This is obviously a new new knife, wanted to see how current knives compare to my older ones with ribbed cap, JRB, etc.

Pleasantly surprised, very stout but useful blade. Whittles and carves suprisingly well, teeth on large side probably would work better without clogging on wood for notching, probably would hang up on originally envisioned Shawnee chopper skin.

Value added brass, original thought to be a detriment, turns out to have above mentioned positive aspects, and knife chops far better with counterweight cap than it does without.

Strength goes (or should, considering info in previous posts) without saying, and a good choice for that one knife in the woods crowd.

Personally I prefer the only slightly larger Buxton Fighter package for that one knife, but would be quite happy with the shorty 18.




To me, it seems a certain idea, perfected, in very logical progression.....

 "Their knife should be strong enough to pry open a stuck canopy so that the pilot could exit rapidly from the aircraft after a sudden and unscheduled landing. If that didn't work, it then had to be capable of smashing Plexiglass or chopping and cutting through the aluminum aircraft skin. After the pilot was out, this prybar had to become his all-around survival knife. And it could be no more than 10 inches in overall length!.......
...Because an airman would probably be wearing thick gloves while prying, smashing, or cutting with this knife, it needed a hilt and handle adapted for such use. The double-guard hilt was made larger than the Model Number 1 Fighter's, so that a gloved hand wouldn't have any chance of slipping up onto the sharp edge...."