Dang! Joe Flowers, great lookin Tops Machete you designed!

R

RickJ

Joined
Mar 2, 2003
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3,381
I think the new Tops Machete that Joe Flowers help design is the sh--!!!!! Can't wait to get one, great job Joe!
 
I was admiring it too, looks pretty sweet!
mac230_add1.jpg
 
Its pretty sexy. Lose the index finger grove! But I like the rest of the package!
 
kgd said:
Its pretty sexy. Lose the index finger grove! But I like the rest of the package!
Click to expand...

That's what I thought when I looked at it. I'd need to feel it first, though. Sometimes grooves are a great idea, others.. not so much.
 
Not really doing it for me...looks like an Ontario with a long handle. Congrats on another sale Joe.
 
Got to play with one at Blade. I like the slight counter-balance of the longer handle. I've been thinking about picking one up.
 
Every time I pick up my 18" Ontario, I think about giving it a longer handle. I look at the 2" space between the handle and the edge, and imagine making that area either have a big choil or just making the whole area more narrow.
A two handed grip can be good sometimes, but then I start wondering what if it had a really long handle, so I can grip it like a Katana, a whole hand with gap between my hands? Then I wonder how long the blade could deal with that much power.
 
That is nice. Would love to handle one. I'm sure Joe will get us all a deep bladeforums discount so we can all give it a try. :)
 
Cool stuff! I agree that the finger notch doesn't do much for me, but the rest looks solid! It does look suspiciously like a long Ontario with some extra holes added at the base of the blade to allow the handle to be extended upward/add the nifty double lanyard holes. Makes me wonder if the is sort of TOPS' take on Bark River's modded Ontario.
 
I do see a similarity in the Ontario shape. Is this a modified 18" Ontario blank? Some of the measurements are dead on, or make me think it's a good possibility. The grey paint job looks to cover all but the very edge like the Ontario, I'd rather see a convexed edge without the paint on the bevel.
I will give credit to TOPS for their even grinds. I own 3 of their knives, and all are excellent, exact lines, even edges, and they sharpen their tips very well. Compared to an Ontario, that machete tip looks great, they seem to have improved that area for sure. Okay, the Ontario's are rugged and their unsharpened tips don't really take any damage and are there for digging, maybe. I'd rather see them sharpened all the way personally. I'm glad Bark River did that, and now TOPS. TOPS even went so far as to put a point on theirs, way to go! I assume the HT and F&F are great, and that it comes sharp, but it seems like it's on the heavy duty side vs. a light/thin machete. That's not a bad thing, but not a machete for every situation.
Just from the pics on their website, I see the standard sort of sheath, the nylon with a plastic insert, is what it looks like. I'd rather see kydex myself. I think Blind Horse Knives' machete has a great looking machete, with those open sides.
I bet this machete has potential, it's priced right @ $99 right now, but looks like it might go up in the future. For the suggested $129 MSRP, I'd want a kydex sheath, is that too much to ask?
 
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You'll notice that the tip on the 230 is one that could easily be cut/ground fron the straight-spined nose on an Ontario. The rounded nose on Ontarios forces you to grind in from the spine a little bit to reestablish a fine point--I do that to a less extreme/stylized extent when doing the work on my "Special Grade" 12" Ontarios. The 22.5" overall length makes me think it may be one of the Ontario 18" models, which are 23.5" which would give just enough extra length to account for material removed by docking the nose and cleaning up the handle.
 
I could see the handle providing for a 'hand-and-a-half' grip, but it does look like a funky design from the get-go. Heavily dropped point Latin machete... I personally don't see the need to own this guy.
18 inches of kydex would greatly increase the price. That's alot of material...
 
I measured my 18" as well, 42Blades, we're thinking the same thing.

Payette, once these modified machetes start getting fancy, they start loosing their value/function ratio. I admit I got one of the Bark River modified Ontario machetes, but I got it second hand, and I think everything they did made it into a different machete. IMO, the TOPS has improved several aspects, over the Ontario, but it still has the same basic shape, maybe more weight with bigger micarta scales, and added a sheath that I would rather not have to buy.

If a person has no means to modify their own Ontario, maybe this is an option for them.
 
foxx said:
I measured my 18" as well, 42Blades, we're thinking the same thing.

Payette, once these modified machetes start getting fancy, they start loosing their value/function ratio. I admit I got one of the Bark River modified Ontario machetes, but I got it second hand, and I think everything they did made it into a different machete. IMO, the TOPS has improved several aspects, over the Ontario, but it still has the same basic shape, maybe more weight with bigger micarta scales, and added a sheath that I would rather not have to buy.

If a person has no means to modify their own Ontario, maybe this is an option for them.
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It looks like a fair price for them given all the upgrade work and that street price should be under $100, but I agree that I feel no need for this particular piece. Looks like a reasonable addition to the "boutique machete" machete genre (up there with Blind Horse, Fiddleback, etc.) but I already have some Fiddlebacks and I like Andy's designs better than this example. Lots of folks don't have the time or means to upgrade an Ontario to that level, though, so it would be a great option for those looking for a premium machete made with 100% USA components.
 
im a sucker for these heavy duty machetes i already ordered one and should be receiving in a few days hopefully. i cant wait to put it up against my power eagle and junglas. im not to sure about the finger groove but and sheath yet but for half the price of my those two knives me likey
 
--I like it. I recently modded a Tram and put a similar set of scales on it. The handle had to be stretched out a bit in order to provide for the two grips you get out of it. The higher grip for that occasional precision work and the rear for the long swing. Mine are carved out of wood, and customized for my grip so the scales are not quite the same shape but the concept is the same.
 
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