Thanks. I have a 420 Deperado. Someone here once was carrying it as a neck knife and said that it dropped out on the floor in front of his coworkers. I've never thought of the Desperado as a "neck knife," but as a purely defensive knife to be carried behind the belt. The pattern also disappointed me in that it was nowhere near as well cut as the blades on the Vaquero. Looking at the photos (above), the serrations don't look deep, nor do they look distinct; that's why I questioned whether it was an AUS8.
To SymphonyInCMinor: I don't believe I use this forum primarily as a "brain dump," but as a means of addressing a specific knife made by a specific manufacturer. If it pleases you, my opinion of the Desparado is that it makes for a fine defensive knife—one that can be used both on land and by divers. I've known of divers who have taken Carbon V knives into salt water for extended dives and then wiped them down and lubricated with BreakFree with no problem. As someone who's swum with sharks (not intentionally), I've always urged divers, especially in Australia, to carry some form of personal protection, including a good fixed knife. Being made of 420 stainless and having a serrated pattern, the Deperado is not a knife that will be used for cutting wood, chopping vines and so forth, but the Kraton grip gives one excellent control of the knife in a variety of defense situations and is hard to beat for slashing movements. Actually, this knife being made with AUS8 would be a waste as it's clearly meant for defense. As a general knife, one would be better off with a quality carbon or stainless steel knife. This, however, is far from that kind of knife.
