Since this was an obvious problem due to the handle construction I tried to remove mine in several ways. I left it in the freezer and hit it with a hammer several times trying to fracture the grip. That didn't work. I then tried to burn it while it was still really cold figuring at the least I could induce cracks because of the rapid temp changes. That didn't work either, I did melt part of the grip but you can actually mold that back into place. Lastly I have repeatily soaked my Basic in salt water solutions for hours trying to induce rust under the handle and break the bond. That didn't work either.
The handle, being rubber, is not difficult to cut or puncture which is its only real weakness as compared to G10-like grips. It will abrade readily compared to G10, but slowly compared to Kraton and similar. I would be interested as well to see if anyone saw a failure that was short of pulling a Mike and sawing it right off.
-Cliff
