Thanks Bowieman and Redleg72......!
Thanks to All for the nice words.
Posted by Joss: On the other hand, it appears the tangs are not tappered at all (difficult to say on the pics), and personally I dislike that. I'm also not a big fan of the thick flat guards...
Joss, Tapered tangs are real nice, but, I believe if you closely examine the reasoning behind tapered tangs, you might find they became very popular when Bob Loveless was making alot of knives. Loveless knives mostly have guards, and in the making of a knife with a guard, a good tight fit goes along way, towards a fine finish and solder job. Tapering the tang makes this way easier.
They also allow for a more contoured and shaped handle due to more handle material,less steel and a bit less weight.
But, in my opinion, bit more steel is sometimes real handy in stressful situations. Should the handle for some reason become separated from the knife a full tang hardly cares.
Thick heavy guards may not suit everyone, but
resist bending and breakage, and,
aid in protecting the hand from the damage that may result from a condition black exit of a crashed air machine etc. In hand to hand combat against multiple opponents, the guard not only protects the hand, but becomes a knuckle useful as the pommel of the knife, in crushing the enemies whatever.
Here is what a customer wrote after receiving his M1 MAP knife pictured below. His comments completely unsolicited
"Knife arrived just fine. I am very impressed. This is a perfect pilot knife. The short blade is stout and rigid and is great for punching out Perspex canopies and strong enough for cutting through aluminum spars and skin. Perfect for a survival knife for a pilot. Once I decide how to rig it, I will show you. Most likely to my shoulder holster, or a pistol belt."
Supervisor of flying
Kansas City Police dept
LTC aviation, USA ret
I also go to great lengths, to have my knives field tested by professional soldiers,....not a requirement of anyone's, I just want to make sure they are all they can be.
So, I don't think I can please everyone, and since my knives are individually handmade, most people won't have one, and I'm sure not getting rich over it.. But, my ultimate goal is to provide the Professional Soldier, Law Eenforcement Officer and Outdoor Adventurer with a tool that is both highly functional, and
exceeds his ability to destroy the tool while performing what ever task duty requires.
Other knives do this, so it's really no big deal, and I don't claim to be the best. I do however,appreciate things that are durable, and utilitarian. And, I love making knives, so Relentless Knives will only get better.
Thanks Again to everyone who has and will purchase one.
Also Thanks to Blade Forums and the others who provide the vehicle that allows us these discussions.
