I guess the real question is, what is more important, a blade that will hold and edge a long time, or one that is indestructable. Wayne Goddard has some excellent information in his knifemaking books about edgeholding, and indestructable blades.
What I've taken from his books is, the super steels are great at edgeholding, but if you want a knife that will take tremendous abuse, a differtially hardened high carbon steel is the way to go.
Personally I'll take the tough blade that needs to be touched up more often then the one that'll chip at the edge or break when you abuse it.
And a 6" long 1 1/4" wide 1/4" thick blade is about the last thing I'd want for cleaning a squirrel. Spend $5 on a victronox paring knife, and carry a machete or hatchet for the wood working. Do it all tools tend not to do any one paticular task well.
Second that!
Thinking '
it will never happen to me' might be an unhealthy thought process?
If the chips were down, if you really needed a knife in a survival situation. Add some real cold weather and I am not sure I could trust some of the 'super-steels'?
If we had just the one knife.
Could a person trust chipping ice, if we had to, with a super-steel blade? Or getting less then perfect firewood to burn by splitting it first?
I shun to think what could be left of some steel blades if it were accidentally dropped point down on to a rock?
I think Wayne is spot on about this.
Had the chance to explain how I understand this to Ed Fowler, as it being the knife you would carry out, instead of the knife your found next to.
I believe he liked the answer.