Agreed, GauchoViejo, a bigger one and a smaller one is my preference also.

They say "experiences create beliefs". I think that the reason there can be no general consensus on a 'best' knife is that a persons' expectations of knife performance and utility are inexorably intertwined with their experiences.

Add budget, geography, and activity types to the mix, and the possibilities are endless.

Early on, I had a Buck 110, actually a pretty big knife when opened. I moved up to a Buck 119 Special and carried that for a long time. Next was a Western W36...similar to the Buck, but with a full tang and a wood handle. I still have and love those knives. Certainly, I have some smaller knives, but I learned what I could do with a 6 inch blade and am comfortable with them. It is no big leap to go the a Becker BK 7. I regard the BK7 as utilitarian replacement for a hatchet, one of which I had a close call with on a rainy night alone in the northern MN bush. That was an experience that created a belief.

I'll tell that story some other time.