Back in ye good ole days when I was working excavation, I carried everything from Sebenzas to Daltons and Gerber Parabellums. Personally, I don't think a work knife can get much better than a Spyderco Endura or Delica. The damn things just cut like crazy and don't break the bank when ya' lose , or when they get busted. Another factor to consider is weight of the knife. It's amazing what difference a couple ounces given or taken can make towards the end of the day.
That being said, I have a friend that's on an electrical job WAAAAAAAYYYY the hell out in the middle of nowhere. (like 450 miles out farther in the bush from Bethel) I gave him a CRKT M-16 12LE (the smaller tanto blade from the 1* series) and he can't seem to say enough good about it, which is a pretty high testimony to the knife considering the conditions he's using it in.