thank you for that question!
because this knife is designed to be compact for carrying purposes, I wanted to make sure that the handle was small enough to be tucked away but also stay in the hand without having to hold it too tightly. Small handles tend to cause cramping when held in use for longer periods of time and my theory is that's because you have to hold them more tightly to keep them in place. The jimping in that area is designed to make your hand meat squeeze into the little pockets without much pressure. It doesn't really provide suction, per se, but that's kind of the idea. The contouring is also designed to lock the handle into the hand without requiring the user to grab onto it too tightly.
instead of a broad handle, as you say this one is fairly narrow, which is why it's a little rounder than ovoid. That said, there is a semi flat plane on the face of the palm swells, (the broadest part of the handle) which the tip of the middle finger rests on, allowing addition control over any twisting that could occur in use. Narrow handles do tend to twist in the hand, while broad flat or ovoid handles resist twisting, and this is particularly true when the handle is wet and/or gooey. The trade off of a flatter and broader type handle of course is more material is required, adding more weight and real estate. For a knife designed for heavy work, that sacrifice is a no brainer. But this knife is intended for self defence and for the hunter who parts out/processes their game in the field. In either case, a small knife can do the job and is preferable because it's more easily carried.
the canted relationship between the handle and the blade does a number of things, primarily it keeps the knife from twisting in your hand. You cannot lose track of where the edge is on a knife designed like this. From a weapons standpoint, the cant provides a mechanical advantage which allows the user more control and power in a slashing cut. In a reverse grip, the edge is presented ahead of the knuckles and for all you knife fighters out there who combine punching and cutting, this might be a handy characteristic. From a hunter's perspective, where cuts are targeted such as jointing and skinning, the forefinger has a place near the tip of the knife while the handle is held in a pinch grip. The handle drops away, providing a bit more freedom of movement without having the end of the handle interfering with the palm.
this is all theoretical of course, since this particular knife is the only one of its design in existence, and I will not be using it. I wish I could, but my work at this point needs to provide an income. Like I said before, this was to be a sample for a production version that isn't going to happen. I chose to use that beautiful wood and a high level of finish for that reason. I think a highly wear resistant alloy and a composite handle would be more appropriate for this design. A2 is a great steel for prototype work, and really it's got a great balance of properties, but it's neither stain nor wear resistant.
ok, I think probably most people will have stopped reading this a few paragraphs ago so I'll leave it at that. Unless there are more comments or questions anyone would like me to address, which I'm all too happy to do
). Seems like a well thought out knife. It can be tricky trying to design a knife that will be successful at a variety of tasks. But your reasoning is sound. If you don't get to test it, I hope it ends up in the hands of someone who will test it thoroughly. Nicely done.
