Most of what I was thinking as I read the op has already said.lol
But I'll reiterate some and add what I can...
For hard working folders;
The Buck 112 and 110 are high on my favorites list. Pretty as well as ergonomic. USA made and super tough.
For about $35?! Gotta love it.
Surprised me it took so long for the Ontario Rat 1 to get mentioned. That's an excellent all around one handed utility blade. Tough and light. Great 4 position clip. The aus 8 sharpens up super sharp, fairly fast and easy, with decent edge retention. For a modern style tactical utility blade, it's hard to beat at around $40.
For a more traditional slip joint type knife I'd give a mention to the Case Sod Buster family. I like the Jr size, but either one cuts well and is easy to carry. I just like them
For a more multi tool-ish pocket knife, tons of people here have already mentioned the sak. But I'll go a little farther and specify a few favorite Victorinox models...
111 mm Trekker. One handed or two. I prefer the two hander because of the blade shape, but either is great.
You get a big locking blade that is fairly heavy duty for a sak. I like the big heavy locking "bottle opener/screw driver" too. That's a beast of a mini-folding-pry-bar.
Plus all the normal tools; saw, openers, awl...
93 mm Alox Farmer and Farmer X.
How can you not love alox? It's light, tough, looks nice, doesn't corrode... The only down side is I sometimes miss the toothpick. But the heavier blade than the standard 91 mm models, and the in-line awl make up for it. Add some sweet scissors to the "X" model and it's REALLY handy.
Survival and outdoors stuff...
The Outdoor Survival model Opinel.
I know it's a little gimmicky. But I like the simple stainless on it. The whistle and the ferro rod work well. It's light, tough and fun for pretty cheap.
Okay, here's where I'm probably gonna get roasted and toasted with hate and argument.lol...
For a good beater and survival fixed blade. Cheap, but very usable...
The Gerber Ultimate Fixed Blade Survival Knife. The newer version with the hammer pommel, actually made with full tang construction this time, and green with absolutely zero BG reference.
This thing can be anything you want it to. It can cut, dig, pry, hammer, stab or whatever else. I like the hammer pommel. The handle is very comfy imo. It's got a few survival extras too; diamond sharpener, whistle, ferro fire starter rod. They're all mediocre and not as good as your dedicated tools, but if it's all you have they'll look pretty nice. The sheath is decent too, and if you do lose it, or manage to break it, there's no reason to be too upset. It was only about $45 tax and all.
Alright, I'm tired of typing and getting sleepy. Good night everyone.
