Good info from Slamhound, particularly his endorsement of
Benchmade. In my experience these guys make the best knives for the money of anyone. The quality and finish is close to that of custom shops charging silly amounts for their knives. I own a 722S, which is pretty much invincible. I've had it for five years now, using it for all kinds of random cutting and the blade is about as sharp as when I got it.
Swede