Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter 15017 — 2.79 inch drop point blade in CPM-S30V

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Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter 15017 · Drop Point
2.79″ blade · 0.12″ spine · 2.81 oz · ~1.25″ tall

Spine thickness, same scale

0.12″

Length and spine thickness drawn to true scale from published specs. Outline traced from the maker's side-profile photo.

Benchmade

Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter 15017

Hunting FixedFixed Blade

The Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter 15017 is a 2.79" drop point fixed blade in CPM-S30V, flat ground. The handle is Stabilized Wood. At 2.81 oz it sits 7th-lightest of the 22 fixed-blade hunters here, where the median is 4.1 oz.

Blade: 2.79″
Weight: 2.81 oz
Steel: CPM-S30V
Price band: Premium

Best for

Skinning and breaking down game

We don’t have a verified retailer link for this knife yet. We only link products we have confirmed resolve to the right item — here’s why.

Specifications

Manufacturer-published figures, cross-checked against benchmade.com, knifeworks.

Blade length: 2.79″
Spine thickness: 0.12″
Blade shape: Drop Point
Grind: Flat
Steel: CPM-S30V
Overall length: 6.42″
Weight: 2.81 oz
Lock: Fixed
Handle material: Stabilized Wood
Country of origin: USA

Why a drop point

The default hunting and EDC shape, and the safest general answer. The spine curves down to the tip in a convex line, which keeps the point low and strong and leaves plenty of belly for skinning. It is hard to make a drop point bad at anything.

Every drop point here →

About CPM-S30V

The long-time American benchmark. Holds an edge far longer than 420HC and still sharpens on ordinary stones. Chippy if you pry with it.

Edge retention

3/5

Toughness

3/5

Corrosion resistance

4/5

Ease of sharpening

3/5

1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other. All CPM-S30V knives

What owners say

Drawn from 128 owner discussions of the Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter 15017 since 2024. The opinions are theirs. The specifications above come from the maker.

What owners like

A daily user that holds an edge: one owner uses it around their property to cut open hay bales, cut branches and handle chicken treats, and says it stays sharp.
Game knife of choice for some hunters. One hunter calls it their preferred game knife, another says theirs works wonders and wanted something similar to gift for an elk hunt, and another uses an S30V one as their duck hunting knife.
Small enough to wear every day: one owner who is not a hunter calls these little fixed blades awesome, and two owners' everyday loadouts include it in a kydex sheath, one of them for work around the home.
Custom sheath makers cover it. Owners carry it in kydex from Fox Valley Custom Kydex and Grommets Leathercraft, an Armatus Carry sheath, and a custom leather sheath one owner says holds the knife securely even upside down.
Turns up cheap secondhand: one owner found one at a thrift store for $35.

What owners flag

The stock leather sheath is the main complaint. Owners call it bulky and hard to conceal, garbage for carry, and terrible, and one cut the sheath more than anything else with the knife.
Sheathing it can go wrong: one owner slipped while putting it away and cut their palm.
No aftermarket scales: one owner searched for replacement scales for the 15017 and found nobody making them.
Feel does not suit everyone. One buyer considered returning it the day after purchase because it did not feel right in the hand or feel high quality to them.
Smaller in person than expected: one owner of the S90V version says it is much smaller than they imagined.
Clones exist: one buyer called theirs a pretty decent clone, a tester measured a clone at 57.0 HRC in unknown steel, and two others asked whether theirs was genuine.

Hay bales, ducks and game: owners use the Hidden Canyon Hunter as a small working fixed blade around the property and in the field. One owner's daily user cuts open hay bales and branches, one hunter calls it their preferred game knife, and another uses it on ducks.

A 2.79 inch S30V drop point on stabilized wood at 2.81 oz is light for a hunting fixed blade, and one owner says theirs stays sharp in daily use. The stock leather sheath is the consistent problem: several owners call it bulky or poor for carry, and carry photos show it in aftermarket kydex or custom leather. One buyer found the knife itself did not feel right in the hand, and one owner who went looking found no aftermarket scales.

Esee Izula II, the Benchmade Flyway and White River's Model-1 Skinner are what buyers weigh it against, and the S90V version with a kydex sheath is the in-house alternative. It suits someone who wants a light, small skinner or belt knife and is ready to replace the sheath; anyone wanting a larger blade should note one owner found it much smaller in person than expected.

What should I replace the stock leather sheath with?

Owners have gone several ways: kydex from Fox Valley Custom Kydex or Grommets Leathercraft, an Armatus Carry sheath with Pull The Dot snaps, a kydex sheath with an Ultimate-Clip, or a custom leather sheath that one owner says holds the knife securely even upside down. One owner who upgraded to the S90V version says it ships with a kydex sheath.

Is it big enough for hunting?

The blade is 2.79 inches. One hunter calls it their preferred game knife, one says theirs works wonders and asked for a cheaper knife of roughly the same size and shape to gift a friend for the friend's first elk hunt, and another uses it on ducks. An S90V owner says it was much smaller than they imagined.

Can I get aftermarket scales for it?

One owner who looked for scales for the 15017 could not find anyone making or selling them, and the same question has been posted at least twice more. No owner in these records reports finding a set.

Are the cheap lookalikes any good?

One tester measured a Hidden Canyon clone at 57.0 HRC in an unidentified steel, and another buyer called theirs a pretty decent clone. Two others have asked whether theirs was genuine, one also asking whether the price was a good deal, so check the seller.