Any opinions on TOPs knives?

[carolinaman]

Hi there all,

Last October, I was at a local gunshow and spied among thousands of knives a TOPs Tom Brown scout knife.

Since I had never seen them sold locally, I shelled out $110.00 to purchase it and brought it home. It seems like a well crafted knife, but I have yet to take it out in the field.

Does anyone own them and have an opinion? They are a bit pricey, but I like the linen micarta scales.

Chris

 

[mindpilot]

I have a couple but they are collectors editions so I dont use them. Suppose to be good. i collect many knives and the ones I typically really USE are the Gerger, Spyderco, and Benchmades and I see Wally World is clearancing out abunch of Kershaw made in USA knives that are nice ($30 range)

 

[1911JMB]

They are cool, but pricey for the materials used. I payed full price for one, something I will not do again. They are made from very thick 1095, so they are good at prying. The downside is 1095 won't hold an edge as long as it should for the asking price. On request tops will make a knife out of higher quality steel, but I don't remember what kind.

The bottom line is, if you like tops knives and want another, buy it from the internet. Tops knives are extremely durable, and handmade by some very good people, but they are not worth the msrp.

 

[Soap]

Great knives that are highly overpriced.

 

[ecos]

ive never used tops but i just wanted to comment on 1095 steel...

1095 wont hold an edge as long as many of the high alloy steels that are out. from what ive seen it usually scores about 50% of what D2 does in catra testing(standardized edge retention test) but it is a decent steel. in general the more alloys you add to steel the more brittle it gets. this is apparent when you try heavy prying but what many people dont think of is having a tough edge. edges chipping out/tips breaking is much more common than a blade snapping in half. in this regard a steel like 1095 often time beats many of the high alloy steels.

another thing to consider is ease of sharpening. having access to diamond hones and other good sharpeners makes this less of an issue, but if something happens and you are stuck in the wilderness without a sharpener and you have to make do with a rock or something...it becomes more important.

butchers and chefs use their knives WAY more than the average person...and from my experiences they prefer simple steels like 1095 to higher alloy steels.

1095 has gotten a bad rep in many peoples eyes because it is an inexpensive steel and some companies use it to save money. often times by companies that do large numbers of knives and dont pay attention to the heat treating like they should. years ago i wasnt fond of 1095 or 440c(amongst others) because i had bad experiences with factory knives made from these steels. after i made some knives out of each steel myself i found they can be very usable steels.

ok im done ranting now

 

[hso]

I have had and used Tops knives and have found them to be of excellent design,construction and heat treat and therefore a good deal.

 

[JShirley]

I find the Tracker to be just about the ugliest non-fantasy knife I've ever seen, but it does feel surprisingly good in the hand.

 

[carolinaman]

Hi there,

I agree:

JShirley I find the Tracker to be just about the ugliest non-fantasy knife I've ever seen, but it does feel surprisingly good in the hand.

Yes, but I like the movie The Hunted, which was based on a real story and account given by Tom Brown, Jr. The movie made the knife look pretty good, but it is $250.00 knife that seems to be on back order all of the time.

The scout is the small 3" blade general purpose knife.

ecos. The reason commercial chefs and kitchens use cheaper knives is because knives like the Dexter Russell Sani Safe knives can be replaced easily and cheaply. I know because I have bought over a dozen sets for hotel kitchens that I have worked around over the years.

Chris

 

[ecos]

oops i didnt mean cheap knives... i meant the custom knives ive had butchers and chefs request are usually straight carbon steel not a high alloy...sometimes with prices in the hundreds per blade. this is just from my experiences.

for general kitchen use, yeah cheap is the way to go because of the abuse they get. when i worked as a dishwasher then cook for a couple years chicago cutlery was used quite a bit. at like $10 a knife they were easily replaced.

 

[ghost squire]

I used to be real big on expensive, fancy knives. Now I adopt a zen like philosophy when it comes to big fixed blades.

Ka-bar.

You're always hearing about how its not a full tang so its weak, and how the 1095 steel is suboptimal, how the handle is too big etc etc...

I put about half of my considerable body weight laterally on a ka-bar while it was in a vise, not even a hint of give. I'm willing to bet you could stick these in trees and climb up if you did it edge down and not edge to the side. in other words, easily strong enough unless you're trying to pry open an abrams hatch.

1095 steel: This is approximately the type of steel used in katanas (samurai swords), it was good enough for hundreds of thousands of Marines, Navy SEALs, Marine Force Recon etc. Holds a great edge, low chance of chippage especially in a beefcake like the Ka-bar.

It has perfect balance, you can recontour the handle with a file in 5 minutes, its long enough and then some to do the job even on a Schwarzenegger like opponent... IMO it handles very well for a knife of its kind.

The one thing I feel is suboptimal for my uses is the blade edge geometry. I reprofiled it with japanese waterstones to make it less obtuse and therefore sharper. Its sharp enough for 95 percent of tasks, I just like mine to be air splitting sharp.

In conclusion, it performs to approx. 95-99 percent of what 300-1000 dollar knives do, for 40 bucks. You simply can't beat that folks.

Sorry for the rant, you may now return to your original programming. Tops does indeed make excellent knives.

 

[SAWBONES]

Overpriced and WAY too heavy. Might as well sharpen the sides of a file and put tape around it for a handle.

 

[gunfighter45]

I like them but don't pay retail. They seem to hold up well.

 

[carolinaman]

Hi ecos,

I don't want to side track my own post, but I do agree with you wholeheartily.

Early in my Hospitality Management Career, I worked with some really world class Chef's. Generally, their knives stayed locked up in a "knife roll" or brief case in their office. Knives were really more of a status symbol of their position than a tool used in the Kitchen unless they were involved in a culinary contest or preparing a meal for a VIP group.

Most of the line cooks/kitchen prep help had a choice. They either brought their own knives to work or used the ones provided which recieved little care and constant abuse, i.e. being washed in a commercial dishwasher, being thrown in flat racks or hotel pans for storage. Stainless steel was always present. Most of the knife racks were alway's empty because the knives were being used constantly.

The culinary students that would intern for us in many hotels I worked in brought their own knives and generally they were of better construction, balance and quality. Most had a higher content of carbon steel in the blade and could be more quickly and easily resharpened. Usually, their steel went to work with them and their knife at whatever station they were working at.

Throughout my career, I have had to work in many kitchens and know firsthand that a dull and hard to sharpen knife makes your work day miserable!
When I know that I have to pull "kitchen duty" now, I take my own knives to work. It is worth the effort and the work goes much faster.

If you get a chance and have them available, I would enjoy seeing any "kitchen project" knives that you may be making or have made.

Thanks,

Chris

 

[akluvr]

I have the "scalpel" and the "wolf pup". I do not use them for anything but defense carry so I can not vouch for them as a heavy use knife. The scalpel sure does fit the bill for a good defense blade. I agree that they do seem a little overpriced, but they seem to have just about any design that you would need for any situation. I am still trying to save my money and have the best bladesmith in the world-IMO- VALKMAN- make me a new carry piece. Take a look at his work, good designs, good steel, and fantastic craftsmanship. The price for what you get is pretty darn good.

 

[ecos]

i dont make many kitchen knives(grinding/heat treating tall thin stock isnt fun)and the last ones were awhile ago before i had my digitalcam so i dont have pics. i just got an order for a set of 4 of them but they wont be done for a few months yet. i will post them when they are done if youd like.