Opinions on Tops knives


TOPS? Funny looking. Those slots and humps in the blades of some models are highly annoying to me. Way overpriced too, I think. Come on, US$200 or more for a plain old 1095 production blade? At that price point you could get a custom working fixed blade, and maybe even in a nicer steel to boot...

PM
 
I had a TOPS Stormrider a short while ago that I got in a trade. It had good fit, even grinds, and was all in all a decent knife using a decent albeit plain Jane steel. The design, with the sawteeth, bumps and holes was somewhat on the impractical side, IMHO. I sold it for about half what they usually go for, which was about what I thought it was worth, and even then it took a bit of time to sell. But it all depends on what you want!

Ryan

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For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23


 
I have a Dawn Warrior double edge.Bad ass!!!!
Reasnoable too.$150.00 at a gun show.Kydex is pro.Nice #hit.
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Don't own a lot of fixed blades but it is a keeper.
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have a"knife"day
 
I have a Steel Eagle 107 Hunters point,
It has always done well by me,solid and comfortable,Good knife IMO.

Kevin
 
King,
Do a search on "TOPS" here or in the reviews and testing section and I think you'll find several threads that may give you some specific insight regarding the TOPS line. Most accounts indicate a high level of fit and finish. As long as you understand the inherent limitations of 1095 steel (versus some of the more recent offerings), you should be well prepared to make your own price/value determinations.

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Semper Fi
 
When i got into the business i wanted to sell quality that all could afford.a short conversation with Mike Fuller the boss convinced me something was special.i have since become a TOPS dealer/coordinator and have had great success with TOPS stuff.they fly off the table at shows and ive only had to replace one knife.the knives are tough,well made and backed up to the max.i am a full time police officer and i trust my ass to a couple of different TOPS cats and interceptors.
 
Most of the TOPS designs are low on practicality (try to saw wood with the sawteeth sometime and you'll see) and high on sex appeal. That's why they fly off the tables, good sex appeal and marketing.

The micarta handles look comfortable, as long as they didn't screw them up with deep, sharp serrations in the middle of your palm (see FireStrike).

The blade designs look like marketing BS to me. The "Steel Eagle" is the worst example. Saw teeth, lots of holes, weird blade grinds, tantos, etc.

Depends on whether you want to impress the unknowing, or get a good using knife.

I'd get a Busse and tolerate the CS if you are serious about a tough using knife and skip the TOPS hype. And buy a small folding saw that works like the $25 Gerber.

(I gave up on Carbon steel for most of my knives a while back due to rust spots that developed in my low humidity, air conditioned house. Yeah, I'm not willing to oil them every time I use them I guess).

Indeed, 1095 is 0.95% carbon so makes a good, hardenable carbon steel blade but it will rust, I repeat, it will rust unless you are super diligent about oiling or Tuf-clothing, and rust means dull. 1095 is a very inexpensive material to buy in sizes to make big knives and is super easy to heat treat from what I read.

Usually, big working knives are not hollow ground either. Hollow grinding allows you to get a very fine, slicing edge on a knife, and allows easy and long term resharpening.

Flat grinds are better suited for knives subjected to the things a big knife often gets subjected to. Specifically, flat grinds give better support (think triangle) behind an edge subjected to chopping or banging or prying.

Better still are the convex grinds, but those are usually only on custom hammer/anvil/forged type knives.

Ok, so despite the fact that they "enlisted the support of six special operations experts with service around the world", I'm not buying their designs.

Go ahead, flame me, armchair commando's. Better yet, really show me and buy one and try to saw something with the sawteeth. And try not to cut your hand with any of the sharp edges or sawteeth under heavy use.
 
I own a Model#302 Interceptor and I just
love it. It is one kick *ss knife!


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"ALWAYS WATCH YOUR SIX"
 
I got a Wolf Pup from Hammerhead some time ago and I'm satisfied in all respects.Beautiful quality, reasonable price, even the sheath is WAY beyond the ordinary. If you see a style that calls to you, you will probably love it!

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AKTI Member #A000934
"Always just one knife short of perfection!"
 
I've had a Wolf Pup for 3 months feel's good in the hand and has great weight for a 2 1/2" blade and a good Kydex sheath with clip. It's been a good work knife and would make a good skinner. Give $45 off a gun show table (only $59 new). For this price I highly recommend it.
 
Too bad the TOPS knives AREN'T hype. Most people seeing them for the first time do think that they are impractical, but using them soon changes their mind. I own an Anaconda 7 an there are no "weird blade grinds." The tanto tips are questionable, but they still work great and TOPS offers clip point options on all their blades. The grip serations do not hurt your hands but instead provide a very secure grip.
Now there are no serrations or holes on my blade but Jeff Randall (a very well recognized survival expert) who posts here often has tested these knives and say he was skeptical at first but now he loves them. He says the holes provide very practical applications and I've heard that the saw teeth work as good as any other out there(they are also optional. As for the 1095 steel: First of all, Along with Livesay, TOPS doesn't have the usual Ontario 1095 machete steel. They temper it and work to way beyond usual performance. Plus you ever try sharpening A2, D2, or ATS-34 steel. It can be done but it takes awhile to do it well whereas 1095 can be done very quickly. If the knives are used for their intended purpose(survival)the more easily and quickly they can be sharpened the better. In conclusion don't knock these blades till you try them.
 
I haven't handled one of these knives yet, so I won't say whether they're good or bad.
I'll say they LOOK kind of ridiculous to me, but looks can be deceiving.
They look to me like the efforts of a VERY good machinist trying to show off his skills and doing a VERY good job of it.

The one thing I will question is their prominant placement in every ad that their knives are "hand made."
Hand made?
Does this mean someone used the finger on the end of their hand to push the button that started the CNC Bridgeport?
I can't for the life of me see any "hand work" in the pics they use for their ads.

Exactly what does "Hand Made" mean now days?
Has it become the knife world's version of "Low fat?"
As in; LOW FAT! (compared to pure lard)

HERE is a GREAT area for AKTI to make itself useful.
Why not make an effort to set industry wide standards for,
Hand made,
Hand finished,
Hand assembled,
Individually Machined,
and
Production.
This might go a long way towards killing hype and breeding Integrity in the knife industry.

(To mark my 400th post on BFC, I just submitted my membership for AKTI. Thanks Mike and Spark for a great forum!)


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I cut it, and I cut it, and it's STILL too short!


 
rdangerer, I agree with you about hollow grinds, but there are hollow grinds and then there are hollow grinds. This is a very shallow hollow grind, which leaves much more material than a typical hollow grind, or at least it appears so to me. Also, if you were to take a completely flat ground blade in the same steel as the TOPs, I think you would find that the material down at the edge is just as thin or maybe even thinner. The extra material due to the thickness for more than half of the full width of the blade makes for a much stronger knife than a full flat ground blade.

Aside from that, the ergonomics of the Anaconda is incredible. It feels better than most knives I've handles and own, and I own many good ones.

Ken, you bring up a topic that came up a long time ago in the forums, which you may remember. May not be a bad idea to start a new thread on that subject.
 
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