It's genuinely interesting how we all have different needs, different contexts, and therefore different definitions of what a good "woods knife" should do.
For me, wood processing, at least in any significant volume, is best left to other tools. That leaves minimal fire prep tasks like some batoning, making shavings, etc, which can be done by just about any knife of reasonable length in my experience, even with a saber or flat grind, though maybe not quite as efficiently. So while yes, I may use a knife to help with building a fire, I wouldn't select a knife based on it's ability for those tasks above all others. Heck, I used to lead month-long trips in southeast Alaska - one of the wettest temperate rainforests on the planet, and on a daily basis I made shavings for fire prep with just a SAK. Somehow it worked just fine, probably because I didn't know any better.
And while I have hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness and public lands out my back door, it's illegal to cut down trees to make shelters, furniture, etc. on those lands. So while I know I can make a shelter with the tool/s I carry with me in the backcountry if I truly need to, I'm generally carrying my shelter with me (which is much easier to be honest, in most cases). Often, especially in recent years, there are also 'fire bans' on those lands. So again, those tasks are not my highest priorities in a woods knife.
On the other hand, I see the primary role of a woods knife (or any knife, really) to be slicing and cutting tasks. The ability to process food, dress game, cut cord, etc. is a primary importance for me in a woods knife. I guess that's why I tend to prefer drop points with a high saber grind, and moderately thin blades, at least by today's definition.
No 'right' or 'wrong' answer, obviously. I just find the topic, and how we all think about it, fascinating. Along with that, it's also fascinating how this question has been answered by various cultures throughout history, because let's face it - we aren't doing anything new here, and most people in the past relied on their knifes a lot more than we do in modern society.
Jack Black
. It's a knife at its most basic, just a simple blade and handle. Though we don't have any extant examples, I suspect it's very similar to a medieval thwitel, minus the pin and collar.
