I had a randall model 15 airman ( 5,5 in blade )and really liked it with the exception of the handle material and design. ( it was a black plastic type material, and had finger notches in it..) It held a good edge, and the sheath was pretty sturdy. it also had a hole for a lanyard in the handle, something I personally consider a must for any survival/hunting/camping knife I carry. I personally dont care for finger "grooves" or "notches" as I find them limiting in the use of the knife. But as far as the cutting design and quality was concerned I was happy with it.

As far as Reeve knives go: I have no personal experience with them. After looking at his webite I would personally go for the 5.5 in "green beret" with the nylon sheath ( leather takes way too long to dry for me..)as the blade style would be perfect for survival/hunting or camping needs. the handle apprears to be high quality, minimally contoured to the fingers/hand,and has a lanyard hole. The only drawbacks I see is that its "subdued" : the blade is black, the handle is grey and the nylon sheath OD green. I understand why, as this blade is designed for Special Forces, but as a survival blade could be very easy to lose "in the green" if taken out of the sheath ( which has a nice secure handle snap collar ) and not attached to your body or equipment 24 hrs a day.

The next Reeve blade I would suggest would be the Mountaneer 1. 4.00 in blade length ( 185.00 according to the website) nice practical blade design , lanyard hole in the handle. The biggest drawback is that the knife and sheath are both black and that the sheath appears to be a "slip sheath" - no positive way to secure the blade with provided snap collar or thong unless you use rawhide or a bootlace and do it yourself thru the eyelet at the top of the sheath ( high risk of loss at night if dropped or layed down ).

Just my 2 cents..

Right now I carry a Puma "hunters friend" (circa 65 I believe ) that was handed down to me by my late grandfather. Granted it's a working family heirloom but the knife is a dream to handle, holds a wicked edge, and has skinned many a deer. Today I couldnt recommend a modern Puma as they have eliminated the lanyard hole in the handle and the quality seems to have slipped a bit.

hope this helps

Matt