I've had a NO-E and have a HR. I like the HR best. I've used it hard and did lots of chopping even though it is not the ideal knife for that chore. But,I thought I'd give it a try, pretending that if I was in a situation where I really needed it to chop, then would it work. Well it worked fine and using a baton it spit all the firewood that weekend also. It opened every can of food that we used and was thrown at a throwing post for three days straight. It felt more comfortable as time went on. Now your other choices would do the same thing, I'm sure. I've just never handled a SFNO and have no desire to do so. I'd jump from the HR size blade to the Steel Heart. As xaman mentioned maybe the SH-E would be a good option. Good luck on your quest.