The knife is still the classic four piece knife which includes the blade and tang, cross guard, grip / handle, and retaining nut.  The blade and tang are EN45 carbon steel and the grip is still made from brass with the rings. These are not the cheap one piece knives with the cast iron grips.

The finish on the blade is the same plating used on other types of weapons and hardware.  This finish is a baked ceramic finish that results in a matte color. 

Other available features include the choice of a stainless steel blade and tang.  This was developed out of a need for knives that will hold up in tropical climates.  One of the problems with the classic design is that moisture under the cross guard eventually turns to rust and weakens the tang causing the blade to snap just under the cross guard when excessive down pressure is applied.  Our knife offers two solutions: 1) the locking nut is removable to facilitate cleaning unlike the classic design, and 2) the stainless blade finished in a flat non reflective finish.

We offer the choice of the classic round grip or the modern oval grip.  The oval grip conforms to the shape of the hand better like most modern knives while still retaining the classic look.  It is best described as a "squashed" round grip. Users have requested this option as the knife is less likely to turn in the hand with the oval shape.

Finally, two features that are available that are not part of the classic design are the addition of an optional conical brass nut that replaces the hex nut.  The conical nut was a World War II feature found on such knives as the Case V-42. It is a feature that has been requested by some of the users and was easy to adapt to this modular design.  The second feature is an index finger notch.  This is similar but yet dissimilar to other designs. The main purpose it two fold.  Primary reason is to create a reference point on the knife while handling the knife in total darkness.  Even though the blade is a double edged blade, the user will have a personal preference as to which way to hold the knife. The cross guard provides a horizontal reference while the notch provides a left and right reference.  The secondary reason is a place to put the end of the index finger or thumb.  Unlike some of the World War II knives, this notch is behind the cross guard and not on the blade side of the cross guard. 

The customers for these knives are military and former military and the occasional collector.  We prefer this limited customer base and do not recommend the knife for general public consumers.