My small knife collection is turning me into the movie character Edward Scissorhands! Actually, the scandinavians are producing many knives with guards, or ergonomic handles with at least a guardlike handle. My friend @www.Ragweedforge has both displayed online. In actual practice the very traditional flaired pommel puukkos are strictly draw knives, or you push against that flaired pommel with the palm of your hand. With hands clumsy in mittens or cold this sytem works well. My current philosphy is based on a good all around knife that wont break, soldiers through most tasks adequately without biting the hand that oils it, and my collection of specialized knives for measured work done at leisure. I figure ill egress the crashed sailplane with my MOD4, Kill the charging elephant seal with the falkniven, build an igloo with the finnish lueko and then skin and butcher the seal with my inuit ulu. When my sleeping bag zipper freezes ill cut my way out with the spyderco, then repair it with the SAK after refreshing myself with a can of fruit juice opened with my P38.