It features a different handle, made most commonly of Lexan plastic with adjustable lead weights which can change the knife's balance-point.

Later models and some custom variants included weights made from pure Teflon, tungsten, stainless steel and aluminum.

While this changed the effectiveness of the blade in puncturing, cutting and slicing, it does not lend itself to being sharpened in the field by an inexperienced user.

Bo Randall made a handful of prototypes based on his "Model 2 Dagger" and sent them to soldiers for field testing; they proved not to be popular with the troops and Randall declined to produce the knife beyond the original prototypes.

[2] Applegate took the design to custom knifemaker Bill Harsey, Jr. who made several prototypes for Al Mar Knives.