Hand forged Japanese neck knife by a 17th Generation Yoshimoto blacksmith, ABS Mastersmith, Murray Carter.
I think that these knives are, hands down, the best small fixed blades. Obviously that can't be true to everyone, but the quality and workmanship of Murray Carter's knives is impeccable. They're truly functional pieces of art, but in no way should you treat them like that. These are meant to be used, meant to gain enjoyment out of, and the edge that these will take is incredible! Each one is hand forged, san mai construction with a high carbon, low sulfur carbon steel core, and a japanese stainless steel outer layer. Really, I haven't been able to find any knives that are of this quality/construction. I doubt there are many American blacksmiths trained in Japanese blacksmithing, let alone that spent 17 years learning in Japan from a Yoshimoto blacksmith. The HRC is 63-64, but the other day when I sharpened it on some stones it felt like I was simply 'touching it up', and not trying to create an edge like how S30V feels. So it's not like it's too hard to work with, it was incredible how quickly, and how sharp, I got this knife. They are a little out of your price range, but worth every penny. I think you should definitely look into
Carter Cutlery.
edit: blade pictured is 6 1/2" (169mm), white g10 with red liners, and the core is the fantastic Blue Super Steel.
