- Joined
- Feb 25, 2011
- Messages
- 651
Tops C.a.t. #200
Tops calls this "A small, strong, versatile knife", i couldn't agree more with this statement. The 3 1/4 inch blade of 1095 high carbon steel has proved itself worthy to a bevy of utility tasks. When i first got he knife in the mail it was far from perfect. The blade could not shave hair and was a poor slicer. Although most knives this thick (5/32) aren't designed and shouldn't be expected to slice incredibly well, this was truly sub-standard.
I reground the blade to an flat-grind 20 degree bevel. This really brought out the best in the blade. I can shave patch's of my arm bald, and while it's not an excellent slicer, it passes muster.
Where this knife really shines is hard use. Ive batoned through 2" thick hardwood like a hot knife through butter. Ive pried, chopped, sliced, and cut through materials from wood, to thin metal. The black traction coating has begun to come of the blade, as i had expected. But apart from that, the knife is in remarkably good condition. Edge retention is fairly good. The razor edge is lost quickly, this is probably due to my regrind, but a working edge is retained for a reasonably long time. This knife truly is a tank.
The kydex sheath is excellent. Retention is good, and there is a heavy duty spring steel clip mounted on the back. The Clip rotates, so that the knife can be carried at any angle, but lefties will be out of luck, the clip can only mount on one side. The clip is removable, but replacing it is complicated.
Overall this knife has an incredibly positive grip in hand. My hand is small (3 1/4" across the palm) but a friend of mine with a larger hand and the same knife has no troubles with it. The micarta is fairly grippy, and the finger grooves are cut deep. The knife is equally as comfortable in a reverse grip as it is in a forward one. My only complaints is that the jimping is almost to sharp. after sustained use, i found myself wishing for slightly subtler jimping.
This beast of a knife is excellent as a hard use small size fixed blade. I even found myself tucking this into my belt and edc'ing it for a few weeks. For around $70.00 this knife is worth every penny. If you're looking for a tough small fixed blade, look no further, this is the knife for you.
Tops calls this "A small, strong, versatile knife", i couldn't agree more with this statement. The 3 1/4 inch blade of 1095 high carbon steel has proved itself worthy to a bevy of utility tasks. When i first got he knife in the mail it was far from perfect. The blade could not shave hair and was a poor slicer. Although most knives this thick (5/32) aren't designed and shouldn't be expected to slice incredibly well, this was truly sub-standard.
I reground the blade to an flat-grind 20 degree bevel. This really brought out the best in the blade. I can shave patch's of my arm bald, and while it's not an excellent slicer, it passes muster.
Where this knife really shines is hard use. Ive batoned through 2" thick hardwood like a hot knife through butter. Ive pried, chopped, sliced, and cut through materials from wood, to thin metal. The black traction coating has begun to come of the blade, as i had expected. But apart from that, the knife is in remarkably good condition. Edge retention is fairly good. The razor edge is lost quickly, this is probably due to my regrind, but a working edge is retained for a reasonably long time. This knife truly is a tank.
The kydex sheath is excellent. Retention is good, and there is a heavy duty spring steel clip mounted on the back. The Clip rotates, so that the knife can be carried at any angle, but lefties will be out of luck, the clip can only mount on one side. The clip is removable, but replacing it is complicated.
Overall this knife has an incredibly positive grip in hand. My hand is small (3 1/4" across the palm) but a friend of mine with a larger hand and the same knife has no troubles with it. The micarta is fairly grippy, and the finger grooves are cut deep. The knife is equally as comfortable in a reverse grip as it is in a forward one. My only complaints is that the jimping is almost to sharp. after sustained use, i found myself wishing for slightly subtler jimping.
This beast of a knife is excellent as a hard use small size fixed blade. I even found myself tucking this into my belt and edc'ing it for a few weeks. For around $70.00 this knife is worth every penny. If you're looking for a tough small fixed blade, look no further, this is the knife for you.
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