Dennis,
I have actually had a Wegner before, I just couldn't get used to the tip up. I have to agree that it is an excellent knife, but for some reason it just didn't agree with my style, and that is before I considered the tip up problem it had, which totally ruled it out<img src="sad.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>.
Samo,
Yep, love the Military. I have a 440V plain edge, ATS-34 serrated, and #30 forum<img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle>
Sal,
By more tip strength, I mean I like it to be more durable for things other than strictly cutting. I tend to actually almost abuse my carry piece on occasion as sometimes I am limited to only one blade, therefore I like to have one with decent size, and decent overall strength. The reason that I can only carry one knife is that I live on a college campus, and they are really odd with their knife rules. I cannot carry a balisong or switchblade, yet a 4" tactical folder that fell out of my pocket in front of some of the campus cops on a very bad occasion caused no problems at all. And the knife that I really should carry, a fixed blade anything, is quite forbidden.
My carry pieces have had to do many things, some light pryings, even cutting a hole in the back of a desk one time while working on my computer. That was all done with an AFCK in M2, not the strongest tip in the world, but it did perform flawlessly.
I think part of the strength problem on the Military is the 440V, I have heard several incidents with it breaking either at the tip or further up the blade, this makes me very cautious when I am carrying mine. I would hate to break one at any given time, and I'd really hate to break it if it was the only knife on me at the time.
I think a change in any way would be a benefit, not on the military itself, but to another knife.
My preference for a harder use knife (basically one that is a folder filling the role of a fixed blade) is usually a spearpoint or a tanto. I think the tanto is almost useless as a knife blade, but it does have a strong tip, and is sharp, so on occasion I use one. The spearpoint I have found to be an excellent performer if the grind allows for a rather robust tip. One thing that I have not really seen on a standard folding knife is a weehawk blade that seems to be popular on the balisongs of current. I think it provides a really good combination of tip strength and penetration ablility, I have never had a problem with one.
I have been looking at the Starmate, but I see some problems in it also. I cannot find one locally to seriously look over, and cannot remember from the ones I have seen, so I'm stuck with just the pics I can find. It looks to me to be a weaker incarnation of the spearpoint, and it is a straight knife. I prefer to have a bit of an angle between the handle and edge ala Military, AFCK, etc.
Just for reference, one of my favorite folders that stands up to more abuse than anything is a Pacific Cutlery balisong, I think it's a 259B, that has been around for a good while. It's biggest advantage over all my other knives is the 3/16" weehawk blade. Tip on it is awesome and the thing is all kinds of tough.