I know that Chris had very strong feelings about the lock based upon his chosen method of using the knife...both in terms of grip and implementation. The flush liner lock works best for his vision.
I've never discussed with Sal whether Chris had any input on the Military. Frankly, though I love the Military, I don't think of it as a "hard use" knife. Great for cutting / slicing...but not for potential abuse.
I liked Al Mar's SERE 2000 but unlike my friend Jeff Randall, felt that it was too heavy a knife for what it offered. The frame was overly heavy imho.
My close friend Jerry Halfrich would design his shadow patterned knives to the point where the blade would snap before the frame / pivot would give, allowing those particular knives to be very light and strong. He also builds beefy patterns...but because he likes them rather than because they are required.
I think the reason why the traditional Japanese tanto, (not the Americanized tanto pattern), and Scandinavian pattern knives work so well is that they meld both strength and cutting ability in a simple format. Is it any wonder they have withstood the test of time and have so much in common?
There may be no "best" knife, but there are some awesome patterns approaching "balance".