I'll also say that I disagree with much of Gastons post.
There is no free lunch with steels. There are a few things that are in a sort of "give and take", so you try to find something that matches your needs. I won't pretend to be an expert, but broadly speaking, you have things like wear resistance, toughness/durability. In general, the softer the steel is, the tougher (harder to break/chip) it is. Also, many simple carbon steels are noted for their toughness, but not their wear resistance. There are carbon steels out there with very good wear resistance, so its not easy to just say "carbon" or "stainless" is the best. But in general, for a fixed blade "survival" knife, manufacturers tend to err on the side of tougher, rather than focusing on edge retention.
Thats not to say that the edge retention is "bad" though. Most of the big companies that make knives out of 1095 (a simple, relatively tough carbon steel), run them to ~56-58rc. I have multiple Becker knives, and have never had problems with the edges rolling/chipping from either chopping, or Batoning. So I think you'll be fine. Also, I've used mine for days of camping at a time without needing to resharpen. So its not like they're overly soft. For the record, Mr Ethan Becker (the designer of the Becker knives), says that he feels the steel used, and Heat treat given, gives a good "three day edge" for most use. I would tend to agree.
The hard part for most of us though, is what do you mean by a "survival knife". Does the knife "need" to chop? If so, then a blade length > ~8in or is definitely preferred. If not, I'd go for something smaller, probably in the 4-6in range. Do you plan to baton this knife mercilessly? If so, then maybe stick to a low carbon steel, in a thick blade stock (ESEE 5 or Becker BK2 both have .25in thick spines, and are neigh on indestructible). If not, then maybe you can get away with something a bit easier to handle/carry.
What would I recommend? With what you've said you like so far, I'd buy a Becker BK12 (made by Rowen, the company that makes ESEE knives, and carries the same warranty), or the ESEE 6 HM thats coming out soon.
Why is that? Well, they're about the same size as other knives you appear to like. I know I don't like finger choils, so that rules out the ESEE 6 (non HM). I also know for a "survival" knife, I want the handle to be comfortable and safe. I find the Becker handles very comfortable. ~6in of blade for both of them means that they can chop some in a pinch, but aren't as hard to use for small tasks as the larger knives. They both have 3/16in blade stock, so they are strong, but they have higher grinds, and are therefore still pretty "slicey".
Good luck finding something that works for you
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