The specs you gave make you a very lucky guy. IMHO, the best bargains in all of knifedom are custom straight knives of the kind you are looking for. The possibilities are absolutely huge and there for sure are at least 3 or 4 knives out there that will suit your needs and tickle your fancy at a really good price.
May I suggest that you start by looking at the Canadian Knifemakers Guild website, members page. The Canadian makers are superb and the exchange on the dollar make most of them a bargain for you. Check them all but you might want to start with Tichbourne [hefty, super 440c, really great using knives], Freeman, Frigault[before he becomes rich and famous and gets a huge waiting list], and Haslinger [very stylish but also very functional]. Also check out Lightfoot's hunters, [BG 42 and immense popularity make his work somewhat more expensive].
If you like them on the heavy side, Busse's NO is great. That's one of my favorites. If you don't plan on chopping much and want very low maintenance, talonite or stellite are superb, if you don't mind paying the premium. Dr. Lathe [Neil Blackwood] does beautiful work that I think is worth every penny. Rob Simonich is Mr. Talonite and Les Robertson is probably the best source for his work. If you have any interest in the investment aspect of your knife, talk to Les. He knows functionality too, obviously.
There is a cornucopia of excellent, well priced small fixed blades out there. I'd go custom, or I'd go Busse.
I would also suggest that you not buy the knife based on the sheath alone. A custom maker usually can make you the sheath you want, and some will supply two. I often take two, one for carries and one to strap to my pack or kayak. Aftermarket sheaths are readily availible and are surprisingly inexpensive. Normark has a great reputation for Concealex[On Scene Tactical], Kenny Rowe does great leather backcarry[Andy Prisco has some on hand for Busses] or multicarry options. Here too, there are many good choices at a good price.
[This message has been edited by HJK (edited 02-21-2001).]
