I have been looking at the Tops knives..... man do they look cool, and what a variety! My question is, with so many styles, are they designed with multiple purposes in mind, such as blade cutouts on some, odd shapes? To me they just look bad to the bone....but... With just a 1095 steel, most are priced well above a hundred dollars. 1095 is great and all, but knives of that steel traditionally do not command a big price. As I look at the tops I keep thinking....I could get a Bark River with a much higher grade of steel for nearly the same prices. Am I missing something, or is this just a different strokes for different folks, and their variety of mean looking knives hooks some of us into wanting them, even if there may be better choices for the same money. Just looking for some thoughts. AI
I've never owned one but have handled a few that friends had while hiking. Very nice knife, but unless there is something special about the heat treatment, their prices (for the most part) seem high for 1095. Like the OP mentioned, you can get better steel (relative term) for almost the same price. Just my humble opinion.
Don't discount carbon steel because it is not the latest powdered metal super alloy. 1095 is a tough, strong steel that will take and hold a great edge. In fact it may be better for a hard-use blade than the newer stuff. People are kinda scared of carbon steel because it can rust, but TOPS coats the blades to control corrosion, so that shouldn't be an issue. Knives made from carbon steel that are 100 years old are still serving people well. As for the price issue, the prices on their site, like all mfrs are MSRP. You can definitely find then cheaper if you look around.
I've read lots of controversy about Tops and their prices, but have always read good stuff about BRKT. I would put my money in a BRKT knife if I needed a sturdy fixed blade, but that's just from what I've read, I never handled a Tops or a BRKT knife. I agree though, they look . The BRKT are more subtle but very handsome nonetheless.
I have a TBT and a Moccsain Rnager. They bare awsome in the filed combined with a RAT-3 and you will be ok.
Ive read a lot of things about them also, and a few months ago decided to try it out and purchased a couple. to be honest, I did not find anything that made them worth the price. Waited for a good trade, and unloaded them.
Outdoorsperson Could you go into any detail on what you did not find lived up to your expectations? Thanks a bunch. AI
I had a bush ranger that had slightly loose handle slabs. and didnt fit the tightest in the kydex sheath. I also had a anaconda 9 with camo finish that suffered from a gap in the right handle slab and the grind of the blade was not the same depth the whole way thru. small matters but like I said, given the price I wasnt impressed. to me they were both 60-100 dollar knives. I found nothing special to them and after numerous runs in the bush with the anaconda, it didnt seem to hold a edge that suggested it had some uber tactical heat treat. nothing really wrong with the knives, just for the price I guess I had higher expectations.
i had a Wolf Pup for years. great knife. rough finish, but i also didn't pay full price for it. my only real criticism is the ridiculous 'names' on the blades. regardless of the quality and design of the knife, when you start writing "Devil's Elbow", "Combat Alley" and "Devil's Claw" right on the blade you're entering mall-ninja-Klingon-battle-blade territory. that said, a damascus ALRT is high on my want list.
