Agreed Ront, the Dodo was a knife ahead of it's time, it's the only knife i own multiple copies of, partly because of it's scarcity, partly to have backups
i have two blue SE models (one with CC# 130 that's my EDC), and one blue PE, i want to use my PE, but can't bring myself to do it because of it's rarity, if i was to break or damage that needle-sharp tip through normal use, it'd be a pain to reprofile
i do want to get another PE Dodo before they're all gone, as i would like to have a PE user Dodo, not just a safe-queen
my SE EDC Dodo has proved itself a capable knife, it's been used and used hard, i need to clean the ball lock once a week to clear impacted pocket lint, and i've already had to reprofile the tip to bring back the point (i broke the very tip of the point off somewhere), it lost it's needle-sharp tip, neccesitating a regrind, the tip is now slightly less pointy, but far stronger
it's eaten so many cardboard boxes and clampacks i've lost count, it's tolerated my ham-fisted (mmmmm........ham) first attempts at sharpening it on the Sharpmaker, withstood our salty coastal Maine air with only a slight patina of surface rust on the spine and inside the SpyderHole to show for it (Flitz takes it right off), and the G-10 has lost it's "toothy" grip, but it still grips well, this blade has taken everything i've thrown at it and come back begging for more
the Dodo *must* be re-released, in the same form, to change anything on it (blade shape, handle shape, open ball lock) would no longer make it a Dodo
it seems the reason the Dodo never sold well was;
1; it was "too expensive" for what many saw to be a "glorified boxcutter"
2; it was "ugly", people passed it by due to it's unconventional appearance, this is a knife that *needs* to be held, everyone i've handed the Dodo to to try out remarked on it's "ugly" appearance.......until they held it, as soon as they had it in hand, they understood, it was as if the metaphorical light bulb appeared over their heads and illuminated
3; the ball lock confuses NKP, it's not exactly intuitive for a NKP used to slipjoints or Buck style lockbacks to figure out that you need to pull the ball back to unlock the blade, however, once i explained the operation of the lock, the lightbulb lit up again
i will say this, once a NKP understands the operation of the ball lock, they are genuinely impressed, and many remark on how safe it appears to be
so, if the Dodo was to be resurrected, here's what i'd like to see;
release a "Classic" Dodo for Afis, change nothing, G-10, S30V, open ball lock, basically, bring the Dodo back into production, maybe add a Pikal style removable Emerson Wave
release a "Dodo Lightweight", basically, an FRN scaled Dodo, and depending on which is more financially feasable, use either the classic open ball lock, or the Pikal style shrouded ball lock, maybe make the Dodo Lightweight in the Seki factory with VG-10 if that'll bring the price-per-unit down
(or, if Stainless Steel handles are cheaper, a SS Dodo with the new etched handle treatment)
release a H-1 Steel version with a backlock
the Dodo is too good to let die, it *must* be reborn
the key here is to keep the price affordable, I passed on the Dodo at it's original pricing, only purchasing it once it went on clearance
