1. It's a knife, for wilderness survival, it may very well have to stab at some point, and I don't think it'll get in the way, but if it does, I'll reduce the size. It's only just bigger than my finger. This is the 7" blade version, not the 9" (to give an idea of scale). I was persuaded to add a large quillon by a friend of mine who has been stabbed twice, and stabbed someone once. He said that all 3 knives had small quillons and the hands of his attackers slipped, as did his own, which is why, in all 3 cases, the stabbing hand was sliced, and the recipient lived. SO, at his urging I designed the largest front hand guard I felt comfortable with. I'll see if he was right (initial thrusting into wood is comfortable). The original design had sloping winged quillons, like those on the top of the designs linked. I could be happy with something more reciprocal to the pinky cradle.
2. I don't like the saw back. I love the idea of a saw back, but for the overall ruggedness of the blade, I feel it takes away more than it adds. I figured out how to make them more triangular/effectgive, but don't like the saw enough, as it is, to put forth the effort.
3. Yes gut hook. Forming it was easy, sharpening has proven problematic. I got it 'sharp' but not razor sharp, but I don't think it's as razor sharp as it should be. I'm open to any suggestions on sharpening the gut hook, as well as suggestions for making a more useful/consistent saw-back.
I'm going to add some sort of striking surface to the pommel. Probably just a squared end.
) and blued. I love it!
