TOPS/Anaconda 7
- Thread starter MaxPower
- Start date
dano
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 1,587
TOPS is at the local gunshow every once in a while, and they appear to be a good quality knife, though i've never used one...check out www.survival.com for info...
--dan
--dan
Howdy- I have been using an Anaconda 7 for about 2 months. It feels pretty good in the hand. I am five foot seven at 170 pounds, so it is just right for me. I am not a knife expert, but I can give a positive report on this knife. It takes a razor edge fairly quickly. It holds a good edge though I'm not yet sure how long the razor edge will last. I have just learned how to sharpen it to a razor edge, so the edge holding observations begin now. The handle is quite comfortable except for the ridges milled into the top of the tang. They tend to push into the hand, which is exactly what they were designed to do, of course. Adds a bit of security to the grip. I may use a glove for extended chopping. I also added a lanyard for more security. I like this knife because it replaces any other chopping tool I may have needed previously. On my pack trips I take a Swiss Army Hunter and The Anaconda 7. No need for a heavy hatchet, etc. I have used it to strip kindling wood from a fire log, cutting with the grain, hitting the top of the knife with a thick stick. I have used it to clear roads of fallen timber 2-4 inches thick.I have roughed out walking sticks and made a throwing stick, and many other things. I feel confidence with this knife. It works quickly and does not fatigue your body. A well directed whack will do the job merely with the weight of the blade and a sharp edge.
As I said, the knife feels better in my hand with a lanyard added for safety. It is a hefty chunk of steel and tends to go where you send it. Better to reign it in and control it with a lanyard. The Kydex sheath is extremely tough, though it is easy to drill through. I added a velcro strap to the top at the handle area because the sheath wasn't as secure as I like. Had to drill a couple holes to attach the Velcro. The sheath is very comfortable to wear, and sits away from your body just enough to stay out of the way. Of course you can feel it there, but it is suprisingly unobtrusive for its' size and weight. I miss the beauty of leather but this one will last longer.
The black coating on the blade is beginning to wear off just above the cutting edge and at the top of the big grind that leads down to the cutting edge. After all I have hacked through so far, I am impressed. And a recoating and sharpening are free from the manufacturer anyway.
It carves well with the index finger in the choil, though you wouldn't be able to do what only a smaller knife can. One part I have not "figgered out" yet is the bone scoring tool. It can be used to break chain link fence with a twisting motion, though I can't remember the last time I had to do that. I'll have to go get some bone to check it out.
The curve of the knife at the handle/tang gives a nice fulcrum effect that increases the power in chopping. And the knife is really cool to look at It is one bad blade, as the current lingo would have it.
Anyway, that's the review from someone who doesn't know much about knives but is having a great experience with this one.
Rykken
As I said, the knife feels better in my hand with a lanyard added for safety. It is a hefty chunk of steel and tends to go where you send it. Better to reign it in and control it with a lanyard. The Kydex sheath is extremely tough, though it is easy to drill through. I added a velcro strap to the top at the handle area because the sheath wasn't as secure as I like. Had to drill a couple holes to attach the Velcro. The sheath is very comfortable to wear, and sits away from your body just enough to stay out of the way. Of course you can feel it there, but it is suprisingly unobtrusive for its' size and weight. I miss the beauty of leather but this one will last longer.
The black coating on the blade is beginning to wear off just above the cutting edge and at the top of the big grind that leads down to the cutting edge. After all I have hacked through so far, I am impressed. And a recoating and sharpening are free from the manufacturer anyway.
It carves well with the index finger in the choil, though you wouldn't be able to do what only a smaller knife can. One part I have not "figgered out" yet is the bone scoring tool. It can be used to break chain link fence with a twisting motion, though I can't remember the last time I had to do that. I'll have to go get some bone to check it out.
The curve of the knife at the handle/tang gives a nice fulcrum effect that increases the power in chopping. And the knife is really cool to look at It is one bad blade, as the current lingo would have it.
Anyway, that's the review from someone who doesn't know much about knives but is having a great experience with this one.
Rykken