Over here in the UK the favoured fixed blade is the "scandi" grind bushcraft knife, much like:
american bushman

I enjoy backcountry travel, particularly in Utah & Arizona and generally by canoe. I am thinking of moving to a "survival" type knife that is happy on or near water all day and also to add a back up (probably a neck carried fixed blade). Can you recommend any US blades?
ATB
Moab

Obviously for water use a stainless steel blade with a grippy handle has attractive advantages.

If you are traveling between the UK and US, the inevitable hassles of a knife in luggage will occur.

I would consider a inexpensive SS Mora with the rubber grip from www.ragweedforge for a neck knife. You can buy it here, and if it should become a casualty of airport security something you won't unduly mourn.

Note the word "unduly". I'd still be mad and mourn if my Mora got swiped from my checked luggage.

My personal favorite Moras are the #746 (4") and #748 (5 3/4"). I really like the feel of the handles and the very slight finger guard. They make especially excellent sheathed kitchen knives - I use them in my travel trailer kitchen (we keep 2 746's, 1 748, and 1 749 - the 749 is great for watermelons).

Here is a review of the loner #749:

http://www.cutleryscience.com/reviews/butcher_puukko.html

Here is a review of the Mora #2000 - which a lot of folks really like too:

http://www.cutleryscience.com/reviews/mora_2000.html

Spyderco has a few diving models that are supposed to stand up to salt water use. I think they might be a Japanese company though.

Probably not the best knife choice, but since the original Kabar USMC knife (as we think of them) was on the hips of lots of Marines in the Pacific, I think it should stand up fairly well to water, or at least, rainy conditions.

The Mora 2000 is a good choice for about 31.00. Also you may want to look at either a SOG Field Pup for 45.00 or a SOG Seal Pup Elite 90.00. Both are AUS 8 stainless and will hold up pretty well in wet conditions. Although, as you likely know, all blades can rust.

For an easy to carry neck knife, there's the Buck Hartsook, 38.00, which is small but very light and is made of S30V stainless. The RAT Izula or BK 11 are heavier duty options made of 1095 carbon steel. One final option is the Benchmade Instigator at 45.00 for a neck knife made of AUS 8.

Good choices for a water knife, at very reasonable prices are the gerber river runner and the gerber river shorty. I own the river runner. It's 3 inch blade is partially serrated with a sharp tip (river shorty is all serrated with a blunt tip) with a good grip.

And the sheath is excellent. Holds the knife securely, but it comes out with a tug, and allows for multiple carry options. You wouldn't want to shave with the blade, but for most purposes it's sharp enough.

And the price is right - including shipping on either amazon or ebay the cost is about $27. I've taken it with me on hikes and it's performed fine. I haven't gone scuba diving with it (yet) but it will function fine as a dive knife.

A very fine neck knife is the buck mayo kaala - one piece of S30V steel, three inch blade, and again a good sheath. Unlike many neck knives, this one won't fall out. I got lucky and got mine awhile ago on ebay for about $40, including shipping.

Mdinana

Any piece of kit will 'stand up.'

it's a simple matter of maintenance.

MOAB is seeking a knife for USA use ( as I read into his post.)

This doesn't restrict it to our own domestic efforts, we having

The happy situation of knives from around the world readily m

marketed. So, if Moab has an addresshere to receive one via mail

it's going to be shopping.

Moab, I try to stay away from recommending knife choices to people.
There are too many choices and personal opinions, but if you are looking for a classic American style I might suggest looking at Buck Knife's Woodsman or 119 Special knives.
The 119 is a Bowie style blade.
The Woodsman and Pathfinder are smaller and lighter versions of the pattern. They are handier for general use in my opinion.
Buck might not have the cachet of a fine custom blade but it does not have the price either.
Another fairly good brand of mass produced blades is Cold Steel.

Of course the Mora knives are still the best deal for a bushcraft/utility knife when you balance cost and quality.

Sometimes I almost laugh at our 'situation.'

I remember 30 years ago, you wanted a knife and it was

a CASE,SHRADE,MARBLES or BUCK from the display at the hardware store.

Oh, SAKS were for sale, and KABARS or old Hickory from the

kitchen section. And while I know there were lots more even then,

That really sums up the choices.

Stainless Steel was this new stuff that wouldn't sharpen and

your handle was wood,leather, horn or an extra $5 for pretty

stippled antler. The sheath was leather, sharpening was

spelled ARKANSAS and maintenance 3 in 1 oil.

How did we ever make it out of the woods?

I remember those days. Anything more than a 4 or 5" fixed blade that wasn't a kithen knife was a mil surp bayonet. Usually the biggest knife anyone carried was a Stockyard model. I recall I packed an SAK only because having a spare philips driver in my pocket was handy up at the radio sites or in the potato fields working on GE Mastr IIs and Motorola Micors.