Now that I've had a chance to sleep on it, I have a couple of additional questions for the Big Dog.
1. How much heavier is the Production Regulator than the TT Regulator? And how has the additional weight affected the Production Regulator's balance? The reason I ask is because the balance of the TT Regulator is superb . . . right up there with the Scrapper 6 IMO. I'm concerned that the Production Regulator's sabre grind may have made it more blade heavy than its flat-ground predecessor.
2. How much better do the quillions on the Production Regulator's thicker guard hold up to direct and indirect impact when batoning the knife? I ask because you put a lot of emphasis on the improved chopping ability of the Production Regulator. It has to be assumed that any knife used extensively for chopping will also be used for batoning. And when damage occurred to the quillions on the TT Regulator handles, batoning appears to have been the primary cause.
1.) Good question! I will get specifics for you sometime this week.
2.) We have always welcomed feedback and input on designs. But know this, if I continue to read something that seems completely daft, I'm gonna have to respond in my own gentle, "Dan The Hammer" kind of way. If you are overly sensitive or thin-skinned, then we may have an issue. But note, that he who gives shall receive and sometimes it might seem a little harsh. So, if I hurt your feelings, go drink something and get over it. I'll shake your hand or give you a hug at the BLADE Show and then we'll go and get drunk together!
Only through open and honest discussion can we all arrive at the same destination---- Excellent bladeware that makes us all proud to own them and to make them.
Now back on point, I find question #2 hard to respond to when I'm sober. Res-C is not designed to be repeatedly beaten on with a stick, or a hammer, or anything else. It wouldn't matter how much steel we put under it or in front of it!
This whole line of thinking seems so ridiculous to me that it is hard not to ask some questions of my own to those who find the need to beat on their handles.
A.) Do you find yourself repeatedly beating on the front of your other Scrap Yard handles like the Dog Father or Dumpster Mutt? If not, why is that? What did the Regulator handle ever do to you?
B.) If so, how are you holding the knife while you're beating on it? If you are holding it in a full grip then you have other things to worry about, like getting your broken hand fixed!
C.) If you are repeatedly beating on your Regulator handle while batoning, you are part of a very small group of misfits who are either drunk, spastic, blind, or heavily confused. Why do I say this? Because there is no cutting edge under your handle and that means You Missed! It's kinda like smashing your thumb with a hammer while trying to hammer in a nail. Typically it is something that you only do once. If you do it repeatedly, then you may qualify for a T-Shirt from the handful of misfits that I outlined above. We certainly understand an occasional missed strike that slams into the handle, and Res-C will handle that just fine, but repeated blows that ultimately destroy your handle means that you have other issues to deal with.
D.) Do you really think that we are going to put a metal guard in front of the handle to protect it from the aforementioned group of misfits? Really? How big would that guard need to be? Would it have to curve backward over the back of the handle like a reversed or upside down D-Guard? That should prove to be challenging to hold onto, but hey, at least your handle would be safe from batoning and your hand would have a chance to heal before you decide to tenderize it again.
F.) Do we need to put warning stickers on the Res-C handles that state something like, "If you hit this sticker, you missed!" or "Beating on the cushioned, rubber part of the knife may lead to a bounce-back effect that could knock you out!" Suddenly, the simple act of batoning turns into a real survival situation while a team of surgeons works to free the ball peen hammer from your forehead! . . .
So please, do all of us here at Scrap Yard Central Command a favor, if you are unable to hit the proper part of the Regulator blade on a regular basis while batoning, then either don't baton or buy a different model that will fit your needs. Preferably an all steel skeleton model with an 18 inch long handle that features double D-Guards on top and bottom.
Best of luck
This post has made my head hurt and I will now be guzzling Bourbon at the speed of light.
Dan
