I have an ESEE-3 which is a great knife that you can really beat on. I use it on everything from firewood to food prep. Mine is 1095 but they are making some now is S35V which will keep an edge longer. This is a small but tough as they come knife and ESEE hands down has the best customer service and warranty of any knife company. From their website: "Our warranty is pretty simple: if you break it, we will repair or replace it. We will not question the validity of your warranty claim for a broken knife, handles, sheath, clip plate or hardware. Warranty is lifetime and transferable. In other words, we warranty these products no matter how many times they have been traded, sold or given away – no sales receipt or proof of purchase required. We must have these products returned to validate a warranty claim."
This is also a super popular knife so they have tons of custom sheaths out there for however you want to carry.
If you are looking for a super steel I would suggest the Benchmade Altitude. This knife is not going to be what you baton your firewood with, but as far as ease of carry I often forget this knife is on my hip. It weighs under 2 ounces and is more comfortable in your hand than you would expect. I used it to butcher an elk last year and it was very comfortable in my hand. The price is high but I am really happy with it and it makes my friends jealous.