TOPS BOB: G10 vs Micarta / Kydex vs Leather Sheath / Thoughts in General 

That "free swinging dangle" is very important!

My Tops Bob is my favorite knife. I've got bk 9 ,7, and 2. I've got Sogs, Kbar,ontario, Esee, and several other brands. My Tops Bob is my favorite. I've just ordered another one. My previous favorite was Bark River and before that was my Falkniven. My Bob is by far my favorite. I live In Oregon and from bush craft to hunting and fishing and or survival the Bob is the best. I had some great knives in Iraq when I was in the Corps , but the Bob is defiantly the best all around knife I have found.

Man, I'm glad to hear you say all that about the Bob, I just got mine in 2 days ago. I trust your opinion and that's cool to hear.

I ask you this question on Facebook ,and you answered with a Video .Great work man .

Hey Chris, thanks for explaining the process for wet-molding a leather sheath - I have heard other people say they did it, but they didn't explain how to do it! I just purchased a TOPS BOB knife and I'm looking forward to using it! I'm going to modify my BOB's 'Shango Notch' like you did. I remember I saw another one of your videos where you gave more details how to do that. I'll probably grind down the jimpping a bit! 😉

Hey, Chris, I am now a big fan of your videos -- never dull, never lame; always very original, fun and... USEFUL! Thanks for them.

I bought a BOB a few weeks ago wow one of the best knives I have gotten in 7 years. I love it. It is near knife perfection, but I think it needs a palm swell a bit. I called Tops and they have some exciting things coming for future BOB knives !! Keep up the good work Bro !

The BOB is a awesome knife. I'm with you on the Shango notch it does need to me reprofiled out.

I carry my BOB with me every where... I have the leather sheath on its way. nice thing about that sheath is that you can use it with different similar knifes.

Gransfors Bruks SFA + TOPS BOB = great camping weekend!

I purchased a maglite d-cell flashlight belt holder and it works perfectly with the belt clip for a dangler! It was 5 bucks! It has a leather belt loop with a snap just like the rest of my dangler sheaths! There is also a tactical version in nylon for 3 bucks

Man, keep up the great and interesting knowledge that your dishing out. I'm new to all of this and I've definitely got the bug. Haven't bought or decided which my first one is gonna be yet. Thanks Chris!

got my bob for fathersday and love it so far i am going to get the leather dangler sheath for it but i made a rig for my kydex one today and it worked great i used a cable keychain and a paracord braclet and it worked well thanks for turning me on to the bob feildcraft knife

I have 2, a black fiinish with black micarta and a tan tumble finish and tan tex creek .

I want to thank you once again, I have been pretty damn keen on these BOB's for a while now, thanks to your recommendation and your 'other' video on sites that ship internationally I now have purchased a BOB.......you do a great service to us overseas. Now for the waiting game grrr lol .Thank you again and cheers mate

Just got mine, awesome, great fit and finish, feels great in the hand. Your review helped me make my decision. Thank you. Keep the reviews coming....

Twisted my arm enough I’m ordering now

I switched the placement of my mag rod holder to the outside and put a mag holster with a flashlight and waterproof matches and a diamond rod sharpener where the mag rod would go. Its beautiful

commented in 2021 :) have the black/ blue g10 with 154cm, one of my favourite knives

I make my own kydex sheaths and have been thinking about making a piggy back sheath that has a tiny mineral oil bottle

Chris you rock fan for a long time

Which scales do you prefer more on the Bob as far as use, not aesthetics? ? Knives are a little scarce, but I have found a G10 at a decent price.

Is there anything better in this price range? This seems like the toughest and prettiest all around knife for the price.

Thank you for the leather sheath mod advise. Worked out perfect for my sheath for the my Tex creek

Very good and informative video. I ordered the micarta BOB and the leather sheath since I think the micarta BOB will fit the sheath better than the G10 as you mentioned. I usually prefer G10 but TOPS does have have great micarta.

Another option is to order the sheath for the Buck Ergohunter 498 for the Fieldcraft, it's almost a perfect fit, albeit a little tight around the snap.

Good idea, man. Using loop with my Mohawk Hunter saved money for other stuff.

how do the materials act when you use it as a Bering block for a bow drill is one smother or sturdier? thanks

Wanna try a beast of a TOPS knife? I have been using the Ron Hood Anaconda Woodsmaster for several years. You should give one a try.

Got to get one myself

HELLO! (Sorry for my english) Between B.O.B. and Brakimo... What will be your choice? Thank you!

I got the original BOB with the tan canvas micarta when it first came out and I love it! However as soon as I saw the black linen micarta one I wanted it, and now they have the desert tan blade with od micarta and I think I see two more of these wonderful knives in my future! Two more to add to your TOPS list are the Power Eagle 12 (by far the best chopper I've ever seen/held/used) and the DART which is probably tied with BOB for my fave TOPS and just an all around amazing knife. By the way I'm really enjoying your videos a lot more with the new openmindedness, etc these last 6 months...

Great as always. You said, "I've got the bug". It's so difficult explaining that to the wife. She thinks I'm a knife hoarder. Maybe....

Has anyone had any rust issues when storing a high carbon steel knife in a leather sheath over a long period? I've read that leather sheaths can sometimes retain moisture from the air, and thus make the knife inside it rust. I'm wondering if Kydex offers any real advantage as to rust protection.

I have 2 BOB's. Bought one, loved it so much, I had to have two, one for my 72 hour bag, the other for my INCH bag. The one from the 72 hour bag gets used often. Great knife. I agree with you.

what is the difference in thickness from the G10 & linen or canvas micarta and does it change the feel substantially?

Why not use a large carabiner or a D-ring

Now I want a tops bob haha. You should look up the Knife called survive knives 4.1. I'm sure you heard of them but if you use it you'll probably fall in love with it

G10 and Micarta are about identical in my opinion, though I prefer the materials used in Micarta. Leather has tons more personality and coolness, but kydex for those that don't care about that stuff and just want a good solution.

Cool vid, love the term "grippiness".

I have been waiting for a video just Ꮮike this! Really helps Ꮤith knowing Ꮤhat options are available and how they compare

After looking at several "prepper/tactical" channels during the past years, I will give the award to you prepeardmind101. You simply are not to overly tacticool, you are funny and I trust your opinnions. There are allot of channels I just find over the top, and just plain out to childish. Best regards from Norway!

Hey im also a big tops fan i own a couple my self you should check out their black rhino have one and love it

Cool,chris

LOVE the BOB !! Have 2 MYSELF !!!!!

I usually prefer G10 when it comes to Tactical or Survival fixed blade knives. But I do like the way Micarta feels when barehanded. Smaller bushcraft knives to folders or flippers? I will usually opt for Micarta.

Love the videos Chris. When you took the handles off the bob was it difficult?

Ahhhh going insane debating debating black linen micarta or black/green g10

Really enjoy your videos Sir, keep. Up the great reviews & tips !!

Great looking knives!

Off topic....How would you compare the BOB versus the Esee 4?

You know a good custom becker handle guy? I'm looking for black micarta or g10 with red liners.

I am still deciding between BOB or ESEE 5, how strong is the "rotating" clip on the BOB? I mean, if you do scout style, will it rotated back by itself? If not, it's really cool to have that feature.

How well does your edge hold up and what do you sharpen it with? It would seem the work sharp wouldn't be appropriate for this grind.. My reason for asking is I bought one, got it home opened to find the edge with a significant chip from the factory. I took it back and exchanged it as I expect for $145 the edge to be prefect. Well the second one I brought home and stripped a dried oak log(small one about 2.5"in diameter and a foot long) of its bark and started carving it smoothing out the surface to get a feel for the knife when it slowly stopped biting into the wood as well. I stopped and wiped it off and looked at the edge only to discover significant chips all along the edge with very light and little bit of use. I sharpened it thinking maybe it was a burnt edge from the factory, nope happened again after 3 sharpenings it would finally carve with out chipping, but trying to baton or chop resulted in a blown out edge again...I sharpened it 6 times and finally returned it and got my money back... Debating whether to even attempt another one.

Quick question, just received my BOB today and noticed that some of the markings on the blade are different. The serial number is underneath the "Brothers of Bushcraft" stamp and it has "Made in USA" on the reverse side. I got it from a very reputable dealer and it came with a TOPS certificate of authenticity. Everything else looks identical to others I have seen. Any word on TOPS changing the markings? Not too concerned, just wanted to see if anyone had some feedback.

You should do another "perfect knife kit" video now that you are into axes and tops and zero tolerance and all of that new stuff

How did it last until today? Super nice review!

Does micarta or g10 work better for bowdrill?

Do you know of anyone that's reviewed the pro tool line. Especially the camp knives ? They seem affordable

Need to get me one of these BC knives, I will have to see what's available here in the UK. Really like the look of it and one thing I need to sort in my BOB is a decent knife and not the crap I currently have. Thanks Chris, great video :)

Have you ever gone to River'd edge cutlery in hilliard? Brian and Mike are awesome guys and I've been buying from them for over a decade now.

Hi I'm big b. I need a better sheath for my buck hood thug knife very bad.

Great video! Don't know if you've reviewed one yet but a cool knife u might want to review is the Tops Striker Defender Tool. It's a beast!

Good videos Chris...been watching ur vids for a long time now! I have the BOB w/G10 and love it for the money. What do you think of the new Tex Creek XL model compared to the BOB?? Is the handle as ergonomic? It seems more narrow in width on the Tex Creek...

great knife well made excilent price great vids

what you think of the benchmade bushcrafter 162? That's what I use right now.

I have one, love it...

Would you recommend the Kabar Becker BK 2? If not which Becker would you recommend. Thanks great video!

Also what rod is that? the Exo Nano or Nano XL?

Christmas gifts! Ordered 3

Isn't this knife named the "Fieldcraft" by BOB (Brothers of Bushcraft)???. That's the name right on the blade....

Batoning firewood with myTOPS-B.O.B and now it is slightly bent..??

I think my heart went into fibulatins when you said the BOB has taken the place of Jessica. Does this mean you won't be lovingly testing big blades anymore? (Like the Alskan Harpoon, hint, hint). Really and all kidding aside, I do understand how one can fall in love with a new knife. Things change for me all the time as well. Always good to hear your thoughts.

New background, Congrats on new house...

is that a vape pen hanging from your lanyard?

Well thanks to your review of the B.O.B. I decided to buy one and so far I love it, I'm looking for another tops knife and would like your opinion on one of these. Mini scandi 2.5 or the scandi trekker. Keep up the great work.

Good video looks like I need to get this one.

Will you be testing the B.O.B. folder if it does ever come out?

Nice video :) i have done a dangler of a old lether belt i will do a video so you can see!

Freakin love my BOB. I also carry a pimped BK9 when I'm in the woods and IMO the BK9 is a better "one" tool option. I have yet to find anything the BOB can do that the BK9 cannot but the opposite is not true. The BOB is a very light chopper at best and you will struggle doing heavy work for long periods of time like shelter building and the such. Still an awsome knife and with that being said if I had to choose I think id still pick the BOB over the BK9. There just something about that knife that seems very special when you hold and use it. Its hard to explain but if you own one im sure you know what I mean. It's an intangible knife quality that most do not have.

Great video Chris. I just received a Tops BOB in my December BattlBox and it’s instantly become one of my favorite bushcraft knives. The problem is they sent them with a pretty weak nylon sheath. I actually like and want the Tops kydex sheath but I don’t know where to get one or the cost. Any ideas? Thanks for your help and thanks for sharing your knowledge. HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and yours.

Chris: I want to see a video on sharpening the BOB on the WorkSharp please.

I know there are tons of reviews on the Habilis Bushtool (Not so much the SRT) but I'm curious to see what you think of it, and maybe compare to Tops BOB.

G’day Chris, I’m a huge fan of Tops BOB knife. Ergonomically it is fantastic! I think if the made it in CPM 3V. This would be my perfect knife. Any thoughts on this my American friend?

What did you use to make the Shango Notch mod at 9:00?

Tops hidden gems, Mil-Spie 3 !!!!!! 154cm goodness.

Clip it on your pocket. Works great.

Hey Chris, I was wondering where you got your leather sheath for the BOB

I have had 2 tops bobs for a while and love them I am working on getting my 3rd one soon I hope... are you going to do a review on tops tom brown tracker or the new s.n.a.p. kit at tops

LOVE UR VIDS

if your willing to spend 110-115 on a tops bob (I've had one and sold it so my opinion, while being just an opinion, is an informed one) than i think its worth it to spend the 125-130 on an enzo trapper in 01. I've now owned a Becker BK2 (saber grind), Becker BK9 (saber grind), Becker BK16 (flat grind), TOPS B.O.B. Fieldcraft (scandivex), Jeff White Replica French Trade Knife (convex grind), BHK Bushcrafter 01 (scandi grind), BHK Frontier First Patch Knife 01 (scandi grind), Mora Companion (scandi grind), Mora #2 (scandi grind), and an Enzo Trapper 01 (scandi grind). after owning and using each one for a fair amount of time, bringing them hiking and camping, processing wood, doing camp chores, carving etc. i have sold all but three. My main carry knife/ belt knife that i have with me every minute of every day on my hip is my Enzo Trapper, it is meaty enough with is .135 inch stock to baton and for hard use but the geometry on the scandi is still just good enough that it cuts like a laser. i also kept the BHK frontier first because i got a great leather neck sheath for it so its a great small knife and companion to my main blade while being out of the way on my neck. the Mora #2 also got to stick around as its only 12 bucks and if your looking for value and performance you just cannot beat the mora classics. they are close to perfect as a knife, not a survival knife. THE REASON FOR BEING ABLE TO STICK WITH THESE SMALL BLADES I ENTIRELY DUE TO AN AXE AND A FOLDING SAW!!!!! Chris, i see you fighting the urge to go the route of modest belt knife, folding saw or the like, and a nice swedish axe but i can guarantee that you will never go back if you decide to commit. I remember how delighted you were with the Wetterlings Foresters Fine that Will Meyers had and i suggest to you the knife of your choice, the bahco laplander (which i know you appreciate), and the Gransfors Bruks Scandinvian Forest axe. i think you will find the Small Forest axe of any 19 inch axe is a little too small. i had a wetterlings 19 inches and sold i after 3 months and i will always treasure my GB Scandi forest it is perfect. THATS MY 7,000 CENTS SORRY FOR THE MASSIVE COMMENT. i didn't mean for it to get that long and i never comment or videos or push my beielifes on anyone. hell this might be the very first gear comment I've ever made as far as personal preference. i know ill catch crap fr it but thats ok.. HVE FUN AND STAY SAFE IN THE WOODS, EVERYONE. Cheers, Matt in SE Pennsylvania

4 thumbs down? WTF!.....some people's kids...

The BOB Micarta is cool!

hey chris love your vids have you thought about doing a review on the Becker Machax BK4 ?

I have a msk I really want a bob now. You should check out the dragon fly 4.5.

Yo Chris, before the year is over, you'll be replacing Jess and Beck with Steel Eagle and Tahoma. Mark my words.

Also the BOB will replace Tracy.

new to TOPS whats that notch for?

Do you have an introduction video on sheaths and materials, Chris? You make a TON of videos on Kydex and crafters and such, but I as a layman fail to see the importance of them.

Are you wearing eye liner?