You can spend a ton of money collecting knives. I've spent a small fortune on Benchmade , Mel Pardue, Gerber, Kabar, SOG, microtech,etc. Mel Pardue is an artist and from your state but the knives he built for Benchmade are practical.

If SHTF, I want way more than a knife

Mora for me. From skinning critters, to building a shelter or fire, MoraKnives are my choice.

X2. I have 2 of them.

fallkniven F1, like clark said, is another excellent choice ...

I know there's a whole lot of people who spend all kinds of money on super duper knifes with all sorts of high tech handles and etc...

But for a real world SHTF scenario a good kitchen butcher knife is about perfect. I have some that were my grandmothers and they are likely 75 years old. They still make them and they are cheap. Everybody ought to have a couple. In a bad case scenario you could cobble up a crude sheath and be good to go.

If you want to go tinfoil hat you could slather a couple up in grease and bury them. You aren't tying up a couple hundred dollar, they're fixed handle so nothing to quit working, and they are fool proof.

http://www.knivesplus.com/QN-710-Old-Hickory.HTML

I'll grab a leatherman Wave thank you.

KA-BAR and my sweet little knife Clarence made me, and my buck 110 as never failed me in shtf situations

Haha. True.

Doesn't everybody have knives slathered in grease strategically buried around their property?

The best value for a high quality knife will be the Becker line, I would look at the bk-7 for starters and go smaller or larger from there. ESEE and Tops knives will be more expensive but are great knives. Ontario RAT knives are the father to the ESEE line and are also great knives. ESEE fit/finish and quality control are better resulting in the higher price. Also check out Condor and Schrade. If you want an inexpensive knike to test out and see if you like the survival style and size knives the try one of the Schrade Frontier line of knives. They are made in China but the quality has really improved, the steel is 1095 and they are a 1/4" beast of a knife for about $30.
For the best value in a high quality knife period, choose a Mora. For around $15 each you can buy several and stash them everywhere.
Once you figure out what size and style you like get with Skullworks and get a custom.

Exactly the 3 I own...I also have a morakniv I bought, and I really like it too. Smaller blade but still a really good and inexpensive knife.