Please Buck, Make this Knife - Backpack Hunting

[MT_Pokt]

I respect your perspective on not sacrificing quality on the knife. I feel that way about my rifle/scope, which weighs 8.5lbs. For me the confidence in the rifle has a very large impact on success, but the knife much less so.

I can't argue that.

There's not a rifle in my safe that Im not absolutely confident in.

 

[FranklinG]

This is going to be a fun thread to follow.

I don't have any specific Buck suggestions. A TRM Neutron ticks almost all of your boxes. It's a 1/2" shorter than what you're looking for, but it's sharp as a turtleneck and blazer. Lots of options for scales if you're looking for something high vis. Without the clip, my grimy scale reads 2.4 oz. Maybe you could take the thumb studs off for the extra few grams. I'm not going to tell you how awesome it is on the Buck forum, but...

 

[Generalist]

Thanks for the suggestion, that's another one I hadn't heard of.

 

[Hickory n steel]

You can always add some blaze orange paracord to any knife you buy that has a lanyard hole.

 

[DeSotoSky]

Weight 2.5 oz
Blade Length 3.0"
Blade Thickness .120"
S35VN Steel
4.375" Closed Length

 

[Generalist]

You can always add some blaze orange paracord to any knife you buy that has a lanyard hole.

It's a good idea, and lots of people seem to have success with paracord. I'm worried the messiness of gutting and quartering would make paracord nasty after one use? Has anyone tried this in practice? Maybe it works great. I recently started putting orange electrical tape on stuff, but it peels off things that get handled a lot.

Weight 2.5 oz
Blade Length 3.0"
Blade Thickness .120"
S35VN Steel
4.375" Closed Length

If the larger version weighed what the small one does, it would be near perfect. I handled a large on Saturday and almost bought it. 3" is smaller than I'm after, but the design of these is awesome. The handle is so grippy.

 

[Generalist]

Just to get out of crazy weight weenie town for a minute, these 2 are getting rotation for non backpack hunts. The 118 has so much blade loss that it seems OK to treat it as a user now...probably not worth much as a collector item.

 

[Zornhau]

Or you could just take 2 quarters out of your pocket.

And reduce my portfolio by 50%?

 

[dsutton24]

Take a look at the Benchmade Flyway.

 

[TimButterfield]

It's a good idea, and lots of people seem to have success with paracord. I'm worried the messiness of gutting and quartering would make paracord nasty after one use? Has anyone tried this in practice? Maybe it works great. I recently started putting orange electrical tape on stuff, but it peels off things that get handled a lot.

I haven't tried this, but this talk reminded me of it.

The idea came from this: On the luggage I check when flying, I have a bright orange rubber sleeve for the luggage tag that is held on with some coated wire with a barrel connector at the ends.

While a barrel connector may be another home for gunk, instead of the lanyard, it might be easy enough to crimp on a coated leader with a bright tag on the end. It'd be easy enough to wash something like compared with traditional lanyard cord. Just passing on the idea for potential adaptations.

 

[bertl]

Yes, counting tenths of ounces is silly when you talk about each item individually, but it's made a real world difference applying the minimalist philosophy to all my gear.

I assume it isn't possible for you to lose a little body weight—all weight counts.

 

[Generalist]

Body weight and fitness in general is way more important than a few ounces on gear. But it's nice to optimize both your body and your gear.

 

[bertl]

But it's nice to optimize both your body and your gear.

Sometimes there is more opportunity to optimize one over the other. One just means spending money and the other means physical effort and determination. Just think, if you could lose 5 pounds, that's a lot of savings over an ounce for every piece of gear you carry—10 or 15 pound loss amounts to a lot of gear.

 

[Generalist]

Agree 100%!

 

[Generalist]

It almost seems like you're trying to talk me out of a new knife Is that allowed around here?

 

[bertl]

It almost seems like you're trying to talk me out of a new knife Is that allowed around here?

Not at all, buy as many as you want, then carry them all and quit worrying about an ounce or two.

 

[TheFishman]

Here is another suggestion. The Buck 017 Thorn knife has a 3.25" blade that is 0.09" thick and weighs 1.7 oz. The sheath may put it over 2.2 oz., but you also might be able to make a lightweight Kydex sheath for it.

 

[Culprit99]

Here is another suggestion. The Buck 017 Thorn Knife has a 3.25" blade that is 0.09" thick and weighs 1.7 oz. The sheath may put it over 2.2 oz., but you also might be able to make a lightweight Kydex sheath for it.

Along the same lines, I was thinking a used 107 Scout would fall in the same category if you made a replacement kydex sheath for it. And, the OP would get the added benefit of upgraded steel over the sub-par stuff with Vanadium carbides that he was initially wanting.

(Sorry, is my bias showing? )

 

[bertl]

Not all of us worry about an extra ounce.

 

[Generalist]

Thanks to all who've chimed in, this is fun and educational!

The toughest things I've ever done physically were a couple of moose pack outs and one particularly steep mule deer pack out. Both pictured above. You turn your brain off and just keep going. I'm happy to spend money on light gear to save the pain and energy for those moments and make those moments a bit easier.

We're so blessed to have such awesome gear available these days. Seems like it gets better every year.