I once got to work with a Captain in the Green Berets who was interested in designing into a knife what he thought to be the most essential characteristics needed for a good field/combat knife. He was a person for whom a knife was not a luxury. It was a constant companion/tool/weapon. We talked for better than a month before we decided on a prototype. I built the prototype which he used and evaluated, then sent the knife to his knife fighting instructor who had trained troops in knife use in Viet Nam, He offered some changes, which I incorporated into the 2nd and 3rd ones I produced for him. But that exercise really made me think about what features are necesary to make knives be the best they can be. Until that time, I just sort of fired up the forge and made whatever....not really thinking about whether or not the knife was all that it could be.

Now design and function are very important parts of my knifemaking. Certain ideas I have incorporated into most of my blades are to me, of such improtance, that I've either not finished older blades I started or refused to sell or give away blades that that didn't have those features. If you get a minute, check out the "Black Knight" knives on my website. Take a look at what one professional thought was important enough to want on the knife he carried. Since that time, I've been able to make suggestions to people, of which later they've come back and thanked me, because after using a knife I made, they thought it was "better," ie., more useful than it would have been without the things I suggested design-wise.