I'd stick with a SAK... Check out a One Handed Trail Master.
Still a single hand operation with the added tools for most daily tasks. I use the locking screw driver a lot, keeps me from using the blade to pry on things I shouldn't.

If you simply must have a single blade... any of the brands you mention are fine. I would recommend checking them out in person before buying, they always "feel" different than they look in a picture.

You can't go wrong with the Ka-bar Dozier. Great knife for $25. I am in the same boat with you so I bought the Dozier till I can save up for a RSK. I have not decided fullsize or mini yet.

My Gerber multi tool is a knock off of a leatherman, and having had several leatherman tools, I find the Gerber far Superior. As far as a Rambo mentality, No. There are times when a knife with extended reach or a spear, are quite useful. You have to attach it correctly and not use it as a throwing instrument. Yes losing your knife can get you killed.

I've thought about them, but hate having my knife sitting in the bottom of my pocket. Do you know if anyone had luck adding a pocket clip to the side of one?

A pocket knife is easy to EDC, particularly in a business or college enviroment. In the latter a fixed blade is a one way ticket through the front gate; in the former, a multitool in a belt pouch doesn't look so good. But a small, gentlemanly pocket knife works in both places.

Request for clarification: proper attachment of your knife to a spear shaft. Details?

Parachute cord or similar good quality cord. Cut a few circumfrential grooves on the shaft (stick). Note; Make sure the grooves are deeper than the cord is in DIA. Use about 4 ft of cord.criss cross the cord in the middle over the hilt of the knife and tie securely. You should have two pieces of cord now attached at the hilt of the knife. with the knife against the shaft, pull both cords to the first groove , cross them and make one wrap with both cords in the groove. Tie and repeat at each groove. When you reach the pommel, wrap and tie. You should have about a foot or so of cord left on each side wrap in a cris cross fashion back towards the hilt Making sure to lap over the wraps in the grooves. and tie off at the hilt. If you feel so compelled, you can wrap tightly with more para cord or duct tape. Depending on the knife, it's easier with some than others, for example, an Air Force pilots survival knife made by K-bar has two holes in the hilt just for this purpose.

It's not hard, practice a couple of times with YOUR knife. Like I mentioned, it's not intended to be a throwing device, but an extension.

Re: “The Spyderco knives mentioned (Delica and Native) are pinned together, so you can't disassemble them at all.” True for old Delicas and Enduras; not true for the new Delica 4 and Endura 4 . These models are much improved as another poster said, to include the use of screws so you can take it apart, a larger thumb-hole, and a tip that’s contoured to be stronger (the old ones were more likely to break). New Graham has excellent prices and service. You’ll notice that they’re currently sold out of the plain edge which suggests how people are voting with their wallets. If you live near the ocean or hate maintaining your knives, the H-1 steel versions of the Delica 4 and Endura 4 (called the Salt 1 and Pacific Salt) are pretty attractive, but they’re about 10 bucks more.

“My only requirements are the price and it be a folder with single hand opening capability w/ pocket clip.” I understand the value of one-hand opening, but in an urban environment, a Victorinox SAK is still great (Huntsman, Climber, or Farmer; can’t decide which; love the scissors on the Huntsman and Climber). You can get a Huntsman at Amazon.com for $21. Figure out a $4 paperback to buy, and shipping is free. That’s a deal. Save the balance of the $50 for your next knife, and in the meantime you have a wonderful SAK which you’ll probably use much more often than a one-hand opening, single blade knife. And a SAK is never out of place (airports excluded). btw, be careful with Amazon. Not everything sold at Amazon is sold by Amazon (i.e., there are other businesses selling through Amazon). Look for the phrase "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com" under availability which is usually right under the price.

You might find the Outrider a tad big for EDC in the city. Still, there’s this sound bite from the editor of Tactical Knives magazine. “I would guess everyone has heard the scenario by now: ‘How would you survive if you pleasure boat suddenly sank off a tropical island someplace near Borneo? …In this situation, I can be about 100 percent certain my primary survival knife would be whatever folder I had in my pocket at the time. …If I had the least premonition the boat might sink, my folder of choice would be one of the 4-3/8-inch closed Victorinox Swiss Army lockbacks that include a saw blade.”

Re: Numerous comments to try knives hands on. You’d be surprised at how this might affect your decision. For example, some choose thumb-hole over thumb-stud (and a bigger thumb-hole is better than a smaller one, witness Spyderco’s decision to increase the diameter on the Delica 4 and Endura 4). You might find the opposite to be the case. As another example, you can get Griptilians in regular and mini. The regular size fills a man’s hand better and can be easier to open or use for that reason. However, the texture of the grip on the smaller one is much easier on the hands, especially for extended work. The grip texture on the regular-sized Griptilian can chew on your hand (one of the reasons leather gloves are handy in an outdoor kit). The RSK carries this same texturing, and the writer who evaluated the RSK for Tactical Knives mentioned it in passing: “The checkering was a little rough on the handle, though, so I wore gloves for most of my whittling chores to reduce the chance of blisters forming."

Wow, I'm really amazed at all the responses. As for the suggestions to get a multitool, I actually have two (an older model Supertool and an older Gerber that I keep in the car). Since I'd rather not wear a tool on my belt or carry it in a cargo pocket (they bang around a little too much when running) I was going for a regular folder for everyday use. I plan on going out in the next few days to check out a knife store and I'm heavily considering a Delica 4 as a previous poster suggested. One thing that confused me was that Spyderco sells another model that is basically the Delica only with a rust proof blade. I do live by the water so I think that could be a good idea. Are there any drawbacks to the different type of steel? Is it more difficult to sharpen and maintain or is it basically normal steel except that it doesn't rust? Again, thanks for ALL the help.

Edit: I just noticed that the Spyderco Salt I doesn't come in a combo edge model. Is there any advantage to a combination edge or is it merely a matter of preference?

I agree. I bought a Spyderco Delica years ago and it's still the one I reach for the most. It's been close to 10 years and still going strong. Never had a single problem with it.

The SAK locking blades (Trekker, etc.) are neat, but I think they require too many fine motor skills to close.

Benchmade makes some great knives, but some aren't for the budget-conscious. An alternative to the RSK series of knives is perhaps a Griptilian/Mini-Griptilian. I have a Mini-Grip and it's pretty slick.

Yup, definitely give the Spyderco Delica a try if you get a chance!