Thank you very much for all the input. Its a tough decision, as all of these folders are very rugged.
I did take the Buck out of the running, even though its a great knife. The Buck just doesnt have the convenience factor that Im after, lacking a pocket clip and easy one-hand opening.
That leaves the excellent Sebenza (which is my current EDC), the 710HS (Harry - Thats the M2 plain edged model), and the Military. All have features that I love. I used the Military last year, and it held up reasonably well. The edge stayed sharp for a long time. It took a big edge sharpness hit when cutting up a walleye though, and I had a very hard time resharpening it. I got the edge back beautifully, but I never could have done it in the field. Ill probably end up selling or trading the Military. 440V is just too hard for me to work with.
So that leaves the 710 and Sebenza. I love both of these knives very much. The Sebenza has served me well for almost a year now. The blade has only chipped once, and the damage was very minor. I was cutting a piece of coax cable in half when it chipped, which I hardly expect to be doing on the trail. The incident does leave me slightly wary of using a hollow grind in the outdoors though. Im wondering if BG-42 is tough enough to handle the dreaded walleye spinal cord. The lock is just so solid though, that Im always cutting with confidence.
I sent the Sebenza back to Chris Reeve for some edge work, and used the BM 710 while it was gone. The 710 held up nicely. That M2 steel is really good stuff. I may like it even more than BG-42. My only worry is completely unfounded, and regards the Axis lock. Its hard to put my total confidence in a couple of springs, especially when Im over a day away from the nearest emergency ward. I may need to abuse this knife a little, just to get my confidence level up. I will say that the 710 has the best large folder blade shape Ive ever come across. The Seb cuts a little better for the urban stuff Ive tested, but the 710s shape is much handier.
Ill guess Ill take Owens advice on this. Ill bring both the Sebenza and 710 with me the first time out this spring, and test them. Ill cut a few particularly nasty fish, whittle a few sticks, and other small chores. I have to keep in mind that the large folder will merely be a convenience item. Ive just grown accustomed to reaching for a tactical folder whenever the need arises. The fixed blade should theoretically do the bigger work.
Let me also explain about the Busse Basic5 purchase. This decision has been very long and drawn out, and Im still not sure if Im making the right choice. There are a lot of great medium sized fixed blades out there. What Im after is something to handle the bigger camp chores, and a very limited amount of small chopping. I sometimes hack down dead saplings for hiking sticks and the like. It is very rare that I ever need to mess with a piece of wood more than 1 ½ inches in diameter, and its usually something soft like cedar. While even the Basic5 is a little small for this task, I really dont want to lug around a big blade for some off-ocassion cutting. If worse comes to worse, theres always the saw blade on my SAK.
In addition to the Basic5, Ive also considered the Busse Satin Jack, Busse Natural Outlaw and Camillus Talon for hiking trips. The Talon is a bit small though for a primary blade, and I wouldnt want to chop with Talonite. Talonite is awesome stuff, but its too soft for any chopping whatsoever. The Satin Jack looks like a good trade-off though, which Ill probably get if the Basic5 deal doesnt work out.
Id love a Natural Outlaw, but I dont know what the reality of the purchase would be. Id have a splendid chopper to back up a large folder, but the question is whether Id actually carry it. The Adirondacks can be a bitch to maneuver through, and footing can be tough at best. There are tons of gopher holes hidden in moss beds, and early growth trees are everywhere. The cover is tight, so I like to go lean and mean. Im very conscious of bulky or heavy items. 17 oz. is a lot of weight from my perspective. Its another very hard choice.
If you have any input regarding Satin Jack and Natural Outlaw, Id love to hear it. My decision changes every 5 minutes on this one.
