The TOPS 'Bull Trout' - a Fixed Blade for All Seasons?

Рет қаралды 4,799

2 жыл бұрын

TOPS Knives has an annual employee design competition where everyone in the company is given a use and is allowed to design a knife for that purpose. In 2018, the use was "EDC" or "Every Day Carry" and it was won by a Shipping Manager named Martin Murillo who is also an avid fisherman.
The 'Bull Trout' is that knife Martin designed and won the contest for '18.
It is an uncommon TOPS knife in stainless steel; 154CM, to be exact. It's a great working steel and this is an impressive design for such a small knife. The quality leather belt sheath is of comparable quality and is perfectly serviceable for the task of carrying this knife. The burlap micarta is grippy and looks great. Classy enough for EDC, but rugged enough for the outdoors.
I look forward to spending more time with this in the outdoors roles this year. It took me 2 years to land this knife, so I am excited to put it through its paces.
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns in the comments below. Stay well, GG.
My Instagram: @grumpy.grunt
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#topsbulltrout #edc #edcfixedblade #154cm #madeintheusa

Пікірлер: 45

@janpen78 10 ай бұрын

Great review, thanks.

@GrumpyGrunt 9 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching!

@sobxscooter8157 2 жыл бұрын

I like it!! I'd like it more if it were scout carry. Thanks Grumpy!

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

It'll get Kydex made, eventually. That will allow me to mount it scout, saber or on a pack strap. Then, it will be perfect. Thanks for stopping by, Scooter.

@newmanoutdoorsnewman5619 2 жыл бұрын

Cool man

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

Hey, Newman! Thanks for watching!

@shaynegablespkr 2 жыл бұрын

I love this knife. I want one. I love that Tops did it in 154cm too. What a perfect little walkabout knife.

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

Yessir. If it was in 1095, I probably wouldn't have gotten it. As much as I love the design, I just need my stainless steels. I am glad it's 154CM instead of S35VN, as much as I love my 'Camp Creek' by TOPS in that steel. The 154 feels like it will take more of a beating. Thanks for watching, brother Shayne. Stay well down there.

@timbo4374 2 жыл бұрын

I'm a fan of TOPS knives.

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

Me too. Each one I get, I like more than the one before. Thanks for watching, Timbo! Stay well.

@bushcraftjoe1 2 жыл бұрын

That looks like it would be a great fatwood shaving knife

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

I get what you're driving at. 😂 Take care, brother.

@jeremyspaulding7735 2 жыл бұрын

It really is a great looking little fixed blade. I can see how this would be a great edc and also as a small outdoor knife. Great video brother 👍

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

Martin really knocked it out of the park on this knife, in my opinion. It will be even better when I get Kydex made for it. Thanks for watching, brother. Stay well.

@jn651 2 жыл бұрын

Love a smallish edc fixed blade! That one looks great. Smaller fixed blades do NOT get the love they deserve; thanks for doing what you can to rectify that, Grumpy! Take care, buddy.

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

They're the EDC I know best. I swapped my fixed blade after I got out of the military. The Ka-bar and a gigantic Gerber stiletto were far more than I needed even then, but I just got the folding version of them. Then stepped down to the TOPS 'MSF 4.0' and a smaller fixie and never looked back. Thanks for watching and being in the small fixed blade camp with me, brother! 👊

@MotoXFreak382 6 ай бұрын

I have the MSK 2.5 with similar scales and hardware. You can take the hardware out and rotate the scales to clean between them, but that lanyard tube is indeed flared and won't come off.

@GrumpyGrunt 6 ай бұрын

Thanks, man. I figured as much on the lanyard tube. I am lucky enough to have some knifemaker friends who will let me hit it with their buffing wheel to clean it up if it gets too bad.

@PoppaRyno 2 жыл бұрын

I really like the look & size of this knife. Would be a great kayak knife.

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

I have no clue what the qualifications for a kayak knife are, so I don't know there. I know it fills several sizes of hand nicely for such a small knife, and I think it would make a good bird and trout knife (but haven't used it for that yet). It's stainless and has that great TOPS warranty. I'd wanted one since they came out and I am glad I finally landed one. It's headed home from Stevie Wonder Woman soon and I have missed it in the rotation since I recorded this. It's a stout, capable knife. Take care, brother. Congrats again on that win!

@jessicasdumpstergirls2587 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome 👍 knife 🔪and I share you out on my community tab

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Jessica!!!

@MyKnifeJourney 3 ай бұрын

Bought one last night

@GrumpyGrunt 2 ай бұрын

I look forward to seeing what you think. It is still one of my favorite and most useful small EDC knives.

@snuzznuzz 2 жыл бұрын

Yea it makes sense these sell out quickly. What a great little knife. I'm digging on this, it's a little heavy for me to use in the back country but it's just right for EDCing I think. Great pick up Grumpy!

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

With Kydex, I think it would still be back country worthy. At least on Indiana "back country" standards. But definitely a brilliant little EDC fixed blade. When it gets back home from seeing Stevie, I can send it your way to check out, if you like.

@KebunLangit67 2 жыл бұрын

wow keren👍👍👍🙏🔔😊

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@NicoleHikesalot 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome knife I love the history and hearing about the design. It looks super multi functional. Love the various handles . The other knives look awesome as well. I love the lower one the large one. Awesome looking handle. That bull trout is awesome for sure.

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Nicole! These are some of my favorites. I am a fixed blade guy at heart. Thanks for watching and have a great weekend! I hope you guys are getting out when the weather permits.

@rustyknifelover4463 2 жыл бұрын

I like it. Been carrying the Izula lately

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

It's a tough call between those two. The 'Izula' in S35VN with those G10 scales fills the hand nicely. When I get Kydex made for all three of these smalls, it will be even tougher. Thanks for watching, Rusty. Stay well.

@paddyspotatopeelers2154 2 жыл бұрын

Another one for my list dam it.lol.atb paddy

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

🤣 It's a great little fixie. If you get a chance to put one in-hand, I think you'd like it. This one is on its way to see another content creator who also likes the looks of it. If I had more than one, I'd spread them around. Stay well, Paddy.

@toddcarr. 2 жыл бұрын

Tops makes some great knives and small ones like this are great for EDC, personally I prefer a knife I can get a full grip on. Just personal preference, but for small hands or those that don't mind a three finger knife it's crazy how much you can get done with a small knife. Thanks for the look see and keep making sharp things fun and enjoyable.

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

I like their bigger knives even more for a lot of outdoors or bigger tasks. They just aren't good for the type of office/professional EDC I am/was used to carrying. If I can land some job where wearing my 'Camp Creek' to work is part of my EDC and it feels right to do so, I'm a happy man. With the wide handle profile on this one, it fills my hand fairly well and seems ready for work so far. Thanks for watching, brother. Stay warm and well up there.

@Mattisfaction 2 жыл бұрын

Sounds like Grumpy is having a Chocolate leather Stroke!

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

It smells like Nutella on toast in here.

@diverdave2179 2 жыл бұрын

I have a feeling you will ignore the warning and remove the scales anyway :). Mr. Murillo made a gem there. Thanks GG!

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

I will do my best to not remove them. I won't be dying or modding scales on this one, so I don't foresee them coming off. It is a great, little knife. I can't remember if it is/was in your collection of small fixed blades or not. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't already. I hope you are all back to 100% soon, brother.

@diverdave2179 2 жыл бұрын

@@GrumpyGrunt haha! I don't have this yet, but it's on the list. I am good , GG, hope the weather's treating you well over there.

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

@@diverdave2179 I'm sorry, Dave. For some reason, my brain registered you as Danny/D's Knives. So, I was responding as if I was talking to him. I had just watched one of his videos before checking comments and it's past my bedtime... 🥴 The weather here is awful, my friend. This is Indiana winter though. It's never nice. We just got done with our first weather event, which left behind around 10 inches of snow. I hope that's the only one we have this year. Stay well over there, brother.

@diverdave2179 2 жыл бұрын

@Grumpy Grunt haha, that's ok! I do have a small collection of fixed blades, but Danny's collection is much larger :) . You take care.

@hanikaram3351 2 жыл бұрын

if it had a 4 inch handle and 3 inches for a blade i would have bought it , no use carrying a shrunken and midget knife to do a knife work i might as well carry a scalpel instead

@GrumpyGrunt 2 жыл бұрын

If that is the type of knife you need, there are plenty of those out there too. This one was designed as a small EDC and a compact bird & trout knife and it's done a great job for me so far. This thing does far more work than its blade or handle size might suggest, but ergos are a real thing and not all knives work for every person.