Help finalize the "Dixie Zipper" (Mini CBK) for a group buy

hereinaz

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@Dixie has been working on perfecting a Mini CBK (Canadian Belt Knife) design. I am in LOVE with the design and its effectiveness as a skinning/processing knife.

The name "Dixie Zipper" is inspired in part by @nebhunt when he said this about a knife Dixie sent him:

"The handle design also makes it easy to unzip the hide off animals when you flip it over."​
I completely agree, when I used Dixie's knife, it was like unzipping the hide, just crazy. Unless you have one of these unique designs you just don't know how easy it is. The "zipper" feature is because of the blade design. It also works great for all the other skinning/quartering tasks.

Anyhow, Dixie and I talked this morning and he agreed that I can use his designs and his name. He is super cool, and I plan on getting as many of his knives to sell in a little "custom shop" area. I am in the very early stages of putting together the pieces for a group buy to launch the knife for our store. It started in this thread. Check out that thread for other great knife makers like @CypressCreek and @Slalomnorth. If you want high end custom with a personal touch, their stuff looks freaking amazing and their contributions to the thread are awesome. I hope this thread points people to their knives, cause they are awesome. Any comments from them or about them are welcome. Ultimately, I am sticking to the direction Dixie and I have been working on and this knife is an a different category and price.

Back to this project, I have found a blade maker and handle maker (G10 and/or Micarta). I expect to do the sharpening and finish work in my shop. It will be an awesome working knife, and priced accordingly.

Dixie is sending me some final tweaks of a design that I have. He has sold a few "versions" recently and gotten great reviews on the blade/shape. The interesting thing is that the most customization is really about the handle fit in the hand. So, a lot of what I am asking for is comments on the handle, what are the more common preferences for fit in the hand. That was some of what Nebhunt had comments to Dixie about, preference for feel in the hand.

I am planning on ultimately making a full size with 4.5" blade and a mini with 3.5" blade. And, then to offer each with a different handle design based on preference. One handle will be the CBK design with the "angle" and the two scallops. I know that others prefer a different grip design, so that is mostly what I am interested in learning about from you all.

I am attaching some of Dixie's pics from the other thread, so go through them and let me know what you would prefer. It is a long thread, but the Mini CBK thread actually shows a lot of progress and has a lot of information that convinced me to try it and then my own explanation of why I think the design works. I don't mind any conversation, but if knives interest you, that thread is actually pretty cool. You can see I went into it out of curiosity.

Thanks for any comments and criticisms.

Dixie Zipper.jpegDixie variations done.jpegpic drawn.jpgcold steel dixie.jpgDixie variations done 3.jpegdxie zipper alt.jpeg
 
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