Choosing the perfect knife set for the woods

Years back when I had first gotten interested in survival and bushcraft I was under the impression that I could eventually find one knife to do everything with... after all this is what the idea behind a survival knife is. Reality points to something else though, the simple fact is that there is no one knife that is perfect for everything. Knowing this we should look at what things a knife is needed for. I generally carry three with me when I'm in the woods.
1. Folder- a good solid american made folding knife that I carry everyday helps me out as much in the woods as it does at work.
2. A thin fixed blade- something like a mora or other thin blade made of carbon steel and around four inches in length. This is the perfect belt knife and will do the good majority of camp chores from feather sticks to preparing game.
3. Heavy duty camp knife- Look for a thick 1/4" blade made of high carbon steel. A good chopper will help with shelter building and any other large tasks. Look for a drop point, tanto, or other sturdy blade design. This knife absolutely must be a full tang and high quality because it will be abused.
Alright so now we've established that one knife wont do every task and have a basic overview of the three general knives to carry now lets get a bit more in depth.

Why not stainless? I'm not saying that stainless is a bad option its just not my preferred blade steel. I like high carbon steel because it is easy to sharpen, durable, and can be used for firemaking if you can find flint, quarts, granite, or other hard mineral to strike a spark. The down side of course is carbon steel will rust if not cared for.

The Folding knife
This blade will always be in your pocket. It should be nice and tight with no blade wobble. Avoid
Chinese garbage. If it looks gimicky it probably is. Look for a nice stout blade that is thick and has a profile similar to a clip point or drop point. Toothpick style blades will break easily in the woods. Steel type isn't as important in a folder as a fixed blade since you wont likely be using it for striking sparks or batoning. My folding knife for the woods is the same as the one I carry to work, the Kershaw Knockout made in the USA. The Chinese made Kershaw knives tend to lose screws and loosen up fairly quickly. I've had similar results with Gerber knives. Other good choices would be Victorinox Swiss army knife, Benchmade, any Kershaw made in USA, the old model old timers when they where still made in the USA, Case, Leatherman, Spyderco, or Zero Tolerance.

The small fixed blade
This is probably the most used knife in the woods. The knife should always be on your belt in case you
become separated from the rest of your gear you will still have a good fixed blade. This knife is used for carving, feather sticks, striking a ferro rod, preparing game, cutting food, cutting rope, and most other camp tasks. My preference is a Mora companion heavy duty made from high carbon steel. From the factory the spine is rounded so striking a ferro rod is out of the question unless you square the spine with a file. The full scandi grind takes a razors edge within seconds and even though this knife isn't a full tang i would trust my life with it. I do have a stainless model as well but it doesn't sharpen as easily. On the plus side the stainless Mora doesn't rust. Other models to consider would be Esee 4, Kabar Becker BK16, Benchmade Bushcrafter or Falkniven F1.

Heavy Duty Camp Knife
The camp knife is a big heavy chopper that is used for brush clearing, batoning, limbing, shelter
making, notching and all other big camp tasks. Your belt knife should also be able to handle some of this but the chopper is purpose built for it. I carry a Becker BK2 that is crovan high carbon steel. The blade is 1/4" thick drop point with a nice big comfortable handle. Of course full tang is of the utmost importance for your chopper because it is going to take the most abuse. As with any of the other knives on the list avoid cheap Chinese made junk, it will break, bend, and let you down with enough abuse. Models I would suggest are the Becker BK2, BK7, BK9, Esee 6, or Falkniven A1.

Remember to always carry a good quality sharpening stone with you as well. A dull knife is dangerous
and at some point becomes pretty much useless.  My personal recommendation is a Falkniven DC4. The stone is compact and puts a perfect edge on any blade and it fits nicely in the front pouch of my BK2 sheath.

Having three knives allows you to choose the right blade for each task and always leaves a backup just in case. If you can only afford one knife at the start get your belt knife first. My brand and model recommendations are just based off of personal experience. There are many other good models out there so do some research before spending $100+ on one and finding that you don't like it. Good quality knives are an investment that will last a lifetime.