Well, one of the things I like about the knife is that it is 3/16" thick. I wanted one with a bit of extra beef in case Murphy showed up. I have to agree with you about the Shango notch,it is an accident waiting to happen. I rather like the kydex sheath, it does not attract water to it like leather will. I don't view it as tactical,more like practical. I do agree the clip sucks,I removed mine and created my own dangler attachment. I can really admire the Tops Cub,but as long as it's priced higher than the BOB I'm not biting. Still happy with my Fieldcraft,but of course I'm not a believer in the "one knife to rule them all" approach. The Fieldcraft does seem to cover a lot of bases though.