KG,before I ever came here the big "QUEST-ion" for me was what would be the best knife steel/design/size for a given function....

I am the same with rifles, pistols and optic's...

For 20 years I had my set of users which worked and never let me down...for smaller knives where edge retention was a "key" issue I had bought some "hugely" expensive custom knives in very rare steels....and whilst using them only on paper for the most part...I could tell they were superior but the design and finish of these knives makes them less than robust for harsh field use...although I have taken the best design and modified it to my preferred shape...it takes some commitment to looking "for the best" to do this to knives costing $900 as the cost depletion of a knife like this is very high...but if you want to look for "the very best" on your own dime and satisfy your own curiosity...it does cost.

None of my knives are bought as investment...all are part of this "quest"...but some are simply fondled and used on paper as sometimes that's all it takes to work out which one you prefer over an alternative...

However...if it were just a practical thing...a cheap Machete,SAK and MORA would be a useable working platform.

What is definately true is that there can easily be a selection of knives whereby you cannot seperate to any meaningful level a "betterment" in performance/suitability...and you reach the stage whereby "they are all good"!!

However...people who say "too much for me"....need to consider how many knives they actually own and at what cost....nearly everyone could have a clear out and have the very best "small, medium, large" knife combo from INFI or other super steels if they could settle for owning just 3 knives....

I keep meaning to "minimalise" like this but cannot easily find the time to test all the contenders to "know" for sure...and also if I am honest...I cannot easily part with some when they are that good.

That last reason probably accounts for my large ownership of knives more than anything else....not the "investment" aspect....

What I have come to realise is that there are "levels" of performance which need to be attained to satisfy your skills as a user...after that it is then seperating "greatness"....I would be happy with my RMD as much as I would be happy with my heavily modified Hattori Cowry X custom...the latter knife however is a better steel and better choice...but probably not worth the extra money...although I have the satisfaction of saying I "know" this from my own use and experience...which is for me worth the price of finding out...and the cost of the knife.