Issue with the tops bob

Bobby3326 · Jun 13, 2015

duro said:
What did you use to sharpen this knife?

I used diamond stones to get rid of the factory secondary bevel (huge pita especially since the only ones I had here are small from a guided kit, took forever), then starting using sand paper and a mouse pad to put the slight convex and ended up polishing the edge using the wsktko and the ultra fine belt.(free handed) I then stropped on leather starting with black, then green compound, and finished on a bare piece of leather.

I'm planning on completely polishing the primary bevel as well, I wanted to make sure the new edge held up before going thru the trouble.which so far it is, it glides thru wood with ease now. It's capable of much finer carving than before, I used it side by side some with my new mora tonight and really couldn't tell a difference when taking smooth controled cuts, (other than the bob is heavier in the hand) I'd still prefer the mora for detail work due to its thickness. the bob definitely outshined the mora when it came to deep cuts and removing allot of material thou.

Bobby3326 · Jun 14, 2015

Well I didn't get a chance to go out and really test these knives today thanks to my truck leaving me on the side of the interstate, but was able to compare the bob with its new edge and the mora in my garage.

I must admit I'm really liking the bob now, and if it's edge holds up thru the batoning and chopping test this just might be my go to knife from now on. (Or atleast until something even better comes along) I did some side by side testing making feathers, carving tent pegs, and making notches with the bob and mora, and the only thing the mora did better was real fine carving, but wasn't by much.

My next camping trip I won't need to make feather sticks since I now have a whole bag full of feathers and shavings sitting in my garage lol.

Bobby3326 · Jun 15, 2015

Picked up some wood from my land today to test out the new edge...did some batoning with it and the edge held up pretty good. I did thou change the edge a lil afterwards as there were a few spots that rolled. I originally set the secondary at about 15° per side but switched it to about 19°per side. from what I can tell so far that added just enough steel behind the edge to make a happy median between stupid sharp and functional. Holds to batoning yet still slices thru wood like butter.

neeman · Jun 15, 2015

Bobby3326 said:
The secondary convexish bevel seemed to be a really shallow and obtuse angle.

Bobby3326 said:
Yes, the factory grind had a really shallow and obtuse convexish secondary bevel.

I have a BOB that I do not use because of the edge you describe
So it does not cut like a scandi but a saber grind with an odd secondary bevel, that does not cut finely

You confirmed my thoughts that in order to get the BOB where it would do fine cuts; I would have to fundamentally resharpen it
Either bring back the primary bevel to closer to zero, but that would be a huge amount of work
Or put on a good traditional secondary bevel and move away from pretending I had a Scandi grind

I have the TOPS MS 2.5 which is the 3" blade with the same quasi scandi grind
I put on an acute secondary bevel which made the blade very sharp, but it was easy as it is such a small blade

Bobby3326 · Jun 15, 2015

neeman said:
I have a BOB that I do not use because of the edge you describe
So it does not cut like a scandi but a saber grind with an odd secondary bevel, that does not cut finely

You confirmed my thoughts that in order to get the BOB where it would do fine cuts; I would have to fundamentally resharpen it

Yes I'd definitely recommend reprofiling if you want a fine slicer. I'm working on finding a happy median between a strong durable edge but an edge capable of fine carving. I started with bringing it almost to a zero scandi then put a deeper more acute convexish secondary bevel on it around 15°per side. If you don't plan on any hard abuse then that would be a great edge. It cut thru wood like butter, better than my mora. However after some batoning I could see that I needed to make it me durable, It now has a deeper(than the original edge) around 19° convexish secondary. It seems like a happy median now, but I'll know for sure after more testing.

neeman · Jun 15, 2015

staying tuned............

Bobby3326 · Jun 15, 2015

neeman said:
staying tuned............

Honestly I think I've found my happy median now. If i change the angle any more it won't be by much. It's still shaving sharp, and will cut circles in phone book paper. Yet is still pretty durable. It will make fine feathers using just the weight of the blade, I feel I have total control over how much material I'm taking off.

Here's what the edge looks like now.

Bobby3326 · Jun 15, 2015

neeman said:
I have a BOB that I do not use because of the edge you describe
So it does not cut like a scandi but a saber grind with an odd secondary bevel, that does not cut finely

You confirmed my thoughts that in order to get the BOB where it would do fine cuts; I would have to fundamentally resharpen it
Either bring back the primary bevel to closer to zero, but that would be a huge amount of work
Or put on a good traditional secondary bevel and move away from pretending I had a Scandi grind

I have the TOPS MS 2.5 which is the 3" blade with the same quasi scandi grind
I put on an acute secondary bevel which made the blade very sharp, but it was easy as it is such a small blade

Just seen your edit, yea bringing it to a zero scandi is allot of work and was my original goal. After starting thou and really getting an idea of what I was dealing with the plan changed. I did bring it close then placed the slight convex on it and made the secondary not as shallow...I think just making the secondary deeper and more acute would bring the performance closer to what your looking for with less work.

I think the scandi style primary grind works excellently with the slight convex secondary I put on it. It kinda gives it the best of both worlds kinda feel...I feel it out performs my convex knives and my true scandi mora with the control I have. Light pressure gets fine shavings just gliding the knife across the surface, but with heavier pressure it bites deep into the wood removing allot of material.

Thomas Linton · Jun 15, 2015

Bobby3326 said:
Well after a few swipes on the strop it'll cut circles out of phone book paper...sharp enough for me lol

And thin enough for you. The one is, in great part, the result of the other.

Really nice close-ups.

Spameater12003 · Jun 15, 2015

I have a Ken Onion WS. My BOB was good to go out of the box other than putting a 90 degree spine. But I decided it could be better.

Used my KOWS at 20 degrees with the first two standard belts and sharpened to the burr with each. Then set to 22.5 degree for a secondary bevel and finished to X4 belt. I then took it to a leather strop - black, green then bare leather. Wow, sharpest I have ever made a knife. Had an old mattress and I could just press the BOB lightly into the mattress and It would cut. Tried it with several other knives and though they were all sharp none could push cut into the mattress.

Since then I have been experimenting with other convex micro-bevels. There is more the the KOWS than just a metal removing machine.

Love my BOB by the way. Even love the sheath. A little ranger band and I don't miss my Becker pockets as much. It is my primary belt knife now.

Bobby3326 · Jun 15, 2015

Spameater12003 said:
I have a Ken Onion WS. My BOB was good to go out of the box other than putting a 90 degree spine. But I decided it could be better.

Used my KOWS at 20 degrees with the first two standard belts and sharpened to the burr with each. Then set to 22.5 degree for a secondary bevel and finished to X4 belt. I then took it to a leather strop - black, green then bare leather. Wow, sharpest I have ever made a knife. Had an old mattress and I could just press the BOB lightly into the mattress and It would cut. Tried it with several other knives and though they were all sharp none could push cut into the mattress.

Since then I have been experimenting with other convex micro-bevels. There is more the the KOWS than just a metal removing machine.

Love my BOB by the way. Even love the sheath. A little ranger band and I don't miss my Becker pockets as much. It is my primary belt knife now.

Hmm I have the kows as well, got me thinking....how well does the edge holds up? May try it on it if I decide to change it...

I've never even thought about using the kows to even do that...ingenious

Spameater12003 · Jun 16, 2015

Bobby3326 said:
I've never even thought about using the kows to even do that...ingenious

Thanks but credit must be given to some other member as I read about it on this forum. Can't remember who but glad to pass it along.

Bobby3326 · Jun 17, 2015

Ok I've come to the conclusion I have a bob with a defective heat treat. I'm on my 6th sharpening now in less than a week...The edge holds well to slicing tasks, but any slightly ruff use it starts chipping again. Light batoning and chopping immediately I start seeing lil chips appears.

*update*

So I called the store where I bought it from and apparently they had a few other complaints from people who bought the bob about the edge chipping. The guy I spoke with was actually quite knowledgeable, After speaking with him a few minutes he told me to bring the knife in.

When I arrived we talked for few minutes, I explained to him how I originally thought maybe it was just a burnt factory edge which should've been resolved by simply sharpening past it. Then then informed him that it's been sharpened 6 times a various angles in just a few days and each time it still starts to chip with light use. I even finally used the ko work sharp free handed to really take the edge down. You could visually see how much steel I'd already removed. I've removed more steel from this knife in a week than I've removed from my bk2 in 3 years, and its seen some pretty use...

So luckily the guy being knowledge was a huge benefit to me, he realized it clearly the heat treat was defective and allowed me to return it. They gave me an option for an exchange, but I'm thinking they possibly might have received a bad batch given my 2 experiences and the few other complaints regarding the green and black g10 bob specifically . They had the Brown micarta version but not really into that color thou the micarta does have a much thicker more comfortable handle on it. So I'm thinking I'll order the black micarta bob online and pray its heat treat is good.

Bobby3326 · Jun 22, 2015

got my new tops bob in today, I ended up getting another g10 version, except I ordered it online this time instead of going thru the previous retailer. Not only did I save $30, but looks like I got a good one this time around. Did some initial testing that destroyed the previous one and followed up with batoning some dried pine that was full of knots and it worked as it should.

No blemishes in edge and shaving sharp still. Thou the sheath is considerably tighter drawing the knife out than the other.

ocnLogan · Jun 22, 2015

Bobby3326 said:
got my new tops bob in today, I ended up getting another g10 version, except I ordered it online this time instead of going thru the previous retailer. Not only did I save $30, but looks like I got a good one this time around. Did some initial testing that destroyed the previous one and followed up with batoning some dried pine that was full of knots and it worked as it should.

No blemishes in edge and shaving sharp still. Thou the sheath is considerably tighter drawing the knife out than the other.

Its kind of a bummer that the first knife had a bad HT, but that can happen with any knife, its just usually a pretty small chance.

Good to know you got it all worked out

.

Bobby3326 · Jun 22, 2015

ocnLogan said:
Its kind of a bummer that the first knife had a bad HT, but that can happen with any knife, its just usually a pretty small chance.

Good to know you got it all worked out .

Yea I was leary ordering another, after having gotten one out of the box with a large chip in it, then a defective heat treat on the next.

I was starting to think I must have the worst luck in the knife world (I just discovered the day before all this happened with the tops that my Gerber strongarm had a bent blade when the kydex sheath I ordered for it wouldn't fit)

Bobby3326 · Jul 2, 2015

Ok so initially I thought the new bob had a decent factory edge however with a lil more use it dulled out pretty quickly and wouldn't strop back to sharp. Plus it really wasn't performing as I wanted it too. The good thing thou it wasn't chipped up.

So I reprofiled to perform as I need it too, and it's made a huge difference. I began by going out to my property and chopped into sections some seasoned pine. I then brought a few of those sections home with me for further testing. The piece I started with was almost as wide as the blade is long so I had to start batoning along the edges. This was one of the hardest pieces of pine I've ever batoned, I had to wail on it pretty hard to even get it started, then to only be greeted by knot after knot.

Well after pounding away on the log for awhile I got it split up, and proceeded with making a featherstick. After some heavy chopping and pounding the knife thru knots the edge was mint still. Easily slicing paper and shave arm hair still.

This is what I expected the bob to be and the reason why I wanted it originally.

The traction coating didn't hold up as well as the reviews I read mentioned..I'm guessing they never really pounded it thru wood to find out.

Bobby3326 · Jul 5, 2015

I'm so I glad I decided to give the bob another shot, the more I use it the more I love it. I generally like to give new knives several testing sessions in the comfort of my garage before taking them out into nature where I'm depending on them to function properly. Given my previous experience with the knife I've tested this one more vigorously, and it's definitely proven itself reliable this time around.

This is one of the best performing knives in it's size I own. It takes the heavy abuse of batoning and chopping with ease, while still being able to do the finer tasks with ease. This thing can make some super fine shavings, honestly I prefer feathering and carving with the bob over my mora companion.

Also since reprofiling the edge it not only performs way better, but also the edge retention is remarkable. I've done a ton of batoning, chopping, feathering, and carving with it and it's still hair shaving, paper slicing sharp.