Iterative knife designs..

[jac_solar]

What single knife design has gone through the most revisions? As in, a design base that the maker/company is continually upgrading and trying to improve through feedback from customers or themselves, as opposed to starting from scratch with a brand new design base -- a knife that is still being sold under its original name, but has been massively improved through feedback and upgrades. Like, if you compared the newest to the oldest version, the newest version might have a different/improved pivot, screws (Size, alignment, etc.), different/improved blade thickness and grind, different/improved frame thickness, perhaps a slightly modified blade design, different/improved detent, different/improved lock design - all aimed at improving whatever the knife is commonly being used for.

I'm guessing that, for modern folders, the Sebenza and Strider SMF and SNG would be the best examples of this? It sounds like the "midtechs", or "standard" SMF and SNG have seen a lot of improvements. While there are tons of custom designs on the SMF and SNG base as well, I'm not sure how many revisions they go through, or how much "in use" feedback they would get.
ZT seemed to bring out a lot of revisions for their 300, 550 and 560 models (Not sure how often they bring out revisions for their newest designs. I just remember reading a lot about revisions for those models.).

As for more traditional style-knives, certainly the various SAK designs & Opinel? While the Buck 110 has been around for a long time, my impression is that it hasn't changed or improved that much? It still seems to have the fragile tip, it uses pins instead of screws, washers, pivot construction, weight and grip seem to be slight issues, etc.

 

[rushane]

Spyderco Delica and Endura. 4th revision.

 

[Kwon Kwang]

The Buck 110 requires no revision as far as I'm concerned. It's a timeless classic that's always been known to hold up over the years.

To answer your question, I'm gonna say that AFAIK, rushane's answer is a good one, though I'll contribute my own. The Cold Steel Recon Tanto has also been through many updates and upgrades. Originally, what is now known as the Master Tanto was once known as the Recon Tanto, which became a different design later, made from Carbon V steel and coming with a cordura sheath. This sheath was later upgraded to polymer; the knife sold like that for a number of years until Camillus went under, at which point the steel was changed to AUS8A. The texture on the kraton handle was changed from a rounded oval pattern to another good pattern which I refer to as "nipple stipple". Sheath changed from no name polymer to secure-ex.
Later, a San Mai III version was released, and last year the steel of the standard version was changed from AUS8A to VG-1.