One hour's wages today buys a cheap, Chinese made knife.
I have a K-Bar Marine Hunter.
It's actually more of a USMC Kabar, with a 1" shorter blade (made in stainless instead of carbon steel) with an aluminum pommel.
I bought mine in 1983, when I was 13.
I've never used that one for skinning.
I've used it a lot for woodsbumming.
I guess the little knife guys with their inferiority complexes would have a conniption over my 18" HI Bonecutter Khukuri.
It chops/splits wood better than any hatchet I've owned, and it's Karda works very well for skinning and small game.
I also have Bowies with 13.5" and 18.5" blades.
They work well for brush clearing. I don't use them for skinning.
One of my favorite knives is my old USAF pilot's survival knife, given to me by my uncle when he was in the USAF. Made by Ontario, it takes and holds an extremely sharp edge.
It has a 5" blade. Not too long, not too short. Cuts very well.
I'm a big fan of Mora knives.
I prefer fixed blade knives for skinning, dressing, and butchering because they are better suited to the task. I can get a better grip on their full sized hilts, and I don't have to worry about inopportune blade closures or breakages.
Not having to wash guts out of the knife's innards is a plus.
I do often use a trapper or a stockman for small game because I like a spey blade for that purpose.
Having watched the Rambo movies, I can honestly say I've never lusted after one of his knives.
I do like the knife he used in the last one. Strictly utilitarian.
Which knife do I use when hunting?
Depends. Depends on what I'm hunting and what I need to do with a knife on that trip.
I will say I strongly prefer carbon steel to stainless.
For some purposes, I find hunting shears to be more useful than any knives.
I know, my logic often has more contradictions than the King James Bible.
What can I say?
And, what's up with Ka-Bar calling their 1095 steel 1095 Cro Van?
1095 is a plain carbon steel, not Chrome Vanadium.
Once you add Chrome and Vanadium to the alloy, it's no longer 1095.
You'd think their marketing department could come up with a better line of BS than that.
Next, they'll be calling them Perfection.