What to Get as My First Fixed Blade?

L.L. Bean offers the Buck 105 in stacked leather.

Bass Pro Shops has the 102, 105 and 119 in smooth bone too.
 
Thanks for the replies, everyone. Thanks for the offer, Darrin. Someday, I'll consider a custom blade, but not until I can afford one. Again, I'm far from a "knife guy." I've never even sharpened one. Such quality and uniqueness is wasted on me at this point. However, there may be a future me who's into blades hardcore! Hello, future me!

With the help of those in this thread, I'm sure I have the information available to make an informed decision. I've learned quite a bit compared to knowing nothing. Next step will be to get some experience for myself. Internet reading is good, but not as good as personal experience by any means.

Even if it's months from now before I get my first knife, I'll update this thread so everyone who was kind enough to contribute will know. :)

By the way, I coincidentally found an absolutely fantastic list of blade steel on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_blade_materials

Again, thanks, everyone, for all your help and advice.
 
If you are looking for a traditional or western style knife I would definitely check out Ken Richardson knives on The Bay they are all hand made and are 1085 carbon spring steel, all real antler or animal bone handles. I have been eyeing them for a awhile and am likely about to pull the trigger :). Also have excellent sheaths, nd are well in you budget.
 
If you need something in the 6 inch range look at the Esee 6. Or if you want something that is just about as easy to carry as a folder but still tough enough to handle anything you could throw at it look at the Izula.
 
One thing to remember when talking about steel types is that any steel you choose is no better than its heat treat. A common 10XX steel with proper heat treat will make a much better knife than a high alloy steel with poor heat treat. Other factors to consider are hardness & edge geometry. Most factory knives have a middle of the road hardness and edge geometry. They perform most cutting tasks ok but don't excel at any ot them. A custom knife can be tailored by steel choice, hardness, & edge geometry to get the most performance for a certain type of knife. For example kitchen blades can be ground very thin with a high hardness. The thin blade makes it a good slicer and the high hardness helps it hold an edge. A hard use chopper needs to be left thicker and the hardness may need to be reduced to keep it from chipping from the effects of impact. I guess I'm just trying to say there are many variables that make a good knife and need to be taken into account when comparing how different knives perform.
 
I second a Kabar. It'll last for generations if well maintained. If you prefer something smaller, I suggest checking out the ESEE brand. Not only do they make decent sturdy fixed blades, but their warrantee is amazing. You break it, they'll replace it. No questions asked.
 
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