could use a little advice

the selection of bark rivers is a great place to check out. for the causal sportsman main stream alloys will easily suffice. on the economical end you will find the straight knives by queen & gec will easily work. with the light weight dmt diafold sharpeners to carry in your pocket you do'nt need to worry about the knife getting too dull to handle the situation. really i think it's a waste of money to buy a high dollar custom or factory offering to use only one or twice a year.i'm a knifenut so i carry expensive blades most of the time, but for the practical kat these are overkill.

 

+1 on Bark River. Hard to beat, easy to ues and care for and sharp as all get out

 

Bark River is one of the best, IMO

 

The benchmade griptilian fixed in 154cm has been discontinued and is getting hard to find.

 

Man, you're gonna have fun searching. There are tons of custom, semi-custom and production models. GL...

 

Bark river, bob dozier, or maybe ESEE knives(rat cutlery) for fixed knives. For folders you might want to check out spyderco, benchmade, or maybe Chris reeve knives. There are also many custom knife makers on this forum who are great knife makers and are not too expensive.

 

They all "hold up", with use and care.(vs abuse and neglect)

 

That could be a problem. D2 definitely wouldn't do well in situations like that nor would any carbon steel.

 

If you are really worried about rust... then I would stick with stainless. Steels like s30v, CPM 154cm, vg-10, or even 440c would work well. If you can take care of your knives and not let them sit in water, blood, or food then tool steels work very well. Then are generally tougher and stronger while able to hold a great edge. Steels like 1095, A2, CPM 3v, M4, etc are great if you can take care of them. All steels will work great if they are from a good maker with a solid heat treat. It really depends on your needs. D2 is a tool steel, but it acts more like a stainless. It holds a edge very well, but it is not very tough, which doesn't matter for you because you are not chopping with it. A lot of people like D2 in a hunting knife. It will rust, but not as easily as other tool steels.

 

I'm not sure why you wouldn't be able to take the knife out of the sheath and dry it overnight. I've always had mine under my rain gear or under my coveralls in snowy weather so it's never gotten wet unless used anyway. Then I just wipe it off before putting it back in the sheath.

If you're really concerned about corrosion take a look at Spyderco's Aqua Salt. It's made with H1 steel that will not rust. Whatever you decide on, a kydex sheath would be better than leather as far as moisture retention. Plus you can store it in the sheath without worrying about it.

As far as D2 goes, it's a good choice for hunting knives because it offers a combination of toughness and edge holding ability while being fairly corrosion resistant. I don't think leaving it wet for an extended period would be good though.

 

I've been using a Buck Alaskan Guide Vanguard in S30V pretty exclusively for the last few years. Rubber handle, a very high-quality stainless steel that holds an edge almost forever, nylon sheath, and it feels just right in my hand. It'll set you back $100, and I'd have a hard time imagining anything in that price range that would do the job better.

 

The Cold Steel Master Hunter is one which seems to meet all your requirements.
Laminated VG-1 stainless steel blade, great sheath, Kraton handle, and excellent build quality (it's made in Japan).

http://www.coldsteel.com/masterhunter.html

 

Bark River, Buck Vanguard or even one of the original made in USA Old Timer Sharpfinger's would work great.

There are plenty of really nice custom knives that would be a great hunting knife to fit your needs.

 

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Buck in S30V or 440C
Gerber Freeman
Knives of Alaska D2
if you're worried about rust.

BRKT uses a lot of A2
ESEE 3 or 4 in 1095
These will likely surface orange if left in a wet sheath overnight, but it shouldn't pit and a quick touch-up on a diamond stone or strop will clean that off.

There are also several makers here on the forum who could make something to your taste or specs for under $200, if they don't already have a standard pattern you like.