Issue with the tops bob

[Bobby3326]

I posted this on a a thread I created for options on what knife to get but haven't gotten any input on this issue due to the topic of the thread I'm sure. I'm Just curious if any other tops bob owners have experienced this issue.

I recently bought a tops bob and Today is the first time I've used it minus the featherstick I did messing around when I first got it. All I did with it today was strip a small dead log (oak I believe) of its bark, strip all the dark layer of wood under the bark and started smoothing out the surface to see how good it was at carving.....after just that the edge looks horrible for such lil use...when I was reading reviews everyone raved how great the factory edge was and how long it lasts and how you merely have to strop it to return to shaving sharp after use. That was a big selling point for me... I was working with it maybe 15 minutes when I could noticeable feel it wasn't biting into the wood as well anymore. That's when I wiped it and my jaw dropped when I saw the edge...no amount of stropping is gonna fix it. it's chipped all along the edge and severely rolled where it's not chipped. I tried getting pictures of it but was kinda tricky with my phone and the low lighting.

I'm unable to return the knife due to its not resellable condition. So I decided to try fixing it and see if maybe it just had a factory weak edge.

So I spent some time trying to sharpen this thing today and the factory modified scandi angle was a pita to try matching especially for the amount of steel I needed to remove to fix the chips...The secondary convexish bevel seemed to be a really shallow and obtuse angle. So I kinda said screw it and did my own thing with it..I brought it closer to an actual scandi, but left a slight convexish secondary but not as shallow or obtuse as the original....

It slices thru wood 100% better than the factory edge. I feel like I have more control over the amount of material I want to remove. I can get fine shavings easily now while still being able to deeply slice thru material. I haven't fully tested it but just a lil to see if the edge was going to be destroyed again in minutes and luckily it wasn't. I did some mild chopping on some dried oak scraps laying around and batoned a couple oak logs and it held up well so far. Hopefully I corrected the issue and it won't chip out when I take it out for some real usage.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

They put a lousy edge on it. You repaired it. A factory edge can be defective like that, and sharpening past it like you did is the usual solution.

 

[Bobby3326]

They put a lousy edge on it. You repaired it. A factory edge can be defective like that, and sharpening past it like you did is the usual solution.

My main concern was possibly a defective heat treat, unless others have also experienced this....The many reviews I read before buying it all raved about how great the factory edge was and how long it lasted even with heavy use..then it could be stropped back to razor sharp easily...

I would expect a horrible factory edge from say a Gerber, guess I just expected more from a tops knife.

 

[MatthewSB]

My main concern was possibly a defective heat treat

There's no way to tell if the heat treat is defective based on how a factory edge performs. Production knife companies typically sharpen edges on belt sanders which can easily "burn" the edge.

Like Esav said, sharpening 'past' the factory edge is the solution.

 

[NJBillK]

There's no way to tell if the heat treat is defective based on how a factory edge performs. Production knife companies typically sharpen edges on belt sanders which can easily "burn" the edge.

Like Esav said, sharpening 'past' the factory edge is the solution.

Or it would be the exact thing to allow one to know if the HT was faulty.

Unfortunately, there aren't many ways, I know of only one, to "see" if a HT is bad aside from usage/sharpening. Both of which would, in most cases, void a warranty due to edge damage.

The one time I was able to see a HT was faulty was due to a burn/blueing mark on the steel, the manu' (who shall remain nameless) told me to try it out (and resharpen) and if it breaks/chips, they would replace it, or just send it in outright and they would warranty it.
Needless to say, they shortly received a chipped blade in the mail.

 

[ocnLogan]

There's no way to tell if the heat treat is defective based on how a factory edge performs. Production knife companies typically sharpen edges on belt sanders which can easily "burn" the edge.

Like Esav said, sharpening 'past' the factory edge is the solution.

^this.

It happens fairly regularly with Moras, from what I understand.

Also, this whole time I was thinking the BOB had a scandi grind... but apparently its a weird low saber/scandivex edge?

 

[Bobby3326]

^this.

It happens fairly regularly with Moras, from what I understand.

Also, this whole time I was thinking the BOB had a scandi grind... but apparently its a weird low saber/scandivex edge?

Yes, the factory grind had a really shallow and obtuse convexish secondary bevel.

 

[Thomas Linton]

What is the origin of the idea that if an item is defectively made and, as a result, suffers damage, the warranty is void?

In every state that I have checked, a warranty that a tool will perform as normally intended is imposed on the seller as a matter of statute unless the seller clearly and expressly waives all warranties in writing published to the buyer before the sale. And would you buy an item labeled on the outside "This item is sold without any warranty"?

Do companies put all sort of "legal" language inside the package? Sure they do - in a brazen effort to scam you, including companies generally well thought of here. It seems to be their nature.

 

[thegamettt]

glad it all worked out. sounds like a shtty factory edge. I had this happen on an early ZT knife. reprofiled and edge was was perfect afterwards

 

[Bobby3326]

glad it all worked out. sounds like a shtty factory edge. I had this happen on an early ZT knife. reprofiled and edge was was perfect afterwards

I'm hoping it's good now...I only tested it slightly after reprofiling it...once I take it out for real use we'll see if it was merely a burnt edge.

 

[calc]

^this.

It happens fairly regularly with Moras, from what I understand.

Also, this whole time I was thinking the BOB had a scandi grind... but apparently its a weird low saber/scandivex edge?

Another similarity to the Mora, perhaps. Most Moras do not come with a pure scandi grind, either.

What is the origin of the idea that if an item is defectively made and, as a result, suffers damage, the warranty is void?

Agreed, the factory edge was obviously sloppy and IMO you would have been on reasonable grounds to contact TOPS.

If it were a high carbide, high wear resistant steel, perhaps I'd feel differently. Those can be extremely hard to manufacture and industry knowledge can be a bit lacking since they're so new. But 1095 is extremely easy to grind and has been around for decades, so both the HT and manufacturing method should be nearly perfect by now. Not sure what happened here, those chips were pretty significant for the steel used.

Regardless, nice sharpening job, OP. Great to see someone actually using and fixing their knives instead of sending them back because the grind may or may not be a couple degrees off or some other cosmetic detail.

 

[Bobby3326]

Another similarity to the Mora, perhaps. Most Moras do not come with a pure scandi grind, either.



Agreed, the factory edge was obviously sloppy and IMO you would have been on reasonable grounds to contact TOPS.

If it were a high carbide, high wear resistant steel, perhaps I'd feel differently. Those can be extremely hard to manufacture and industry knowledge can be a bit lacking since they're so new. But 1095 is extremely easy to grind and has been around for decades, so both the HT and manufacturing method should be nearly perfect by now. Not sure what happened here, those chips were pretty significant for the steel used.

Regardless, nice sharpening job, OP. Great to see someone actually using and fixing their knives instead of sending them back because the grind may or may not be a couple degrees off or some other cosmetic detail.

I was blown away at the edge condition after the lil use it saw...I've batoned, chopped, pried, and then some for several outings with 440 from Gerber without any chipping..

The bob only saw a lil bit of slicing and was destroyed

 

[Bobby3326]

^this.

It happens fairly regularly with Moras, from what I understand.

Also, this whole time I was thinking the BOB had a scandi grind... but apparently its a weird low saber/scandivex edge?

Funny you should mention moras..I just got my first one in the mail today...It's the companion mg and it has a true scandi, no secondary bevel on it...it cuts thru wood like butter and isn't chipping, can't believe this thing was $13 and it has a better edge than the bob out the package.

 

[ocnLogan]

Funny you should mention moras..I just got my first one in the mail today...It's the companion mg and it has a true scandi, no secondary bevel on it...it cuts thru wood like butter and isn't chipping, can't believe this thing was $13 and it has a better edge than the bob out the package.

There is a really good reason that Moras are so well respected.

I had a similar experience with my Mora when I got it, and to this day its one of my favorite woods knives (goes great with a 2-3 tool system).

I almost feel like if someone wants a fixed blade, they should also throw a Mora into their purchase, just to see what its like, and can then build their preferences from there.

Anyway, glad you got the BOB working to your liking .

 

[Bobby3326]

There is a really good reason that Moras are so well respected.

I had a similar experience with my Mora when I got it, and to this day its one of my favorite woods knives (goes great with a 2-3 tool system).

I almost feel like if someone wants a fixed blade, they should also throw a Mora into their purchase, just to see what its like, and can then build their preferences from there.

Anyway, glad you got the BOB working to your liking .

Yea that's pretty much what I did, I've looked at em before, but wrote em off as being cheap knives...I mean hell a Gerber costs 3x as much and your hit or miss with em lol.

Well I took the plunge and I must admit for $13 this lil sucker is pretty sweet. One of the sharpest production knives I've received. This being my first true scandi I'm just getting a feel for the grind, it deff cuts differently than my normal convex knives. I'm gonna put it up against the Bob's new edge tomorrow, and a few others...

I can't believe the quality for the price you pay.

 

[Thomas Linton]

And it's thin, which makes it seem even sharper.

 

[Bobby3326]

And it's thin, which makes it seem even sharper.

Well after a few swipes on the strop it'll cut circles out of phone book paper...sharp enough for me lol

 

[whitty]

Well after a few swipes on the strop it'll cut circles out of phone book paper...sharp enough for me lol

Glad to hear you got it working the way you want it. We sell a lot of these and this is the first time I have heard of a problem! Hope you like it and it continues to perform like you would expect it to!

 

[Bobby3326]

Glad to hear you got it working the way you want it. We sell a lot of these and this is the first time I have heard of a problem! Hope you like it and it continues to perform like you would expect it to!

Yea I was dumbfounded as well, I've read many reviews and watched many videos of guys chopping, batoning, carving, and overall beating the crap out of it without a hiccup. That's my luck thou, I get one and it falls apart stripping bark, just like I ordered a kydex sheath for a Gerber strong arm that was too tight to insert the knife..I discover the blade isn't straight and slightly warped to the right causing it to bind in the kydex.

 

[duro]

What did you use to sharpen this knife?