I have followed along on all of the comments and have taken no offense to suggestions outside of my stated price range. After doing some more research I think I have decided to go with a quality factory knife for now and wait on a custom. My outdoor edge replaceable blade knife works great for gutting and skinning now, but it has no soul. It’s simply a tool for the specific task. I think that a fine factory knife will fill my desire for something nicer while I decide if I’m truly interested in a custom.
I have decided on the Helle Eggen. I was able to handle one and it felt better than any knife I’ve held. It should serve my purposes well and may be all that I ever need. Not sure if I’m ready to go down the custom knife “wormhole” just yet.
Thanks all for the input.
