Respectfully, when backpacking, I think weight is always a consideration for any piece of equipment.

We ruthlesslessly and relentlessly test items for weight vs. utility. Since you can only carry so much, you make hard and calculated choices. Unless you can afford to hire Sherpas to haul your stuff (boo/hiss!).

I am a knife nut. But if I have to choose, weight-wise, between a heavier knife or better clothing, better boots, better pack, better water treatment, there is no contest. The knife loses.

Bear country? Carry pepper spray, not bigger blades. Might need to harvest wood for fire? Carry a 2 oz. saw blade. Cat sanitation? Watch for a stout deadfall stick on your travels, snag it, put a digging point on the end with your SWAK, and leave it when done.

From what I've seen, the more experienced the backpacker, the smaller the knife he/she carries. There are exceptions depending on terrain of course. But it's perhaps the reverse of the military model of thinking on the subject. I've carried big blades while backpacking, and realized halfway through they were both unhandy and a waste of precious weight. I've learned (well, sort of) to always trust the list I make in the field, and not get carried away by the latest catalogue.

But as you say, YMMV. Truer words were never spoken.