Visit the Team Iceshanty Proshop
I have posted this before; If you are going to use a swivel then the best one to use is a Sampo Ball Bearing Swivel (black). Almost all swivels do not turn under torque, Sampo is one of the very few that do (Spro is the next best). Yes they cost more, but none of the other work at all, so the money spent on them is a complete waste.It always makes me laugh when I look at a wall of swivels in a tackle shop and almost all of them are only good as a sliding weight stopper. Don't take my word for it, hang some (small) weights on a line with a swivel tied in the middle and give the weight a spin. In almost every case you will find that the whole line spins and the swivel never breaks free and lets the lower section spin by its self. With a Sampo the lower section will spin. Barrel swivel should not even be called swivels in my book. They just dont have the low friction needed to keep the line from spinning. Keep in mind just how easy it is to spin a line and how a swivel needs to be very near to friction free to actual to work. That is why most dont.
Sometime I hope to test some swivels under water to see if there is a difference. All the points you make, may be true to some degree, but what you are saying boils down to using a swivel that might work some of the time, compared to a swivel that works most of the time. The only point I see of using a "Part Time" swivel is to save money, it is a false economy. I have Sampo swivels that I have used for years (fresh water) and still work great and something is wrong with your set up if you are loosing many swivels. The extra cost of "Full Time" swivels is very small when you consider that 1. They work 2. They last a long time 3. Are made in the USA. 4. Your line will most likely last longer if you use them (saving you more money) 5. And the most important of all (to me) is that when I hook the fish of a life time, its one more part in the length of "chain" that I don't have to give any thought. I find it to be a small price and worth every penny. I have been a fishing guide and outdoor writer for 20 years and one thing that I have learned is always try to be ready to land a big fish, because you never know when you are going to hook the fish of a life time! Tight Lines,Allan Butler