The real Laconico's I've drooled the most for years have had the holes, so for me the choice was obvious. I also think they accentuate the beautiful radiused sculpting of the scales on the Keen. For as simplistic as the Keen seems on first look, the more I study mine the more design genius I see in it. As Nick would say, this is 100% a gem.
Agreed.
Example: the chamfers on the backspacer. These could be used to mask poor alignment by creating an intentional seam to control the way it’s noticed. That’s not the case here. If I hold a flat edge across the back of the Keen, it’s obvious how perfectly flush the backspacer lines up with the back scales. The chamfers inside the scales, and at the edges of the backspacer, are perfectly milled to create uniform lines at the back. The internal edges and ends of the backspacer are also chamfered and rounded subtly.
I predict that most users also find the pocket clip lining up just right with the crease of the palm in a hammer grip, with the contours allowing it to create a little palm swell in just the right space.
Weight distribution has been called out in reviews, but when I hold it in a hammer grip, most of the heft is in my palm. That makes it slightly tip-light, which I like for a cutter (read as: not chopper).
The curve of the handle and length of the pocket clip allow the clip to rest perfectly over the frame, so it doesn’t press the lock bar when in hand.
By milling out the backspacer, they could have allowed the blade to recess slightly farther into the handle. The existing approach, with the FFG blade, leaves enough blade exposed to open it like a traditional, without putting a fuller or nick on the blade.
I don’t know if all of this was intentional, but if not, that would be a lot of odd choices (uncommonly long pocket clip, uncommon blade volume standing out, etc) requiring extra work or material to produce.
Or, they may have simply been aesthetic choices with cool side effects.
It's sitting in a fedex warehouse 260 miles away
The anticipation is killing me!
