I'm looking for a all purpose fixed blade knife or two.  It would be my hunting, and field knife.  I want it to be the sharpest and most durable knife you can buy for under $150.  Right now I am leaning toward getting a SOG Seal 2000 (7" blade) or a SOG Tigershark (9" blade).  

I will probably also pickup something smaller (4-5" fixed blade) for a backup in addition to the Beretta folder that I have now.  I don't want to pay more than $75 for the smaller knife.  

I have heard good things about Cold Steel and Ka-Bar but don't know anyone who has first hand experience with them.  What other brands/models should I consider???  

hunting knives and tactical/field knives are not very compatible in their current forms today.

For a hunting knife I'd choose a hard working drop point with a fairly short blade (no longer than 4 inches) and perhaps a skinning gut-hook on the back of the blade.  Actually the knife I am describing is the Buck Vanguard "Zipper" with a Kraton handle.   A solid knife for hunting big game and relatively affordable at around 40.00 or so at discount.

Complications of that knife style:  The gutthook can easily get snagged inside the game animal if you don't cover it with your index finger.

Tactical knives are more for heavy field utility and as a last ditch back-up in a fight. Serations come in handy for cutting fibrous materials like rope and webbing.  Tanto and clip points yield very sharp points with some strength in them.  Long blades allow a stabbing attack to penetrate to vital organs, etc.

Complications as a hunting knife:  That sharp point is likely to puncture things you don't want punctured when gutting out game.  That long blade is also going to be pretty clumsy doing delicate work.  Serrations are designed to cut fast, not clean, they could complicate some tasks and ease others.

I personally feel that there is no such thing as a perfect all around knife.  There is a generally, good enough knife however.

The Buck Vanguard style hunting knife is good enough for most field purposes..  The drop point blade will make a good field dressing and skinning blade.  It's tough, hold's an edge well.  Has a good Kraton grip and an excellent guarantee.  It isn't the best knife for cutting fibrous materials and as a fighting knife, it leaves a bit to be desired in blade length and tip strength, but it'll do the job if pressued to it.   It's also a damned sight less expensive that a flashy "tactical" knife.

All listed knives are on my seconds list .Not bad for cheap steel but definitely NOT the best knife out there . Strider are hands down the best made & durable knife out there . Next would be Mad Dog & Benchmades . PERIOD . I've seen a Strider chop out steel splinters from a block of steel and then I used it to SHAVE HAIR OFF MY ARM ! It don't get any better than that to me . They aren't cheap but neither is a Mercedes-Benz. What do want to drive ,a Yugo ? And I've seen striders priced for just a few dollars higher than your price limit .

For an "all around" knife, I vote for the SOG SEAL 2000. The Tigershark is great, just a little too big for all-around use.

Pic of my Tigershark...
[img]www.ar15.com/members/albums/EricE%2FSOG%2EJPG[/img]


Tyler

I bought a Cold Steel Trailmaster 2nds directly from Lynn Thompson(CEO of Cold Steel) for something like $80 at the defaunt Great Western Gun Show, Pomona, Calif. a few years back. I asked him what is wrong, and he claims that the blade wasn't exactly straight, and also it doesn't carry the life-time gaurantee of his regular knives. Other than that, he says that his 2nd's are just as efficient at cutting as his 1st's.

Hmm, that looks a LOT like the Benchmade Nimravus. I like'em.

But I'm very partial to these:
[img]http://www.bullmancutlery.com/catalog/fallkniven/pictures/fn2.jpg[/img]
Fällkniven F1, can be had with a black Kydex sheet.

 One more vote for the Cold Steel SRK. Excellent ergonomics with just the right size. Not too big but big enough to get the job done! Affordable price makes it a no-brainer.

I have both the Beretta lightweight skeletonized blade with the 30% serrated edge and the Cold Steel SRK.
Excellent choices for general purpose knives.

Ontario "spec-plus." Damn good GP knives, the SP5 being my favorite, and they cost around $40.

You're going to need two knives for the jobs you listed.  A fighting knife isn't easily used as a hunting knife and vise versa.

Decide what your main use will be and spend the most on that knife.

For a hunting knife, unless you plan on hacking through bones, the smaller the knife the better.  Some of the examples above should do you well.

Since you like the KA-BAR and SOG, I suspect you like the look of fighting knives.  The KA-BAR D2 Extreme Fighting / Utility knife is the best they have to offer and much better IMHO than any Cold Steel or SOG knife on the market.  The steel and design are definitely better than any of the knives you've listed above.  You can find them online for around $125 shipped.

[img]http://www.kabar.com/products/images/138.jpg[/img]

I carried the venerable K-Bar for years, damn good GP Knife, then I got a Randall as a PCS present and now carry that...I also have a modest collection of knives/ bayo's etc...

I'm a big fan of the Tactical Operations knives.  For backup/concealable I recently picked up the Calcutta http://store.yahoo.com/topsknivesstore/calcutta.html

I understand that it's also being used as a skinner for some hunters, since you have a great amount of control between the handle & the hole for you finger.  The sheath adjust so you can carry it horizontal in the small of you back comfortably.

The TOPs knives are much more rugged than the ones you mentioned in your pole.  Pictures don't do them justice, ya gotta pick one up & you'll really feel the difference between them & most knives.

Good luck

I have a SOG Seal 2k.

I got it cause the steel type (according to my big book called "Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing") is better than stainless steel for being underwater and then being taken care of by a lazy guy. And it's big. Big.

I use it for hiking too, cause it's useful enough, and scares all the liberal people looking at the pretty trees.

It is really big, don't expect to carry this concealed or anything.

I've found it to be a bit of a pain in the ass to sharpen though. I'm gonna send it back to SOG for a good machine sharpening.

If you want the best get a Busse Steelheart. It will cost you $297 but is almost totally indestructable and if you do break Busse will give a new one.

[img]http://www.bussecombat.com/images/steelheart1.jpg[/img]

Another excellent choice is the Becker Knife and Tool Combat/Utility 7.  Damn near almost as good as the Busse at about 1/6 the price!!!  Yes it costs $50 and according to Camillus/Becker they will give also give you a new one if you break it.  The C/U 7 is supposed to be a modern upgrade of the USMC Combat knife.

[img]http://www.1sks.com/images/camillus/cam-bk7-w-sheath-2.jpg[/img]

Check out bladeforums.com and read the review on the Busse and Becker knives you'll be surprised of the kind of abuse they put these knives through to test them.