I agree wholeheartedly -- those cutouts are a serious pain. That's the first thing I noticed about this knife. And this is for people who are going to be handling lines and such? Uh-uh.

If I understand correctly, these notches hold the blade in a jig as it is being ground. It is possible to carefully file the notch to a 45 degree angle that's sharpened. But a custom knife-maker should do that for you.

My other concern is that the handle looks like a blister-maker. A little sandpaper will help with the hard edges on the scales; but if that exposed pommel/lanyard attachment piece is anywhere near your pinky while you're doing woodcraft, you're going to curse it over and over.

Just my 2 cents' worth.