To each his own. I'm sure any Sami outdoorsman worth his bologna would beg to differ as he pulls out his Leuku to take appart a reindeer. I sometimes carry a big fixed blade but I always have a small fixed blade in an outdoors setting...that's the one tool which is indespensible to me. It's not always practical to carry an axe but I usually try to carry the classic bushcraft combo of a good fixed blade knife, a saw, and a small axe.

I don't care what they cost as long as it's quality. I know many of you feel otherwise but you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars to get quality if you're patient,watch for deals, and do your homework.

Buying a name (like Chris Reeve for example) isn't a good criteria in my books. Most knife makers (custom and otherwise) make good knives and also make not to good knives. Price isn't always a good indicator of 'goodness' either.