I talked with Steven about the drill hole problem when I visited UK HQ in August. He was up front about it.. the drilling is a necessary evil and a part of the fabrication process. He didn't make any apologies for it. It is just something you need to be aware of when purchasing, preferably in person. I have 4 UKs, all size 42, and I cannot find any drill holes of consequence on mine. Maybe I got lucky. I know people that have bought UKs from their scratch and dent rack that had obvious drill holes and they have been happy with their purchase, albeit discounted.