I have been very happy with Benchmade. Have had my AFCK (800) for years, and it has been just about perfect. I always wondered about the axis locks, and recently, my AFCK was joined by another modern classic - a Benchmade 710 McHenry-Williams. I like the larger blades. Four inches is the limit in CT.
Personally, I am not a fan of tanto blades. The tanto point is a piercing design, and since thrusting is not really the strong suit of small folding knives, I prefer something with more belly, which is more effective at slashing.