Inasmuch as you don't know much about custom knives, I'd suggest buying a Randall or a high grade factory-made knife.
If you don't like a Randall, you can probably sell it for as much or more than you have in it. That isn't true of most makers.
You have no business looking at knives by famous makers like R.W. Loveless at your level of knowledge, and they are priced as art or collectibles. Some lucky people bought Loveless knives before he became famous, to use in the field. Their prices were high then, but high as related to "using" knives. Now...
How much publicity and where he got it affects a maker's prices...a lot.
Dietmar kRESSLER HAD AN ARTICLE ON HIS WORK IN PLAYBOY (GERMAN EDITION) AND HIS FAME INCREASED ASTRONOMICALLY. iT WAS A VERY WELL DONE, COLOR FEATURE AND HE INSTANTLY BECAME RENoWNED. tHOSE WHO'D BOUGHT HIS KNIVES TO USE SUDDENLY HAD VERY VALUABLE COLLECTIBLES. btw, HE TOLD ME THAT HUNTERS WHO REALLY USED HIS KNIVES PREFERRED TYPE 154 cm STEEL, AS dAMASCUS BLADES HAVE MANY OVERLAPPING LAYERs, AND UNIFORM EDGE SHARPNESS CAN VARY. aLSO, dAMASCUS RUSTS EASILY, AS DO OTHER NON STAINLESS BLADES.
Oh, dang! My bleeping Caps Lock came on. I look at the keyboard as I type and just noticed. I'm not going to re-type.
Have you even bought and READ any of the big Knives annuals? Same publisher as, Gun Digest. I've
contributed several articles there and think it's a fantastic resource to learn about knives and you'll see MANY makers' work and the index has addresses and summaries. Do you even read magazines like, Blade?
If not, you need to stick to Randall or famous factory knives. Personally, I wouldn't buy any knife seen thus far in this topic. I just don't like the styles. Look for types like Randall's or Loveless's or similar, or old classics like Marble's Ideal or Remington RH-36 and the later PAL version.
Are you serious about leaving the knife at some cabin??! Buy a Buck. It's easily replaceable if stolen and won't rust as easily as many. Buck offers very good value. I'd suggest Model 105 Pathfinder or Model 119 Special. Model 117 was made in a limited edition for a big retailer, with black Buckarta handle. Nice looking, very handy knife.
Another good, well established brand is Grohmann, in Pictou, N.S., Canada. They make Dean H. Russell's designs. I have four and like all. My No. 3 Boat Knife has an optional Micarta handle, which I prefer to the basic Rosewood, but it's usually okay, too, unless you're in a coastal area and fish a lot in a salt water environment. I'm not wild about wood in such circumstances.
Older Pumas are usually better made and sometimes better styled than current models, but are now selling for high prices unless you find a seller who doesn't realize this. A man is writing a book on Puma knives and when it appears, values will go up. Probably by a LOT. Look for models Hunter's Pal and Outdoor. I suspect that Puma's secondary line of knives made in Spain are very good values. However, I've never seen one in person.
I recommend that you look at Fallkniven knives, designed and made for a Swedish firm whose family have hunted and fished for generations. They make the official survival knives for the Royal Swedish Air Force and Norwegian troops in Afghanistan have extensively tested their knives. Also, Models S-1 and F-1 are tested and approved for USN, USMC, and USAF aircrew purchase with unit funds. They've been assigned National Stock Numbers. (NSN) That means they withstood rigorous official trials and passed. Model A -1 also passed, but is too large for the sheaths of US survival vests.
I also like the original 2000 form of SOG's SEAL knife. It passed VERY tough USN trials. The tang is really wide under that synthetic handle. Very tough knives, with some sawteeth for rope and other difficult cuts. Muela of Spain makes a similar knife that I like, too, though the handle is a bit too thick for max. comfort in my hands. It's called the Tornado.
Simply put, I suggest Randall's Model 5 with five-inch blade (stainless) with black Micarta handle or Fallkniven S-1 model, blade also about five inches. Fallkniven blades are mostly a laminate with a VG-10 core. I prefer the nickel siver guard option on the Randall.
Randall Made Knives
Hem - Fällkniven
STUDY both sites in DETAIL and read what they say and examine all photos. You'll become much better informed than you seem now. At this point, I really, really don't think you're ready to buy custom knives.
I'm not trying to be a knife snob. I just don't want you to make purchase mistakes that you'll regret. A good knife is a very serious item, vital in outdoors use. I hope this post helps some.
Oh: in recent years, some writers and YouTube posters have made a fetish of chopping wood with their belt knives. This can chip or crack a sharp blade. Instead, gather wood off the ground or take an axe, hatchet, or machete. And don't pound your blade through bone.
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