I'm guessing that amoung other things the $115 to $165 price jump from the fullsize Mk1 to the Mk3 is because the full-tang fixed blade requires a significantly larger chunk of S30V to start out with, plus there is the cost of the sheath.

Though a lot of different knives are discussed, the knife forums most talked about knives seem to be the BK&T Northstar & Fox River, the Ranger knives, and to a lesser degree the RAT and Becker knives.

These are much thicker-bladed knives (choppers) and about all of them are made from non-stainless steels.

Personally I prefer a thinner lighter corrosion-resistant blade like the Mk3. I'm just not a batoner. In an emergency I can split smaller sticks, whittle down to dry wood, or burn it as is (unsplit).

Would the price be lower if the Mk3 had used a non-stainless steel? Should that be an option?