This

Looks pretty good

Knife was made here - BALETA Handmade knives .... https://www.baletahandmade.com/

Use - Kameeldoring ( Camel Thorn Vachellia erioloba )

Here

Black Dragon Forge

are the SA -  "main-dudes"

Small hidden tang hunting knife - hand made

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M79ZB7eOvQA

Hidden tang - sectioned

A few more photos

Hidden Tang buckeye wood

Knife Tang types

I think I would like an extended tang with a "hammer pommel"

PM me for a full "wish-list"  .... 🙂

https://heavinforge.co.za/

https://www.rutherfordforge.co.za/

https://heavinforge.co.za/

https://www.rutherfordforge.co.za/

Interesting
Mostly folks offering expensive courses
The knives I see are fancy collectors items - NOT - normal working knives

If you want a cheap high quality custom made knife you need to find someone inexplicably desperate for money, suitably skilled and equipped or learn how to do it yourself. Knife making like pretty much all other crafts takes lots of time and money to perfect. The vast majority of opinionated knife experts I've met can't put an edge one one with a stone much less make one. 

https://heavinforge.co.za/

https://www.rutherfordforge.co.za/

Interesting
Mostly folks offering expensive courses
The knives I see are fancy collectors items - NOT - normal working knives

Partially correct; I know both of them, and they should be willing and able to make a you a proper hunting knife of your own design.
Yes, it will come at a price, but you will have one knife for life.

I have found that it is rather complicated buying a knife these days as the guy behind the counter is very "whats for sale is good".
The rep comes around and what he offers is good steel and good pinning and good sheath and and and - what's in stock is good.

I have also found that when you do find a decent known steel, like Kershaw or Puma or whatever, it becomes a very substantial investment, so much so that finding a non well known knife maker and getting a blade made is not such a bad idea.

I have found that it is rather complicated buying a knife these days as the guy behind the counter is very "whats for sale is good".

Unfortunately, it is very much the same as with guns - the salesman is not necessarily clued up, or says what he has been told, or simply lacks experience.

I have also found... that finding a non well known knife maker and getting a blade made is not such a bad idea.

Second this!

Partially correct; I know both of them, and they should be willing and able to make a you a proper hunting knife of your own design.
Yes, it will come at a price, but you will have one knife for life.

How much exactly does that calculate to ?
Unfortunately a good nice useful knife attracts much temptation - too easy to steal , too easy to "misplace"
I do not want to be beholden to an inanimate object watching over it all the time. I also have more pressing needs for .. R5,000.00 - R15,000

If you want a cheap high quality custom made knife you need to find someone inexplicably desperate for money,

Are we not ALL "desperate for money" ?
In a free society of supply and demand and voluntary transaction .. it is up to the buyer and the seller to arrive at a price and transaction that satisfies both.
High end knife makers are trading on name and reputation - sort of like Mercedes / Holland and Holland / Nike / Levi / Gucci - they are in essence "luxury items"

Partially correct; I know both of them, and they should be willing and able to make a you a proper hunting knife of your own design.
Yes, it will come at a price, but you will have one knife for life.

How much exactly does that calculate to ?
Unfortunately a good nice useful knife attracts much temptation - too easy to steal , too easy to "misplace"
I do not want to be beholden to an inanimate object watching over it all the time. I also have more pressing needs for .. R5,000.00 - R15,000

It depends on personal things like your pocket, taste and needs.

Knives start at R350, but mostly from R1200 upwards. I would prepare for R3500 to R5000 for a handmade knife. For a functional knife, I would not spend more.

The affordability is the reason why I buy a cheaper knife which can be replaced if it gets lost or stolen.

Pick your paddaslagter.

https://www.temu.com/ul/kuiper/un2.html?_p_rfs=1&subj=un-search-web&_p_jump_id=960&_x_vst_scene=adg&search_key=hunting%20knives&_x_ads_channel=bing&_x_ads_sub_channel=search&_x_ads_account=176511598&_x_ads_set=521046943&_x_ads_id=1321615357210376&_x_ads_creative_id=82601187496089&_x_ns_source=a&_x_ns_msclkid=311325c73a5c1fe0972343514dcfd68a&_x_ns_match_type=e&_x_ns_bid_match_type=bb&_x_ns_query=hunting%20knives&_x_ns_keyword=hunting%20knives&_x_ns_device=c&_x_ns_targetid=kwd-82602058543038%3Aloc-168&_x_ns_extensionid=&msclkid=311325c73a5c1fe0972343514dcfd68a&adg_ctx=f-69b4f298

when this guy gets here for the hunt, he had better have a bliksemse mooi knife - all this posting.