TOPS Knives - Who is out there?

K

KnifeFury

Joined
Sep 21, 2006
Messages
752
I was just curious, I have been scanning the blade forums for sometime and you do not hear too much about TOPS knives. Are there any TOPS fans out there?

I own a few, including the Steel Eagle, Armageddon, Lone Falcone, Tracker, & Scalpel. I have really enjoyed these toys. What is not to love with 1/4" slabs of 1095 steel used for outdoor destructive hacking!

Especially the Steel Eagle 107C with the Hunter Point. I love this knife shape! I was also fortunate enough to get one with one of TOPS excellent Nylon sheaths with the kydex inserts - I do like those sheaths.
 
I think they are fine knives (and built in my home state) but IMO they are overpriced for what you get. They are very attractive to my eye though.
 
I agree, the retail prices are pretty high. But at a knife show two years ago (here in SE Michigan) I met Bill from Michigan Knives. Great guy and local for me to buy toys. He carries a large variety of TOPS knives for very good prices:
http://www.michiganknives.com/tops_knives.htm
Every TOPS knife I have came from Bill and I have stocked up on TOPS knives!

I have also looked at TOPS knives from:
http://www.topsknives.com/
http://www.discountcutlery.net/en-us/dept_23122.html
--> Between these three sites (incl TOPS website) it is hard to believe just how many different models TOPS carries!
 
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I've had an Armagedon for a while. It's a good knife, but TOPS didn't mark it correctly. It's made from 1095 steel, but it's marked S30V. That makes me wonder, some, about quality control.
 
I recently found the below thread on Bladeforum. I must admit I agree with "Rat Finkenstein". The edge profile that comes on the TOPS is great for a chopper but leaves much to be desired for a cutter.

My Scalpel does indeed require some sawing effort to cut through things. Eventually I will have to modify the Scalpel and Lone Falcone to something closer to what "Rat Finkenstein" showed for it to be a good user.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=436185
geometry.jpg
...........
geometry3.jpg

Where on the left, the "black" is the TOPS profile and the "grey" is the modified.
 
KnifeFury said:
The edge profile that comes on the TOPS is great for a chopper but leaves much to be desired for a cutter.
Click to expand...

Even for chopping you really don't tend to want low sabre hollow grinds and extremely thick and obtuse edges. Efficient chopping blades have the same type of cross section Rat described in the above. The really heavy cross section TOP's blades chop very poorly for their size and weight because they have little ability to transfer power on the swing into cutting ability into wood. They work best on really soft woods like clear pine in which penetration isn't an issue because the wood is so easy to cut.

-Cliff
 
Please don't quote the spammers. The spammers make enough work for the moderators without you helping them.
-Cougar :{)

My apologies, but I am trying to remember who I quoted and about what!
 
I finally learned how to post pics (I can upload pics to My Yahoo for free)! Here are my TOPS toys! :D

2006-12-09_TOPSToys.jpg
 
yeah, like 'em, got one TOPS-knife left (also had the mocassin ranger, black rhino and the border crossing).

still got the steel eagle 107 (got it as a gift from my brother, for whom i initially bought it, go figure that one :)...)

. the EXACT one on the picture, THAT'S my steel eagle :)

TOPS%20Steel%20Eagle%20107D%2011%2025%2006%20-%20front.jpg
 
I agree that those I've handled seem to be well made from a quality of construction standpoint, but also that the factory blade and edge geometries seem to be more about looking cool than actually useful for cutting (or chopping) anything. One of the principle advanteges of the new-defunct ABS cutting competitions was that knifemakers were actually being encourage to use their own knives, and you saw a rapid transition from low saber/deep hollow grinds to full flat and convex. If only there were a similar performance demonstration venue for production companies...

And yes, I know, you give up some (though realistically, not very much) strength/durability by going to thinner edges and higher grinds, but you also--when your blade will cut more easily--don't need to swing nearly so hard and so are far less likely to make a mistake by hitting off of your intended target or at a bad angle. If you look at professional quality woodworking axes, whose sole job is chopping and also generate FAR more stress on their edges due to the mass of their blade bodies, they are thick at the handle juncture and then taper to thinner edges than many large knives do--TOPS especially. Again, this is not my way of saying that these are bad knives--they're well constructed and (from what I've heard, anyway) their quality control in terms of heat treatment and the like is good, but they're simply not optimized for much of anything as they come from the factory. Spend some time slowly and carefully reprofiling those edges and you'll have a more useful tool.
 
Cliff Stamp said:
The ICCT is so open, though I would be critical of using the work they do as representative of actual knife use.

-Cliff
Click to expand...

True, though at least enough actual cutting is involved for there to be an incentive to utilize a blade geometry that won't get the maker left in the others' dust--dead last with children laughing and people throwing rotten vegetables. ;)

You're correct, though--they have the option of participating if they wish. I should have said I wish there was more of a peer-pressure incentive among production companies to compete. Not any kind of "required" thing, just an all-the-cool-kids-are-doing-it vibe.
 
I have a scalpel and an anaconda good knives bu I got them at a show and paid about 100 bux for both of em. I think on the whole for 1095 knives they are way overpriced.
 
most of TOPS knives are overpriced indeed IMO, although some really feel nice in the hand, and the rough-micarta handles are awesome, even better than G10, i love it. the knives are all handmade and finished very well, pretty much a custom knife with lots of work and effort put into it to make it look the part. i especially like the thin white-micarta 'liners' inbetween some of the micarta handles, very nice. they also come with a really sharp factory-edge and the black coating helps prevent patina and rust. the steel (1095 carbon) is easy to sharpen and the blades are tough-as-nails-prybars. their kydex-sheaths with belt-clips are great as well. one of the best sheaths i've ever held and wore actually. some of the bigger models require an additional Tek-Lok on the sheaths though, because the carrying-balance isn't optimal with just the belt-clip

true though, most models look like they were primarily designed to look 'tough'. i've handled lots of TOPS's, and most don't feel very ergonomic, and most have weird bulges and notches that serve no purpse whatsoever, other than adding more weight

admitted though, my Steel Eagle is primarily a wall-hanger.....it's just too heavy to carry around. i'd say 70% of the TOPS line-up is big, thick and heavy fixed blades that are more suited for chopping down tree or for a make-do weapon of mass-destruction (someone on the forum mentioned this term and i think it's the perfect way to describe a knife like the Steel Eagle)

i DO like TOPS knives, but mainly the few ones that are just right.....

JMO and YMMV

denn

PS. buy 'em on the 'bay or some other good sources, and you can really get great deals. pop me an email if you want to know a good supplier for reasonable $$$'s
 
t1mpani said:
I should have said I wish there was more of a peer-pressure incentive among production companies to compete.
Click to expand...

Once it becomes $rewarding$ to do so it will. I would just like to see more makers/manufacturers actually say what thier knives are supposed to have been designed to do and how this is reflected in the materials/geometry.

-Cliff
 
Just found this thread.
I talked to a TOPS rep a couple months back, the Armageddon was one we discussed. The sample he showed was marked S30V, he was telling me the steel used was 1095. When I pointed out the sample in my hand did say S30V he said the first ones actually were, but currents are 1095, as is the one I now have here.
So, I'd say if you have one marked S30V, it may very well not be mis-marked.
Denis
 
GoodGuy said:
I've had an Armagedon for a while. It's a good knife, but TOPS didn't mark it correctly. It's made from 1095 steel, but it's marked S30V. That makes me wonder, some, about quality control.
Click to expand...

DPris said:
Just found this thread.
I talked to a TOPS rep a couple months back, the Armageddon was one we discussed. The sample he showed was marked S30V, he was telling me the steel used was 1095. When I pointed out the sample in my hand did say S30V he said the first ones actually were, but currents are 1095, as is the one I now have here.
So, I'd say if you have one marked S30V, it may very well not be mis-marked.
Denis
Click to expand...

Wow, than "GoodGuy" might have a gem on his hands! :cool:
 
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