TOPS D.a.r.t. (s30v)

I can't believe how well that s30v held up to hard use I figured it would have chipped out somewhere along the line.
 
Trace Rinaldi said:
Mr. is WAY too formal for me sir. You can call me Trace. If you ever want to come out to N. Idaho and test knives, we can make something happen...;) Again glad your making good use of that DART. THR
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Well thanks Trace. Oh that's just what I need, another reason to want to hit the hills of N. Idaho. I have thought about it for years...but lately it's been really hard for me to get that far away from home. But...I will see what I can do :) . Oh, the DART has found a home. I'm thinking since the coating is all scuffed up anyway now I may strip it and see how it looks, maybe make a dangler sheath...I've been spending a lot of time exploring lately...

Take care out there,

Brian

whetrock said:
I can't believe how well that s30v held up to hard use I figured it would have chipped out somewhere along the line.
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I have read how S30V will chip out fairly easily, but from what I read that was mainly when it was sharpened to a really steep angle, or a really thin fine edge. If you look at some of the pics you can tell that, while the knife is very sharp, it isn't sharpened to that high of a degree. I'm just guess but maybe 20-20 degrees. Plus Paul Bos really has a lot of experience with S30V. I've read a lot of mixed opinions over the years so I really wasn't sure what to expect...I just knew I had been really impressed with the heat treats on all of the other TOPS knives and went on faith. I am really pleased with how well it is doing.
 
Mistwalker, it's always a pleasure to read your reviews. It's nice to see a knife being used as A KNIFE once in a while! Excellent work.:thumbup:
 
That's a pretty sweet blade. I'd have been pretty apprehensive buying a large blade in S30V, but after this review, not so much.

Unfortunately, your excellent review makes me miss my folks' 40 acre farm more than ever. One of those things you never know how much you're gonna miss it till it's gone. It's mostly chopped up into acreages now.
 
Corpus said:
That's a pretty sweet blade. I'd have been pretty apprehensive buying a large blade in S30V, but after this review, not so much.

Unfortunately, your excellent review makes me miss my folks' 40 acre farm more than ever. One of those things you never know how much you're gonna miss it till it's gone. It's mostly chopped up into acreages now.
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I think it is too. I had some reservations at first...still had questions and wonderings...but in the end went on faith after having a good deal of experience with both TOPS knives and Paul Bos' heat treats. I have always been impressed with both and I am no less impressed with this one. Thanks, glad you liked the review.

I know the feeling. My Grandparents had a 200 acre farm in the next county to the west. Half cleared and half timber, with 5 streams on it. My brother inherited it and kept it for several years, but now all but the 16 acres he gave one of his daughters is a subdivision. I know he had his reasons, and that they were good ones...but I hate even going over there now, it's depressing.
 
Another outstanding review mistwalker!
I did check out the price of the DART... whoa some serious coin there at $350.
If they did a 1095 version hopefully it would drop the price into the low/mid $200 range... still some serious cash, but a little more in reach!
 
Daniel L said:
Another outstanding review mistwalker!
I did check out the price of the DART... whoa some serious coin there at $350.
If they did a 1095 version hopefully it would drop the price into the low/mid $200 range... still some serious cash, but a little more in reach!
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Thank you, glad you enjoyed the post. Yes, it is a little pricey, and I do hope they do a run in 1095 just because of that. But one thing I have learned is that in the field, a knife in a design I really like and know for sure I can trust is worth a little more. I have put several TOPS knives through hell and have yet to be let down.
 
Mist, i see you mention Paul Bos a few times. Is he doing all of TOPS heat treat now? If so, when did they go from Rowen to him? Or anyone in between? Thanks!
 
beestokk said:
Mist, i see you mention Paul Bos a few times. Is he doing all of TOPS heat treat now? If so, when did they go from Rowen to him? Or anyone in between? Thanks!
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I don't know if he does all of it or not, I just know for sure that he did on the DART and the MilSPIE 5 I have and both of those are stainless. I heard Rowen hasn't done their heat treating in some time now though.
 
I know this is a really old thread, but I don't feel like this question really warrants a whole new thread. I love the review of this knife, and it looks sweet. However, I'm only seeing it in 5160 right now; has production stopped for the s30v model?
 
I love these blade, it is the perfect shape that I have been looking for. I can't seem to find videos of any anywhere (am I blind?) and I wish there was a few, really helps with getting a better look at the knife. Very nice review here and the pictures are great, wish I had one!

p.s does anyone have experience with the 5160 steel? I have tons with 1095 and love it, but none with 5160, how does it compare?
 
Have no worries about 5160. Good stuff. Some say better than 1095. IDK. I can't tell the difference. It holds an edge well & is easy to resharpen, just like 1095 Cro-Van in BK&T blades.
 
High King said:
I know this is a really old thread, but I don't feel like this question really warrants a whole new thread. I love the review of this knife, and it looks sweet. However, I'm only seeing it in 5160 right now; has production stopped for the s30v model?
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The S30V version isn't on their website anymore so I guess they have stopped production. Maybe there was interest in the design but hard to swing the money in a tight economy. I suppose it's possible if there was enough interest in an S30V version again they might run a small batch.


izhmash47 said:
at bladehq I saw both models, the s30v one is out of stock though, I hope that changes
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I doubt it will in the near future.


izhmash47 said:
I love these blade, it is the perfect shape that I have been looking for. I can't seem to find videos of any anywhere (am I blind?) and I wish there was a few, really helps with getting a better look at the knife. Very nice review here and the pictures are great, wish I had one!

p.s does anyone have experience with the 5160 steel? I have tons with 1095 and love it, but none with 5160, how does it compare?
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Thanks, glad you liked the review. It's a sweet design that chops like a bigger knife than it is. I've had a couple of TOPS knives in 5160 and they have been really tough. They take and hold a good edge.

I got a 5160 version a while back, and I'm planning on doing a review of it later on.

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The best compliment I can give you is to say you have a way of making me look at knives I might have passed over otherwise.
 
Thanks. Over the years I have passed on some knives that later when I got a better look at them I wished I hadn't. A lot of the time the photos on websites and in catalogs don't really do the knives justice, so I try to do enough angles that a person gets a better, look plus sees how the knife performs in different tasks. It's easier to make a decision then if you like the knife or not. I know not every knife is for everyone, but having a better look sometimes helps a decision to be easier on whether or not one likes the knife.
 
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