Well, my Tops Tibo just arrived. Love it. And guess what...my Kydex came with a small thumb ramp. Gotta love a company that listens to their customers. Thumbs up!
Nice video brother, well done! I call it a Tee-boe, it's Filipino for "Stinger", but it was great to see it actually being used, and even better to see it being understood, so you can call it whichever you like :). And yes, given the chance I would ask for wider flats on the gimping... Thank you for helping me ask TOPS to do scales for them. That is something we have talked about a few times, but their recent remodel put several projects running behind. Hopefull it will happen this year though. For me personally it defeats the purpose of this particular design, and I was more concerned about scales on the XL model later, but I do get that a lot of people want them.
Another magnificent knife review man. Even TOPS designers apparently watch ur vids too! I am totally in agreement for some aftermarket scales on this too. Once that occurs, this would replace my ESEE Izula 2! Take care Aaron & please keep up the reviews!!!
You didn't mention it so I'm assuming it's just a sharpening choil but is that notch at the base of the blade sharp like a dedicated rope cutter? In some angles it looks like it has a different round grind to it but then doesn't appear to have a shiny primary edge so I wasn't sure. Thanks
Thanks again. Looks like a nice blade. I use that same wrap on my Izzy and being open it gives a better grip than when the P-cord is laced through. Good to see Mrs. GT helping out and "out manning" You! HaHa
Thanks for the reviews, where did you get it for 44 dollars? tops has it listed at 69. Also, I wanted to know your thoughts on the strength of the handle of this one and the Banshee Neck knife. both are really skeleton-ized out, does that compromise the strength.
Jonny Springfield I got mine on ebay for $44 free shipping. Brand New. Theknifeconnection.net has them for $48. These are tiny knives so they have prefect strength for what they will be asked to do. Don't hit them with a hammer and they will be just fine.
Great review as always my friend. I like that Tibo. The paracord handle is fine with me. Makes it thinner. Instead of spending the money on a better sheath I would just glue a little piece of plastic on the top (something like the catch on a zip tie) to push your thumb on to release the blade from the kydex sheath it comes with.
BOOSTEDLASER I haven't sharpened my bk10 in 2 months with moderate use. I have 5 beckers, so i damn well know what the edge retention is like. As far as rust goes; I took my bk5 sea fishing last week and processed my catch with it and it didn't rust. I didn't oil it either. My bk5 has a patina, preventing the rust. 1095 is good stuff.
+Yo Adrian You are a fanboy for sure. 1095 is 500 year old technology. There is a REASON cheap junk knives use it.There is also a good reason good knives DONT use it.....it does rust ( easy). Loses edge quickly ( VS modern steel / super steels), I guess the Crovan stuff is less bad,slightly. Try a 3V or M390 knife sometime.Heck even S30v. **Beckers are junk cheap knives I have had many 1095 blades in the past, modern stuff is 100x better, in every way. There is a REASON Spyderco, Kerhsaw, Whiteriver,Bradford and the list goes on, do NOT use 1095. No need to get fired up ,kid. **BTW I have dulled 1095 blades MANY times in a day...or even hours.Or less.
BOOSTEDLASER I know what works. I'm a fanboy because 1095 is good stuff. The disadvantages to the modern stainless steels is that they are stupid difficult to sharpen. Yeah, your folding knife might have s30v, but that doesn't mean it's a good knife. I know what works. You clearly hate 1095, and are somekind of super steel fanatic. Chill out bro. I'm use my knives. I took my BK2 and BK16 to the outback with me. I can tell you from experience, you'll be hard pressed to find tougher wood anywhere else. Fire prep, fishing, yabbying, cooking, everything they went through, they held their edge fine.
Aaron, where is the best place to purchase this knife? I know the TOPS website is listing this blade for $75... As for the aggressive jumping; if you are using the knife for harder tasks, you really shouldn't be putting your thumb on the spine of the knife anyways. You get more comfort and more power with a hammer grip. Cutting with your thumb on the spine is usually best reserved for very fine whittling tasks where you're using a "thumb-on-thumb" push cutting action, because larger tasks will just stress the tendons in the forearm and cause fatigue much faster than using a hammer grip. Performing larger slicing tasks such as feather sticking with your thumb on the spine is generally considered poor practice and actually gives you less control of the blade, and is also a good way to wind up with splinters in your thumb. Putting your thumb on the spine of a knife is very similar to when people use a chef's knife and place their index finger on the spine. This only gives people the facade of more control when in reality it provides less control. This is why they teach a pinch grip when using a chef knife, and likewise why a hammer grip is taught for larger whittling tasks. =). I only know this because I study things at nausea!
Thumb ramp: With the blade in the sheath use a heat gun and warm the kydex around the area you intend to shape. Insert a small flat head screw driver about .25" between the top of the blade spine and kydex. Rotate the screw driver away from the spine of the blade. If you don't have a heat gun they are less expensive than a new kydex sheath.
I find that choking up on the handle (the side your index finger sitting closely against the sheath, and your thumb on the spine of the sheath) and squeezing a bit will make the knife come loose very easily. I don't think my sheath is particularly loose either -- just pulling the sheath while the chain is on my neck makes things rather uncomfortable...
Great review as always. I carry my Tibo every day and love it. I like having the paracord wrap, don't think I would go for scales although I've seen a few with scales and they look nice.
To bad they don't have a "Tibo II" That looked like it had superior edge geometry to the izula II and I know that tops runs their 1095 a little harder. I feel that my izula II is a little soft. Good review!
Well, my Tops Tibo just arrived. Love it. And guess what...my Kydex came with a small thumb ramp. Gotta love a company that listens to their customers. Thumbs up!
Great vid. I met Brian Griffen last Saturday. He was a very cool guy. He works at frost cutlery in Chattanooga. Going back next week.
Just gotta say,love your videos. So quick and concise. And informative. Keep it up! Also would like to see much "cheaper" products being reviewed!
Surago I plan on doing just that this summer.
Nice video brother, well done! I call it a Tee-boe, it's Filipino for "Stinger", but it was great to see it actually being used, and even better to see it being understood, so you can call it whichever you like :). And yes, given the chance I would ask for wider flats on the gimping... Thank you for helping me ask TOPS to do scales for them. That is something we have talked about a few times, but their recent remodel put several projects running behind. Hopefull it will happen this year though. For me personally it defeats the purpose of this particular design, and I was more concerned about scales on the XL model later, but I do get that a lot of people want them.
Thanks for the complement, and you have some great designs keep it up!
@Brian Griffin an awesome neck knife however is the coating safe to be used in contact with food and food preparations ?
Another magnificent knife review man. Even TOPS designers apparently watch ur vids too! I am totally in agreement for some aftermarket scales on this too. Once that occurs, this would replace my ESEE Izula 2! Take care Aaron & please keep up the reviews!!!
joey owen Thanks so much!
You didn't mention it so I'm assuming it's just a sharpening choil but is that notch at the base of the blade sharp like a dedicated rope cutter? In some angles it looks like it has a different round grind to it but then doesn't appear to have a shiny primary edge so I wasn't sure. Thanks
Thumbs up for getting the wife involved! Great job!
jeph4life Thanks, and yes I hope to get Ashley more involved with the channel this year.
So is there going to be an izula versus playlist
Izula vs the world
Looks like gimping at the finger guard. Looks like it would bite?
Thanks again. Looks like a nice blade. I use that same wrap on my Izzy and being open it gives a better grip than when the P-cord is laced through. Good to see Mrs. GT helping out and "out manning" You! HaHa
Dano Martinez Haha, right!
Awesome vid man! I'm in the market for a neck knife. Was thinking this or the shango. What's your opinion?
MjR5118 The shango has a better sheath, the tibo will slice a little better.
Thanks for the reviews, where did you get it for 44 dollars? tops has it listed at 69. Also, I wanted to know your thoughts on the strength of the handle of this one and the Banshee Neck knife. both are really skeleton-ized out, does that compromise the strength.
Jonny Springfield I got mine on ebay for $44 free shipping. Brand New. Theknifeconnection.net has them for $48. These are tiny knives so they have prefect strength for what they will be asked to do. Don't hit them with a hammer and they will be just fine.
Great review as always my friend. I like that Tibo. The paracord handle is fine with me. Makes it thinner. Instead of spending the money on a better sheath I would just glue a little piece of plastic on the top (something like the catch on a zip tie) to push your thumb on to release the blade from the kydex sheath it comes with.
Thanks for the suggestion!
2015, why do so many use 1095?So many super steels these days.Besides rust, what advantage does 1095 have over say S30v or 154 or3v or others?
Easy to sharpen and way cheaper.
+Yo Adrian Dulls in 15 seconds..and rusts
BOOSTEDLASER I haven't sharpened my bk10 in 2 months with moderate use. I have 5 beckers, so i damn well know what the edge retention is like. As far as rust goes; I took my bk5 sea fishing last week and processed my catch with it and it didn't rust. I didn't oil it either. My bk5 has a patina, preventing the rust. 1095 is good stuff.
+Yo Adrian You are a fanboy for sure. 1095 is 500 year old technology. There is a REASON cheap junk knives use it.There is also a good reason good knives DONT use it.....it does rust ( easy). Loses edge quickly ( VS modern steel / super steels), I guess the Crovan stuff is less bad,slightly.
Try a 3V or M390 knife sometime.Heck even S30v.
**Beckers are junk cheap knives
I have had many 1095 blades in the past, modern stuff is 100x better, in every way.
There is a REASON Spyderco, Kerhsaw, Whiteriver,Bradford and the list goes on, do NOT use 1095.
No need to get fired up ,kid.
**BTW I have dulled 1095 blades MANY times in a day...or even hours.Or less.
BOOSTEDLASER I know what works. I'm a fanboy because 1095 is good stuff. The disadvantages to the modern stainless steels is that they are stupid difficult to sharpen. Yeah, your folding knife might have s30v, but that doesn't mean it's a good knife.
I know what works. You clearly hate 1095, and are somekind of super steel fanatic. Chill out bro. I'm use my knives. I took my BK2 and BK16 to the outback with me. I can tell you from experience, you'll be hard pressed to find tougher wood anywhere else. Fire prep, fishing, yabbying, cooking, everything they went through, they held their edge fine.
And what front chest rig your using?
TheHillPeople Kit bag. Review in my pouch and pocket playlist
Awesome review, I agree on the handle scales. I am actually looking for a neck knife, Ill keep this one in consideration thanks.
Glad I could help!
Aaron, where is the best place to purchase this knife? I know the TOPS website is listing this blade for $75... As for the aggressive jumping; if you are using the knife for harder tasks, you really shouldn't be putting your thumb on the spine of the knife anyways. You get more comfort and more power with a hammer grip. Cutting with your thumb on the spine is usually best reserved for very fine whittling tasks where you're using a "thumb-on-thumb" push cutting action, because larger tasks will just stress the tendons in the forearm and cause fatigue much faster than using a hammer grip. Performing larger slicing tasks such as feather sticking with your thumb on the spine is generally considered poor practice and actually gives you less control of the blade, and is also a good way to wind up with splinters in your thumb. Putting your thumb on the spine of a knife is very similar to when people use a chef's knife and place their index finger on the spine. This only gives people the facade of more control when in reality it provides less control. This is why they teach a pinch grip when using a chef knife, and likewise why a hammer grip is taught for larger whittling tasks. =). I only know this because I study things at nausea!
May i ask what pack you have on?
TheHillPeople Kit bag. Review in my pouch and pocket playlist.
Throw a few ranger bands over the paracord wrap to improve the grip.
benchblair Good idea.
Thumb ramp: With the blade in the sheath use a heat gun and warm the kydex around the area you intend to shape. Insert a small flat head screw driver about .25" between the top of the blade spine and kydex. Rotate the screw driver away from the spine of the blade. If you don't have a heat gun they are less expensive than a new kydex sheath.
Hiker Marapese Thanks for the tip!
I find that choking up on the handle (the side your index finger sitting closely against the sheath, and your thumb on the spine of the sheath) and squeezing a bit will make the knife come loose very easily. I don't think my sheath is particularly loose either -- just pulling the sheath while the chain is on my neck makes things rather uncomfortable...
Great review as always. I carry my Tibo every day and love it. I like having the paracord wrap, don't think I would go for scales although I've seen a few with scales and they look nice.
Right on thx!
To bad they don't have a "Tibo II"
That looked like it had superior edge geometry to the izula II and I know that tops runs their 1095 a little harder. I feel that my izula II is a little soft.
Good review!
TAGII2 Thanks for the comment!
giving the sheath 3 stars doesn't make sense. it's sold as a neck knife. everything else I agree with you good review keep them coming.
It's an Izula clone,...for me I'm keeping my Izula.
Plus the no questions asked ESEE warranty can't be beat IMO.
Wait his name is Aaron, I thought his name was Gideon!
The next neck knife you should do should be the extreme instinct Sidekick High Carbon Tan. There custom made and it's been great for me.