This is a copy of a reply to a PM that I received from racoonangel concerning what knife to use. I hope posting this here helps others as well.

You are correct about being careful with quality when it comes to knives. You don't want one that will break when you need it most. I carry and have in my kit more than one knife. The one I carry is a very old Buck lock blade that I have been carrying for more than 25 years. It still holds a great edge and has been abused. I carried this knife the whole time I was in the Army and literally used it in combat. My other favorite knife is a Buck fixed blade hunting knife. It is big and heavy enough to use as a survival knife when it comes to doing heavy chores. I also carry a Leatherman multi-tool that had a decent knife blade, a small saw and other tools that come in handy in the woods.

One other item I have is a machete that I have no idea who made it. It was issued to me when I went to Panama, and they let me keep it while I was stationed in Florida. When it was time to turn it in they had no record that they issued it to me and let me keep it. This comes in very handy when gathering firewood or building shelters.

You don't have to spend a fortune on a knife to get a good one. My Buck knives are good examples of this. I would stick with brand names though. If you haven't heard of the name, it probably isn't very good quality.

No single knife will meet all of your needs. I highly recommend getting a few different like I have. With the correct size and type of knife you can accomplish tasks safely. A knife that is too big or too small for the job can do more harm than good and could even cause injuries.

_________________
Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

NRA Certified Instructor for Basic Handgun and Personal protection in the Home.
V.F.W. Life Member
NRA Member
U.S. Army Veteran

I have Sog "Seal Pup," which had really good reviews wherever I read about it. I will test it in the field in July and am really looking forward to it! In addition I have a leatherman and a swiss army knife in my kits.

Here are some specific details of the knife:
Like its big brother (M37), the SEAL Pup has a partially serrated blade that is powder coated for low-reflection and corrosion resistance. Its lightweight, glass-reinforced Zytel handle features a raised diamond pattern for secure gripping in inclement weather. And like the SEAL Knife, it carries conveniently in a multi-mounting tactical Nylon sheath.

lade Length 4.75"
Overall Length 9"
Weight 5.4 oz.
Edge Partially Serrated
Steel AUS 6
Handle Zytel
Finish Powder coated
Sheath Nylon
Kydex (optional, sold separately)
Price $95.00 (I got it for $65 at thesogstore.com)

I agree that you should have two fixed blades and a smaller folding blade as part of your preparations. My recomendations for fixed blade knives are:

1. Ka-Bar Short
2. Ontario RAT-5

For a folder, I would recommend anything made by Benchmade.

I have been a long time advocate of no one knife does it all! That being said my big knife choice
which has literally been around the world with me twice is the BenchMade "BushMaster"
This knife has been out of production for some time. The closest knives to it as far as usefulness
are
1: ColdSteel: LTC,
2: Kershaw: Outlander
3: Camilus: Bolo
For my smaller fixed blade, I have several favorites
1: Mora
2: ColdSteel - Master Hunter, MiniPendelton Hunter, SRK
3: RAT - RC5, Izula
For folders I have only one, the Victorinox - Hunter model
Multitools I have 2 favorites
1: the Gerber
2: the Leatherman - Charge Ti

_________________
Retired Navy SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) Instructor
certified pistol, rifle, shotgun, home defense Instructor
NRA Life Member
Survival & Disaster Preparedness Instructor

I've found that the short version of the standard KaBar is a good fit for those buying their first field knife. It's not too heavy or too big. I started off with one and I still use it to this day as one of my main field knives. I have added a few knives along the way including a Becker BK2 which is a beast of a knife. But as a starter, I'd suggest a short KaBar. You won't be disappointed.

My fixed blade of choice is my SOG Seal Pup. I have used many SOG blades over the years, so I am partial to them. The Seal Pup is the perfect size for me. I find the regular SOG Seal knife to be too large for most field uses. The Kabar is an excellent choice, and there are many fine blades out there. As others have said, one knife is not enough, but if I could only take one, it'd be my SOG Seal Pup. I also carry a multi-tool and usually one other knife.