Correct on there being " a price point" where you get into diminishing returns. Yeah, it's somewhere around $100-$150. That said - if you looking for a fixed blade knife, $150 buys a LOT of knife - up to and including some very nice custom blades! I'm always surprised how inexpensive custom fixed blade knifes are - and then you can get EXACTLY what you want

One of my favorite knives only cost me $40 and I would glady choose it over many knives (Cold Steel included) costing 2-3 times as much. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> This of course this is just my opinion although this particular model is also spoken well of by Doug in his fixed (fixed blade) "Sharps" section on the website if I remember correctly... so you dont just have to take my word for it. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I know exactly what you mean, that was the only thing that tempted me about the Campanion, was the handle.

You might want to take a look at the Ontario TAK (now available in D2). Fit and finish is a little crude (not sloppy, just very "utilitarian"), but it's a very solid knife, and the handle is a great shape, very comfortable and long enough to put real force on the blade all the way out to the point. Overall, what with the full, untapered tang, it's a little heavy, but it's lighter than the Campanion, and it rides very flat for a knife it's size. I'm not crazy about the sheath, but I like the knife's feel a lot more than most.

Plus, it's pretty much a bargain, even in the more expensive D2.

I bought the TAK D2 to replace the Buck I broke. That full untapered tang? That's exactly what I like about it- no chance that's going to break the same way! It is quite a bit more hefty than I expected though. It's made of 3/16 inch stock.

I also bought the Benchmade Gamer- it has a thin handle and a thin sheath, so it takes up less room in my PSK. The shape isn't exactly what I like, with a slightly clipped point, but I like everything else about it.

Here's some additional thoughts -- some of my criteria for fixed blade goodness.

- It should have a little notch at the base of the blade, so you can sharpen the entire length of the blade without running into the ricasso.

- It should match whatever sharpening system you like. That is, for jig or guide systems it should have enough flat area to clamp or orient the knife during sharpening. (Not a problem if you sharpen freehand or with a V rig like the Spyderco Sharpmaker.)

- It should have a sheath and attachment features that match your preferred carry and use.

- It should have a full-tang blade and a slab handle. I think micarta is the best overall material for durability, imperviousness to solvents, and good tactile (and aesthetic) qualities.

- I like single-edged clip point blades with lots of belly as being the best all-round cutters. Dropped points are good too. I don't like (American geometric) tanto points.

- The stock thickness should match the overall blade size. I prefer thicknesses in the range of 1/8 to 3/16 inches. 1/4 inch stock always seems too thick to me.

- For an all-purpose, largish knife, the back or spine of the blade should have enough width and rounded corners to support batoning.

- A lanyard hole is a must.

That's all that comes to mind for now.

I'll have to take a look at the Gamer. I have two Benchmade Outbounders (one in 440c, one in D2) which I like for a light, handy neck knife, and a Benchmade Nimravus Cub in 440c that's actually pretty sturdy, despite being very light.

I thought about responding to your Buck post- I have a number of them, as I was quite enamored with them as a young man, but I learned the hard way not to rely on them. Some Bucks just seem to be brittle- I've had chunks come out of an edge just cutting into soft pine. They rest in drawers now.

The weight is surprising on the TAK. Not extreme, but I have a lot of lighter knives with just as much edge, and that probably means I wouldn't carry it hiking much. Even so, I can't seem to help liking it, and the handle shape has a lot to do with that.

That's what I like about S30V ... all the strength w/o the weight.

Therein lies the one and only problem with my beloved Benchmade DPT Rant. A very simple modification will remedy that though. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I've almost found it easier to list "vetoes", the things that, to me, disqualify an knife from serious consideration. I admit that my list of vetoes is pretty long, but, IMHO, it's shorter than the list of possible desirable features... and they tend to be more absolute. I find that my "negatives" are pretty firm, whereas there are a lot of knives I might consider despite lacking some nice feature or another. The notch at the choil is a case in point- I also like it, but it's not a "must have" for me... and it's pretty trivial to add yourself, if you like a knife otherwise.

We all flip through knife catalogs, and, if you're at all experienced, only a few catch your eye. It's just a matter of listing why the others don't.

dchinell and Presumed_Lost,

dchinell's point about being compatible with your sharpening system is what I don't like about the Gamer. I use a Lasky, and the false edge on the back of the Gamer makes it hard to clamp on. There's a flat spot, but it's just a little further back than I'd like to clamp the Lasky. I haven't sharpened it yet, but it should work. Or maybe that's the knife I'll use to learn how to hand sharpen properly.