The trend today, with modern double rifles, is that the beavertail forend, or a somewhat scaled down version of it is dominant. They do require more effort and energy to make, than a splinter. I too like splinter forends, but have come to also like the modern beavertail just as well (they have grown on me, through years of using them, along with using splinter on many of my doubles). I certainly would never reject a specific double, just because it had a beavertail forend, if everything else about it was right or satisfying.