Comparison of the Blackwater Tanto to the BM LFTi
Here are the comparison pictures promised of the new LFTi as compared to the previous iteration, the Blackwater Folding Tanto II. I was able to obtain one of the R&D Prototypes to judge the development of the knife to it's current release. As you can see, aside from the hole treatment/pattern in the handle, the three major changes made to the LFTi are 1) a new lock bar, 2) change of placement of the clip, and 3) the addition of the Lum Chop logo. Otherwise, the folders are identical. Interesting item to note is the shape of the tanto tip from the R&D Proto to the released BW Folding Tanto II. The tip became more angular. Not sure what prompted the change. However, the tip, just like Spyderco's Lum Folding Tanto, lacks the Appleseed grind commonly found on the custom models. For the Spyderco model, the cause was a lack of manufacturing ability to replicate it. I suspect that may be one of the reasons that also limited the Benchmade models.