TOPS BOB Fieldcraft Knife Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- TOPS BOB Fieldcraft Knife Review
In this video I talk about the TOPS Brothers Of Bushcraft Fieldcraft Knife. I go over my thoughts on the design and build of this knife and also go over points that I thought the knife could due without.
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Glad to see you up in the Cleveland National Forest. When I was stationed at Miramar, I used to love going out there. Thanks for the honest review, it’s always good to hear. 👍
👍🏻👊🏻
Excellent review Wingman, I'm glad you pointed out how difficult it is to use the Shango notch. I do agree it is not the best method to spark a ferro rod. Nice video and keep up the good work.
Thanks for watching.
That's a great knife ive been using the rodan for a year or so and the reviews are right about it batoning is really tough and its kind of big for small tasks the bob looks like a winner kind of pricey for me at this point .my practical side says get a condor bushlore but I really want something quality like the bob.thanks for the vid
The reason the notch is on the bottom of the knife was to aid in hypothermia situation. It is so you can leave the sheath on and grip it with a mitten, glove, or freezing hand with limited motor control.
There is a video on TH-cam with the notch being demonstrated . Knife in sheath point up and strike the fire steel with the notch. I've tried this with mine and it does work, but I don't use it at all. Don't like the notch. Sanded off the coating from the top and squared the back edge. Still not the best yet. Coating from the sides still gets in the way. Good review Thanks
I agree , the notch is a useless feature but don't know if it deserves to lose a point as a whole in the review. I mean, its an optional feature that doesn't detract from the rest of the knife. its just something added that doesn't need to be there. I also agree that they shout grind a section on the spine for firesteel. Perhaps this addition would bummp it up to A plus. Good review.
Great looking all around knife. Love the blade design.
My bob has become my favorite knife. Kind of wish it had a true scandi grind
It's well thought out for sure. I did a vinegar patina on mine came out really nice.
I fully understand what you're talking about and why you'd raise that, but that would be the weak link in any type of ferro steel system. If my arm is somehow injured, my exotac system is pretty unusable too. You could always resort to the blade, drive it in a convenient tree/stump/deadwood, and just use the blade edge as a backup. Works, just dicks up the cutting edge, but you could control that by where you scrape. Not going to demo with that knife at least, but pretty sure I could do it.
Nice knife Jon! It Looks like It splits logs well
Very nice knife sir.
No disrespect, but I have to go with Sean on this. If you use it so the notch is concave down, such that the thinnest piece is perpendicular to the steel, works well and doesn't hose up the edge. To the extent of betting one's life, it would be akin to any other ferro rod system, and I have a couple to draw on for reference.
Hi I wouldn't that notch tops needs to make the pommel needs to be flat with a 90 then you can use it
Nice review. Thanks for taking the time to do it.
Mr. Wingman, I agree.... I love the knife, but that Shangoo notch is just bullshit. It cheapens the blade and makes it less than it is. Also that metal clip on the sheath really sucks. Too bad, because the kydex is nice. I stripped off the coating and put my own patina on it; I live in Arizona and not too worried about rust. It is a robust knife that remains handy. You can trust it with what ever you need to do to survive. Thanks for your review as I appreciated your honest and accurate review of this blade.
I am looking at getting a couple of the TOPS Brothers of Bushcraft knives one with the G10 handle scales and one with the black Micarta scales. I have never owned a Tops knife before and I have heard nothing but great things about them.
Hang on to your wallet. Once you get bitten by the TOPS bug it gets out of control easy.. Thanks for watching.
I have had both the BOB and the ESEE 4. ESSE's are solid but the handle of the ESSE 4 is short and the BOB is nice and long. The ESSE 4 is gone now in favor of the BOB. The Modified convex/scandi grind is wonderfull. Digs into the wood like a Mora and chops like a Kabar. best of all it far less that most of the bush craft knives I've priced. Save for the Mora's. Armageddon is next on my list.
The shango notch was garbage on mine as well but I put an edge on the backside to sharpen it until it will almost cut and now it's great. And it works very well now, but at first it was garbage.
+Florida Man I agree.
I used a chainsaw file to fix my Shango notch!!!
Have you tried the Shango notch with a striking motion? From the vid by Joe Flowers, you're hitting the ferro with the notch to create the spark....which is nice and all, but one doesn't always have something to lean the ferro rod on for the hit to be effective. As you and others have found, scraping does next to nothing. I've also read about guys scraping off some of the coating in the area of the notch to help with creating a spark. Nice vid btw. I've read nothing but great reviews on the Fieldcraft which is why I have one on the way!
TOPS recommends that you DO NOT remove the scales, but I've seen people do it to strip the coating. If you do, you'll need to glue it back in when you reattach the scales.
Nice to see a bushcrafter in SoCal -- enjoy the CNF. Nice review also.
Wingman, how did you put a patina on the knife? Most users seems to agree with you on the shango notch and belt clip.
great. I went to that website and now I want so many other knives than the Fieldcraft. Thanks a lot Wingman :(
also thanks for the honest review :)
The addiction is real.
Nice video. I think the idea of a bullet puller is kinda silly given how easy starting a fire with a firesteel is. Thumbs up on the vid.
hey man the shango notch is to be used in the sheath you use that as your handle
Say Heah again John, Lately I've been experiencing using a large knife for Wood Craft. The idea came from people that used Leukos and I even saw a Tribesman carve out a bow with his machete that he prolly uses it for everything else including kitchen work and everything else that would require a knife. That said, I started using my Ka-Bar Johnson. Adventure. Potbelly which I teamed up with my Top's Mini Scandi 2.5. Although I mostly use the Potbelly. even for most of my fine work. Now I replaced my Potbelly. with my new Ratweiler I just got a couple of weeks ago, maybe a month ago. Anyhow, The choil/handle design on this large Beast is perfect for me and the balance of the knife is super. For as large as the knife really is, It's balanced. so nice that it's actually. like using a smaller knife but in this large body. I also know I can baton chop the knife although it's a formidable chopper to begin with. When I first started to bush craft I researched and the recommended knife blade length was a 4" blade, But I found I like a little longer blade if I use mine to baton with. I also started to use a Hatchet to process wood with, But I still like a longer blade since you can do what a small blade can with a larger knife. But a small knife can't [...] Anyhow I do have a smaller knife that near is a perfect match. I have a Rodent Solution about a 3 /2" blade, like I said is a perfect match that Compliment each other, But I use the Ratweiler for everything because. I know if I continue using it only I will get accommodated to it as if a extention of me. What is your opinion on my concept. For that reason, I luv my INFO Ratmandu as one of my ALL time Favorite. Wood Craft Knives. I still luv my Son of Badger which is a little smaller. But my Ratmandu, s are special to me. Thanx in advance.
Heah Wingman, great video, I have a Top's Mini Scandi Knife and I use it as my E.D.C. I like it because it's a fix Ade and that it's a Scant Grind, but the fact it's a small knife and it's lite that I don't feel it's around my neck. I like my small knives to have full handles like my Busse Anneversary Mean Street or my Rodent Solution, but my 4 3/4" Rodent 4 I paired it off with my Rodent 7 that I had thinned down, I'm thinking of getting the Top's B.O.B and pair it off with the Trekker and my M.S.K. should make a nice set since I like to make sets with my knives, Thanx Bro for show casing the Top's B.O.B.
paulie 4x Thanks for checking in.
Good review.
Most of the TOPS model fixed blades with Kydex have that same clip...bugs me too.
Solid review. Mine should be here in two days. Been using a Mora sense spring and look forward to this new tool.
How do you like this compared to Moras? I have a bk2 that I hate. To thick, can't cut anything. The carving and slicing? How is that on the tops
Bob? Is it near a mora
+John Shorba I guess the best way to answer your question is I stopped looking for "Thee Knife" after buying the BOB. The fork and spoon I carved with it would of been easier with a Mora but the BOB also chopped down the 3.5in dia tree. Not the best at any one thing but able to do most anything. I rustic camp 4-8 days out of the month and take it with me every-time. Use mostly a strop to keep it sharp and Duck fat of all things for rust prevention. Works well in wet\snow environment.
thank you! Yeah its probably to thick for me, havnt touched my bk becker since i bought it, i hate to do the same to a tops
@@johnshorba this is quite a bit thinner than the bk2
I have two. A SS and A carbon steel version. Love them but you’re right. Shango notch is a joke. I use the tip of the spine. Sheath is also junk. I bought a leather sheath and that’s what I use.
great honest review
Great video man. Sick lookin' knife!
I still love my BOB knife
great video dude. enjoyed it several times
Thanks for checking in.
nice review I will be getting a second one soon.
Nice review. Good to see someone with the courage of his own convictions rather than just following the BOB herd.
Any truth to the rumors that TOPS using "scandi" marketing possibly to sell more knives. "Modified" Scandi infers there's more than one bevel on the knife? If that's true than how can it be a Scandi grind?
Also, Can the belt clip be replaced?
Not sure about the rumors about the grind. On the issue of the belt clip they have some sort of screw stud in there. I guess it could be drilled out and put a leather drop harness on it.. Thanks for checking in.
Have you heard of the Malice lock system?
Tony Bono
I haven't heard of that. There is so much new stuff out there it's hard to keep up... I will look into it though.
Really great review. This is what it is like when someone really understands a knife, instead of pretending.
+Jeremy Madsen Thanks for watching.
Have you tried any of the Hultafors knives? That's what I use for bushcrafting and they're amazing. Just curious if you've ever tried them.
Good job on the video.
Did you soak the whole knife or just the blade?
Excellent review. Totally agree with you too. I don't like alice clips for the same reason as you pointed out about the sheath so I would probably not wear the knife. The notch doesn't look very ergo but at least it doesn't get in the way. Over all it seems like a great tool though and it has been getting nothing but great reviews. I would probably get something else for that price though.. Thanks a bunch. : o)
Very nice review brotha !
Great review.
Good review again john,have you tested the terava jaakaripukko knife from Finland, 110 or 140,budget knives super awesome, full tang as well bro.
I have not but I would like to.
@@Wingman115 ,ok kool brother, you'll probably love it,I mean it's nothing fancy,but I love mine,there saying in Finland an on the varusteleka.com website is a no bullshit knife, an they mean it,easy to sharpen, comes sharp out of the box,stout tip for prying, will spark a ferro rod, spine can scrap as well,nice sheath an security with a side snap closure as well,I also bought a wet stone which is why mine was a Lil more but worth it,we'll thanks again john for listening.
I was going to ask you how the notch worked for you...then I saw it failing for you the same way it failed for me. "Totally useless" is about right but in all fairness it might just be something that TOPS didn't execute correctly and not the design flaw?
The screws in them break too. Both screws on the tracker broke off. For the price of the tracker you would think tops would give you a sturdy belt fixture. Seriously. Love the wilderness. Im a boy scout in a grown mans body.
How did it last until today? Super nice review!
Great TOPS makes solid knives.
The shango is meant to be used with the sheath on more room to hold on to no.exposed blade near you in One Direction harmful to your body so its covered why the blade is not in use then just a cpl good downward scrapes you'll have fire.
@Wingman115 Have you tried flipping the knife around for the shango notch? holding the knife downwards instead of upwards and dragging the rod accross instead of dragging the knife?
+paradox gaming I will try it.
Nice Job Bro!
As for the Shango Notch. I have a video up where I show the way to use it. The only foolproof way to use it, is to stick it in a log, and PRAY to it. ;)
You were using the Shango Notch ALL WRONG. It's used in a downward striking motion rather than a scraping motion. And you can do it with the sheath on so you don't cut yourself. You angle the firesteel at about 45 degrees and strike straight down with the notch (the scalloped edge should be FACING the firesteel). Took me about 5 minutes to get used to and once you do, you will throw sparks every time.
Good video bro!!!
I totally agree with you on that pommel notch. Its really useless. I love my fieldcraft knife otherwise. I regularly wear it as a work EDC.
It's a great knife. Sharp as a razor.
Your right the shango notch is useless.I can get a spark with mine but it`s not very reliable.My $20.00 Ontario bush knife blows it away for starting fires.
Yep but just trying to help you so you dnt cut yourself while using a key feature of your knife pal thats all. Keep at it just like all of us & you'll keep getting better bud
Definitely not hating, but I do feel like the outlook on the notch is kinda cut and dry for a couple reasons: one being that since the sheath is so easily detachable from your belt, you can use it to cover the blade while you scrape mag or ferro, or socket your spindle. The other is the fact that a common method is to hold your scraper stationary, especially if its a knife or any other sharp tool, and focus all of your pressure on drawing the rod toward you. This allows you to be extremely more precise on where youre trying to concentrate your sparks, and eliminates the possibility of any kind of extra wind from the motion of your tool from interfering with the succes of combustion. I hope this helps in your perspective of the tool!
Even with the Shango Notch it's still a great tool. Thanks for sharing.
No problem! Thanks for the great review!
I have the Tops BOB and it's a decent knife, fits me just fine. But that notch is nearly worthless and that is sticking up right at you when you use it.
You're not using the shango notch right. Its actually designed in case your hands r freezin. You dont use it like u would the spine & thats why nobody likes it, cause they use it wrong. Now with that being said, i modified my spine tip. Look for the review where Caleb is doing the interview, he shows u how to do it. He showed me, but i didnt like it personally, but it does work when u do it right
I love using my BOB, but I do not understand why Tops is still putting a Shango notch on the BOB in 2017. It doesn't work! That's OK, I have other ways to scrape a fero rod. The sheath is fantastic now that I made a dangler for it. The BOB is a great all around knife.
I agree. I talked to Joe Flowers about the Shango Notch and he said it should be sharper for it to work the way it was designed. I would just use a fine round file and give it a touch up and it should work fine.
Great reeview, thanx! I have two questions for you, would appreciate a reply: 1.) Isn´t the BOB Fieldcraft a much better cutter than your mentioned Esee 4? I find the Esee 4 cuts really bad (and barely bites into the wood) with the factory eddge
2.) Can you sharpen the BOB with a Spyderco Sharpmaker (cause it is a mod. scandi)?
Yes and it works well. I do it all the time.
Thanks! But when sharpening a convex (modified scandi) edge on the sharpmaker: You loose the CONVEX, dont you?!
@@wartstein8814 that's why you strop
I dont think any of you guys, Ive watched all the reviews, are using the notch correctly. Im ordering one tomorrow.
I wouldn't say The shingo Notch is useless I've got the same knife it just takes a little practice and you got to find The Sweet Spot
Modify the notch using a dremel grinder. Make a half moon perpendicular to the notch. This mod I made works great and only took a few minutes. Just dont over heat the steel and ruin the blades temper.
@@denisdegamon8224 make a video on this mod, and demonstrate your methods… you would get a TON of views and “if it works” as you say, you would help make all of us BOB owners feel better about that funky-ass notch!
Subbed ya did you see them turkey in SoCal????
If you cant pull off the little clip & start a fire b4 that happends then the knife the fire ferro rod the bullet hole & everything is useless & you said "swinging the blade around risking an injury" if its done properly with this sheath on then thats out the window. But ok pal good luck to you if you ever end up in that situation.
Your using the notch backwards. Everyone does that. It looks like you would use it that way but it will not work. Turn your knife around and mine showers ok. Not a beast but starts firs pretty easily. Turn the shiny side of the notch towards you and lay the fire steel so that it lays in the notch then add about 45 degrees to it and pull. You do have to use more pressure but it does work reasonably well.
Oh I know. First time I met Joe Flowers he schooled me on it. LOL good stuff.
Great vids brother
My shango notch cut my lanyard twice
where in northern Maine did you live? I grew up in castine, south of Bangor, on the coast.
Portage Lake, in Aroostook County.
+Wingman115 Yep...That's up there. thanks for the great reviews. I watch you and all the other gauntlet folks. very helpful.
Brenton Carr Thanks for the channel support.
its a $121 on that sight now did you have some kind of code or anything
+Gearjunkie79 Well that's a 2 year old link.. As the demand for the blade increases the price sometimes goes up.. All my current video's I quit listing the price for that reason.. Even at 121 it's a great price for this bomb proof blade.
+Wingman115 I didn't realize it was that old I found it on amazon for 116 I wish I could get the tumble finish for that its 139 but anyway thanks for the info bud. Oh ya and I would steal put the deal on here just put the date beside of it just a ideal
What's your opinion on the Ferro rod and magnesium?
It works I just need more practice with it. I talked to Joe Flowers at Shot Show and he showed me how to properly use the notch.. Good stuff.
Wingman115 I just ordered the Ferro rod with the whistle and can opener off ebay
Good stuff brother.
@@Wingman115 can you share how you made it worksplease. So many people don't know how, would have been good to include that info with the knife
Great review brother. I'm with you on the notch. I do t own the knife, but it just looks unnatural. Anytime you have to learn a special technique to use a certain tool over another its just a bad idea. Keep it simple and effective. I have an ESEE 3 and it rocks! Lookin' to get my hands on an ESEE 5 ASAP.
(continuing) The TOPS is a very well made, very well finished knife but all things considered, the MBB is for me the best choice, even better with a sheath from Grizzly Outdoors. It is robust, cheaper and way lighter. Next would be the S1, that could be SUPER with a micarta handle to allow the "shango" technique. The TOPS could be better with a Kydex belt clip (the metal clip hurts if in contact with the skin) and straight squared pommel for a really good "shangoing").
I recently received my TOPS BOB and comparing to a Mora Bushy Black (MBB) and Falkie S1, I found that the MBB is probably the best overall, followed by the S1. I can easily make curly shavings with the MBB, although the S1 is best. The BOB comes last.
I can start a fire easily with the MBB, but the fastest is the S1 using the... "shango technique" although that burns the rubber handle. I could barely make fire with the BOB and I did it with the back blade tip, not with the shango.
com/watch?v=WGJygIF24CE (video on Shango notch use - has links to Joe flowers and the developer's use)
Say Heah John, Yup That FieldCraft Knife, I'm getting one in the 154 CM.,,. p
That's a awesome steel for sure.
Wingman115 Yeah, William Collins faced off the 154 CPM against a O1 and they both were very similar to eachother as far as edge retention. Even if the CPM is better, The 154 CM is in the ballpark.,,. p
How in the HECK did this review get by me?
Love the knife but shit know notch needs to go
Companies would make more leather sheath options but they're too expensive, plastic is way more expensive than the $90 Bark River leather sheath I use for their knives.
This knife is awesome but, the shango notch is pretty gay. Useless. Im thinking Joe Flowers original design worked but through production, changed up. Watch his video demonstrating it and you'll see it works with one strike. Granted, it may take some practice but, I still think they failed in production.
I agree.
Great review.