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Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Sheath/Scabbard
This knife is made more as a combat knife than anything, and I'm still in my testing phase of my most recent purchases (including this particular blade), but I can say the following about this knife that may be of use to you. All my knives I use for hiking and backwoods travels (I am from Canada and hike mostly in the Canadian Rockies). I carry this knife as a secondary blade due to its size (my primary blades tend to be larger unless I find myself on an impromptu hike and only have smaller blades in my Jeep). It is a very well made blade, made with good materials, a well made handle, and comes with a very keen edge. I worry a bit about the neck between the blade and the handle as it is quite narrow and under extreme stress I worry that it could potentially give way (though as stated the materials used are excellent so I hope my worry is for not). My only real issue with this knife is the sheath. I have 2 small concerns with the sheath. First, the belt clip, unlike some other Tops knives, is made of plastic and I can see it eventually wearing and failing. I tend to hike in all kinds of weather including what many might call extreme cold (extreme may be a little much, but down to as low as -25 C (-13F), and I worry the clip could become brittle and fail in those temperatures. Second, as I have found with other Tops knives I have ordered, the clip cannot be repositioned (though it can be twisted for limited alternate draw styles). This prevents (or at least limits) one from reorienting the knife for either right and left hand draws. I happen to be left handed. Nevertheless, I find this knife to be excellent in manufacture, surprisingly lightweight for such high quality, and so far very functional in handling.