Top is my Gerber Shorty that I bought in 1971 (when Gerber knew how to build a quality knife). It has tailed, gutted, skinned and boned out many red and sika deer. This knife served me extremely well in NZ when I worked for the Forest Service in '74-'75. As you can see it has been well used. The sheath is the original and has had running repairs. The laminated carbon steel holds a razor sharp edge. I love the shape of the handle although being metal can become quite cold in the hand in extreme conditions.
Bottom knife is a Bark River, Fox River model that I recently purchased and intend to give to my son. Nice drop point at 4 1/8", not too big and not too small. Handle could be a little bit longer. I don't have big hands by any means. Will be interesting to see how the grip goes with bloody hands as it is quite smooth and does not offer much protection if the thumb slips while gutting/skinning. Blade is A2 steel and came razor sharp out of the box. I will replace the sheath down the track as I prefer a heavier grade of leather.
I am seriously considering a custom knife in the near future given the price of quality 'off the shelf knives' available in Oz.
Buggered if I know how to get a bigger pic without going over max file size. Any suggestions?