Gee Andy you need to do some research. Since you are new to this issue and lack some background....
Years ago and far away....
Jerry and I faxed designs back and forth for several nights (I have the faxes) on the "Hood" about 6 months before his accident ( don't remember the date of the accident but six months is close, might have been nine). My first design, to make it simple, simply took the BM and dropped the blade angle, added a few rests and let her go.
Over the next few day I added a few wrinkles and changed the point design, slimmed the blade and adjusted the handle for comfort. The result was the "Hood" you see at my site.
At that time Jerry and I spoke almost nightly about his designs, history and much more. I was among the first people to know the full INFI process and I honored his request for secrecy. (As you should know but probably don't, I wrote the first evaluation of the Busse BM.) I also know that he said he had played with a lot of blade designs. Neither Jerry nor I invented the new blade angle. However, I was the one who sent him the information on human engineering which included design angles and the like. These studies were conducted at my University and elsewhere. The information was NOT from his surgeon or Physical Therapist it was the result of many notes, references, conversations, videos and I think, ultimately the incredible success of the Anaconda by TOPS. I worked with him on cutting angles, human articulation issues and more for over two years.
The Basics 9 was likewise a series of faxes that I traded with him. We were trying to build a new "Hood" in the Basics line and we came up with the Basics 9. That was the last I heard from him.
BTW during our conversations about the blade angle, Jerry SAID that it was not aesthetics that kept him from dropping the blade, it was materials. It cost more to drop the blade as you cut fewer blades from a sheet of steel.
I don't understand your idiocy related to a "grappling hook" or "Caribiner hole". The hole is too small for a caribiner and the knife was never intended to be used as a "Hook". You need to wake up a bit boy.
The purpose of the hole is to secure an aftermarket device I have not released. It is also used to hold a small snaplink that functions in a number of non ballistic ways in the wilderness. I won't bother to take time out to explain these functions.
I have no issues with Jerry other than Hoods Woods having to take calls from many of his irate customers. We still get four or five a week. It is always pretty much the same... "I sent in my money order and never heard from him.... it's been over nine months" or "I talked to him and he said 6-8 weeks. He charged my card and now it's been almost a year and I can't talk to him"
For my part I've left a half dozen messages for him and sent email. I've also gotten an infernal buzzing on his phone line when I tried to call.
The ownership of a design is not an issue Andy... All blade designs have ancestors. Customer service and honesty are issues.
Hell, he had a contest to guess the secret content of INFI with a blade as the prize. Rob Simonich guessed, and won ..... he never got the knife.
Sound familiar?
Hey Andy... what's your function? Do you work for Jerry? Hopefully you aren't his PR guy. That would be a bad mistake.....
Jerry and I do not need to get into this in a public forum.
Ron
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