I guess I should have been a bit more explicit in my statement. Almost all of my knives that do not have a guard, have some sort of finger stop in the form of a curve down in front of the finger as an aid in comfort and safety but the scandinavian design is without even that, so while I still wnder WHY that desgn became so widespread it is obvious by its very ubiquity throughout that region and further abroad that it is not as "unsafe" as its apearance may sugest.
I have made a Leku (the big brother to the puuko and the slight egg shaped handle does aid in the grip with most of the puuko having a slight center swell that would serve the same function. It is just not a style that many of us are familiar (or comfortable) with.
