TOPS has another new fixed blade on shelves, the Colin Despins designed Enchantor. This one lands in the tactical knife genre, albeit with the intention of being low-profile and highly portable.
As TOPS themselves point out in the copy for the Enchantor, a lot of tactical fixed blades go for imposing, bulky designs. And while those certainly have their place both inside and outside of the TOPS lineup, that isn’t the only way to go with this particular use category. Just as we have different folders for different needs and tastes, so too is there demand for something that has legitimate self-defense/combat chops, but paired with a slim, weight-conscious frame. Think of some of the classic fighting daggers of the twentieth century and you’re not far off the mark with what TOPS/Despins were going for here.
In fact, speaking of daggers, the Enchantor’s 3.5-inch blade is one itself – complete with a secondary edge on the topside, measuring 2.88 inches long. There is a frankly massive, trench-like fuller on the show side, and a thumb ramp behind the edge for extra control and safety. The River Rat, the last TOPS model we took a look at, was made with 154CM stainless steel in light of its role as a riverside cutting companion, but TOPS has returned to their one and only, 1095 carbon steel, here on the Enchantor. A black coating will help to shore up the steel’s lack of innate stain resistance for sure.
Even though the Enchantor was designed with the explicit purpose of being able to be carried beneath the beltline, Despins made sure to provide his knife with a relatively roomy handle. A deep finger groove on the bottom side compliments the thumb ramp we mentioned above, aiding with grip during use. The scales are black G-10 in keeping with the Enchantor’s subdued aesthetic, and the included pancake-style Kydex sheath keeps the whole package secure no matter which way you choose to carry it – and the Enchantor should be easy to carry, as its total weight (sheath included) is listed at 7.2 oz.
It is available now.
Knife in Featured Image: TOPS Enchantor
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