The absolute best knives I have ever used or handled are not outdoor or "hunting" knives, but kitchen knives. When I was a kid, my grandfather in Maine had a friend who was a blacksmith. He was regionally famous enough that the then-current version of the official Maine tourist attractions map showed Snowman's Forge on it. He made a boatload of knives for my grandfather, and I inherited a few of them They are well-balanced, scary sharp, and hold an edge forever.
What are they made of? Old automobile leaf springs.