor tools – he designs all the knives himself in Denver USA, from there they have their own manufacturers located in China, Japan, and Taiwan.
He takes a personal interest in development/manufacture… as well as field testing each product to ensure the highest performance then supports every product with a Lifetime Warranty.
When you pick up and use a knife from Outdoor Edge Knives, It is obvious the knife designer is a hunter… they just work as they should!
Easy To Sharpen
To sharpen the skinning blade I use a double-sided Whetstone 1000/6000, the 6000 grit is all I need to maintain a working edge and for the gutting blade, I use a tapered round diamond rod sharpener.
Both blades, I find, require very little effort to keep sharp.
I don’t use an angle guide when sharpening the skinning blade, but for all my hunting knives I aim for a 13-16° angle this seems to work just fine on this knife.
Outdoor Edge Swing Blade – Summary
The Outdoor Edge SwingBlade is a fantastic hunting knife it has served me well for many years…
I wouldn’t want to hunt without it.
It takes a couple of deer to get used to gut hook, but once you do it is very fast to use.
The drop-point skinning blade is light and well balanced in use, combined with a non-slip handle… it is a pleasure to process a deer with it.
Once you own the Knife a while it becomes obvious it was designed by someone who actually hunts.
I would go as far as to say, the SwingBlade is a must-have knife for all deer hunters, like myself.
Buy The Outdoor Edge Swingblade
