The weight debate: how heavy are your knives?

[peripatew]

Seems that most of us don't care too much about the weight of our knives. We go for form and function, then maybe think about weight. Overall, I'd venture to say that we aren't ounce pinchers (unless it comes down to our Altoid tins and PSKs). I've noticed that most makers don't post the weight of their knives either. Most of us seem to have preference about the relative size of what fits in our pockets and packs, but is it more of a size issue than weight? Several of the knives we talk about are pretty light, SAKs, F1s, moras, and neckers. Some knife trends help with weight: tapered tangs, reduced/hidden/partial tangs, new steel types, and some synthetic scale material, but I don't think most of these come from a weight savings perspective.

For me, I'm still trying to find my tools balance. Big knife, saw, and a folder or Axe and a SAK or a big knife, little knife, folder, auto, pocket saw, bow saw, pocket chainsaw, wiresaw necklace, neck knife, 2 SAKs, multitool, and a machete?

Once I figure that out (which might not ever happen), then I'll start worrying about weight.

I recently got a free year membership to Backpackinglight.com, which is an amazing site, lots of good info, but if you think you blow a lot of money here, don't even think of going over there, while some ultralight stuff is on the cheap (like razor blade knives), ultralight gear can be ridiculously expensive (unless you make it yourself). I came across an article on ultralight "knives", sadly, it's on the membership side, but here is an image from it to give you an idea, or a laugh!

Remember, this wasn't an article on PSK knives, but knives in general. Of the 13 contributers, only 2 carried a knife, and one of them only if planning on fishing. Those two knives were a Spyderco Ladybug and a Gerber Ultralight LST.

I'm curious to hear how weight is a factor in your blade/tool choices, if a factor at all?

From the recent threads on biggest turn on's and biggest turn off's of knives, very few mentioned weight as a turn on or off. Granted, nobody wants an 8 pound knife other than the Busse-nuts and Khukuri guys (kidding....? ).

So, enough of my ramblings... weight? And what's your favorite lightweight knife?

 

[Liam Ryan]

Lightweight? Mora, opinel pruning#8, SAK alox cadet.

0.6 grams heavy, eh? It seems like a game to them, I guess, bragging rights for the lightest gear.

 

[foxyrick]

Well, I'm an unashamed Busse-knut and my favourite knife of all, my Heavy Heart (8.25" blade, 14.5" overall) weighs in at 669g or 23.5oz

 

[Scottman]

That chart made me laugh

 

[crossada]

if i found myself getting that carried away i think i would lose the enjoyment of it all.

i carry big knives when hiking and a hawk when camping. i'm the one packing it so you won't here me complaining about ounces

 

[peripatew]

I'm going to weigh my knives just for fun, I know some are very heavy relative to size.

Seems the ultralight mentality is the less overall weight, the greater ability you have to travel long distances.

I enjoy it from the perspective of cutting out what I don't need to learn to use what I've got, and to learning about gear tips and tricks.

My favorite ultralight is my Ritter Grip, not heavy at all, but a good sized folder.

 

[abo4ster]

Appreciate the post. Weight is actually a factor for me as I neck carry my primary blade ~ a Mora, go firgure.

Function is my first priority and I find a thinner blade easier to weild effectively which is good... because weight is the second priority as I simply won't carry a heavy knife, particulary in warmer weather when all I have on is a T-shirt.

I've got customs, Bark Rivers, and more, but they don't get the use because they are too heavy around my neck.

 

[siguy]

alot of my knives that i am keeping (as i ever so slowly streamline my collection) tend to be on the lightweight side.

i just traded off my BRKT nebula that while being a good knife, was heavy between the semi thick blade and the relatively dense micarta scales.

i'll report back with some weights in a little bit...

 

[texastonydobbs]

I have been EDC'n my Mini Canadian at 2.875 ounces and weekends Fox river 5.8ounces
The chart was funny ...looking at the pretty colors LOL ,good job !

 

[Liam Ryan]

Forgot to add, my buck hartsook.
But I have to wonder, if they are that concerned about half an ounce, how many shave off all their body hair and get circumcised before going on a hike? Do you really need all your teeth? I never used my baby toes anyway!

 

[peripatew]

But I have to wonder, if they are that concerned about half an ounce, how many shave off all their body hair and get circumcised before going on a hike? Do you really need all your teeth? I never used my baby toes anyway!

Wow. Seriously, wow! Awesome. If there ever was a quote for a sig line, that's it.

 

[Elen]

As heavy as they happen to be. I don't have any real weight limit for my knives. I'm a relatively small guy, but that hasn't ever stopped me from carrying heavy loads for prolonged periods in difficult terrain (which is to say weeks in the arctic). Far more important an issue than weight for me is utility. I don't care if it weighs 1 gram - if I don't have use for it, it's not coming with me. If it's really useful to me, I don't rightly care if it weighs 10 pounds, it's still coming with me.

In practice, I haven't ever seen a reason to carry anything heavier than a Busse FFBM. Though sometimes I'll go without any knife. Weight? A nonissue to me, weight is not a factor.

As for my favourite lightweight knife, I don't really have one. I have many small puukkos that I like a lot, but no particular favourite.

Forgot to add, my buck hartsook.
But I have to wonder, if they are that concerned about half an ounce, how many shave off all their body hair and get circumcised before going on a hike? Do you really need all your teeth? I never used my baby toes anyway!

:thumbup: Yeah, that's the problem with the ultralight crowd. If they can't handle the weight, perhaps they should work out a little, or just stay home.

 

[hollowdweller]

Actually I'm really pickey about carrying anything heavy but one of my favorite blades the Skookum is really pretty heavy with the thick scales and thick butt cap.

 

[Mentor]

But I have to wonder, if they are that concerned about half an ounce, how many shave off all their body hair and get circumcised before going on a hike?

Took me a minute to clean the coffee off my screen after reading that.

On the topic of knife weight, it's not something that I think about too often. It comes into the equation when thinking about design - a scandi ground mora-style blade made from 1/8" stock will of course be lighter than a 1/4" flat ground chopper, for example. But I pack with function in mind, and I'm always willing to carry around a little extra weight if it means I have the right tools for the job.

That being said, weight does impact my distribution of gear when hiking. For a while, on longer outings I was packing a BK-9 with a modified drop sheath that fit my full PSK. The weight of this arrangement actually wound up stretching my leather belt a bit, and was generally not terribly comfortable. I have subsequently separated my PSK from my knife sheath(s), and I now carry heavier knives, machetes, or axes strapped to my pack, as opposed to my belt.

When it comes down to it, the best way to shave weight off your gear selection is to get out and use it regularly, take note of the items that you don't seem to use very often, and then carefully consider whether you need to haul them in the first place. In my opinion, that is!

All the best,

- Mike

 

[hollowdweller]

But I have to wonder, if they are that concerned about half an ounce, how many shave off all their body hair and get circumcised before going on a hike? Do you really need all your teeth? I never used my baby toes anyway!

Well I'm not concerned about half an ounce but I really do think that true enjoyment for me on the trail started when I stopped thinking about gear in pounds and started considering ounces.:thumbup:


On my last trip we consistently had to make camp about 2 to 3 miles earlier than I wanted to because my buddy, who is in much better physical shape than I am was just too overloaded We basically had to take breaks when he was tired rather than when we hit a particularly scenic spot, and a lot of the day on the trail he was fantasizing about how nice it was going to be to get to our camping spot instead of enjoying what was around him I ended up cutting the hike short and taking a shorter way out on the last day because he was worn out and we were going so slow on the trail anyway. Also the weight down on his feet was increasing friction and giving him blisters.

The ironic part was after the hike my wife and I were doing an inventory of the things he used and we said "what did he have in there" because the stuff he actually used (except for his huge 2 person tent with a footprint also) would have fit in about half of my pack. And I had the water filter, alcohol stoves, and hatchet that we all used)

That was me when I was thinking in pounds. I was the same way.

 

[siguy]

here are some of my most used knives (as carried, meaning including sheaths):
Woodjewel scandi style knife (3.75" blade)- 5.5 oz
laminated #1 mora - 2.75 oz
Case large stockman - 4.2 oz
Case equal end pen - 1 oz
old german trapper - 4 oz
Opinel #7 - 1.2 oz
GEC pioneer trapper - 6.5 oz
BRKT mikro canadian - 2.75 oz
Wetterlings 19" axe- 2.25 lb (36 oz)
Fiskars 14" hatchet - 1.25 lb (20 oz)

i have been almost exclusively EDCing the Case stockman since i got it several months ago. i just got the woodjewel, but love it so far and i think it will be my new EDC outside of school. if i start carrying the woodjewel everywhere i might switch my pocket carry to the small Case pen knife.

when i'm packing, i (like most of you guys it seems) go for utility first before weight. weight is a large concern of mine, but i try to cut weight by cutting items from the pack instead of picking lighter alternatives. if i need something that's heavy, i either deal with the weight or i get rid of some other items to make up for the weight.

 

[sodak]

I look at it as good exercise. My wife and I are never racing, but we're not turtles either. I honestly don't even consider the weight, my gun makes all of my knives light. Usually, when we're hiking, water is the heaviest thing we carry anyway, and we've done 10 14'ers here in Colorado.

 

[Wandering_About]

I'm with hollowdweller, that weight makes a big difference in how well you can do the hike you've got planned. Having too much weight in your pack just kills your ability to enjoy the hike, never mind do it well. On dayhikes or shorter hikes, I don't mind carrying a bigger blade, but on long hikes, and especially when I'm above treeline for most of the hike I'll throw in something smaller. I don't want to carry my Peacemaker when I'm at 10,000 feet and five miles from the nearest tree no matter how much I love it. Especially when I'm staring up a trail with 2000 feet up to go.

I also have to lose the weight to keep up with the guy I do most of my long backpacking hikes with. He leaves me in the dust on those long climbs. Flatter ground I can handle just fine, but those big climbs in the mountains can kill me.

 

[Liam Ryan]

I am all for not taking too much gear, but taking the scales off a sak classic is nonsense.
The dirt in the tread of your boots is heavier then that.
I can see a pound making a difference but how many sak classic scales does it take to make a pound? 160.
I'm sorry guys but I am just having trouble wrapping my head around this, I have been on hikes where I had excess gear I never used, which was left behind the next time.
SAK scales were never one of them.

 

[Jeff H]

"Weight" is really only an incidental factor for me since I use primarily "smallish" knives. The knife in my avatar is 2.6 oz - 4.7 oz with the sheath, lanyard and glass pony beads. Hey, it's the fanciest thing I own, and the leather is so nice, I felt it was worthy of some "decoration."

Weight is very important on this one alone because it's my necker and a herniated disc in my neck makes anything more than that painful to carry. For any other knife, it's really more about how the weight is distributed - how the knife acts in my hand, in work, how it balances. I can't really define what makes that work for me but I can tell you quickly if a knife is too "handle-heavy" or if it doesn't "feel" right. for me.

Any of my knives would have to be 3/8" thick to start to be a problem weight-wise and I consider 3/16" more than I need for most applications so I am in little danger of having to worry about weight as a factor alone.

My largest knife weighs 8 oz - a 5" Breeden that is 5/32" thick. It handles very nicely, so that half-pound does not seem much an issue, but it would never be my necker. I am not sure what I am even doing with it because I am so used to smaller ones anyway.

So, no, "weight" is not really a consideration for me because I don't see myself carrying anything large enough that it would add significant weight. If I had to reduce weight, I would sacrifice 5 to 10 pounds off my person before sacrificing what I want in a knife for the sake of weight.