ORIGINAL: porknbeans
I've got aRandall on order right now. I did quite a bit of research at trade shows and on the internet before I made the plunge. I've got 3 less expensive knives from Buck, Gerber and KaBar. I can't even breast a pheasant with them without having to sharpen the blade.
While a Randall is most certainly a great knife and at some point I'm hoping to own one, you've got a problem with your sharpening technique if you have to sharpen the blade on a buck or gerber that frequently. I have no experience with KaBar, but buck and gerber both use quality steel that takes and holds a decent edge. I've got a Case and a Buck that I've been using for deer processing, and I can easily skin and process 2-3 deer with each before they need to get touched up. The Case takes the better edge and seems to hold it longer, as it seems the Buck steel is a bit harder.