- TOPS BOB Fieldcraft · Drop Point4.75″ blade · 0.188″ spine · 9.6 oz · ~1.5″ tall
TOPS BOB Fieldcraft
The TOPS BOB Fieldcraft is a 4.5" drop point fixed blade in 1095 Carbon, modified scandi ground. The handle is Canvas Micarta. At 9.6 oz it sits 24th-lightest of the 30 bushcraft and camp knives here, where the median is 7.2 oz.
- Blade
- 4.75″
- Weight
- 9.6 oz
- Steel
- 1095 Carbon
- Price band
- Premium
Batoning, carving and fire prep
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Specifications
Manufacturer-published figures, cross-checked against topsknives.com, bladehq.
- Blade length
- 4.75″
- Spine thickness
- 0.188″
- Blade shape
- Drop Point
- Grind
- Modified Scandi
- Steel
- 1095 Carbon
- Weight
- 9.6 oz
- Lock
- Fixed
- Handle material
- Canvas Micarta
- Country of origin
- USA
Why a drop point
The default hunting and EDC shape, and the safest general answer. The spine curves down to the tip in a convex line, which keeps the point low and strong and leaves plenty of belly for skinning. It is hard to make a drop point bad at anything.
Every drop point here →About 1095 Carbon
The American survival-knife standard. Dead simple, very tough at these hardnesses, and it will start rusting the day you put it away wet.
1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other. All 1095 Carbon knives
What owners say
Drawn from 21 owner discussions of the TOPS BOB Fieldcraft since 2024. The opinions are theirs. The specifications above come from the maker.
What owners like
- Batoning is where it earns its keep: one owner who split wood with it was surprised it did not break, and another calls it their favorite knife to abuse, baton and tip test.
- Covers a wide spread of camp work: one owner has used it for everything from building shelters to skinning deer, and another spent over a year camping, cooking, cleaning fish and hunting with it.
- The 1095 carbon blade held up without rust for an owner in a hot, humid climate who simply wipes it dry and oils it, and they found the steel was never an issue.
- Even its critics call it close to indestructible; an owner who dislikes how it cuts still rates it nearly unbreakable, and a self-described hater says it keeps going no matter how they treat it.
- Heavy-use pick in mixed kits: one owner grabs it for heavy use and keeps an ESEE 4 for lighter work, and another who dislikes their ESEE 5 says the BOB and a Joker Nomad do camp tasks better.
- Leather sheath option: one owner bought a leather sheath for theirs as soon as they became available, when another owner asked about replacing the stock sheath's metal clip.
What owners flag
- Thick enough to hurt slicing: one owner of the original size says it is way too thick and does not do a good job as a knife, another knife user calls it ridiculously chunky, and even a satisfied owner notes that it is thick.
- At 9.6 oz it is a lot to carry on a day hike; when an owner asked about bringing it on a five mile trail, the advice was to take it only if they planned to baton or build shelter.
- The stock kydex sheath's metal clip draws complaints: one owner upgraded their sheath because they did not like the metal clip, a second voice agreed, and another knife user calls TOPS clips janky.
- Left-handed carry is awkward out of the box: a lefty who was given one asked how to switch the sheath, seeing the belt clip as the main obstacle, and the answers called TOPS kydex sheaths not lefty friendly and pointed to aftermarket sheaths or swapping the clip.
- One owner of the full-size model is not a fan of its scandi/sabre edge.
- One heavy user calls it their favorite knife to hate, with many small details they would change, even though they keep reaching for it.
- Price puts off some shoppers: one asking about the Mora Garberg doubted the BOB was worth over double the Garberg's price, and another found it and the ESEE 5 and 6 too expensive for their budget.
Batoning and shelter building are the jobs owners describe the BOB Fieldcraft doing. One owner has taken it from shelter building to skinning deer, another used it for over a year of camping, cooking, fishing and hunting, and a third keeps it as their heavy-use knife alongside an ESEE 4. A collector with dozens of knives calls it their favorite knife to hate and abuse, and it keeps surviving that treatment.
Thickness and the sheath shape the practical experience. The 0.188 in blade and 9.6 oz weight are a lot of knife, and one owner of the original size says it is too thick to cut well, though they call it nearly indestructible. The 1095 carbon steel was trouble-free for an owner in a humid climate who wipes it dry and oils it. The stock kydex sheath's metal clip led one owner to upgrade their sheath, another bought a leather sheath as soon as one was available, and a left-handed owner asked how to convert it.
Shoppers weigh it against the Mora Garberg, the ESEE 4 and 6, and the TOPS Brakimo. The Garberg costs less than half as much and comes in stainless 14C28N, which one shopper and one answer held against the BOB. For a picnic or a light day hike, the advice steers people to a small folder instead.
Can the BOB Fieldcraft handle batoning and shelter building?
Owners say yes. One used it to baton and was surprised it did not break, another has used it for everything from shelters to skinning deer, and a heavy user batons and tip tests it as their beater knife.
Will the 1095 carbon steel on the BOB rust, and how does it compare to the Garberg's 14C28N?
An owner who used their BOB for over a year lives in a hot, humid climate, wipes their carbon knives dry after use and oils them with coconut oil, and has never had a rust problem; they say 1095 takes a keener edge than 14C28N. Two other knife users argue that 14C28N keeps a better edge, is tougher and is stainless.
Can the TOPS BOB sheath be set up for a left-handed carrier?
Not easily with the stock kydex sheath: a lefty who was given one saw the belt clip as the biggest obstacle, and one answer called TOPS kydex sheaths not lefty friendly. The suggestions were cutting off the clip and fitting an Ulticlip or Tek-Lok, or buying one of the aftermarket sheaths made for this knife.
Is the BOB Fieldcraft too heavy to bring on a day hike?
Answers to an owner planning a five mile trail hike said the BOB is heavy and worth bringing only if you plan to baton wood or build a shelter. For a walk and a picnic, two answers pointed them to a light Opinel instead.
Should I get the BOB Fieldcraft or the TOPS Brakimo?
Two owners weighed in on that comparison: one had used the Fieldcraft for everything from shelters to skinning deer and had never used the Brakimo, and the other says their BOB has done everything they needed and then some. A follow-up leaned toward the BOB for its heft and because it was selling for less than the Brakimo at the time.
Does the BOB Fieldcraft come in other steels or sizes?
Yes. Owners mention BOBs in 154CM stainless as well as the 1095 version on this page, and there is a smaller BOB 3.5. An owner of the original size contrasts it with the 3.5 when calling the full-size model too thick.
Features
- Full fixed tang
- Modified Scandi grind
- Made in USA
- Carbon steel blade — will patina
