TOPS Knives Exclusive BlackOut Wild Pig Hunter Knife Review

TOPS Knives was founded in late 1998, with a mission to create the highest quality knives around. They want to create the highest quality, rugged, unique, overbuilt, and functional tools for service members and outdoorsmen of all kinds through their superior manufacturing, finishing processes, and genuine field operators’ testing. They knives are tools, designed and built using the extensive knowledge and real life experiences of many Operators with backgrounds in Military, Law Enforcement, outdoor professions, and Martial Arts. TOPS Knives have also worked with designers and backgrounds ranging from Navy Seals to Airborne Rangers, from Martial Arts instructors to survival experts, and from SWAT Team Members to Native American weapons experts. We have a designer from nearly every background that uses hard core knives. Perhaps the best part, all TOPS fixed blades are manufactured and hand finished at our facility in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, USA.

Their knives have been requested and deployed in Hot Spots all over the world. Numerous individuals who are or were Field Operates use or have used their knives and report top performance and reliability from times when their life depended on the tools they had with them. “That’s why Special Ops trust TOPS!”

TOPS values American integrity, quality, durability, performance, and consistency. TOPS successfully provides their clients with tools they can trust completely to exceed their expectations every time.

TOPS has a knife called the Wild Pig Hunter, and BladeOps has an exclusive version of this knife. It is called the BlackOut Wild Pig Hunter Fixed Blade knife.

The Blade:

The blade on this exclusive knife is made out of 1095 high carbon steel. While this steel does have a high carbon content, it is not a stainless steel. Unfortunately, it does stain relatively easily, and so you do have to be careful with your maintenance. The best way to keep your blade rust free and working for the longest time possible, rinse it off after every use, wipe it clean, and oil it once a week. The oil forms a barrier that prevents moisture from reaching the steel, while also giving your knife a very shiny look. This type of steel is often found in traditional style folders. This is a really tough steel that can be produced at a low cost. On the other side, you will be able to find tougher steels because 1095 steel has a low level of manganese in it. The positive side of having a lower level of manganese is that it also makes the steel more brittle, so 1095 steel is not going to be super brittle. And, because this knife has a thicker blade to it, it is not going to feel brittle. The high carbon content works to harden the steel while also reducing the amount of wear that a blade will experience over time. This steel holds an great edge and is very easy to sharpen.

The finish on this knife is made out of a special Black Wash finish. This works to reduce the reflections and glares on the blade. The look represents the outcome of heat treatment, creating a distinctive line at the edge of the blade that form uniquely on each knife. TOPS Knives finishes this standard treatment with a clear application of Cerakote. TOPS Knives uses epoxy and ceramic based coatings on its knives that feature more extensive surface treatment than the Black Wash finish.

This knife has a spear point blade shape. This is a similar shape to the needle point blade. The spear point blade shape is very good for piercing, but the difference between the needle point and the spear point is that the spear point has a stronger tip. To spear point blade shape is a symmetrically pointed blade with a point that is in line with the center line of the blades long axis. Both edges of the knife rise and fall equally to create a point that lines up exactly with the equator of the blade. Spear point blades are most often used on throwing knives. However, they are also found on pocket knives and fixed blades. Because the spear point blade shape has a lowered point, it is easily controllable, making this a good option for fine tip work. Something that makes the spear point blade shape so versatile is that it sports a small belly. This belly can be used for some cutting and slicing applications. But, this belly is relatively small, especially compared to knives that are built for their belly, such as drop point or clip point knives. The spear point knife is the perfect choice for a knife lover who wants a great balance between piercing and slicing abilities. This spear point combines the dagger with the strength of a drop point blade, but it still maintains some of the belly that is used for slicing. This is considered to be a hybrid design that is extremely functional.

The Handle:

The handle on the Wild Pig Hunter is made out of G 10. G 10 is a grade of Garolite that is a laminate composite made of fiberglass. This material has very similar properties to carbon fiber, but it can be made for almost a fraction of the cost. While it is cheaper than carbon fiber to produce, it still has to be cut and machined into shape which is not as economical as the injection molding process used in FRN handles. To make this material, the manufacturer takes layers of fiberglass cloth and soaks them in resin, then compresses them and bakes them under pressure. The resulting material is very tough, very hard, very lightweight, and very strong. G 10 is actually considered to be the toughest of all the fiberglass resin laminates and stronger than Micarta. Although G 10 is more brittle than Micarta. To add texture to the handle, the manufacturer will add checkering or other patterns. TOPS Knives has added deep grooves across the width of the handle to provide you with a very secure, and still comfortable grip. They call this the “Rocky Mountain Tread”, which will provide you with grip in wet, muddy, and bloody conditions. This material can be a variety of colors, and on this knife, the main part of the handle is a black G 10, while the liners are made out of a red G 10. Many fixed blades benefit from G 10 because it is durable, lightweight, while still being non porous. Some people do worry that this material lacks elegance, and can look plastic-y.

The handle has three deep finger grooves going down the length of the handle, and sports a wider butt. This knife also has finger guards. At the butt of the handle, a lanyard is attached. There are variety of benefits that come with a lanyard. One of the biggest advantages is that it can easily be tied onto your pack strap for quick access. Another big benefit is that you can fold the lanyard over the handle of the knife while in use to provide yourself with extra texture, thus extra grip. Plus, you can always loop the lanyard around your wrist during use in slippery conditions to prevent yourself from dropping the knife.

The Mechanism:

This is a fixed blade knife. Many people are avoidant of a fixed blade because they feel like folding knives are more discrete and easier to conceal, which also makes them easier to have on you at all time. They also feel like a folding knife that is well constructed is as tough as a fixed blade. While these are all valid concerns, there are so many benefits to owning a fixe blade that outweigh the benefits of a pocket knife in some areas. One of the biggest benefits is that they are big, strong, and long. Fixed blades usually have twice as long of a blade than a folding knife has. This is because the blade is thicker and can stand up to the tasks without becoming delicate. And, because they are bigger than folding knives and have a longer and stronger blade, the strength behind a fixed blade is tenfold. One of the benefits to having a fixed blade is that they don’t break. This is because there are no small, inward, or moving parts to a fixed blade. On a folding knife, many of the small parts can become damaged. And, many of the small, inward parts are hard to clean and maintain and tend to rust easily because of the difficulty. This causes them to not work as well. With a fixed blade, what you see is what you get, and you don’t get any moving parts on your knife. Something along the same lines as that is that fixed blades are much easier to maintain. You do not have to worry about the hinge as you do with a folding knife, and you don’t have to worry about cleaning or maintaining the small, moving parts. With the Black Out Wild Pig Hunter, all you have to do is quickly wipe down the knife and oil the blade. It is a very straightforward and simple process. One of the last major benefits to owning a solid fixed blade is that they are superior in both tactical and survival use. With the tactical use, a fixed blade is much easier to bring into play, because all you have to do is unsheathe the blade. If you were trying to defend yourself with a folding knife, you would have to draw the knife, flip it open, and then you would be ready to fight. While using it as a survival tool, you can use your knife for much more than just a knife. You have the versatility of using it for cutting, digging, splitting, food preparation, as a hunting weapon, as a first aid tool, to hammer with, and even to pry. So while a folding knife is probably the preferred knife in an urban environment, if you are going to be spending any time in the outdoors you probably want to look into getting yourself a fixed blade. And the Black Out Wild Pig Hunter is the perfect option for that.

The Sheath:

The sheath that comes with this edition of the knife is a black Kydex sheath. This is not a traditional sheath material. It is a thermoplastic material that was originally used to make holsters. The greatest advantage of a Kydex sheath is that it is so durable and can stand up to a variety of extreme environments. In fact, Kydex can be submerged in salt water and maintain its quality. But, on the flip side, there are some disadvantages to having a Kydex sheath. First of all, it doesn’t have too much personality; I would describe it as a lump of plastic. Some people do like the dark, sleek look to it—for stealth and hunting. The biggest drawback to a Kydex sheath is that it is unreasonably loud. There is a classic Kydex “click” when unsheathing or sheathing your knife. The last negative aspect about this type of sheath is that after repeated taking out and putting back your blade, the sheath will dull the blades edge.

The Specs:

The blade length on this knife is 7 9/16 inches long, with a blade thickness of a whopping ¼ inch. The overall length of this knife is 13 inches long. This knife weighs in over a pound at 14.2 ounces. The Black Out Wild Pig Hunter was designed by Leo Espinoza and manufactured in the United States of America.

Conclusion:

The TOPS Knives Exclusive Black Out edition of the Wild Pig Hunter gives you a huge blade that has been specifically build for wild pig hunting. A mature feral hog can weigh over 400 pounds and sport 4 razor sharp tusks. The men who hunt these beasts need to be prepared with the best knives possible, and this knife definitely fits the bill. Get your special edition Wild Pig Hunter at BladeOps now.