I also used a Laredo for years. Then I had a bowie made in Argentina to my specs. The Argentines have a history of knife artisans.
Getting a knife made is a lot like getting a suit made overseas. There is the fun of getting the specs right and then the fittings. In this case the fitting is going out and trying the knife. I going back this March and have the handle
made a bit longer.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a Laredo. I always use a pair of tactical leather palmed gloves.I think the handle is a tad slick. However I always try to wear gloves. With all my investment in "time" getting a knife made it is not any better than the Laredo. Please keep the top and bottom
edges very sharp.
For those who do not hunt hogs there is a whole sub culture out there. Incuding monthly magazines and even DVD's like "dogs on hogs" volumes
1,2, and recently three. Dan Moody in Nixon Texas is a wonderful guide for
USA hunters and made those movies.
In Argentina boar hunting it is a honored sport. In Texas it is a pest control problem. The real fun is watching the "Dogs". In the USA we use a group of dogs. Dogs that find and Bay the hog. That is stop the hog and make it fight. Then the Dogo Argentinos and pit bulls come and catch the hog by the head. The Bay
dogs are lightly armored, with a large protective collar. The catch dogs in
USA are heavily armored with big collars and chest and flank protectors
made out of kevlar and thick felt.
In Argentina there is rarely a protective collar and the dogo's do both the baying and catching.
Boar hunting is not for the faint of heart. It is a very bloody sport.
If you ever want a world class Dogo Argentino please go to
www.dogoman.com.ar. His web site also has lots of hunting pictures. By the way Dogo's were developed by medical doctors. The dogoman web site
has 4 medical doctors as the owners continuing this great tradition. His dogs
are better than almost anybody in the world.
Hope this helps. If you are a PETA person or squimish please avoid the pictures on the web site. If you ever see the way these people treat their
Dogo's you know the love and affection they have for them. Hog hunting is
a dangerous sport.
My son has a Dogo and they are a very loving affectionate breed of dog. It
is amazing how fierce these dogs are and in minutes they revert to a please
touch me sit on your feet loyal companion. The difference between a Dogo and a pit is that a pit can fight but has no lungs to run. Thus the pit can do
duty to catch but not "bay". The Dogo was bred for boar hunting and jaquar hunting only. This dog can run for miles and then fight like a pit. I do not want to get into a discussion with pit
owners but a Dogo has more capablities than a pit without the interbreed
fighting problems. Dogo's hunt in packs so they were developed not to fight
between themselves. Pits usually have to be seperated. Dan Moody uses both and he probably can give you more information than I can do here.
www.dogsonhogs.org and
www.fourseasonshunting.com
Hope this helps ,
Regards,
Timber Man
Post script ---Mike Sastre makes a great sheath for a Laredo called his "southern Comfort"