iMessage File Size

Hey everyone! Got an iMessage file size question. Got a new 5S and while managing my iCloud account, I was just keeping track of the size of everything. This got me to looking around on the phone and I noticed when I go to setting>general>useage, my iMessage file size is at 1.8GB!! I went through and deleted a ton of old messages as well as ensuring none of my saved messages had any large photo's or anything like that hanging around. I checked my iPad which has about the exact same amount of stuff on it, to include messages, but the iMessage file size on that device is around 16MB...what gives? What's causing the large file size and what can I do to reduce it?

Sync your phone. It'll clear our any temp/deleted data

No dice. Plugged it in and sync'd...nothing changed. Still 1.8GB of Messages!

Is there anything else to try before restoring as new?

OK...so I think I may have found the issue/culprit and it may be legit; and my fault! I have a message string to one person that goes back to at least April of '13 (when you select Load Earlier Messages). It's full of pics and everything else.

So...new question...

Is there a way to save this message chain for access later and delete it off my phone to get rid of some of that file size?

I was about to post that if the sync didn't clear things out then that must genuinely be the size of your messages files! But you beat me to it.

There are a number of tools for backing up files from your phone.

I favour iExplorer. It's paid for but I've had cause to use it for numerous things and it's always just worked without fuss.

There's an article here that offers more ideas.