John, I would call Darrel, and talk to him about it-or shoot him an email. He will shoot you straight, and won't hesitate to tell you what he likes/dislikes about different steels, and most importantly, why.
Think about what you will be doing with the knife, and what you want out of it, ahead of time, and ask him some intelligent questions.
You can get a knife from Darrel, just send him X amount of dollars, but, if you pay attention, you can get an education at the same time-free of charge.
OT, but important, IMO:
I'm still new to custom knives, and have alot to learn, but have already discovered that if you walk away with just a knife, you've missed the boat. Every time I pull out a custom knife to use, I think of the maker, and smile to myself.
Now I understand why some people are so picky about makers, and don't want to buy secondhand, or from a dealer. The joy of ownership isn't just about the knife...