I keep looking at this thread's title feeling something is amiss.

I just realised it is the very concept of 'backup.'

I hear this term in firearms, usually a smaller caliber in a

compact package: What the late Colonel Cooper called " sending a

destroyer to 'back up' a battleship." It seems reasonable that

you should first be reasonably sure you won't lose or destroy

your primary blade. If you can't do that, then buy TWO to lose

or destroy. About the only use I see afield for backup blades

are the packers of tactical swords. You know; spreading peanut

butter, cutting paracord, making fuz sticks, striking firesteels.

Good point. And that's exactly what I carry a back up blade for. I have a primary knife that I use for almost everything, and a smaller back up that I use for spreading butter, making fuzzsticks, pulling stickers, etc. I'm not man enough to use a 6-or 7-in. blade to pull stickers from my hand. I call it a backup blade for lacke of a better term. I suppose I could just call it a little knife, but that lacks flair.

Kris - something lost in translation maybe? I tend to carry (when canoeing) a bushcraft scandi grind blade in my dry bag (principle knife) and I was considering whether to replace that with a thicker more "survival" style blade. I also want a "back-up" blade that i can easily carry on my body in case of total gear loss in a capsize (a small chance I know - but thats half the fun of acquiring kit....). I have settled on a RAT Izula which turns up thursday (looking forwards to puttting a paracord wrap on it).

Incidently when I'm not in a canoe I don't tend to carry anything more than my bushcraft blade ( a Ben Orford custom Woodlander)on my belt and a small spyderco in my pocket.

Thanks for all your posts and I'm looking forwards to my trip down the Green River this Autumn (sorry "fall")
Moab

It took tremendous damage doing woodcraft tasks. Evidently the full flat grind wasn't strong enough to support the edge with the steel and heat treat.

Have you looked at neckers, such as the Becker BK11 and Fehrman Thru Hiker? Nice little knives!