MSF by TOPS Knives stands for Mini Scandi Folder meant for Scandi trekkers. It has Scandi in its name because of the Scandi grind of its blade that makes for the perfect EDC knife. It is the result of Italian craftsmanship by Maserin and designed by Leo Espinoza in Italy.
TOPS MSF Review
The TOPS MSF is a non-assisted flipper style folding knife that boasts a Scandi grind for the entire length of its 3.25” blade with a cutting edge of 3.06”. The full length of the knife is 7.50” with a handle length of 4.38” made out of OD Green G10. It has an extended tang, a lanyard hole and pocket clip. The blade finish is satin, and the knife comes with a linerlock mechanism.
TOPS MSF Prices |
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Check Price at Blade HQ |
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Key Specifications of TOPS MSF
First Impressions of TOPS MSF
TOPS MSF came in a standard branded box of TOPS Knives. It is not too over the top or underdone, and matches the value of the knife.
The box contained the knife itself, its manual, detailed specs, model number and SKU, etc.
The knife came with excellent satin finish, the OD green G10 perfectly milled, and with a sharp factory edge Elmax blade.
It unlocked as smoothly as a flipper folder would. It did not make any noise, and was discreet from the beginning. The pocket clip was well-finished but not too shiny so as to not attract too much attention. There were no loose screws on the knife when used right out of the box. If that happens, you can use a torx screwdriver to fix it up easily.
Needless to say, this knife left positive impressions right of the box. It is reasonably priced and does not pose any problems. The light jimping along the liner lock and the spine is an added and welcome touch. It makes the knife safe and secure to operate with either hand. It is definitely worth buying, is versatile and durable.
The Blade of TOPS MSF
The blade of TOPS MSF features ultra-premium Elmax blade that is stain resistant and holds the edge well. It is easy to sharpen and has a shiny satin finish. It is high in chromium, vanadium and molybdenum alloy powdered steel with high corrosion resistance and wear resistance properties. It is stainless steel but acts as a carbon steel, hard to chip. It is also resistant to rust.
The blade thickness is 0.120”, which is great for an EDC knife with a cutting edge of 3.06”. It is not super thin, so you do not have to worry about it chipping easily. It also helps that it works more like carbon steel blade. The blade length is 3.25”, which is ample enough for EDC tasks around the house and office. It has an exaggerated finger guard below the spine of the blade to protect the finger from sliding down the blade.
The blade of MSF also has enough belly to make sharp cuts and an edge to make precise cuts. It has jimping along the spine of the blade, after which it takes the shape of a clip point. This allows the user to slide their index finger along the exaggerated jimping lines to use the edge of the blade and make precise cuts.
The Handle of TOPS MSF
The handle of TOPS MSF features Milled OD Green G10 scales with stainless steel frame and liners. The milled textures makes for an excellent ergonomic and comfortable grip. G10 also adds to the low price of the final product. It is less costly and commonly used on many folder and flipper knives. The handle is a bit heavy, which enables a strong grip and comfortable to carry for extended periods of time.
The knife handle has a reversible pocket clip with tip-up right and left hand carry. It hangs really well in the pocket and around the belt in an upright position, takes little space, and would not slip out easily. The pocket clip is also stainless steel with a satin finish and does not create hot spots against the fabric or other items in the pocket. The pocket clip rides super high and starts from the very back end of the knife, making it completely discreet in the pocket. The finishing is not too shiny, so it does not attract too much attention either. It is secured with another screw right at the end of the milled and stocked tang of the handle. The pocket clip also does not get in the way of handling the knife, and you can handle it in multiple ways. You can use it in either hand, flip it open from side, center and left, and the pocket clip would not sway or itch in the palm, even when carrying out heavy duty tasks.
The stainless steel liners do a great job of securing the blade and does not make any sound when flipping the blade in and out. It is also easy to disassemble, maintain, clean and reassemble because of the two screws at the base and one pivotal screw. It also comes with a small lanyard hole in the middle of the screws to secure a lanyard for extended grip.
The scales are well sculpted and contoured without any rough edges. It is not too aggressive and not too light either. The back end of the knife has a slight tang to add the edginess to the knife. It also adds some weight to make it more durable and less delicate. It is definitely a nice touch.
Deployment and Lockup of TOPS MSF
The deployment of TOPS MSF features a flipper tab on either side of the pivot washers to ensure a smooth opening and closing action. It does not make any noise when flipping it open and close, making it an ultra-smooth and discreet EDC folder. You can also flip it open from any direction and either hand. It works great for left-handed people as it does for the right-handed. You have the option of using the flippers and flipping the blade open all the way, or not.
The lockup is a standard linerlock, wherein you push the lock at the base of the blade below the pivot to spring the blade into opening and closing mode. There is absolutely no blade play involved. The jimping along the linerlock further makes it super safe to operate, especially if your hands are cold, sweaty, or slippery. As smooth as the lockup is, it is pretty solid too. The blade would not slide out without unlocking on purpose.
Moreover, the blade holds its position upright with no movement on either side once opened. It stays perpendicular to the handle and the pivot with no loose screws.
You can flip the blade open manually with your index finger, pinky finger and thumb. You can also use your thumb and index finger in the traditional way and it will open up smoothly.
Field Test of TOPS MSF
You can use TOPS MSF for cutting, cooking, camping, or kayaking. The Elmax blade is super robust and elegant, and can carry out heavy duty EDC tasks because of its fine blade profile and thickness.
The knife cuts through paper like butter, and allows precision cuts. It works just as easily at cutting cardboard boxes, ripping open envelopes, and chopping fruits and vegetables. It is super stain and rust resistance and can be used with sweaty, cold, gloved, wet, or slippery hands. The handle length is enough to fit in a standard to large-sized hand.
The lanyard hole can be useful in some outdoor tasks like fishing, cutting rope, and kayaking. The Elmax blade is highly versatile and recommended. The G10 is super smooth yet comfortable and ergonomic.
The deployment and lockup does not disappoint no matter how frequently you open and close the knife. TOPS MSF is the kind of knife that will stay with you for longer periods of time. It is easy to sharpen, but does not require sharpening too frequently. Oiling and cleaning the knife is in its regular maintenance, and it will go a long way then.
The pocket clip is very discreet and hangs well in the pocket. It will not accidentally fall off. Its weight of 3.74 ounces makes it a lightweight and easy to carry knife, yet sturdy. It does not create any hot spots and takes little space in the pocket.
Overall, the knife comes highly recommended and is reasonably priced.
Pros & Cons of TOPS MSF
PRO’s
Con’s
Comparisons:
TOPS MSF vs Benchmade Griptilian
The full-sized Benchmade Griptilian is the same in size as the TOPS Mini Scandi Folder. It also comes in a mini-sized version, but has no size comparison to the MSF. It is available in drop point 154CM stainless steel blade, and makes for an excellent EDC alternative to MSF. It also has mild jimping along the blade’s spine and a slight finger guard that falls on the handle.
One version of the Griptilian also comes with thumb studs just like on the MSF. It also has textured G10 scales that provide excellent traction. However, its scales are not milled like the MSF’s.
The Griptilian features an axis lock, which works just as smoothly as MSF’s linerlock. However, it does not come with the added features like jimping along its axis lock. But that does not discredit the Griptilian. It still works great and is reasonably priced.
TOPS MSF vs Honey Badger
The Honey Badger is much like the TOPS MSF, except for the thumb-hole opener. It is also a flipper tab knife with a linerlock just like the MSF. It has a finger choil a bit up further and is more exaggerated than on the MSF. It results in loss of some of the blade length and edge.
The Honey Badger features a D2 drop point flat grind blade with a satin finish. It can also be used by either left or right hand like the MSF, but costs way less than MSF, at just $56. It features black GRN handle instead of the G10 with stainless steel liners. It weighs slightly lesser than MSF at 3.5 ounces and is easy to carry.
Honey Badger acts as a great affordable alternative to the MSF when it comes to EDC knives.
Honey Badger Knives Linerlock Prices |
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Conclusion
TOPS MSF turned out to be an excellent EDC folder with ultra-premium Elmax stainless steel blade that acts as a carbon blade, and is not too thin to chip easily. It is stain and corrosion resistant and has excellent edge retention.
The OD Green Milled G10 handle can be held with cold, sweaty, slippery and gloved hands. It is highly ergonomic and versatile. The pocket clip is discreet, the screws are well done and the stainless steel liners are easy to clean and maintain. It does not make any noise when deploying or locking it up.
Overall, TOPS MSF is a great EDC folder that passed the field test with flying colors, and came on top when compared with Benchmade Griptilian and Honey Badger. Although Honey Badger is a much more affordable option, MSF is a much more versatile and durable knife. It can be used as an EDC folder, a kitchen knife and outdoor knife.
