Interesting question, interestingly framed, and you've already gotten some excellent responses, I see.

I have owned a few Randalls, and one of my best friends that I camped with at the time owned Chris Reeve knives, so we had a chance to do some side-by-side comparisons and tests.

Before I go further, let me say this... I own a lot of knives, and have owned a lot more in the past, all of which "seemed like a good idea at the time", and at least 80 percent of them have turned out to be "drawer queens" rather than users. All three of the makers you mention are known for relatively heavy knives. I have no idea what your circumstances are, but if you're going on serious adventuring, in the active military, a bush pilot or something- if you KNOW you're going in harm's way, they may be just the thing. However, if not, I'd advise doing some serious soul searching. No knife you own will ever do you a bit of good unless it's on your person when you actually need it, and you may be amazed how easy and tempting it becomes, after "the honeymoon is over", to leave a heavy knife behind. As I've gotten older (and hopefully at little wiser) I've come to think that the real question isn't what's the best tool for the job, it's what's the best tool that you're willing to carry every single day, all day, for years at a time in which you may never really need it, so that it IS with you when the need arises. If that turns out to be a heavy knife, you'll be a very unusual person. The man with a 2-inch Victorinox Classic in his pocket is a hundred times better equipped to survive than the proud owner of a dozen first-class survival knives that he doesn't happen to have with him.

Ok, that having been said, I was far more impressed with the steel, edge holding, workmanship, and durability in the Reeve knives my friend had, than I was with the performance of my own Randalls. The problem back then was that I didn't care for his designs (this was before his folders, and they are an exception- I still don't care much for his fixed-blade designs). Now there is a solution, there is a fixed-blade Reeve knive that was designed by Bill Harsey, who designed both of the folders that I choose between to carry every day... that's the "Green Beret" or "Yarborough". Excellent design, excellent maker.

I'm not a fan of blackened blades for other reasons, but I don't share bat69's concern about it being "subdued". First off, I would VERY STRONGLY advise that you get in the habit of NEVER laying your knife down. It's admittedly difficult (more so with some carries than others), but if you don't get in that habit it will likely disappear eventually, and, depending on timing, you may too. Secondly, it's my opinion that you only need one bright item of equipment to make yourself visible to rescuers, but if a LOT of your equipment is bright, it becomes very difficult or impossible to make yourself quickly invisible if the need arises- and it does. Man is still by far the most dangerous animal on this planet, and there are occasiouns when you just don't want to stand out like a neon sign.

So, of the selection you name, there are Randalls that would do, and other Reeve knives that would do, but I would run, not walk, to the Harsey-designed Reeve-built knife. Consider that the third vote, by my count, for Reeve and the second for this particular knife, if for an entirely different set of reasons.