Just remember Dale that when you put liners and scales on that tapered tang it will appear twice as thick as it looked bare. Rick shoots for the optimum.
I dunno Mike, although I realize I have a biased opinion, it still looks pretty thin to me. Not Menefee thin. The only other person I personally knew that tapered that thin was George Englebtretzen.
When it comes to knives and guns, what does NEED have to do with it?