I was writing a reply about C-60 handle improvements when JD closed his "Ayoob Nook" thread. I've been following this thread with great interest, particularly Mas' detailed description of his design philosophy.
In some ways he went the same design route for the same reasons as Laci Szabo did with the UUK.
Personally, I'd love to see the C-60 re-released for two reasons. First, it's a unique, very well thought out design that merits it. Second, it would deflate the price gouging that happens at eBay. There's a lot of demand for the C-60. The edged defense people want a carry knife and the Spyderco collectors want a museum piece. Same thing happens these days with Gerber Mark IIs for the same reasons. The only people who really profit from the C-60 being out of prodcution are the resellers who get the "Antique Road Show Grin" watching both sides drive the price way out of proportion to the knife's intrinsic value. Spyderco isn't seeing a dollar from that demand, neither is Mas, and that's very unfortunate.
As for improving the design, well, at the risk of playing Monday morning quarterback on Massad Ayoob's play, how about radiused or bevelled, slightly thicker (by about .05" per side) scales of G-10 with a deep groove pattern across the scales? Traction grooves (or friction panels, or both) really help anchor a tool in the hand which is why they show up on many knives designed by well credentialed people with real world experience.
Lessee... the Sykes Fairbairn had a ribbed handle to lock it into the hand. When Rex Applegate redesigned the knife, he added an improved handle with deeper traction grooves. IIRC, he was one of the first to do so. Some Gerber Mark IIs had "cats tongue" grit handles (which felt a lot like MOD's "Wing Walk" inserts). Peter Bauchop's Witch and Warlock knives designed with the input of the SADF have grooves, as does his Alley Cats. Boker's AFD was redesigned in collaboration with Prof. Bill Newman of Latosa Escrima, European defensive tactics instructors Frank B. Metzger and Joachim Friedrich. The result is the EFD which has an improved deeply grooved "tread" pattern across the handles. Mission Knives who collaborated with the SEALS in designing the MPK-Ti included Applegate style traction grooves on the handles. Tactical trainer Duane Dieter (who developed the CQD system adopted by the SEALS) went a step further and included grooves
and friction panels on his two MOD folding designs and his two MOD fixed blades.
...rounding the list out, Mas himself included a row of vertical traction grooves on his MOD fixed blade "Razorback" design as well.
The idea is even showing up now on firearm grip panels like the "Gunner" series invented by the late Rob Simonich and in use by the MCSOCOM DET1. They have a heavy traction pattern, too.
Seems like a lot of people with more real-world military/defense experience than I have seem to favor the idea.
Just a thought.
