This might get some of the knife nuts in a wad (and I'm one of them), but with the exception of using the latest greatest materials, there's really nothing you can do in a knife that's not a copy of something already done somewhere sometime. They are tools and form follows function.

I've dabbled in knifemaking off and on for 20 years now, and as much as I'd like to think my designs are totally unique, they're not. I've made some pretty nice knives too, more than a few of them are really decent utility/carry knives (I really should post some pics!).

Having said that, the Mears Woodlore has a nice utility shape but has a chisel grind. Chisel grinds on a knife are left or right hand, and I've always had a problem with them digging in towards the flat side. I think controlled cuts in anything deeper than the width of the bevel is difficult at best. On the other hand, they are "easier" to sharpen because you lay the whole bevel on the stone and sharpen the bevel. No guessing to holding the right angle. You should not sharpen the flat side at all, except to true the flat. You'll ruin the pretty polished finish the first time you sharpen it, and that right there would make a lot of people cringe.

Just my 2 cents. It is a nice looking knife though.