Info is appreciated greatly. I agree, the look and feel is completely different. While the hump and hilt are more cosmetic differences, imho, the thicker handle gives the knife a much more solid feel as a user. I have big hands and the grip is much better to hold onto. If I put it to heavy use, would be much better to handle heavier chores. Fascinating history/changes. Again, any idea how old the earlier version is and when did they re-design the 17?