Thanks for the info. Ulysses - I see what you mean

. Excellent link. Wish I'd learnt French rather than German at school

(or Italian

).
Magpie, it is interesting to hear about the real life implications of some of those design decisions - your frustration comes across (BTW you have PM).
IckleDevil, I like the blade designs of those new Omer knives but am a bit wary of the release mechanism (having experienced a "quick loss" mechanism

), so it is interesting to hear that you really like it. How does it work -- do you have to pinch the sides in?
I didn't like the look of Picasso Tigre when I first saw it but it is growing on me. I think Miles has one (among others). Ditto the Omer Hunter, although I fear they may have discontinued it now - I hope not.