TOPS Fixed Fieldcraft from Pawn shop Damaged Edge?

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chooma

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Jun 6, 2015
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477
http://imgur.com/a/dV2bs4F
Hi guys, me and a friend stopped at a local pawn shop as he is looking for a used bike. I took a look at the knife section and could see a nice looking fixed blade. I asked to see it and was surprised to see it was a TOPS Fieldcraft. It had a $69.00 tag on it but I got it down to $60.00. I didn't look it over very carefully and I now notice what look like and feel like a couple nicks on the edge, see pics.

Is the edge repairable?
I do not sharpen and I hardly ever use a knife this big.
Should I just leave it the way it is?
If it's repairable, would it cost more to repair this blade?

Thanks guys
 
chooma said:
http://imgur.com/a/dV2bs4F
Hi guys, me and a friend stopped at a local pawn shop as he is looking for a used bike. I took a look at the knife section and could see a nice looking fixed blade. I asked to see it and was surprised to see it was a TOPS Fieldcraft. It had a $69.00 tag on it but I got it down to $60.00. I didn't look it over very carefully and I now notice what look like and feel like a couple nicks on the edge, see pics.

Is the edge repairable?
I do not sharpen and I hardly ever use a knife this big.
Should I just leave it the way it is?
If it's repairable, would it cost more to repair this blade?

Thanks guys
Click to expand...

That edge looks fine. Is it sharp? There don't appear to be any notches in it, so I'd say you got a great deal at $60 for it. I'd take it out in the woods and beat on it. Heh, you should see mine, it looks way worse.
 
It’s hard to tell if it’s just flat spots or rolled. If it’s rolled you could repair it by reverse sharpening(that’s what I call it). Instead of pushing the blade over the stone, you pull it backwards and it’ll straighten up the rolled areas. If it’s just flat spots you can sharpen them out normally.


Tops uses 1095 for nearly all their fixed blades, 1095 can be sharpened relatively easily. If you don’t have the stones on hand to sharpen them yourself, you can literally buy a $10 Arkansas stone from a big box store and clean it up on one of those. No special supplies necessary(except the stone, haha).
 
I can maybe see some very minor nicks. Nothing a good sharpening can't fix. If you don't know how to sharpen yourself, then ask your local knife store if they know someone who can do it for you.
 
Like others have said, looks fine, and even if there are a couple tiny nicks, no big deal. If the rest of the blade is sharp, I would just use it as-is until it needs to be sharpened, after which there shouldn't be any evidence they were ever there.
 
Damn, that's a good find, all I ever run into in person is junk. Before you even try to sharpen it, I would run it down a butcher's steel a few times to see if the edge will just straighten out. A $5 steel can help keep your edges aligned while taking very little metal off the blade, which is a great maintenance combo. TOPS 1095 sharpens easily and takes a good edge, and as an added bonus it isn't one of their tactically-silly models too.
 
Looks like a great find! I'd use this as an opportunity to get a whetstone and learn how to sharpen. Even if you don't get it mirror finish sharp, learning how to put a workable edge on a blade is an invaluable skill.
 
Read up a little on sharpening, use common sense and the bottom of a ceramic coffee mug.

You'll likely surprise yourself.
 
Use it the way it is and then sharpen it when it needs it. Those little edge aberations should sharpen out.

Coffee mug? I would much rather use a stone. Sharpening anything more than a small knife is a pain in the butt on the bottom of a mug.
 
Looks fine to me too. Use it, and when it gets dull, sharpen it. I know you said you don’t sharpen, but you do realize what happens to knives over time when you use them, right?

Learn to sharpen your knives. It’s easier than you think, and you’ll be able to maintain your own gear. Don’t overthink this aspect of it. Good luck, and congrats on the great deal. :thumbsup:
 
;) That edge damage is just awful , probably hopeless ! :rolleyes:

But because I'm such a nice guy , I'll give you 1/2 of what you paid . :p
 
That is a great deal for $ 60.00. Grab it. If it needs to be sharpened who cares, it is meant to be used. Have one and it is an awsome knife at new prices, that is a very good price at $ 60.00.
 
chooma said:
http://imgur.com/a/dV2bs4F
Hi guys,....
Is the edge repairable?
I do not sharpen and I hardly ever use a knife this big.
Should I just leave it the way it is?
Click to expand...
lol!!!
first real knife huh??! :-)
you can count your lucky stars
that its practically "new" or
rather not abused.
the cord doesn't appear to be stained,
the kydex or whatever has no visible
scratches.
figuring that the handle probably doesn't
even smell bad :-)
i dunno how bad the knife's edge really is
from your pictures as it isn't microscopic
enough to tell the kind of damage it had
undergone.
but its a good excuse for you to really
put it to use before deciding
to have the edge "mended" to perfection.
its a nice find, enjoy using it sometime!
 
Your next task is to acquire and learn to use some sharpening stones or buy a sharpening system. It is just part of the owning and using knives. For your new knife, I would suggest a Norton India Stone (1" x 2" x 8") which come with coarse and fine sides (~$15). That will take care of things until you get into the higher end steels and move to diamond plates/stones like DMT's. Practice a bit and you'll be fine.
 
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