It seems the drop point blade is a rather common theme here. Makes complete sense to me.
I really like the looks and strength of a fixed-blade knife, but for field dressing these days I carry a lightweight lockback folder. I have many, but one of my favorites lately is the Gerber LST. The blade is 2-1/2" long and the handle is black plastic. Field dressing does not require a large or particularly strong knife, and the LST is absolutely unnoticeable in the pocket. It will handle 2 deer before needing a touch-up.
I have many fixed-blade knives, but a few favorites for game processing include a Marbles Plainsman straight back, a Boker stag-handled drop point (forgot the name), and a Buck Vanguard. I haven't yet experienced the pleasure of owning a custom-made knife, but some of the excellent pictures posted in this thread may influence that decision.
I agree that the Lansky is an excellent sharpening tool. I always use the guide hole that produces the shallowest angle (labeled as 17.5� IIRC) because a shallow angle cuts best. I would use a shallower angle if it was a choice. I also stop with the medium stone, and typically do not use the fine. The medium stone leaves a somewhat "rough" edge that I believe cuts meat and hide better than a very smooth edge, and seems to stay sharper longer.
Knife sharpening has been a "hobby" of mine for as long as I can remember. I learned by watching my dad do it freehand on a double-sided "Carborundum" stone. It takes practice to get good with this method, but it can be very effective.
On our caribou hunt in '02, I noticed that our guide was having trouble "cutting" through the hide and meat of the 'bou. On our last day in camp, I took his knife and a flat stone and went to work. The "edge" was very blunt from years of touch-up at increasingly blunt angles, so a lot of work was required to obtain a decent edge. It took me almost 2 hours, but when I was done, it would dry-shave the hair from my arm from hilt to tip. He said "thanks", but I'm sure he didn't really appreciate how sharp it was until dressing his next caribou.
A few years earlier, I was in the woods with my brother-in-law while he was dressing a deer. After watching him struggle for a couple minutes with his obviously-dull Buck Woodsman, I handed him my Buck Vanguard and suggested he try it, and suggested that he be careful not to touch his skin with the edge because it was very sharp. After the first cut, the look on his face and subsequent comment was priceless. "Man! That's sharp!" he said. Then he proceeded to badly lay open his hand with it. I finished dressing the deer for him while he nursed his hand, which was bleeding badly. Can't say I didn't warn him.
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