You can find numerous knives online at this site.
http://www.bushcraftcanada.com
http://www.bushcraftcanada.com/products/category.cfm?category=9

(The http://www.readyshop.ca had these same knives slightly cheaper , but they seemed to have moved. )

My choice . I have this one. 3.2mm thick, carbon steel blade
This one by Mora ... the Heavy Duty Companion ( Olive Drab )
http://www.bushcraftcanada.com/products/detail.cfm?product=1238

Is a great price and would be an all around starter knife. Feels good in your hand.
It is made of carbon steel. Feels more solid than the regular companion thinner blade version.

I also have the regular companion in carbon steel, but I prefer the stronger heavy duty version.
I will probably never use the lighter version. So I would stick with the HEAVY duty I gave the link to.

The lighter "companion" knife 2.5mm thickness , made of carbon steel
or stainless steel. You have to read carefully whether the model you are buying
is carbon steel or stainless steel. You might decide to go for stainless steel for
your first knife with a thinner blade for outdoor kitchen. There is lots of choices
at bushcraft.

But I still prefer carbon steel blades, and the heavy duty companion Mora if you only have one knife

You will need to buy something to keep your blade sharp

I don't know much about the Mora, but everyone seem to like them and at the price point they sell for, it seems like good value. If you see yourself having to cut a lot of rope, you may want to consider a partially serrated blade, they work so much better than a straight sharp blade for this purpose.

Don't dismiss a good folder knife as well. I have quite a few fixed blades knives but they don't work well for everyday carry. My folding Spyderco or CRKT are always in my pocket, everywhere I go (less airports....). A "big" knife in your garage isn't worth much when you need it and don't have it. My folders pocket knives won't chop wood, but have seen a lot of use opening boxes, cutting my kid's food when out and about, and doing all sorts of menial tasks.

Finally, a key chain Victorinox will make for a constant companion (again, less airports...) I even managed to convince Mrs HP to carry one and she's been quite appreciative of her new tool, having been in her purse for over 2 years and having been used regularly.

That leads to say, whenever people ask me why I carry a "weapon" I answer that I actually carry a tool. I've never stabbed anyone, but have cut many a rope, opened many overly wrapped kid toys, etc...

And an opinion on price... 2-3 mid-range quality knives with different styles beat 1 expensive one in my opinion. When your expensive knive goes missing (stolen, lost in the bush, whatever) you would still have 2 left!

Thanks Goldie and helicopilot. Having no experience in this area, it's good to hear others' thoughts about what works and what doesn't.

When you mentioned all purpose including for the kitchen , and a starter knife. This is why I mentioned the heavy duty companion.
Price is very affordable at 25.99 , so you can then choose another knife with a partial serrated on the underside .
Something like this SOG Seal Pup
https://www.amazon.ca/SOG-Specialty-Knives-M37N-CP-Partially/dp/B00007E1M2/

Or look around on the bushcraft site for other sales such as this one
http://www.bushcraftcanada.com/products/detail.cfm?product=1865

Helicopilot I agree with having 2 or 3 mid price range/quality and not put all
your money in one basket.

A folding saw is useful also.

I like the look of both of those, especially that SOG. Thanks.

I have quite a collection of knives, but in my opinion no one knife can do everything. Many of the knives I have are not suitable for much but I have a couple of favourites that meet specific requirements.

1) Victorinox Backpacker - Swiss Army Knives are awesome. The backpacker has a locking blade and a saw blade. I think the locking blade is a good safety feature. It is easy to keep sharp, relatively light and has a nylon case convienent for every day carry. No one takes offence to someone carrying a Swiss Army Knife (except airport security). While it is not suitable for chopping wood the saw can cut up to 4-5" diameter wood (with some effort). Rather than chopping fire wood I cut long lengths I can feed into the fire. One negative is the handle tapers toward the blade so stabbing something hard can cause your hand to slide toward the blade.

2) SOG Seal Pub - used this when I was in the military. Liked it for two reasons. The blade is shorter than Ka-bars and some other knives that were popular many years ago. This makes the knife more comfortable when sitting, getting in and out of vehicle seats, etc. Also the strap that secures the knife in the sheath is low so the sheath can be worn on your regular belt with the knife handle outside of a plate carrier/load bearing vest (LBV) The knife is easily accessible and in situations where you take your LBV off you still have your knife with you. The pouch on the sheath is suitable for a multi-tool. The knife is good quality and the handle provides a good grip even when wet with sweat and in the cold.

3) Spyderco Something (can't remember the specific model name) - I originally bought the Spyderco Police with the full metal handle but quickly found it was too heavy for everyday carry. Then I bought a Rescue with a orange handle which is great for visibility if it is dropped. The Rescue has a metal clip which can bend in situations like rapid dismounting from a vehicle and the knife becomes caught on a strap. You can remove the metal clip and bend it back but until you do the knife is no longer secure. I now have a Spydeco with the same blade as the Police model and the black plastic handle and clip. The blade is half serrated which provides great cutting power. It is light so convienent for everyday carry in a variety of clothing. It can be carried inside pouches on tactical vests or the inside pockets of suit jackets, the clip keeps it secure and its light enough it's not bothersome. Wish I could get the same knife with a high visibility handle.

4) USMC Ka-bar - picked it up at a gun show for $20.00 about 30 years ago. I wrapped some snare wire and para cord around the sheath and taped a small sharpening stone to the back of the sheath. I have cut plenty of fire wood by placing the blade on a log and beating the back of the blade with a stick. I cut the top off a 45 gallon drum by driving the blade through the lid by hitting the butt with a hammer and I have hammered many nails, tent pegs, etc with the butt of the knife. I carry this knife backpacking strapped to my pack and it fills the roll of mini machete, ax and hammer.

With these four knives I think I have my bases covered. If I was forced to only have one the Swiss Army Knife would likely be my first choice.

Anybody familiar with this knife:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/outbound-stainless-steel-fixed-knife-6-14-in-1756358p.html#srp

?

The only reviews I could find are the ones on the CT page and they look good but there are only 3 of them. I'm going to buy one anyways as it's going to go on sale for 10$ next flyer.

My recommendations for knives always revolve around first asking the question, "what do you need the knife to do."

For working in the woods, camping, hiking or canoeing, 95% of what is required is the ability to work wood extremely well. For this requirement I would like to recommend knives based on the requirement of working wood, or from cultures with a strong tradition of this usage. For me, the Mora meets this requirement. It is a style of knife that evolved in a forest dwellers/farming perspective that is very much like the ecosystem I live and recreate in here in Canada. If headed to Central America, I would likely move towards a traditional knife such as a machete, again, evolved in an ecosystem to do what needs to be done.

Many knives, particularly the ones from large companies such as SOG, TOPS,, etc, are evolved from a self-defence or military or SERE perspective. If that is my game in life, that is the knife I would purchase. The very popular SOG Sealpup is attempting to play off our imaginations about miltary, special forces, fear of force. In the northern forests of Canada, don't waste your money on a knife designed around self defense. This opinion also holds true for the mentioned KaBar. Military origin, not really the knife of a woodsman. Can you do a passable job with it, maybe, but things might be easier with a better designed tool for the task at hand. Marketing is powerful, and we are suckers for it. Read the names of the knives, view the websites and the images that manufacturers use to sell their tool. If the image they project does not match your vision/requirement of knife use, keep shopping.

As for cutting rope and getting a serrated blade, OK, but ask yourself to what purpose was this designed. Many of these knives were built around first responders and the requirement to cut very tough materials in very confined spaces. Imagine yourself approaching a car accident and needing to cut seatbelts to remove an accident victim. You need a specialized tool, buy a serrated blade. But I challenge you, try and perform detailed cutting or carving tasks in wood with a serrated blade. You will be unhappy.

Look at the time tested shape of a chisel, a tool designed for shaving wood. You won't find a valuable chisel with a serrated blade (except for that one in my tool box that hit a couple brad nails).

For myself, my favorite combination would be a fillet knife suitable to the size/species of fish I'm likely to encounter, combined with a 3"-5" blade with Mora type grind. For what I will do in the woods, or from my canoe this is perfect. I can process the most common protein source with ease, and I have a tool designed to work wood extremely well. Add an axe and bucksaw, and appropriate sharpening stones, and life is very good. From this basic toolset we can continue to expand, adding specific knives that excel at specific tasks, but always remember, there is no single knife that is perfect for all tasks. Just knives that match a narrower range of tasks with more facility.

Knives provoke many opinions, but anyone who does not advocate starting from the perspective of actual required function is, well, a little uninformed.

Am I a little opinionated, of course. But the key is, what do you need the knife to do, and where will you be using it. I can't answer that question, but perhaps I can help you to answer it for yourself.

Thanks for that info, Canadian Giant. I agree that it's probably the most important consideration in choosing a knife, what you're going to use it for. When I do make my choice, I'm going to refer back to what you recommended here.

I agree with much of what has been written. The most important question to answer when selecting a knife is how the knife is to be used. Like any tool, each has it's own particular strengths and limitations. A tactical blade has different attributes than one primarily used for a bush survival situation.

For me, if I'm to only have one blade in the bush, my choice would be a Swiss Army Knife. There are numerous models and sizes of these, with various tools included. The larger series are 130 mm in length. I use a RANGERGRIP 79 which is equipped with a Saw and Awl. In a bush survival situation, I've found these indispensable.

If you're looking for kitchen and food prep knives, I've always preferred Victorinox or J.A. Henckels. I'm formerly a cook and currently working in a butcher shop and they're both quality and affordable. Although you can get a huge set for a million purposes, I personally would go with a standard chef's knife (9 or 10" are standard, but you can get larger or smaller for personal preference as well as your hand size and comfort), a boning or fillet knife, and maybe a paring knife (Although you could use your fillet or boning knife for this too). I try to keep my pocket or work knives separate from food prep knives to prevent any cross contamination. You could certainly prep all your food with pocket knife if you really wanted to, but you open yourself up to risk of cross contamination even if you are very diligent in cleaning.

These two or three knives will perform most of the functions you would probably need. You could also consider adding a butcher's knife or even a bone saw, which are more useful in butchering large cuts or whole animals than everyday cookery. As stated by others, get yourself and stone and steel and know how to use them. Don't wait until the knife is dull to sharpen it.

I have to admit to a guilty little pleasure of mine when it comes to knives, I have learned to love working with the cheap little plastic handled ceramic paring knives from the dollar store or any other store that carries them for three dollars or under.. they are outstanding as small butcher knives that need to extra work done on them.. I use them for a good while till they are dull and then away they go.. but then again, I also love to use exacto blades for skinning instead of my fancy skinning knife.. I can do it with both but I love being able to snap a new blade and go, no stopping ..

A few basic rules.

1- you get what you pay for!
2 - stainless resists corrosion but maintaining an edge is harder
3- carbon steel holds an edge better, but needs oiling
Take your time and browse warriors and wonders (or bushcraft Canada for Mora) online, then decide on a knife!

If you want cheap, go for the mora bushcraft OD green heavy duty companion. Carbon steel. If you don't use it often, and it will sit, go for the 'light my fire' stainless version. (Bushcraft Canada site)

If you have some cash.... get an edc folder with a glass breaker and seatbelt cutter if possible. Assisted opening is addictive and nice to have, but not necessary. Smith and Wesson extreme ops on the lower end. Kershaw brawler for the mid range, low profile assisted opening. Zero tolerance 350 for the pricey but quality edc.

When you get to the point of geeking out on blades, an ESEE 3 or 5 will set you back way too much money, but be worth every penny. With a lifetime unconditional warranty .

ALL of these blades can be had used on the blade exchange on the CGN (Canadian gunnutz) website. Usually at a reasonable discount.

I should add. Around the acreage, I wear the mora on my hip for farm chores. I view it as a wear item/disposable. Out and about, the ZT 350 comes with along with my leatherman. Indispensable TOOLs to carry, not weapons, if you catch my drift.

Any questions, feel free.