TOPS BOB Fieldcraft Knife ?

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here's a pic for you Ranger
 
I dig it, I will have to find mine, all I could find the other day was a couple of scout models...
 
Like I said--I like everything about it except the thickness. I wouldn't feel undergunned with one out in the woods for sure! I actually would feel OVERgunned. I like a thin scandi more.
 
If i didn't already have my Spyderco Bushcraft knife i would buy one for sure!
This is the first Tops design i've really liked.
 
silverbullets said:
I bought one but have not tried it out yet, feels really good in hand, certainly worth the money they were/are asking. I think it will make a nice bush blade
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I just bought the TOPS BOB on USA Blade for $115.
I knew nothing of TOPS, and I don't know what a Scandi grind is. I am a novice in knife knowledge.
When the knife arrived it far exceeded my expectations Aesthetics, construction, and quality. At a first glance the grind looked like a coarse grit was used, and I thought it might not be ground to be sharp and handle any fine cutting. Then I got some spectra braided line of 2.2mm DIA out and the TOPS knife pushed right through it with a clean slice. Worked so so good. Then I grabbed a scrap of hardwood and I was able split splinters.

It's the best knife I own. Thanks TOPS!!!!

www.sturgillspearfishing.com
 
dustyyoungblood said:
I just bought the TOPS BOB on USA Blade for $115.
I knew nothing of TOPS, and I don't know what a Scandi grind is. www.sturgillspearfishing.com
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Glad you like it. It seems like a practical tool.

The "Scandi Grind" as popularized and defined by British "bushcrafters" is a "saber-ground" knife with no secondary bevel. That is, when the flat stock is ground to create a sharp edge, the single grind on eash side of the blade is continuous to the ultimate edge - one plain "V." As a result, the knife can be sharpened by laying the bevel on a flat sharpening "stone" and abrading away metal.

Almost all the knives called "Scandi" ground fail to meet this definition as they, like the TOPS BOB, have a secondary bevel - another grind to the cutting edge from the primary bevel that is less acute than the primary bevel. This is how knife makers in Scandinavia, Finland, Germany, and the U.S. (among others) have been making knives for generations, and it works just fine. The makers think it is better than the "Scandi" grind.

So why use the word when it does not communicate? Apparently, labels sell. This leads to "scandi" "with only a small secondary bevel" or "only a micro secondary bevel" or "modified scandi." (See slightly pregnant. See also "Tactical" or "authentic jeans" or "giant economy size.")
 
I just got one
I am in a hotel for this visit to California so I cannot go into the 'field'
The knife feels awesome in my hand
And It feels like I can do anything with this knife
It is my first 3/16" knife and is definitely heavy duty
For just $100 it is okay as a price
I purchased a Blind Horse Dangler sheath which puts it just where I want it to be

Totally do not care for or about the fire stick or the notch, I will se if it works
But not an issue for me as I use a fire stick and a striker seperately


mistwalker said:
So, it is actually a true scandi grind?
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True?
It is not a zero grind
It is not a micro bevel
It is a convex at the edge, as if a zero grind had been stropped many many time
 
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mistwalker said:
So, it is actually a true scandi grind?
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I have one & have had the chance to play with tit just a little but so far I love it ! My "shango notch" worked just fine. IT does a have a micro bevel Mist Walker. The one thing I did not like wast the belt clip on the sheath, it puts the knife riding to high on my hip so I added a piece of leather making a "dangler" loop & now it rides perfect ! Here is where I took my knife out...
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1122758-Out-with-the-Boys-today
 
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coaldigger said:
I have one & have had the chance to play with tit just a little but so far I love it ! My "shango notch" worked just fine. IT does a have a micro bevel Mist Walker. The one thing I did not like wast the belt clip on the sheath, it puts the knife riding to high on my hip so I added a piece of leather making a "dangler" loop & now it rides perfect ! Here is where I took my knife out...
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1122758-Out-with-the-Boys-today
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I picked one up a while back. So far I really like it, I'll do a review later. To me, once you remove a little coating off the pommel at the notch it works fine on hard surfaces. On soft surfaces I just use the edge to scrape if needs be. Or sometimes I take the lazy way out and use a lighter. The one I have came with a really sharp edge.

The ignition system for these flames was a zippo...the winds were up...











I also like the bullet separating lanyard hole. For this I used the edge to scrape the supplied mag/ferro rod to keep from scattering the tinder material.















 
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Well, I pulled it out of the sheath while holding the sheath in my other hand. 6 stitches across my palm concluded the flesh cutting test.
 
dustyyoungblood said:
100% my fault.
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No offense intended, but I sort of suspected it was. I have had several of TOPS' kydex sheaths and have never had a failure. Mine came sharp enough I can just imagine how well it could easily lay open a hand...

On the plus side, now that your weak hand is a bit sore you can practice using the provided thumb-push swell on the spine side of the sheath :)
 
Broke down and ordered one earlier today. Got it from knifeworks for $99 + $8 UPS shipping. As far as I know knifeworks is a paid advertiser to this site. I'd like to try the Cub knife,but for the money I'll get a Becker BK14 or 24. :)
 
Received Fieldcraft knife today,blade came sharp enough to cut into paper,suspect light stropping will perfect it. Came with note that stated twice that the clip was non removable. Pried away sticky rubber disc from back of clip,revealing hole. Found allen wrenches,used appropriate size wrench and removed clip. That word,I do not think it means what you think it means. I'll make a dangler attachment tomorrow.

I must say the handle is quite comfortable,of course you never know until you put it to work. Looked at Shango notch with great distrust. Would much rather Tops had affixed a metal plate to the end of the tang,like the Skookum. I like the large lanyard hole,much better than on some knives where you have get the cord through with a probe and lubricate it with cuss words. I think the attached fire starter is a neat concept,and will leave it in place for emergencies. I do prefer my standard ferro rod for regular use though.

I like the knife and am glad Tops refrained from calling it the "Vector Ninja Killer" with "Pirate Destroying Shango Notch". Can't wait to butcher some wood.
 
Ok I took a few pics of mine today,with dangler attachment in place. I'll probably re-do it at a later time. I want the kydex part to form onto the Top's sheath better,and the leather I used is a nit too old and cracked. Then again people say I'm too old and cracked too.





 
hello, thanks for sharing your comments on the Tops BOB fieldcraft. i too hope to change the spring metal buckle with other type of buckle. a question for you sir i hope to carry the knife when i'm backpacking, what would be the best way to modify the factory sheath so that i could carry the knife and wear backpack at the same time? and is it easy to purchase dangler buckles? or other types of buckles? please help me out. thanks in advance. Randy from NJ
 
I purchased a Blind Horse Knives #9 dangler sheath, which makes for a great carry

TOPs sells a Ballistic Nylon Combat Sheath 5" - 7" that should fit the BOB
 
I posted this on the ESEE 4 or BOB thread

I was using the BOB this weekend

It is a great knife
BUT

"It is heavy to carry and heavy in the hand"
It is 3/16" thick, and this is my first (and last) bushcraft knife that is 3/16th thick
There is nothing that this knife with its design that it could not do in 1/8"
I do not feel there is anything added by the extra thickness, and the unfortunate extra weight

The fire stick striker cutout is a waste of time
And makes even light banging with my hand of the top of the knife, to split small kindling, very uncomfortable
I will have to grind it flat and round it

There is no flat ground spine for a fire steel
(sorry the BOB guys, but why)

I do not like the kydex sheath of outdoors
It turns it too tactical and is not a comfortable carry
And eventually the thin metal clip will break
I purchased a BHK #9 dangler sheath

I would look closer at the DRAGONFLY 4.5 and then the TOPS CUB
Both are 'scandi' and 1/8" with nylon field sheaths
(There is a great review here of the DRAGONFLY 4.5)
 
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