I don't know all the ins and outs of knives, steel, etc...but I will say this:

IMO you need several knives, not just one. I have many. I have a specific knife style I like for field dressing....fixed blade with a thin 5" or longer blade. This works great for cutting out the anus. I also use knives with wider rounder blades for skinning, and others strictly for butchering. I have a custom knife that is really nice(too nice almost) but honestly it's not a whole lot better than my buck or others. I would agree with what others said, you don't need to drop alot to get a good knife. I have a Smith & Wesson that I have used for 20yrs, also a Buck for 20+ yrs...both are GREAT knives, and I use them for different things. My .02