I've put together an overview of both of the Lansky World Legals so you can see the evolution of the knife, and how Lansky addressed feedback from the first knife. The main complaints were, bulk in pocket, terrible high carry clip, and weight. It really is a chunker of a knife.
Side by side you can see the Mk1 is a fair bit wider when closed.
Blade shape has been changed on the Mk2. I'll get to the blades in a bit.
New pocket clip much more refined with decent fixings and low pocket carry.
Blade thickness reduced. I'm guessing 4mm down to 3mm, the battery in my calipers is dead.
Weight of Mk1 - 175g
Weight of Mk2 - 125g
In hand the difference is very noticable. Note the way the backspring sits down on the Mk1, makes for a very good grip with that aggressive jimping.
The very solid half stop. note the nice grit blast in the nail nick and on the blade. Nice touch.
So, the niggles with the pocket clip and its shoddy hardware have been well addressed, as have the weight and size problems. Each of the knives has an extremely solid spring and a very secure half stop. If either of these blades was to snap shut on a finger it would be to the bone, if not sever it. I open and close mine very carefully.
Now, the blades. This is my problem. Why have Lansky made a world legal knife with such an aggressive blade shape? In terms of use its a bit of a one trick pony, and though legal does draw some astonished and worried looks from people. The same knife with a more utilitarian blade shape would have made it quite useful. The hawkbill on the Mk2 will open boxes and cut carpet all day, but that's about it, and you're carrying a knife that looks very like a weapon just to do that. The hawkbill is a traditional shape on fighting knives like kerambits, and features on many knives intended for self defence and martial arts. Hence, I never use mine, it's limited by its design.
If anybody would like my Mk1 at no cost to themselves drop me a PM.