I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "it gives me joy". That's as good a reason as any to buy a blade.

Honestly, there’s a ton of worse ways to spend our money. I love collecting knives to look at and to use. I take them out and yes, sometimes I just handle them while watching a TV show.

I’ve had this Blade (in the Darkened Edition!) for over 2-YEARS now & I Love IT..!!! I mistakenly bought two of these knives & gave one to my neighbor/friend, ‘cause he’s the type that’s ALWAYS helping myself & other neighbors out whenever there’s a NEED! Since he loves to hunt, this seemed like the perfect way to Thank him…🇺🇸

Thanks a friggen lot . My wife hates it when she hears me watching your reviews. I have bought 3 of the last 5 knives you have done vids on. And man, i love this knife !! Gotta get it !!

I have knives costing 4X the Operator 7 and they don’t look, feel, or perform as well as the Op7. Definitely worth the money. As for the 1075/1095 argument as an Engineer with a background in Metallurgy it’s more of a talking point. Great knife at a very reasonable price point. Thanks for the review!

Paused the video, went and ordered, then came back

i took a ceramic rod to mine and its now the sharpest!! knife i own the way they ground it down from the spine was brilliant.and tops has listened to us about the sheaths GREAT JOB TOPS!!!;-)

Thanks for the video. TOPS didn't go too far, but reached the end of the road :-)I received my TOPS Operator 7 blackout today. A dream. A sharp, 7.8 mm thick chisel with an extremely good grip for medium to large hands. Top(s) Keyex sheath, boxed and with emergency whistle. My friendly tip: buy it and be happy :-) Made in U.S.A. Make America great again. Kind regards, Fred from Germany.

Thanks for the great review. For me it is the best replacement for my Bowie knife I bought some 50 years ago mainly because of severe hand deficits. Dual guards are always prime for my knives that will be rough housed. The TOPS Ranger Bootlegger is on the list to pair with the Operator 7.

This was a good review! I think I might look at an Operator Seven after this. It looks like something I might like. My personal likes in knives is larger knives with good steel. Something that will not break is a major concern for me. I’ve had knives break miles and hours from any back-up. And of course, I back up the .larger knives with a couple others. A smaller fixed blade and a good pocket knife. Sometimes, I have another one too. Edge retention is a close second against the ability to be durable. And another major concern is the sheath. I don’t want something that will break, or let the knife fall out somewhere. A knife should be at your side when you want it and do what you need without breaking. Within reason, If a knife is heavy, that isn’t a problem for me.

I can answer the question as to what to buy. Buy both!! I have the Delta Class Steel Eagle and am now fancying an Operator 7. Whilst the Steel Eagle looks aggressive, it's a survival knife. The Operator is a combat knife. Which is why you should buy one of each. And if your wife says you can't please return your Man Card to the address on the back!!

I bought it when it first came out. It's my #1 knife in my collection. Love it, what more can I say. Everything about it is good.

Im gonna finally pull the trigger on this knife. Craig at TOPS said that the 1075 is both for toughness, and also because their source for US 1095 did not have billets in the thickness that they wanted for this knife. In my experience with 1075 from Condor, its a great steel, and the difference from 95 is not all that apparent. I just love the look of this, and I think the price is really reasonable for what you get. Gotta love TOPS. Such a quality brand.

That thing is just beautiful, I have no use for it but want one just to have it!

Steel Eagle- Survival in the Wilderness. Operator 7- Survival in Jurassic Park. Love both those knives. When Great Minds and Great Steels meet-TOPS. Great Review GT.

Thanks for the thorough review; it was very informative. I would like to suggest one aspect of survival that wasn't covered, and that is to survive enemy pursuit. I would say the Operator may have just a slight edge over the Steel Eagle having the double (top and bottom) hand guard but without a saw back. I have it from a reliable authority that the saw back makes "extraction" from, let's say a side of beef, more difficult. The toothier the messier is what was said. This is especially so if the "insertion" was made with the blade held vertically. With a wide blade such as the Steel Eagle and the Operator, it would require some effort to force the blade through two ribs. A blade with a toothy back would make extraction more difficult; the extra effort required to free the blade might make the difference between life and death. A trained knife fighter, again I was told, stabs with a flat blade (goes it between ribs with greater ease). So, if one were evading enemy pursuit, wouldn't you recommend the Operator over the Steel Eagle? That's survival too. In my case, I won't be evading pursuit nor do I foresee ever having to survive in the woods on wits and knife alone. Nevertheless I went and got an Operator after watching your review just because I like pry bars with an edge, Better still if it happens to take the form of a knife. Hey, thanks again for a most informative and thorough review.

Really awesome video Gideonstactical! I've been watching your channel for years now and I just wanted to say how great of a job that you always do! And really great review on the Operator 7! I'll have to pick one of them up

Just received mine today. It is awesome. Zero buyer's remorse. It's the real deal. Thanks Aaron for the review. Spot on. Aaron is totally correct on all aspects. And yes, the top gaurd doesnt get in the way. To anybody that might be "on the fence" with this...buy it. Fits tje hand like it was made for it. It's awesome!! 😎🤩👏👏👍

I did a review also on this knife (blackout edition) and I asked myself the same questions, what's the point for this thing ? And after having tested it in the forest, I came to the conclusion that it is doing very well despite its big thickness and the strange shape of its blade and its handle. To my surprise this knife is very functional.

That is a perfect knife for the Zombie apocalypse. It's awesome! I love it. Great presentation! I must have it! I don't care if I will most likely never be in that scenario... I WANT IT! Yep... it's on my must have list!

This one and Team Gemini Light Brigade are my favourite blades for heavy duty work! I would be awesome if they would make a 1095 version too 😃

Just wanted to let you know you are very appreciated Gideon. You test all kinds of gear in the situations and tasks they are meant to do and some they are not lol, but I don't think people understand how hard of work you are doing just to review a product and help everyone out in making their decision to buy. I've chopped wood before and its hard with an axe let alone a knife lmao. So i want to say thanks for all the hard work you do for everyone!! And would you recommend the operator 7 or the tops combat knife you recently reviewed? Both are similar and I'm not sure witch to buy lol.

I love my operator 7!! Its sooo well balanced that the thickness is totally forgettable. Its a great bushcraft knife. I love mine. Its a super agile knife due to balance and razor sharp and chops and feather sticks like a small and big knife. It does it all like a small knife and big knife.

Great video,,,, btw sports fans the knife he is demonstrating comes with the dangler, the blackout version comes with a metal belt clip

I have several Tops knives, I find for outdoor use I go to my Skullcrusher and Operator 7, something I can't explain but the Operator 7 is an amazing knife hands down. I've retired a lot of my other knives because of the Operator 7 and the Skullcrusher. I'm definitely buying another Operator 7 , absolutely amazing knife.

Im 100% happy with all my tops and this one takes the cake. The belt clip keeps it high enough that i can wear this on the daily with no regrets. I have found a home for it in my rotation

I thought I was the only one who would sit and hold them in my hands while on the couch, lol

Great video of a really fine quality knife. As Crocodile Dundee would say "now that's a knife mate". Thank you for sharing. Not a bad price for a beefy knife such as that. Keep those great reviews going. 🤗

Cool Video 👍 Thank U for the Info and the Links 👍

Your like the only dude that does good knife reviews anymore. Keep it up Brotha.

This is by far my favorite new knife! I have many and saying this brings me joy is an understatement

I usually stay away from knifes with the recurve blade design, due to tha sharpening issue, but I think I'll be Making an exception with this one. I've been looking at knifes in this class like the BK 7, but for the money being that you get an awesome sheath it's the complete package.

Love Tops Knives. Have the missle strike. Tried to get the Op 7 but has been sold out. Great reviews 👌

So many options at this price point, but thanks to your review I decided to go with this one (even over the blackout edition) so many expectations, but definitely I want to use my knives and seems like I'm gonna enjoy to beat the crap out of this one. I hope it also "gives me joy" :D Thanks for the review!

I would like one of these knives with no recurve on the blade and perhaps Zwear PM steel with a DLC coating!

Great review, and I really liked the in-depth comparison. A couple of very nice, heavy duty , survival knives. 🇺🇸👍🏻👍🏻

I own this knife. It is the most Amazing balanced weight knife ever. Its huge but feels like a small knife. It doesn't feel big when u hold it. It feels way lighter then its actual weight. I was so shocked my first time holding it.

They couldn't get 1095 thick enough to make this knife from their supplier only 1075 came thick enough.

Just picked up a Operator 7 Blackout edition. You were dead on with your Review Love your channel before I make a knife purchase I always check out your reviews Keep up the good and enjoyable reviews.

I just bought one! I have a couple other TOPs knives, a Little Bro and a SERE Operator. Needed something bigger.

love it, im buying one...only bad thing i can say is that the finger choil is pointless on this knife, choking up on the knife to use the choil is not gonna happen with the top guard there!! but its a beast...true apocalypse survival knife!! jmho

Thanks Aaron! I think....every time I think I don’t need this knife I watch a video on it and then I need it again

Got mine when it came out.its best knife in tops knife brand

The reason the Operator 7 has 1075 steel is 1095 is not available in large quantity in 0.31 thickness for knife production. 18.9 oz., 56-58 RC. Thanks for your time and review.

Been looking for a thick, heavy duty blade to replace my axe while going bushcrafting, looks to be the exact thing I've been looking for!

Lol... you dated yourself with the Grizzly Adams and Jeramiah Johnson references. I loved that show and movie as a kid. The book about Liver Eating Johnson (Crow Killer) that movie was based off of was good too. Enjoyed your review. Definitely picking this knife up.

This or the Tops dart for field craft with emphasis on chopping..... Or other suggestions. I,m planning on taking a Jack of all trades as a one day hike type option that fits in my evac watson. My primary woods processing is axe,skrama and silky big boy. And it's an excuse to buy another knife

Ticked all my boxes, except i wanted the dangler sheath . Bought the only one i cld find here, blackout edition 👍😁🤘🇦🇺

That handle looks like something Batman would carry. It's cool I'm impressed!

Great review! Thank you very much 👍

Greetings Aron From Nova Scotia Canada & I Watched This Review Several Times Since It Came Out,,,,,Well Today I Finally Bite The Bullet & Bought The Blackout Edition Of This Knife !! Shipped To My Door Was $265 Canadian Dollars But,,,, I am almost 48 Years Old & I Fully Expect This Knife To Last Me Out To The End !! I Love Your Reviews & Enjoy The Advice Sir !! Thank You. 👋💯🤝

That's a nice knife and great presentation, I like it. Most trolls will find something wrong this video, and need a safe space. Excellent Video As Always. 👍👍😎

Awesome knife Aaron. I need to get one of those TOPS knifes. Very Badass knife !!!!!

I love it. I’m a sucker for recurves. I wish it was in a stainless steel. AEB-L, or 14C28N, Magnacut, S35VN, etc.

they're competing in Lord Thompson's world! AKA: over the top!! everybody wants a slice of the pie.

If it works really good and it's a great tool it could be one of the greatest designs since the original Bowie knife.

Sold!!!! I go to "knife center", always factory firsts

Great video! Just pulled the trigger on the Blackout version. Too many good reviews for me to pass up the knife...

Since the Operator 7 came out I've said I would pair it with the Ranger Bootlegger 2. With my hand deficit grip is very important and the Ranger 2 fills notching and tiny carving needs better for me.

That’s why I always buy bench made because they will sharpen that factory tenant anytime that you get it done. You gotta buy two lives, so you’re not sitting there with that one, but it will be perfect when it comes out back to you.❤

Hey Aaron, got mine a few months back to purpose as a survival knife. Right now it's pulling service as my truck door knife in my Tundra. Love it! btw, I just picked up a Tex Creek 20th Aniversary to us as my primary belt knife. Would love to see you do a review on that one since it has CPM 154 steel. Like to hear your thoughts on it.

I have a pretty good knife collection n I have my favorites for certain things. My favorite combat knife, Warcraft tanto. Favorite chopper, Trailmaster. Favorite survival knife, Anaconda 9. Favorite EDC, Recon 1 and Tops M1 Midget. But if a friend showed up n said "idk where we're going. N idk what were gonna be doing. Could be all of the above". It would be my Operator 7 hands down. It literally does EVERYTHING good!

This is a truly awesome knife. That said, you can buy a Ontario Spec Plus 1075 knife, or Cold Steel SK-5 knife, for 1/4 the price. Those knives will perform just as well, especially the SP10 Marine Raider Bowie, which is 0.25" thick 1075 carbon steel. Through trial and error, and watching a lot of KZfaq tests, I've learned it's foolhardy to spend over $100 on ANY knife or machete. You can buy an incredibly durable Cold Steel or Ontario knife for $45-$60. Cold Steel knives will will come with better sheaths, and both companies will come with better grips. Heck, the Cold Steel 2nd Generation Drop Forged Survivalist, in 52100 ball bearing steel, was recently on sale for $58. It's an 8" blade drop forged knife, made with arguably superior steel. I have one. It stays hair shaving sharp after use.

Very good review. I like Top Knives, I have a Armaggeddon. But, I do not like the factory sheath. I wish they would of designed a good 2 piece Kydex sheath for it. And, I wonder why Tops does not offer replacement scales for their knives.

Can you take out the handles and take a look at the skeleton? That first torx screw near the hilt/bolster looks very large, and they put it right near the weakest and thinnest point of the blade. Seems like poor design. Couldn't they have moved the screw back where the handle was thicker? Curious to see the diameter on the skeletonized blade where the screws are.

Met the owners nephew yesterday and he mentioned this knife so here I am. Gonna get one ☝️

When are you reviewing the CUT 4.0? It's literally the coolest knife design that TOPS sells.

I've looked at that knife for a long time, and decided to finally get it. I wish that damn Micro Hawk was in stock somewhere though I want one so bad.

Looks like an amazing blade. Great review!

Good review. One suggestion those ceramic rods will work better if you clean them.

Op.7 is one of Tops baddest blades Fer sure.. I would take this knife outdoors with me without a second thought. The danger sheath is top quality.

Great review Aaron...as usual. Love my Op7!

As someone who owns this and the steel eagle and has plenty of time with both, get the steel eagle. The steel eagle is much more capable than the op7

Make a basic sharpening kit from a small radius plastic tube, wrap wet and dry paper, held with elastic bands at each end.

I am trying to figure out how it would be used, but at this point it's just a cool blade that will last forever.

I would be most interested in this knife as part of a two-knife system, paired with a smaller, thinner blade. I'm considering the Op7 and a sheath system piggyback containing a smaller, lighter knife. The chopping and batoning portion of this video shows this knife to be excellent for those heavier tasks, but I would never expect this knife to do finer tasks, which is why I'm a fan of a kit system. Pair this knife with a Tops Mini Scandi or Little bugger and you have a great tandem.

Very thorough review!!!

Looks and sounds awesome. Great job on the info and actual use of these two blades. I'm thinking about a steel eagle but this one has me thinking as well. 🔪👍🗡️

That is a beast of a knife, haha. I thought my BK2 was a thick one, but this is insane. Great review though and this is something that i would consider when i go for my first Tops fixed blade.

Blade seems great but the sheath lends more to Bush craft then a fighting knife... personally I dont know how I feel about a dangler for assault style kit... molle sheath something to mount it to lbe

I happened to buy this knife after I saw this video I think this will be good to take with you in the woods and hopefully this works for defense against predators we may not have firearms with us for self-defense in Sweden but knife is okay when you are out in nature so then you are happy to choose to have something that operates 7 with you and after what I have seen and heard about this it was not a difficult decision continue with your videos very good info and test on the products means that you get a good insight before you buy things

I have a bk9 and as soon as you held the bk9 up against the tops, i was done. Ill stick with bk9

Good review badass blades!

Really wish tops did a 5 inch blade version. Cause my 7 was just too long…got in trouble for carrying it at work. Funny cause I work in a beef packing plant. A 5 inch blade version with scout carry would have been alright but not knocking the original I carried proudly for 4 years and nary had a hiccup until I was told I could not carry it.

Hey Aaron, when asked, which large blade chopper was the absolute best in your opinion for batoning? Which one comes to mind ? Ontario SP51 or ESEE Junglas ? Thanks bro

Great review. Thanks so much. When this came out I fell for it, but didn’t pull the trigger. Then it sold out, I now may hunt one down

Oh about seven hundred years ago when I was a teenager I had drawn quite a few knives 🔪 . My stepdad gave me my first fixed bladed knife (god bless that man) when I was six and I started drawing them and in high school I drew a knife very close to this Tops Operator 7 it was missing the choil and had a small hammer end cap ...otherwise this was pretty much the knife I served six years in the Army Infantry and while in I traveled four continents and more duty stations than I care to think about. Anyway I searched that whole time looking for the perfect combat knife completely forgetting the drawing. Then my mother gave me some of my old things from high school and I saw the drawing I was going to toss it but I looked at and thought damn this would make one hell of a combat specific blade , about three years later Tops makes this monster I saw it and I knew this is the knife I drew (but way better)and I want to pass on to my son or daughter which ever I have and whichever gets into knives ...... I do have to say the Tops version is way better than my design hell mine had a wooden handle (micarta and G-10 weren’t even invented yet).... this blade will last a lifetime or two ...... thank you Tops for creating my legacy blade !!!

Incredibly thorough review Aaron. Thanks

Just started the video but will answer the question with awesome!!!!

Beefy blade. I like it..they need to make a model with a belly but no recurve. For sharpening in the field during extended adventures

Would you recommend lock tight the bolts on the handle ? I probably would.

At what point does a knife become a short sword?

It's a nice survival knife , at this price you can buy a Bark River Bravo 1.5 3V though.

👑👍 it's The King of the Tactical 🌎 World 🗡️ Knife 🔪 Absolutely .👑👍👑

Tops in my opinion always does a great job on any design and or thickness,!!! Damn good knives!!!

Great review. I appreciate the comparison with the Steel Eagle, which I bought from watching your review on it. However, I still love my Steel Eagle 107c and I think I will stay with it. I carry it with my TOPS Brakimo and TOPS MSK 2.5 neck knife. This combination is perfect for me. Thanks again for a great review.

But does it have a 90° spine? Will is strike the ferro rod?

I don't get TOPS pricing. Survive! makes similarly priced stuff at similar sizes with much better steel.

You make cracking a coconut sound easy my friend if you’ve ever actually claimed a coconut tree and try to open a real Coconut straight from the tree it is no easy feat though I will say any tops knife makes a little easier

Whoa, from what I'm seeing and hearing hear, If I get this blade, I will be my WROL tool on the go that 4 sure.