TOPS Silent Hero - Thoughts and Opinions

[Grey Falcon]

Hi All,

New to the forums and really just started to get back into knife collecting and getting back outdoors. I've been looking for a mid sized 5" to 7" blade and recently based on reviews picked up the Silent Hero from TOPS, didn't want to spend that much but a portion of the profits go to the Silent Heroes foundation which is a great cause so I said what the hell. Spending over 170 bucks (I am in Canada and unfortunately we pay more for knives up here) on a knife is difficult to justify personally based on my usage.

I really like the knife, it looks sleek and you just want to wear it on your belt all day, although I do find the handle to bit on the narrow side (I have large sized hands) and the rocky mountain tread on it really grows on you. It's has a very nice balance and can do a lot of work for you. Very comfortable to work with over long periods of time doing smaller tasks with that choil. I'm not the best knife sharpener in the world and I can get a wicked edge on my smaller scandi knives like my mora's but find it really hard to get an edge I am satisfied with back on this knife. Never really worked with saber grinds before and it could just be all me. I only really work with a work sharp field sharpener which I think is very handy. If I can get a proper edge back on the blade, and it wasn't razor sharp when I got it, I'll be happy. All in all it's a great blade though with awesome blade geometry that I think does camping, survival, and I would say tactical, extremely well, that is what it was designed for in the end. I still like my TOPS BOB better but for what the blade stands for (seriously go check out Silent Heroes, so rare to find a charity actually supporting the men and women on the ground) and as an all arounder it serves its purpose well.

Reason I started this thread is to get other owners opinions on the knife, as I like it overall but want to know what others out there are thinking after getting hands on with it. There is little information out there from people who've actually used the thing and I know it's something I would have appreciated more of when I was trying to make a decision on it in searching for that Jack of all trades master of none knife.

Do I think it's a great knife? Yes. Would I recommend it? Yes. Is it the last knife I will buy in that size range? No. Handle ergonomics are key to me and while I find choking up on the knife to be very comfortable, a regular grip on it is so-so though as I use it more it'll probably get more comfortable as I found with that rocky mountain tread. I really want to test this against an ESEE 6 and see what comes out on top as that handle shape looks like it would feel better in my hand personally and I do like the flat grind. Still looking for that 5" to 7" blade to just feels right in my hand. Also would love to test a TOPS D.A.R.T. as the blade shape calls to me, but want to pop my ESEE cherry first to see if they really do live up to the praise.

Anyways, thoughts and opinions on the Silent Hero from TOPS?

 

[Franciscomv]

I like it, I usually don't pay much attention to TOPS since overly thick coated blades are not my cup of tea. I was happy to see a few new knives that were more outdoors oriented than "tactical", thinner blades (3/16" is thick enough for most blades).

The handle is a bit narrow for my large hands (not a huge issue), and I'm not sure about the texturing on the micarta slabs. I prefer smoother handles (especially on a knife with such a big guard). I don't like the sheath much either. I'm not a fan of snap retention straps, I'd much rather have a good pouch style leather or kydex sheath. You can easily make or order a new sheath and handle slabs, so it isn't such a big deal.

 

[BMCGear]

I found the knife to be seriously uncomfortable if I wasn't choked up on the blade.

 

[Grey Falcon]

I like it, I usually don't pay much attention to TOPS since overly thick coated blades are not my cup of tea. I was happy to see a few new knives that were more outdoors oriented than "tactical", thinner blades (3/16" is thick enough for most blades).

The handle is a bit narrow for my large hands (not a huge issue), and I'm not sure about the texturing on the micarta slabs. I prefer smoother handles (especially on a knife with such a big guard). I don't like the sheath much either. I'm not a fan of snap retention straps, I'd much rather have a good pouch style leather or kydex sheath. You can easily make or order a new sheath and handle slabs, so it isn't such a big deal.

I like the grey powder coat TOPS does, didn't really find it affected the blade at all while wood working myself. I do agree they should offer it without the rocky mountain tread as it would naturally beef up the handle and be more comfortable, but you get used to it. Love the blade, meh on the handle, and I don't mind the sheath. Saying that though I would certainly upgrade to kydex for field use, the leather they use is fine for around the house but it's not the kind of treated leather that would hold up well in wet environments I feel. Better than nylon though as all I've ever heard is how awful their nylon sheaths are, which is more than a fair statement based on the price of their knives.

I found the knife to be seriously uncomfortable if I wasn't choked up on the blade.

So it's not just me then. Like I said I found it way more comfortable to do smaller tasks with it simply based on the grip. I want to wrap the handle in some hockey tape just to beef it up a bit. For anyone looking to blind buy off the internet is to take the time to find a store that maybe has one and hold it to make sure it's right for your hand. Honestly I'd say if you have XL sized hands definitely get one in your hands before buying. Much like I hear about the Fallkniven's, great knife narrow handle. But, again, its all about personal feel. It's an investment so make sure it suits you.

A lot of critique I know, but it is a good knife. The blade geometry is what really does it for me; it gets a lot done.

 

[jfk1110]

Tops makes a solid product great customer service. I would the check out dpx knives. Their knives are tough n comfortable in my x large hands. Also their blackwater collaborations are awesome if you can find em. Fallkniven are my favorite. Lots of good choices in perfect blade lengths. Good luck with your search

 

[Andrew Flintoff]

I am using TOPS silent hero which I have bought from Chicago Knife Works. For me, it is an excellent knife for hunting and to use during camping no issues yet.