For multitool you can not go wrong with a leatherman wave. Great warranty too, they'll fix anything you break.

Not big but not really for pocket carry though.

For fixed multiuse blade (think bushcraft, not defense) I don't buy any other than Mora. Really cheap, like 20-30$. I give them as a present to friends when I go for a walk and notice they don't have any. They are made of great steel and keep the edge well. They are great knives with the price of dispossable ones so you are not afraid of actually using them.

I'm kind of afraid of really punishing a $150 knive, so they end as box queens at home..

If you're carrying it physically on your person daily, I have yet to see anything better than Leatherman's Skeletool. It's light (5.0 oz), has the core tools (a rather sharp knife with quick-access mechanism, pliers / wirecutter, and a bitdriver with a philips/flat bit built in) which covers the most common situations one is likely to encounter, both on a daily basis and in an emergency. There's also a bit set and and extension available as accessories.

The lighter tools generally are missing one or more of the above and the larger tools are A) significantly heavier and B) contain tools that aren't that useful on a daily basis (e.g. file, saw) and aren't really all that good IMO when you do need them.

For pocketknives, some standard quality makers are Spyderco, Benchmade, CRKT, Kershaw/Zero Tolerance, and Buck. Prices really run the gamit, a low end Buck or CRKT will be $20 but will have lower quality steel that will dull rapidly. A high end Zero Tolerance will be from a known knife designer, will run an exotic super hard steel and cost $300. If you want a decent knife that you can rely on in an emergency, expect to spend $50 to $100. Spyderco knives are very well regarded, although some people find them ugly (I do, but I carry one anyway).

"Traditional" knife makers - for pocket knives like your grandpa used to carry - are Queen, Great Eastern Cutlery, some Buck knives, and A.G. Russell. Prices tend to be lower than for modern knives.

For multitools, it's really hard to do better than Leatherman. A Wave or a Skeletool will be about as good a multitool as you can buy.

For fixed-blade knives, which are better for hunting/fishing, camping, and general "survival" tasks, Bark River makes a very complete line and does a great job at it. They tend to run in the $150-$250 range. The Bravo 1 is considered to be their "do everything" knife. You can also buy fixed blades made by Browning, Helle (Norwegian outdoors knives), Buck, Benchmade, and Spyderco.

If you want to investigate this topic a lot further, there are several good websites. I read EverydayCommentary by Tony Sculimbrene, who reviews knives, and KnivesShipFree, which sells them.

A good European option for a foldable knife is Opinel. They are really sharp and come at a price where they are almost disposable. I carry one most of the time. (Another plus is that they do not fall under weapon regulation. Make sure you know your regional rules concerning knives.)

Sure...

High quality pocket knives: Just 2 examples out of many. Spyderco Para Military 2, Benchmade 940 Osborne.

Full-size multitool: Victorinox SwissTool Spirit

Small multitool: Get a few Victorinox Swiss Army Knives. One for every pocket ;)

Camping, backpacking, hunting, light-duty survival knife: Get a Mora knife. If you are a real "operator" get yourself a Bark River Bravo.

The most useful multitool I've owned is my Victorinox Cybertool M, mostly due to the incredibly convenient miniature socket set and functional toothpick and tweezers. I have a couple dedicated folding knives that I keep in my car or carry with me while camping that I'd use to actually cut things. For most other tool uses I find myself getting fed up with multitools. I tried carrying a leatherman for awhile but found I barely used it for how bulky it was.

Are you thinking more self defense or utility? Makes a big difference. For example, we love folding Karambits for self defense everyday carry.

I carry a Victorinox Fieldmaster in my bag all the time.

I chose it because it's innocuous (everyone knows what a Swiss Army knife is), is compact, and has 90% of the tools I would need. I actually don't even use the larger blade as much as I've used the awl, scissors, or tweezers.

If you find yourself needing pliers, then a Leatherman Wave would be a better option.

I cannot stand having big things in my pockets, so I have a Gerber Shard on my keychain (as a bonus, airport security seems to be okay with it) and I also carry a Opinel No. 6 Carbon (because it's easy to get really sharp, unlike stainless steel.) Both are really cheap too.