Oh, man, this is a no-brainer:
Kershaw Junkyard Dog Sandvik 13C26 steel (much better than the AUS8 used by most of the less expensive knife makers) and absolutely amazing workmanship at this price point.
How good is it? I'm a self-admitted knife snob; up until recently, I wouldn't carry anything less than a (USA) Benchmade, and often carried some relatively expensive "designer" folders. The Junkyard Dog changed my mind regarding "affordable" knives.
Available in two sizes (the Junkyard Dog II is the larger.)
-=[ Grant ]=-