I'll stick with my "brace the knife and pull/scrape the ferro rod" technique.... kinds like pulling a chainsaw starter string.... it funnels the sparks without risk of knocking your tinder pile or worry about cutting edge orientation. Works with Moras and folding Buck knives...so I'm confident whoever is reading this can make it work with what ever 90° spine or relatively sharp edge....
Finally pulled the trigger on this knife. Just ordered it. Plan on using to for my smaller bushcraft knife as well as my hunting knife. I hope I'm not disappointed as this is the most I've ever spent on a blade.
I just purchased a TOPS BOB knife, so I'm looking forward to using it. I got the "tumbled finish" model that doesn't have any powder coating, so I need to make sure to keep it cleaned, dried and oiled, but it should have less drag. I totally agree with you and Chris at Prepared Mind, the jimpping is crazy sharp! Did they test it out? I will probably have to wear some Mechanix gloves for heavy-duty use or maybe I'll try to file them down a bit! Otherwise, it sure is a SOLID, well-built knife, with a nice thick/durable spine, and very comfortable in the hand (just not the thumb!). Thanks for another great review bro - you seem like a genuinely nice guy!
Yeah this is been my first official Bushcraft knife purchase I'm happy with it so far mine is exactly like yours except my serial number sup on the middle of the blade rather than near the t'ang...
I have that exact knife, and it is a very high quality. Tops is trying to make the color more tan than light green. I love Tops knives. And the fire rod has changed also.
i just discovered and wanted to share my findings with this knife and the fire steel shanko ? notch problems most have been having . i have found that my 1/2 by 5" fire steel works incredibly easy !!! it fits the knotch perfectly theres no trying to hit or chip like most say you need to you just slide it down the steel with ease and wow it lights up big time i think the steel or flint is to small for that knotch cuz im telling you it works amazingly well with a big fire steel just wanted to pass on my findings with you first
This is another great video from you! I have the same knife with the brown handles and black coating and it has been my go to knife ever since I bought it. I have had it for about a year and a half now and the most I've been able to do to it was "polish" the coating a little bit from batoning some wood . I didn't really like the notch at the back as a striker and I ended up filing off the coating on the spine a bit and now it throws sparks like a champ just like any of my other knives. I like the grind on the edge because I have yet to dull it, I also forgot it on my boat one time for like a week and it rained half the week. The metal clip on the sheath rusted more than the knife did (Though it did get a little oxidization on the blade). It's fallen into the French River with me (Three times in ten minutes lol) It's gotten fires going when no one else at camp could and while it is a little heavy it's really solid. Thanks for the video and for helping me reaffirm to myself that this knife was a good buy and not just an over priced piece of steel!
All knives are able to be thrown, I use to play "Splits" with my buddies using a Buck 112 but a Drill Sgt. relieved me of its weight during A.I.T. now I use a large Sebenza 21. A few years ago, (before the China flu) i purchased a Kizer fixed blade, not sure of the model but it is a Bowie style knife and for the money, I have no complaints on the quality. That being said I do love most of Top's knives.
Hi Brian, I love your videos! I still laugh every time you do the balance test - especially with TOPS knives! 😆 One of my favorite memories from Boy Scouts was when we had a knife/axe throwing 'range' set up - so fun! (We did it in a safe way with adult supervision, keeping distance from the thrower, and no one could go out on the 'range' when people were throwing - run like a shooting range). I learned it is mostly about having a consistent throwing force and getting the right distance from the target. Something I wanted to share is that one guy had some targets made of palm tree trunks cut fully across so they were large, thick circles and then he attached them to a board. The nice thing about palm tree wood is its fibrous nature, and the knife really sticks into it and the wood can handle a lot of throws without chipping and breaking apart. It might be a challenge to find an old palm tree to cut up (you said you're living in Georgia - we were in [. . . embarrassed to say] California 🙄, so plenty of palm trees!).
Thanks for this great vid. I bought a clearcoated BOB from the Tops booth at the 2015 NRA Convention. I love it. They make some cool stuff and the guys from Tops are really friendly and helpful. The toughest part was choosing between their cool designs. That is where Survival On Purpose came in. I remembered this video and went for it. Thanks for reminding me that Tops Knives are not meant for throwing. I could have been seriously injured or worse.. I could have damaged my knife.
Tom Olofsson That would be a real tragedy. Bodies heal but broken knife is a broken knife ;-) I would have liked to go to the convention. Maybe next year.
Hi everyone, At first, thanks for the reviews and comments. It was a good help for choosing my new knife. Received mine a few days ago, and took it on the field for a short 3 days trip, moist and cold environment. Blade is very good, no need to come back on that. Now, regarding the ferro rod. The solution is very simple cause the problem is just the low quality of that rod. I just replaced mine with a good and thick "light my fire" rod, which fits almost perfectly in the sheath, and problem solved. No use to grind your blade or strip the coating (too bad for such a beautiful blade), just get a rod of good quality. Now, that being said, I think that for such a price (I paid 125$) it should be delivered with a proper fero rod. Too bad we have to invest another 15$ to finally get a good equipment. It's always a good idea to wear gloves while using a knife, specially with that one in cold weather because the handle becomes very cold as well. Kray-ex handle would have been great. Last remark nobody mentionned is the drainhole at the bottom of the sheath (more a slot than a hole). Beware cause it's too thin. The natural physical property of the water (internal tension) will make it impossible for a drop of water to drip from the sheath !! I must admit I don't know much about metal but I guess a bit of mineral oil would help protecting the blade against moisture.
Survival On Purpose One minute with a sharpening stone will put a 90 degree angle on the base of the handle next to the shango notch as well and leave the coating(which I actually like) in tact and throw nice sparks and shred wood for tinder nicely.
Glad you like yours, it is pretty attractive. Really nice review of it. I own one, and love the knife for bushcraft but B.O.B. screwed up with the fire striker bevel in the end. It takes one bad thought to take the whole beauty down, and I am not modifying a knife after paying over $100.00 for it, that is just ridiculous that we would have to do that to make it work as it should so I am selling mine as I have never taken it to the field because of this flaw in its design. I use a Morav Carbon. I wanted to like it but nothing is perfect. B.O.B. just do not listen to customers.
Okay it's a nice solid knife with a great edge. I don't like the teeth on the back and the striker seems to be a sub optimal answer to a problem. My Bk 16 isn't much of a sparker either but it doesn't have some of the other issues and costs much less. I have a slew of knives and this isn't going to be one of them. Thanks for the review.
I just got this knife today and I love everything about the knife and was looking up why I couldn't get any good sparks at all, my only complaint is that it needs a good 90 on it, great review.
Don't know if you look at anything this far back but, thanks for the review. You saved me $100. I was going to buy this knife until you pointed out that you couldn't strike a ferro rod on the spine. I had to file a RAT 7 to get it to work. Not doing that again. I bought a Mora black instead. For me, a bushcraft knife has to have a sharp spine. Thanks Again.
I purchased this knife recently. Found that the spine, near the tip, strikes a ferro rod perfectly. I agree that the notch on the handle end is almost useless.
I believe you can get a leather dangler now..ive yet to buy one..I did serve in the Army and it was my first interdiction to Tops knifes , guys had them to cut C4 and several other tasks..they did like the sheath though it allowed them to mount on a kit..im late to the game on your channel..I had Jeff Crowner make me a Bushcraft blade its beastly
These are really great knives. I stripped the coating from the blade, filed the spine to 90 degrees, and replaced the kydex sheath with a leather dangler. The edge on the shango notch is hit or miss. If it is sharp, it works well. I don't use mine.
The lack of a 90 degree spine, and blade coatings, will never not annoy me. Especially considering how easy it is to remedy. I put a 90 degree spine, reduced the jimping, and removed the coating, as soon as my TOPS BOB arrived. Took no time at all. Now it is one of the best knives I have ever owned. And it is my preferred hunting knife as well. From field dressing to skinning.
Tapered file, sand paper, and emery cloth. I would typically use a Dremel, but I am out of the proper bits for sanding and polishing. The file, paper, and cloth work just as good though. Just takes a few more minutes of work. Since you are removing a mil or less, if you just want to make them less aggressive.
im looking at this knife in 154cm and i intend to use it as my primary outdoor knife for everything. im talking camping, skinning, food processing, and bushcraft. this would be the most expensive knife i would own and i am very much sure i would be nervous that this would break on me. i do own a large ferro rod from amazon (bayite i believe) and it has a paracord and stiker attatched to it. i tell you what, the freakin striker with my bayite, i get some REALLY good sparks. i think once i do get the knife though, i will hit the spine of the knife with some sandpaper to get a crisp 90 angle instead of using that little thing. i would also look into a leather sheathe that would have a drain hole because i dont think that sheathe would do well in the rain much.
the belt clip on the sheath is a pretty good spark thrower and the uncoated part where the tip tapers down throws sparks aswell (where the scandi grind is close to the tip.)
Just use a carbid scraper and avoid it all. Minimal weight and bulk as you are already carrying the FS and works better anyways. And use blade only as last resort imho.
Good video Brian. The Fieldcraft is a good knife. The fire rod is not meant to be your main fire starter, it's called an Emergency Fire Starter. The notch works better with practice.
The spine near the tip will strike a fero rod without modifications. The Shango Notch is a gimmick. I got myself a BOB after watching several reviews, used a dremel tool to smooth the jimping, and in 2018 it is still my go to knife. It just works and is easy to sharpen.
Say Heah Brian, Yeah, I just put the B.O.B. but in the 154 CM Stainless on my wanna, wanna list. But I'm noticing how the newer knives are using this type of blade profile, like my Mora Garberg, also my Fox Pro Hunter, Kansbol, and Oh Yeah, my Steel Will Druid 240. I almost forgot about my Druid 240. I got a few knives all at one time so it wasn't used as much since I used some of the other ones first. But the purpose of me getting my Druid 240 and I teamed it with my Druid 230. I use this set for wet conditions. Thanx for sharing one of my future knives.,,.
I've had one of these since they came out (different color). I ended up using paint stripper and removing the coating in line to the end of the knife edge. I then took a file to the spine and gave it a 90 degree edge. I also did a petina finish on it afterward using boiling vinegar. The steel on the spine is SUPER soft. The edge is heat treated very well, but they under treated the spine IMO and it makes it hell to keep the 90 degree edge on and almost impossible to get decent sparks off of with flint. I've used the knife a lot and beat the crap out of it. It works well and resharpens fairly easily. I never use the notch on the back, just an awful idea. I agree that with a few minor changes on how they are making this knife it would be one of the best. For $50 more one can get one of the newer model Jeff White knives and they don't have any of the above problems and all the same benefits.
A couple of folks told me to try the some near the top and it works pretty well for striking a ferro rod. I think it's probably harder too since it likely hottie same heat treat as the edge.
I just would have to have one in my hand of the model Mora with the full length tang construction first before i order one.... Reviews are good , i'm impressed, so many BushCrafters really like them... But once the smoke cleared and the dust settled i ordered the Tops BOB last night.. I had break it down to a coated blade or not... I really like the look of the model you tested out... One again very well done.. I see Tops offers that model in 154CM steel, i own knives with that steel... I like them...
Just now getting this notification. Purchased my first fixed blade should be in soon. Picked the Ontario Blackbird SK-5. It has a coyote sheath and should handle anything I can throw at it (for now). Thanks for the Awesome gear reviews Bryan!
I have the same knife and I can attest to the fact that the "Shango" notch is useless. The sheath is ok. The fire rod.....throw it away and buy one from Amazon in 3/8".
Great knife but I prefer no Jim ping on spine,I ordered a knife from Finland the terava jaakaripukko 140mm, sharp spine,80crv2 carbon steel, 4mm thick spine an full tang,drop point, hardened rubber molded handle, scandi grind, it's a Lil beast
I ordered mine from wildbill wholesale it will be here in a week I always wanted a tops this is also be my first tops thanks for the info sir top notch as always the boys say hello lol
Great review. I have the very same knife, and I love the way it feels in the hand. The balance is superb. I have just recently purchased it, and I am going to try it out as a skinner during this years moose hunt. Along with a Brakimo, a Cochise, a couple of Benchmade Saddle Mountain Skinners and a Helle Utvaer. If it does that task well, I have to buy another, cause I want this on my belt also. The quality, fit and finnish of the TOPS knives, are as good as it gets.
good knife BUT!!! the shango notch works much better but if you just touch it a striker on a grinder to square up the end. throws plenty of sparks and works much better as a striker.
I just watched the BladeHQ video on how they make their knives and I'm kind of sold. I want this knife bad. I have it in my Amazon cart right now. It might take about four months before I've got the cash to lay out on it though. I'm surprised you didn't baton with it. I'm sure it would do fine. Thx for the review. Wish the firestarter worked better and it seemed like you used up way too much of the fire stick just in this video. Might have to carry an extra good long thick one and use a smaller secondary knife to spark it with.
My first real knife was a TOPS but I knew nothing at that time and ended up with what TOPS has a bad rep for, a sharpened pry bar/5" blade with 1/4" stock and a saber grind with a fat edge. Quality was awesome. Lately, I see TOPS has been putting out some smart blades with this being one of them. Another thing TOPS is known for is being over priced but this is a deal at $125. Competes with the king of best buys, ESEE. TOPS does a great HT plus their handles are really well finished but what stands out is the design, no 1/4" stock, no saber grind. What I really find appealling about this particular knife is that its like a hybrid of bushcraft and survival. Bigger than a typical bushcraft but with bushcraft styled grind.This would be much better at chopping or battoning compared to most bushcraft knives though. They have put out a number of flat grind knives too. Good to see.
Brian, your laugh, when you threw the knife, was right up there with Jorg Sprave's laugh. TOPS has an artistic appeal to their knives. I would hate marking it up, but I hate marking up anything new. I especially hate receiving a new knife that's marked up already. Anyway, nice knife.
Few issues with this knife. 1. The saber grind/modified scandi grind. Should have been left true scandi. 2. The jimping is excessive. 3. No 90 deg spine, this is really useful when you need to do things where you dont want to use the blade. If it wasn't for the grind i would be all over this knife. Price point is pretty great for 1095.
Nice review Bryan. The aggressive teeth on the spine looked as if it would tear your thumb up. The notch for striking the ferro rod looked very cumbersome. Other than that it is a beautiful knife. I do own one myself. Thanks for sharing - Steve
I honed the spine of mine to a sharp 90* it makes a world of difference. You can also just use the spine of the knife tip that works to and it is already at a sharp 90* . I really like my B.O.B.. Fieldcraft knife it is my primary carry knife now, replacing my BK 22. I still carry my Mora Bushcraft Black as a back-up in my pack. And I'll carry each my Norlund Hatchet or my OKC Spec 51 for the heavier tasks. But the BO.B. Fieldcraft knife is a great primary carry, especially if you don't mind sacrificing some of the powder finish on the spine area so you are able to hone a sharp 90* spine onto it. JMHO.
Not true, perhaps it's a new ferro rod but my holding this knife for 5 minutes and throwing sparks on every logical point of contact makes me question these reviews... I wanna assume you all don't need to do more pushups and the rod is the culprit (magnesium es no mas).
The knife felt like alot of hype to me. Who are these "Brothers of bushcraft"? This sharpened pry bar comes with that knuckle buster notch and a sheath clip that will cut a belt. Cool looking as heck. Good review 👍
very good and honest review, thanks, i think the bob is the closest i've seen to my ideal knife, i checked out the prices here in the UK .......pretty horrible, so i'll have to keep my eye on the second hand market, as they are just too rich for me right now always the way i suppose, thanks again for the good reviews and the great channel, atb, dave
Colonelchimp, Bushcraft, Survival and Prepping Thanks Dave. Yeah, I have heard that from some other folks in the UK about the prices being a lot higher. Bummer.
NOT for throwing (yeah right!)...lol Good review on the TOPS BOB, especially because most reviewers fawn all over it. It's good to get some perspective on the limitations of it as well.
Greetings We love this model! This brand produces eclente knives! It is our dream of consumption! Congrats on the video! We are together! Hugs from the South of Brazil Fernando and Kauan
I wish that there was an option to not have the gimping bc when firestriking its nice to get the strike as close as possible to the handle for max power and control
This was my first knife purchase, and frankly, I regret buying it. It's now in the $150 range, but I got mine for $120 shipped. I've taken it on several outings and it doesn't come out the bag anymore. I'm only carrying it because I wasn't sure how reliable my Condore Bushlore would turn out to be. Turns out I got one of the good ones, so this BOB will be on the selling block soon. My take on the BOB is that is does a little bit of everything, but it doesn't do anything exceptionally well. It's a rather pronounced convex bevel and is quite difficult to sharpen. I'm not saying it's a bad knife, it's obviously very good quality, just doesn't fit a use in my kit. I carry a Wetterlings model 119, a Condor Bushlore and a Mora.
I love this knife, but they probably should just start making it with a small section of the spine at 90 degrees for firesteels. The notch could go bye bye.
I almost ordered this, decided its a little expensive, and I have a essee Junglas. I always wondered why a 90 degree spine is so important for so many? most ferro rods have a striker attached. no matter to each their own.
Yeah Brian, just like you, a 90° spine works the best, also a sharp 90° spine works good on green wood scrapping the bark off, and other things that can save the blade, Yup no argument there my friend, I agree with you.
SCOOP DE DOOP Heh heh heh Poopie, I just reported you heh heh heh, and I know everything about you and where you live heh heh heh, with as much texting it was easy to trace you heh heh heh, Have a nice da Pal. ,, ,,
Good video clip... As i own two Tops knives now and really like both ... I looked long and hard at the BOB model you are working with... I'm almost ready to buy one to add to what i have... Scandi grind seems to be what i need now..
You gave it such a good review and workout.. I have been looking at Mora tonight and i watched a good review on their first full tang knife.. I'm uncertain about the handle, hard rubber, maybe not...Mora seems to be used by a lot of Bushcrafters and most like them... I still at this point lean towards the Tops BOB..
About time haha. Just kidding, but I've been waiting for you to do a review on this beastly bushcraft blade. I also hadn't seen the tan one in a video yet, so that's pretty cool. I personally REALLY want the stonewashed/tumbled version with the brown micarta handle scales. I'll probably end up getting it soon.
Nice knife, wish i could affordable one of those. I agree with you The notch is not an easy habit to acquire Chris of PM101 had The one hand foot holding method which seems to work but still ackward. Great review, and i too don't understand that warning no throwing lol. Atb Louis
@@dthreadjr that's a load of crap!!! I occasionally see people spreading this wrong information. Stainless steel on average are much more brittle than carbon steels due to more carbides being tied up with chromium to gain the stainless abilities thus stainless steel having less lateral strength and being more brittle.
Hey, the next time you're at the knife show please tell them they should keep the whole spine sharp for those who prefer it except where you put your thumb. That's my only CON. Peace knife people. EDIT: I buy and own LT Wright & Battle Horse Knives too. The spine is the only reason I do not buy TOPS Knives.
Would it be right to say I rather a true scandi over a sharp spine as it is easier to modify the spine than the grind? The saber grind (modified scandi) shouldn't be there. Thoughts/comments appreciated
I would say if you don't like the jimping and you would rather have a 90 degree spine, why not kill two birds and grind them off and have yourself a little spot on the blade to scrape your ferro rod.
jeredsyn1964 I could do that but i really don;t want a sharp area of the spine right where I will put my thumb when carving. I'll probably just soften the jimping and file a spot a little further up the spine. If I get around to it. I'm using my Tahoma Field Knife mostly right now. Man I like it! Here's the video if you missed it: ruclips.net/video/PKJSltcGzCA/видео.html
Yes it is far away from a Schrade knife;-) i got the same knife,like it alot. A good general purpose knife.Good bushcrafter too,but i prefer my Casstrom Swedish forrestknife,ESEE PR4 which is a Kephart design and my Fallkniven F1. But as i said it is a super allround knife.Why allways the half rotten wood,it is crap when making feathers.
Great looking knife! It’s absolutely beautiful. Cant strike a faro rod with the spine of the blade though. Kinda weird to use the end of the knife for striking. And the jimping looks painful on your thumb. Not worth the price, that’s for sure. Thanks Brian for the reviews! I appreciate what your doing, helps me find a good knife to purchase!
A quick grind to the spine will get it striking rods. I had to grind that little notch at the end to get it to spark too. I think $125 is pretty good for what you get? You cant get much for under a hundred bucks anymore thats not chinese trash metal
I wouldn't strike my ferro rod like that, I'm just not so sure that the manufacturer designed the notch to be used like that. I was thinking about purchasing the bob, just not sure it's worth the price point. On a scale from 1 to 10, what would you give it.. Again thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinion on this blade, as always I appreciate it sir.
I would strike my ferro rod that way either, But that's how the guys who designed it demonstrated on a video I found. As far as writing the knife, for me I would say seven. But that's very subjective, many people would probably give it a 10. It is a very nice knife.
Say Heah Brian, I almost got the Top's B.O.B. but since I almost have the complete Swamp Rat Line I decided to go with the Rodent 4 what made it easier for me to get the Rodent 4 was the fact I like my choil's on my knives, but I do have the Top's Mini Scandi Knife, the sixe, weght, and the fact it's a Scandi Grind I wear it as my neck carry and I don't even notice it, great little knife I would recommend it to everyone it's very similar to your B.O.B's Knife but it's smaller but since it is smaller I made it my E.D.C. Knife and it's great knowing it's a fixed blade, when I got mine it only came with a tan micarta handle or I would get it in black since most of my knives are in black, but regardless it's a great E.D.C and I know the Top's B.O.B. has to be a good knife because I really like my M.S.K. but I also like my choils, Thanx again Brian.
Thank you for your honesty in reviewing this knife (TOPS BOB). My opinion is that for the price vs real life use of this tool is that it is a loser at just about any price. Yes it is a pretty knife. The fire starting system from knife to rod, including mag rods, is a loser. I've watched enough videos to know junk when it is demonstrated. When survival is the question out in the real world this knife is a total loser. My critique about your proceedure is that you need to always use the same wood and techniques for starting fires. My money would go to the Schrade SCHF 27,,,,,even at triple the $ I would still gladly take the SCHF 27 over this pretty toy.
I agree about the fire starter, but I think the knife itself is a good one. It feels good, has a good shape and TOPS does a good job with 1095. And I use whatever wood I can find, just like the real world.
Don't "chip" at the ferro rod. Plant the tip of the rod at the ignition point and firmly drag the shango notch down towards the rods tip.
that's what I thought too
I'll stick with my "brace the knife and pull/scrape the ferro rod" technique.... kinds like pulling a chainsaw starter string.... it funnels the sparks without risk of knocking your tinder pile or worry about cutting edge orientation. Works with Moras and folding Buck knives...so I'm confident whoever is reading this can make it work with what ever 90° spine or relatively sharp edge....
Finally pulled the trigger on this knife. Just ordered it. Plan on using to for my smaller bushcraft knife as well as my hunting knife. I hope I'm not disappointed as this is the most I've ever spent on a blade.
I don't think you will be disappointed. It is a very well-made, high-quality knife. Even if I don't like that Shango notch.
I just purchased a TOPS BOB knife, so I'm looking forward to using it. I got the "tumbled finish" model that doesn't have any powder coating, so I need to make sure to keep it cleaned, dried and oiled, but it should have less drag. I totally agree with you and Chris at Prepared Mind, the jimpping is crazy sharp! Did they test it out? I will probably have to wear some Mechanix gloves for heavy-duty use or maybe I'll try to file them down a bit! Otherwise, it sure is a SOLID, well-built knife, with a nice thick/durable spine, and very comfortable in the hand (just not the thumb!). Thanks for another great review bro - you seem like a genuinely nice guy!
Yeah this is been my first official Bushcraft knife purchase I'm happy with it so far mine is exactly like yours except my serial number sup on the middle of the blade rather than near the t'ang...
The only other mod I would like to see is as serrated area on the blade towards the handle at least an inch inch and a half of serration?
And maybe a more aggressive thumb press on the top of the knife?
I have that exact knife, and it is a very high quality. Tops is trying to make the color more tan than light green. I love Tops knives. And the fire rod has changed also.
i just discovered and wanted to share my findings with this knife and the fire steel shanko ? notch problems most have been having . i have found that my 1/2 by 5" fire steel works incredibly easy !!! it fits the knotch perfectly theres no trying to hit or chip like most say you need to you just slide it down the steel with ease and wow it lights up big time i think the steel or flint is to small for that knotch cuz im telling you it works amazingly well with a big fire steel just wanted to pass on my findings with you first
I will try that . thanks
This is another great video from you! I have the same knife with the brown handles and black coating and it has been my go to knife ever since I bought it. I have had it for about a year and a half now and the most I've been able to do to it was "polish" the coating a little bit from batoning some wood . I didn't really like the notch at the back as a striker and I ended up filing off the coating on the spine a bit and now it throws sparks like a champ just like any of my other knives. I like the grind on the edge because I have yet to dull it, I also forgot it on my boat one time for like a week and it rained half the week. The metal clip on the sheath rusted more than the knife did (Though it did get a little oxidization on the blade). It's fallen into the French River with me (Three times in ten minutes lol) It's gotten fires going when no one else at camp could and while it is a little heavy it's really solid.
Thanks for the video and for helping me reaffirm to myself that this knife was a good buy and not just an over priced piece of steel!
I'm glad it helped.
All knives are able to be thrown, I use to play "Splits" with my buddies using a Buck 112 but a Drill Sgt. relieved me of its weight during A.I.T. now I use a large Sebenza 21. A few years ago, (before the China flu) i purchased a Kizer fixed blade, not sure of the model but it is a Bowie style knife and for the money, I have no complaints on the quality. That being said I do love most of Top's knives.
Hi Brian, I love your videos! I still laugh every time you do the balance test - especially with TOPS knives! 😆 One of my favorite memories from Boy Scouts was when we had a knife/axe throwing 'range' set up - so fun! (We did it in a safe way with adult supervision, keeping distance from the thrower, and no one could go out on the 'range' when people were throwing - run like a shooting range). I learned it is mostly about having a consistent throwing force and getting the right distance from the target.
Something I wanted to share is that one guy had some targets made of palm tree trunks cut fully across so they were large, thick circles and then he attached them to a board. The nice thing about palm tree wood is its fibrous nature, and the knife really sticks into it and the wood can handle a lot of throws without chipping and breaking apart. It might be a challenge to find an old palm tree to cut up (you said you're living in Georgia - we were in [. . . embarrassed to say] California 🙄, so plenty of palm trees!).
I’m 14 and I enjoy the outdoors and bushcraft
it's a good hobby to develop
Thanks for this great vid. I bought a clearcoated BOB from the Tops booth at the 2015 NRA Convention. I love it. They make some cool stuff and the guys from Tops are really friendly and helpful.
The toughest part was choosing between their cool designs. That is where Survival On Purpose came in. I remembered this video and went for it.
Thanks for reminding me that Tops Knives are not meant for throwing. I could have been seriously injured or worse.. I could have damaged my knife.
Tom Olofsson That would be a real tragedy. Bodies heal but broken knife is a broken knife ;-) I would have liked to go to the convention. Maybe next year.
Hi everyone,
At first, thanks for the reviews and comments. It was a good help for choosing my new knife.
Received mine a few days ago, and took it on the field for a short 3 days trip, moist and cold environment. Blade is very good, no need to come back on that.
Now, regarding the ferro rod. The solution is very simple cause the problem is just the low quality of that rod. I just replaced mine with a good and thick "light my fire" rod, which fits almost perfectly in the sheath, and problem solved. No use to grind your blade or strip the coating (too bad for such a beautiful blade), just get a rod of good quality.
Now, that being said, I think that for such a price (I paid 125$) it should be delivered with a proper fero rod. Too bad we have to invest another 15$ to finally get a good equipment.
It's always a good idea to wear gloves while using a knife, specially with that one in cold weather because the handle becomes very cold as well. Kray-ex handle would have been great.
Last remark nobody mentionned is the drainhole at the bottom of the sheath (more a slot than a hole). Beware cause it's too thin. The natural physical property of the water (internal tension) will make it impossible for a drop of water to drip from the sheath !!
I must admit I don't know much about metal but I guess a bit of mineral oil would help protecting the blade against moisture.
allonslidje I have also been told that the spine of the knife near the tip will scrape a ferro rod. I tried it and it will.
Survival On Purpose One minute with a sharpening stone will put a 90 degree angle on the base of the handle next to the shango notch as well and leave the coating(which I actually like) in tact and throw nice sparks and shred wood for tinder nicely.
I'll take a look at that. Thanks.
Kevin McCall Thanks for the tip
Everybody knows lots of people throw knives whether they should or not. Throw and enjoy. Great video, keep them coming.
+bcsorensenman Thanks
lol I throw mora's
Glad you like yours, it is pretty attractive. Really nice review of it. I own one, and love the knife for bushcraft but B.O.B. screwed up with the fire striker bevel in the end. It takes one bad thought to take the whole beauty down, and I am not modifying a knife after paying over $100.00 for it, that is just ridiculous that we would have to do that to make it work as it should so I am selling mine as I have never taken it to the field because of this flaw in its design. I use a Morav Carbon. I wanted to like it but nothing is perfect. B.O.B. just do not listen to customers.
Yeah, not my favorite either.
ESSE Laser Strike a much better knife!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay it's a nice solid knife with a great edge. I don't like the teeth on the back and the striker seems to be a sub optimal answer to a problem. My Bk 16 isn't much of a sparker either but it doesn't have some of the other issues and costs much less. I have a slew of knives and this isn't going to be one of them. Thanks for the review.
Dwight E Howell Thanks for watching Dwight.
I just got this knife today and I love everything about the knife and was looking up why I couldn't get any good sparks at all, my only complaint is that it needs a good 90 on it, great review.
Nick McArmy-Brat Try the spine near the tip.Someone else told me that and it works.
A buddy gave me this knife for a gift. Haven't used it yet so thank you for the video!
Thanks for watching.
I bought a coyote Bob after I saw your video . It is my favorite knife to date.... P.s. I carry a striker for the fire steel.
good idea
One of the best knives for the price out there. Considering I have a Bark River, where the sheath alone runs $90, this is amazing.
+Jeremy Madsen It's a good knife,e ven with the very frustrating Shango notch.
ESSE Laser Strike a much better knife!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the video was so fun to watch and not only because your review, I can tell by your "intro" that you are a really good guy. Keep up the good work!
I have the same knife in black. I hate the fire starter too. Works 20% of the time.
I feel your pain
Don't know if you look at anything this far back but, thanks for the review. You saved me $100. I was going to buy this knife until you pointed out that you couldn't strike a ferro rod on the spine. I had to file a RAT 7 to get it to work. Not doing that again. I bought a Mora black instead. For me, a bushcraft knife has to have a sharp spine. Thanks Again.
I'm glad it helped.
I purchased this knife recently. Found that the spine, near the tip, strikes a ferro rod perfectly. I agree that the notch on the handle end is almost useless.
+beckerm13 yes and yes.
I believe you can get a leather dangler now..ive yet to buy one..I did serve in the Army and it was my first interdiction to Tops knifes , guys had them to cut C4 and several other tasks..they did like the sheath though it allowed them to mount on a kit..im late to the game on your channel..I had Jeff Crowner make me a Bushcraft blade its beastly
My wife just suprised me with one,thanks for the review
Good wife
These are really great knives. I stripped the coating from the blade, filed the spine to 90 degrees, and replaced the kydex sheath with a leather dangler.
The edge on the shango notch is hit or miss. If it is sharp, it works well. I don't use mine.
Hanlon Razor I'll probably do the same things, except I'm still on the fence about the kydex sheath.
I really tried to like it, but I don't like high belt carry. When TOPS came out with the leather sheath with dangler attachment, I ordered.
Hanlon Razor I'm thinking about it. The good news is if you order the dangler sheath you get another one of those excellent fire steels ;-)
Thanks for this excellent review. Just grabbed this from ebay. At $90 its a steal!
The tip (on the back obviously) of the knife is very good to strike the ferro rod
The lack of a 90 degree spine, and blade coatings, will never not annoy me. Especially considering how easy it is to remedy. I put a 90 degree spine, reduced the jimping, and removed the coating, as soon as my TOPS BOB arrived. Took no time at all. Now it is one of the best knives I have ever owned. And it is my preferred hunting knife as well. From field dressing to skinning.
What did you do to ease the jimping?
Tapered file, sand paper, and emery cloth. I would typically use a Dremel, but I am out of the proper bits for sanding and polishing. The file, paper, and cloth work just as good though. Just takes a few more minutes of work. Since you are removing a mil or less, if you just want to make them less aggressive.
It will not hold that 90 degree spine!!! Especially since tops knives does a differential heat treat on most models including this one.
I am a Knife Maker and may get me one of these!! Good Looing Blade! Thanks for Posting! :)
Thanks for watching Frank. It is a very nice blade.
im looking at this knife in 154cm and i intend to use it as my primary outdoor knife for everything. im talking camping, skinning, food processing, and bushcraft. this would be the most expensive knife i would own and i am very much sure i would be nervous that this would break on me. i do own a large ferro rod from amazon (bayite i believe) and it has a paracord and stiker attatched to it. i tell you what, the freakin striker with my bayite, i get some REALLY good sparks. i think once i do get the knife though, i will hit the spine of the knife with some sandpaper to get a crisp 90 angle instead of using that little thing. i would also look into a leather sheathe that would have a drain hole because i dont think that sheathe would do well in the rain much.
Thinking of buying one. Thanks a lot for the review.
the belt clip on the sheath is a pretty good spark thrower and the uncoated part where the tip tapers down throws sparks aswell (where the scandi grind is close to the tip.)
+Brayden Hess I found out about the tip. I didn't think about trying the clip.
Just use a carbid scraper and avoid it all. Minimal weight and bulk as you are already carrying the FS and works better anyways. And use blade only as last resort imho.
Loved the laugh after the throw! Haha!
Good video Brian.
The Fieldcraft is a good knife.
The fire rod is not meant to be your main fire starter, it's called an Emergency Fire Starter. The notch works better with practice.
I carry a lighter
I bought an esse laser strike in the end
That is a nice knife.
Another good review, I like that knife but have not bought one yet. It is on my list though. Cheers!
Ho Ho Ho You better be good ;-)
The spine near the tip will strike a fero rod without modifications. The Shango Notch is a gimmick. I got myself a BOB after watching several reviews, used a dremel tool to smooth the jimping, and in 2018 it is still my go to knife. It just works and is easy to sharpen.
i learned that
Say Heah Brian, Yeah, I just put the B.O.B. but in the 154 CM Stainless on my wanna, wanna list. But I'm noticing how the newer knives are using this type of blade profile, like my Mora Garberg, also my Fox Pro Hunter, Kansbol, and Oh Yeah, my Steel Will Druid 240. I almost forgot about my Druid 240. I got a few knives all at one time so it wasn't used as much since I used some of the other ones first. But the purpose of me getting my Druid 240 and I teamed it with my Druid 230. I use this set for wet conditions. Thanx for sharing one of my future knives.,,.
Thanks for watching.
Survival On Purpose Y W.,,.p
Just FYI...
The Tops Traction Coating is what keep the spine from throwing spark. You can remove it if you like.
But it's pretty ;-)
The tip of the blade where the scandi grind meets the spine will spark off the ferro rod
I've had one of these since they came out (different color). I ended up using paint stripper and removing the coating in line to the end of the knife edge. I then took a file to the spine and gave it a 90 degree edge. I also did a petina finish on it afterward using boiling vinegar. The steel on the spine is SUPER soft. The edge is heat treated very well, but they under treated the spine IMO and it makes it hell to keep the 90 degree edge on and almost impossible to get decent sparks off of with flint. I've used the knife a lot and beat the crap out of it. It works well and resharpens fairly easily. I never use the notch on the back, just an awful idea. I agree that with a few minor changes on how they are making this knife it would be one of the best. For $50 more one can get one of the newer model Jeff White knives and they don't have any of the above problems and all the same benefits.
A couple of folks told me to try the some near the top and it works pretty well for striking a ferro rod. I think it's probably harder too since it likely hottie same heat treat as the edge.
I got a manix 2 and going to get this knife
Cool
I just would have to have one in my hand of the model Mora with the full length tang construction first before i order one.... Reviews are good , i'm impressed, so many BushCrafters really like them... But once the smoke cleared and the dust settled i ordered the Tops BOB last night.. I had break it down to a coated blade or not... I really like the look of the model you tested out... One again very well done.. I see Tops offers that model in 154CM steel, i own knives with that steel... I like them...
You'll like it
High Speed Low Drag. Like the coyote finish too.
I thought it was only appropriate to get one with sort of a Marine color. Thanks again.
Just now getting this notification. Purchased my first fixed blade should be in soon. Picked the Ontario Blackbird SK-5. It has a coyote sheath and should handle anything I can throw at it (for now). Thanks for the Awesome gear reviews Bryan!
Thank you!
I have the same knife and I can attest to the fact that the "Shango" notch is useless. The sheath is ok. The fire rod.....throw it away and buy one from Amazon in 3/8".
I agree
I agree
Great knife but I prefer no Jim ping on spine,I ordered a knife from Finland the terava jaakaripukko 140mm, sharp spine,80crv2 carbon steel, 4mm thick spine an full tang,drop point, hardened rubber molded handle, scandi grind, it's a Lil beast
I ordered mine from wildbill wholesale it will be here in a week I always wanted a tops this is also be my first tops thanks for the info sir top notch as always the boys say hello lol
+al arsenault thanks.
Totally agree w. your review. Really awesome knife, but the shango notch doen't work w. me, so I had to strip the knife and to sharpen the spine.
... and after that I ended up using my 30 yrs old Mora Exclusive again. :-D
Great review. I have the very same knife, and I love the way it feels in the hand. The balance is superb. I have just recently purchased it, and I am going to try it out as a skinner during this years moose hunt. Along with a Brakimo, a Cochise, a couple of Benchmade Saddle Mountain Skinners and a Helle Utvaer. If it does that task well, I have to buy another, cause I want this on my belt also. The quality, fit and finnish of the TOPS knives, are as good as it gets.
+TacMed it is a good knife. I don't like the whole Shango notch thing but otherwise I like it.
good knife BUT!!! the shango notch works much better but if you
just touch it a striker on a grinder to square up the end.
throws plenty of sparks and works much better as a striker.
I just watched the BladeHQ video on how they make their knives and I'm kind of sold. I want this knife bad. I have it in my Amazon cart right now. It might take about four months before I've got the cash to lay out on it though. I'm surprised you didn't baton with it. I'm sure it would do fine. Thx for the review. Wish the firestarter worked better and it seemed like you used up way too much of the fire stick just in this video. Might have to carry an extra good long thick one and use a smaller secondary knife to spark it with.
+Jeremy Goldberg it is a solid knife
Just use the tip..
You can take a round file to make the Shango notch work better
My first real knife was a TOPS but I knew nothing at that time and ended up with what TOPS has a bad rep for, a sharpened pry bar/5" blade with 1/4" stock and a saber grind with a fat edge. Quality was awesome.
Lately, I see TOPS has been putting out some smart blades with this being one of them. Another thing TOPS is known for is being over priced but this is a deal at $125. Competes with the king of best buys, ESEE. TOPS does a great HT plus their handles are really well finished but what stands out is the design, no 1/4" stock, no saber grind.
What I really find appealling about this particular knife is that its like a hybrid of bushcraft and survival. Bigger than a typical bushcraft but with bushcraft styled grind.This would be much better at chopping or battoning compared to most bushcraft knives though.
They have put out a number of flat grind knives too. Good to see.
schlooonginator I like everything but the Shango notch.
Survival On Purpose Ya, everyone seems to be in agreement on that.
Brian, your laugh, when you threw the knife, was right up there with Jorg Sprave's laugh. TOPS has an artistic appeal to their knives. I would hate marking it up, but I hate marking up anything new. I especially hate receiving a new knife that's marked up already. Anyway, nice knife.
It is a nice knife. Thanks for watching.
Few issues with this knife.
1. The saber grind/modified scandi grind. Should have been left true scandi.
2. The jimping is excessive.
3. No 90 deg spine, this is really useful when you need to do things where you dont want to use the blade.
If it wasn't for the grind i would be all over this knife. Price point is pretty great for 1095.
I have to admit, this one just isn’t one of my personal favorites. Even though it is a very well made, high quality knife.
Nice review Bryan. The aggressive teeth on the spine looked as if it would tear your thumb up. The notch for striking the ferro rod looked very cumbersome. Other than that it is a beautiful knife. I do own one myself. Thanks for sharing - Steve
NewEnglandFish Thanks Steve.
I honed the spine of mine to a sharp 90* it makes a world of difference. You can also just use the spine of the knife tip that works to and it is already at a sharp 90* . I really like my B.O.B.. Fieldcraft knife it is my primary carry knife now, replacing my BK 22. I still carry my Mora Bushcraft Black as a back-up in my pack. And I'll carry each my Norlund Hatchet or my OKC Spec 51 for the heavier tasks. But the BO.B. Fieldcraft knife is a great primary carry, especially if you don't mind sacrificing some of the powder finish on the spine area so you are able to hone a sharp 90* spine onto it. JMHO.
Cool. I found out the back of the tip works a while back.
Not designed for throwing. Haha. Good stuff
I plead the fifth.
Survival On Purpose That may or may not have been you throwing the knife. You can neither confirm nor deny right?
MrPatagonicus I have no recollection of the event in question.
Not true, perhaps it's a new ferro rod but my holding this knife for 5 minutes and throwing sparks on every logical point of contact makes me question these reviews... I wanna assume you all don't need to do more pushups and the rod is the culprit (magnesium es no mas).
instaBlaster...
very nice knife
***** Thanks Maureen.
The knife felt like alot of hype to me. Who are these "Brothers of bushcraft"? This sharpened pry bar comes with that knuckle buster notch and a sheath clip that will cut a belt. Cool looking as heck. Good review 👍
Could you please measure the knifes length while on the sheath, total length please? Great film and content !! Thank you !!
very good and honest review, thanks, i think the bob is the closest i've seen to my ideal knife, i checked out the prices here in the UK .......pretty horrible, so i'll have to keep my eye on the second hand market, as they are just too rich for me right now always the way i suppose, thanks again for the good reviews and the great channel, atb, dave
Colonelchimp, Bushcraft, Survival and Prepping Thanks Dave. Yeah, I have heard that from some other folks in the UK about the prices being a lot higher. Bummer.
there is 154CM blade version too
Thank you Brian!!!
Thanks for watching.
NOT for throwing (yeah right!)...lol
Good review on the TOPS BOB, especially because most reviewers fawn all over it. It's good to get some perspective on the limitations of it as well.
All in all it is an excellent knife but I just don't get the firesteel notch.
Well, they say hindsight is 20/20, and there are some things I think they would change if they knew them ahead of time. The notch may be one of them.
Greetings
We love this model! This brand produces eclente knives! It is our dream of consumption! Congrats on the video! We are together!
Hugs from the South of Brazil Fernando and Kauan
+Mateiros Carijós thanks!
tamo junto kkkk
I like that knive but I couldn't afford it but got schf10 instead it's heavy but I like it maby next time I'll get one of those
Nothing wrong with the Schf10.
This review is great.... just bought it.
aquabomber Cool. You'll like it.Thanks for watching.
I wish that there was an option to not have the gimping bc when firestriking its nice to get the strike as close as possible to the handle for max power and control
It will still work on the jimmping. I've had no choice but to do it on the jimmping a few times because the spine wasn't doing it.
Much faster to scrape against the fero rod without the sheath lol. Nice review.
+Jeff Purcell I can’t say this is my favorite.
This was my first knife purchase, and frankly, I regret buying it. It's now in the $150 range, but I got mine for $120 shipped. I've taken it on several outings and it doesn't come out the bag anymore. I'm only carrying it because I wasn't sure how reliable my Condore Bushlore would turn out to be. Turns out I got one of the good ones, so this BOB will be on the selling block soon. My take on the BOB is that is does a little bit of everything, but it doesn't do anything exceptionally well. It's a rather pronounced convex bevel and is quite difficult to sharpen. I'm not saying it's a bad knife, it's obviously very good quality, just doesn't fit a use in my kit.
I carry a Wetterlings model 119, a Condor Bushlore and a Mora.
Theball Player I think it is a good knife but I can't say I love it either.
I love this knife, but they probably should just start making it with a small section of the spine at 90 degrees for firesteels. The notch could go bye bye.
I agree
v.good review sir as usual . sorry 4 delayed reply. watching your all review back to back
Yogesh Joshi thank you!
sure, good job. a salute from Spain
Hola!
I almost ordered this, decided its a little expensive, and I have a essee Junglas. I always wondered why a 90 degree spine is so important for so many? most ferro rods have a striker attached. no matter to each their own.
One less thing to keep up with
Maybe you should talk to Chris, he modified that scraper on that B.O.B. knife and he said it works good now.
paulie 4x He said it works OK.
Yeah Brian, just like you, a 90° spine works the best, also a sharp 90° spine works good on green wood scrapping the bark off, and other things that can save the blade, Yup no argument there my friend, I agree with you.
+paulie 4x r u lonely.
SCOOP DE DOOP Heh heh heh Poopie, I just reported you heh heh heh, and I know everything about you and where you live heh heh heh, with as much texting it was easy to trace you heh heh heh, Have a nice da Pal. ,, ,,
I love this knife
I have to say I am sort of lukewarm about it after having it a while
Good video clip... As i own two Tops knives now and really like both ... I looked long and hard at the BOB model you are working with... I'm almost ready to buy one to add to what i have... Scandi grind seems to be what i need now..
It is a nice knife
You gave it such a good review and workout.. I have been looking at Mora tonight and i watched a good review on their first full tang knife.. I'm uncertain about the handle, hard rubber, maybe not...Mora seems to be used by a lot of Bushcrafters and most like them... I still at this point lean towards the Tops BOB..
weighs alot. clunky. basic sharpened pry bar. sheath will eat the belt off your hip. the notch is a pain.
O the tahoma field knive it's really nice sure thing I'll let u know Bryan thanks👍
The_kid It will make you happy ;-)
About time haha. Just kidding, but I've been waiting for you to do a review on this beastly bushcraft blade. I also hadn't seen the tan one in a video yet, so that's pretty cool.
I personally REALLY want the stonewashed/tumbled version with the brown micarta handle scales. I'll probably end up getting it soon.
Yeah I kind of wish I had gotten the stone tumbled version too.
Well balanced
You need to where gloves . I really like the design of this Tops knives. You are pretty good at throwing a blade.
+Rob Pablo I don't really like to wear gloves.
Nice knife, wish i could affordable one of those. I agree with you The notch is not an easy habit to acquire Chris of PM101 had The one hand foot holding method which seems to work but still ackward. Great review, and i too don't understand that warning no throwing lol. Atb Louis
Lt Survival I is a nice knife but not as nice as some of those I've seen on your channel Louis.
The Historic ones, yes they are nice but not as tuff has some you have . lol
Lt Survival I would say they warn against throwing it because carbon steel is more brittle than stainless
@@dthreadjr that's a load of crap!!! I occasionally see people spreading this wrong information. Stainless steel on average are much more brittle than carbon steels due to more carbides being tied up with chromium to gain the stainless abilities thus stainless steel having less lateral strength and being more brittle.
good knife, what I don´t like is the pommel, it is barely impossible to strike a rod correctly, I would use afile on the spine side and problem solved
+Alexander Nalerio I completely agree
Good video. thank you.
+Mark Gee thanks
On the top of my list . Do you suggest anything like this Tops BOB ?
pmags1331 It's a great knife. If you like bigger blades, the Tahoma Field Knife is one of the best knives I've ever owned hands down.
Fun video. Old, but relevant. Crazy good throwing skills. Would you still recommend it? Have you tried an LT Wright?
Hey, the next time you're at the knife show please tell them they should keep the whole spine sharp for those who prefer it except where you put your thumb. That's my only CON. Peace knife people. EDIT: I buy and own LT Wright & Battle Horse Knives too. The spine is the only reason I do not buy TOPS Knives.
Different strokes...
Would it be right to say I rather a true scandi over a sharp spine as it is easier to modify the spine than the grind? The saber grind (modified scandi) shouldn't be there.
Thoughts/comments appreciated
I would say if you don't like the jimping and you would rather have a 90 degree spine, why not kill two birds and grind them off and have yourself a little spot on the blade to scrape your ferro rod.
jeredsyn1964 I could do that but i really don;t want a sharp area of the spine right where I will put my thumb when carving. I'll probably just soften the jimping and file a spot a little further up the spine. If I get around to it. I'm using my Tahoma Field Knife mostly right now. Man I like it! Here's the video if you missed it: ruclips.net/video/PKJSltcGzCA/видео.html
Yes it is far away from a Schrade knife;-) i got the same knife,like it alot. A good general purpose knife.Good bushcrafter too,but i prefer my Casstrom Swedish forrestknife,ESEE PR4 which is a Kephart design and my Fallkniven F1. But as i said it is a super allround knife.Why allways the half rotten wood,it is crap when making feathers.
I just use what I have handy
Take a file to the back and it'll scrape a firesteel
Yep
Nope!!! Differentially heat treated, and spine is purposely left soft on tops knives
Great looking knife! It’s absolutely beautiful. Cant strike a faro rod with the spine of the blade though. Kinda weird to use the end of the knife for striking. And the jimping looks painful on your thumb. Not worth the price, that’s for sure.
Thanks Brian for the reviews! I appreciate what your doing, helps me find a good knife to purchase!
A quick grind to the spine will get it striking rods. I had to grind that little notch at the end to get it to spark too. I think $125 is pretty good for what you get? You cant get much for under a hundred bucks anymore thats not chinese trash metal
Love mine
+Corey Beaty cool
I wouldn't strike my ferro rod like that, I'm just not so sure that the manufacturer designed the notch to be used like that. I was thinking about purchasing the bob, just not sure it's worth the price point. On a scale from 1 to 10, what would you give it.. Again thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinion on this blade, as always I appreciate it sir.
I would strike my ferro rod that way either, But that's how the guys who designed it demonstrated on a video I found. As far as writing the knife, for me I would say seven. But that's very subjective, many people would probably give it a 10. It is a very nice knife.
Thanks for getting back to me,I appreciate it sir.
Fantastic video man thanks and keep up the good work
+Dean Ianniello thanks for watching
How do you sharpen a modified Scandinavian grind
Good video, beautiful looking knife
Say Heah Brian, I almost got the Top's B.O.B. but since I almost have the complete Swamp Rat Line I decided to go with the Rodent 4 what made it easier for me to get the Rodent 4 was the fact I like my choil's on my knives, but I do have the Top's Mini Scandi Knife, the sixe, weght, and the fact it's a Scandi Grind I wear it as my neck carry and I don't even notice it, great little knife I would recommend it to everyone it's very similar to your B.O.B's Knife but it's smaller but since it is smaller I made it my E.D.C. Knife and it's great knowing it's a fixed blade, when I got mine it only came with a tan micarta handle or I would get it in black since most of my knives are in black, but regardless it's a great E.D.C and I know the Top's B.O.B. has to be a good knife because I really like my M.S.K. but I also like my choils, Thanx again Brian.
Thank you for your honesty in reviewing this knife (TOPS BOB). My opinion is that for the price vs real life use of this tool is that it is a loser at just about any price. Yes it is a pretty knife. The fire starting system from knife to rod, including mag rods, is a loser. I've watched enough videos to know junk when it is demonstrated. When survival is the question out in the real world this knife is a total loser. My critique about your proceedure is that you need to always use the same wood and techniques for starting fires. My money would go to the Schrade SCHF 27,,,,,even at triple the $ I would still gladly take the SCHF 27 over this pretty toy.
I agree about the fire starter, but I think the knife itself is a good one. It feels good, has a good shape and TOPS does a good job with 1095. And I use whatever wood I can find, just like the real world.
Did you try holding the knife in place and pulling the fericium rod? Did you test the bow drill divets yet?
bryan, u and feral woodcraft run some of the best knife channels on the tube!
Aw shucks. Joe is one of my favorites.