Personally, I never understood folders for hunting. Not that they aren’t usable (many are great), I just think fixed blades are more suitable for the task. Even for ease of cleaning, if nothing else. (Just in case to clarify, I am not knocking on the guys using folders because, really, to each their own, etc)
A couple (I think?) of years ago, I wanted to buy one of the Havalon knives, ironically, and created a thread here asking which one. I ended up buying Outdoors Edge Swingblade. I think CNP was the only one who suggested that knife in this thread (in my thread, I think someone mentioned it after I bought it, feel like it was elkhunter, but not sure). I will be the second to suggest it. I bought the set that comes with the knife and a saw that looks like this:
https://www.amazon.com/SwingBlade-Pa.../dp/B003SZ2J7G.
The reason I bought the set was because I happened to run into a clearance or whatever sale where the set cost as much as the knife alone everywhere else on sale. I also thought “Wouldn’t it be great to have a saw in the same sheath on the belt as the knife?” Of course it would be! Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with this particular saw because it sucks to the point that it is almost useless for anything but very small tasks, like quickly sawing off a tail if you do not want to fiddle with a knife. On the other hand, a guy shouldn’t really need much more if going gutless. Last year I shot the elk few minutes before lights out and it was going to stay in the valley till the next morning, so I had to gut it. Man, did I have hard times and was swearing lots sawing through the pelvic bone (I know there are other ways to deal with it). Anyway, the point is that the saw sucks and I wouldn’t pay extra for it. It is extremely uncomfortable, hurts your fingers holding it, etc. Though I did use it the next day again to cut through the ribs (I took the rib cage out whole from one side), and while uncomfortable and a bit of “pain”, it did the job.
Anyway, the Swingblade is great. The steel, I believe, is aus-8, but, in my opinion, it is sufficient for a hunting knife if you are careful. By careful I mean you know what you are doing and know where to cut in order to avoid the bone within reason. I gutted that elk last year, washed the knife at home, then used it the next morning to skin it and chop it apart. The edge held just fine. I sharpened it after, but didn’t have to, really, if I had to use it again right away.
Like tirebob said, every knife has a purpose and by getting “better” steel one gives up something else (ease of sharpening being the most obvious, “toughness” is another). I don’t like having a knife for this and a knife for that. I definitely prefer a knife that can do it all (I don’t care about capes though, but do have an old solid scalpel if needed) and would very much rather skin and break an animal with one knife, regardless of the weather. I think that swingblade meets that very middle, including the price ($69 on sale, I believe).
I have a few knives, including a couple of old Puma, a couple of older and newer Buck, a couple of Japanese brands, a Gerber, a couple of newer and older Grohamnn, and a few others. Used to have many more but I sold them all because I lost interest (almost, lol). The last one I used before the Swingblade was Benchmade Hunt Mountain Skinner and it was
really great. It was given to me as a gift, but it mysteriously disappeared. I know sns likes “soul” in his rifles, this Benchmade had some, I would think. I know where to buy one for just $10 more (or 5% increase in the budget), lol, to account for GST and shipping.
This year, I field-chopped a deer with a 10-dollar folder because I forgot my knife at home and it also worked great, lol. Skinned the quarters at home with the Swingblade though. I also used an Olfa, yes a utility knife with exchangeable blades, to skin and take apart a moose and it worked like a charm too (of course I wouldn’t use on a hide I wanted to keep).
I do understand having a nice knife vs having anything that would do the job (in many cases just as well). I used to have quite a collection of knives. Lately I lean towards the latter, something that would do the job just as well. I have been thinking about that Benchmade though…