Well, despite my disappointment that they did not keep the tried and true SFNO the way many of us liked it, I broke down and bought one anyways, just to check it out in person, and because the price was right. Jungle Green blade with black canvas micarta magnum handles, hand shaped, of course. We'll see when it lands. Honestly, I would rather have seen a re-release of the original SFNO, but, you know what? Here's a reason I'm glad it didn't play out that way:
I wasn't impressed with the options. The addition of hand-shaped handles is a great addition, but besides that, there was no satin blade option except for the excessively priced LE, and no double-cut either. Combat grade SFNO's are not that hard to find, and aren't that exciting IMHO with their coated blades and regular handles (in both sizes). Had the SFNO been re-released with this current set of options, I wouldn't have been that excited anyways.
I'm still not clear on the whole zero edge/convex grind/convex edge thing. My understanding is that Jerry did something special to these SFNO's along those lines, like maybe the kind of grind and edge the CE Sarsquatch got. But I don't really get what is different about this run in terms of the grind and edge. Can someone help out? Whatever it is, I remember thinking, "Yeah, that will be great!" when I read about it, so maybe there is another good addition there to this run.
Even with a new grind/edge treatment, the nuclear meltdown, and the hand-shaped handles (which is different form nuclear meltdown if I understand them correctly), I still would not have been that excited about SFNO's with coated blades.
Sooo, my hope is that the original SFNO WILL be re-released one day, but with the proper options:
1) Satin blade option for an extra $35 (or $50 if it really is that much of a pain in the ass to satin finish rough INFI)
2) Convex edge or grind (not sure which) like what the CE Squatch got (and maybe this one already has that)
3) Keep the hand-shaped handles and the meltdown treatment
4) Offer DC as well, but satin is more important.
Optional:
5) Sabre grind (may conflict with convex/zero edges listed above)
6) Custom handle options. Lots of 'em. Offer 20 different kinds of handles, such as the ones found on custom SFNO's: 2 tone combination colors/materials, 3-piece stabilized wood, mosaic pins in black and other colors. Charge $100 extra for this option.
If you do it this way, you let people really build the SFNO they want, from a predetermined set of limited options. Someone could get a basic SFNO with a coated blade for $335, or someone could get hand-shaped handles and the satin blade option for $410, or someone could add custom handles to that config for a total of $510.
The way it is now, I can't really see spending an extra $250 just to get a satin blade and a number on the blade.
Now that would be cool! Looks like Busse is really speeding up their delivery times.
