I bought my buddy the Stihl for his birthday last year, and yeah they are expensive, but it sure is nice. We both have Fiskars that work fine for the smaller straight grained stuff, but they're are no comparison for anything of size, or with knots. The Stihl, made by Ochsenkopf (sp?) in Germany, really blows the rounds apart. It came with a razor sharp edge, and after a few cords, he can still shave hair from his arm. He raved about it so much, he got me fired up for one. I found what I thought was one on ebay for a cheaper price, but it turned out to be a "homeowner" model. Essentially an exact copy (probably made in China) with no markings except "Stihl" painted on the handle. It did not have as sharp of an edge, but works just as good. For the few bucks I saved, I would have preferred to have the Pro model, the fit and finish is way nicer, and clearly made in Germany by Ochsenkopf. They are nice, but it definitly is personal call, with budget being a huge factor. I would not want to leave it in the back of my truck. I also have a Wetterlings, and it is great too. Some day I hope to own the Gransfors Bruks.