As you know, Barry Gallagher is well known for his award-winning high-end custom art knives. So we had a special challenge in producing Barry's Badger™ design at a quality level that would satisfy him, while keeping the price low enough to satisfy you. The Badger™ features our patented OutBurst™ assisted opening with the patent-pending Fire Safe™ mechanism. When closed, the blade is safely locked by the Fire Safe pin. It cannot be opened until the safety button on the end of the thumb stud is firmly depressed and the thumb stud is nudged outward. Then the blade springs open instantly for use. Yes, this is a design for right-hand opening, but it is the best integration of folder safety and fast access that we have ever seen in sport and work folders. Caution: When closing the knife, always press firmly to fully close the blade, and be sure the Fire Safe pin locks into place securely with an audible "click". This popular folder uses high-carbon 5Cr15MoV stainless steel for the 2.85" blade, and has a non-reflective black oxide coating for maximum corrosion resistance. We call the blade shape a "notched drop point" with a high hollow grind and a strong center spine. The result is a blade with excellent slicing ability and good penetrating ability with minimum weight.