I'll definitely go to a local vendor and check out some before buying anything. I'd really hate to buy a knife over the net only to have to ship it back for whatever reason. As arrdvark suggested, I checked out local knife laws and it seems that I'd be allowed to carry pretty much anything I'd want. Thanks a lot to everyone who took the time to reply. I'll make sure to update later on what I chose.

Wow,
My opinion differs from pretty much the rest of the posters. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm a believer in a good flexable folding knife and a sturdy fixed blade. A good leatherman or Gerber utility tool, and a good fixed blade will serve you well. For a decent fixed blade at a decent price try a Buck Hunter. It holds a good edge and not too big.A Leatherman/knock off give you a little flexability for everyday life and a good fixed blade can cut, chop or be strapped to a shaft as a spear.

For your first knife, and partiularly on a budget - go see, and FEEL the knife. One brand that no one has mentioned is CRKT - the make an OK knife, cheap. That said, some of their stuff is junk - and they have cheapened down on their blade steel on some models

I'll buy knives sight unseen, but that is because I can afford to have an hanger queen or 6 hanging around. For quite a while I was only buying customs - sigh - kids put an end to THAT for a while

Two comments on desertrat1's post:
I agree a multitool is the prime "knife" handy for most daily use, but get a quality one such as a Leatherman as he suggested. Forget the knockoffs. Buy quality up front because you'l use it for a long time.
I do wish we'd get away from the Rambo idea of fixing your fixed blade knife to a stick for a spear point. A great way to loose the most important wilderness survival tool you have. Fire harden your fresh cut pole, use a piece of flaked stone, scrap metal from the crashed plane, whatever, but NOT the knife.

Two comments on desertrat1's post:
I agree a multitool is the prime "knife" handy for most daily use, but get a quality one such as a Leatherman as he suggested. Forget the knockoffs. Buy quality up front because you'l use it for a long time.
I do wish we'd get away from the Rambo idea of attaching your fixed blade knife to a stick for a spear point. A great way to loose the most important wilderness survival tool you have. Fire harden your fresh cut pole, use a piece of flaked stone, scrap metal from the crashed plane, whatever, but NOT the knife.

I carry the full size RSK and it is a great knife. In the meantime take a look at the Spyderco Native. Many Walmarts are carrying them for $39.00 or so. It's #60 in their display case. I bought one for a buddy for Christmas and was very impressed. S30V and sharper than heck. He never EDC'd a knife before and the Native converted him. If the Walmart near you doesn't have it you can get it online at a similar price.

I share desertrat's opinion.

A Leatherman Wave, a fixed blade, and maybe a Gerber Sportsman's saw will cover all the cutting chores I have seen anyone do. Some like to use a hatchet to make kindling, I prefer to use a fixed blade. For low budget get a Mora fixed blade, about $10 from Ragnar. A Gerber Sportsman's saw is about $13.00. I also would not skimp on a multi-tool. The Wave is great! Get the pocket clip and use it as a one handed pocket knife.

I'll add my two cents add also vote for the wave in the multi-tool category! I have two, one in my truck/EDC bag and another for the field, the 2006 version is very nice!

In the field I typically carry three knifes, the Wave, a KaBar Shorty/Black (cheap and very durable) and an Outrider locking blade SAK. They have always fulfilled all my needs.

I think the Spyderco Delica is a good knife. But so are the Ka-Bar Dozier (the one with the opening hole is my favorite) and the BenchMade Mini-Pika.

The thing I like most about the Ka-Bar Dozier and the Mini-Pika are that they have a pivot SCREW. That means you can partly disassemble the knife to completely clean the pivot and lock.

The Spyderco knives mentioned (Delica and Native) are pinned together, so you can't disassemble them at all.

Is this a big deal? No. It's probably not as important as how the knives feel to you. But it's one more thing to consider.

Also...

For your fist knife, I'd suggest geting a plain edge. This will be easier to keep sharp. If you're already good at sharpening, then stick with what works. If you need advice there, most people think highly of the Spyderco Sharpmaker.

It's a teeny bit expensive, so you may want to start with a simple ceramic rod.

Bear

Amazed by the price, I picked up the Spyderco Native at lunch. Amazing value. I still like the Griptillian handle on the RSK's much better than the Natives handle. Better feel (girp?). Still...