I prefer a folding knife to be assisted opening with a flipper. I have about 20-25 knives including Bucks, Gerbers, Benchmades, Spydercos, Camillus, Kershaws, etc. and I think Benchmade MAY hold an edge slightly longer than the other brands. With that being said all knives still need sharpening eventually so the $20-$30 Kershaw OSO Sweet, Burst, and Volt II knives are the most appealing to me for their light weight and low cost.