HA, I specialize in cheap knives...
 

and started a cheap hobby. decades ago, of sharpening cheap knives.
I have an inexpensive Old Hickory knife that's so sharp, with the blade and handle treated in vegetable and olive oil, that I wouldn't sell it for less than $300.

I married a girl from the city and we have a a camp set up on a lake with a bunch of her relatives and they always want their knives to be "sharp like mine" and I just can't make them understand that the only way to have knives like that is to learn how to sharpen/maintain them.

They just don't understand the concept that knives just don't stay that way very long.

Im a big fan of AUS-8 and Sandvik also. I have a Boker with AUS-8 and a Kershaw Blur with Sandvik s30v. Both have held an edge amazingly well and the Blur can be found at bargain pricing occasionally at Walmart.

For my money the swing blaze is the absolute best deer hunting knife. No matter how much money I spend I can't find anything I'd rather have in the field deer hunting. Now once I get the deer home I use butcher knives.

I carry a havalon in my pack for backup. I don't really like it that much but as far as weight and size its hard to beat for an extra knife in the pack.

I tried out a Mora knife not long ago and I was an instant fan. They're not too expensive and they hold an edge really well, but I've only been through a couple deer with it so far. Other than that, my favorites are my Buck 110 and the Schrade Old Timers with the green handles on them (the last knives they made before selling out and getting made in china).

Agree! Most used is my 37 yr old Buck 110. I sharpen it once maybe twice a yr.

Bark River Knives.. probably the best american hunting knives made, in my opinion... For a very nice affordable hunting knife, Puma Knives. The Puma Coyote is a great gutting/skinning/quartering.

^^^ If you like a drop point knife, which I do.

Bark River is on my want list and I will eventually get one or two, but there are enough knife makers around that them being the best American made knife is suggestive.

I really like Wolf Creek Forge. They are a Mom and Pop blacksmith shop in Kentucky that produces good usable blades for a reasonable price. I have one that I ocassionally batton with just simply because I can and it wont hurt the blade. MP knives is on my short list and will probably get a blade from him before Bark River. I'm also on the contact list for Turly Knives out of Missouri. Turly has a 2+ year wait list and his blades are not too expensive, even though he could charge more and still have a backed up list. I have a small drop point hunter with a stacked leather and antler handle from RW Fred that I traded him for some elk antler that was given to me. The RW Fred is a good blade as well. Keaweh River Forge has some blades that interest me as well.

All of these listed makers have a great product

I really like my mora