TOPS Knives 2025 Lineup
In the cutlery world, there’s one thing you can set your watch by every year: TOPS Knives will have a bumper crop of new offerings. It’s in their DNA. Typically, they’ll dazzle the TOPS faithful with all-new designs, but it’s not uncommon for the design staff to take a few of their older, time-proven models and update them with fresh mods and styling twists.
Given TOPS’ extensive catalog — over 25 years and hundreds of models in the making — the company makes it awfully hard for a customer to narrow down a choice. We were recently able to take a gander at their new 2025 additions and bring our readers an update here. While all the knives we feature here have an “outdoors” bent, don’t let them keep you from envisioning their tactical side. Those lines were blurred a long time ago.
Wilderness Guide
Versatile Steel
The TOPS Wilderness Guide is a burly 8.78″ handful of steel ready to tackle those everyday outdoor chores that require an extra bit of oomph. Its onerous 4.38″ Clip Point blade is built to handle duties such as slicing thick rope and chopping tree branches. Fat finger grooves on the Wilderness Guide’s ample handle give it that extra bit of grip needed to match the extra weight of the knife’s blade. The handle scales are Green Canvas Micarta, known for its durability and solid grip. Weight is 9.6 oz., and TOPS delivers the Wilderness Guide with an OD Green Kydex sheath and a rotating spring steel clip.
The Spirit Hunter X3, designed by company President Leo Espinoza, is a revised version of a TOPS classic originally released over 10 years ago. Leo decided to spruce up the 9.75″ Spirit Hunter by deleting its original swedge grind to strengthen the knife’s 4.75″ blade. The handle was made more ergonomic and comfortable during extended use by adding thicker, rounder scales. The blade has a durable deep gray Tungsten Cerakote finish (as opposed to a black powder coat on the original), and the handle scales are Green/Black Canvas Micarta. The Spirit Hunter’s weight is 7.1 oz., and TOPS supplies the knife with a Brown leather Dangler sheath.
The TOPS Shadow Hunter — another familiar staple in the TOPS stable — also got a makeover for 2025. This knife has been slightly lengthened to 9.25″ overall and its 4.50″ blade has been reconfigured with relocated jimping on the rear blade spine. Additionally, the finger choil has been enlarged for more finger protection. The Shadow Hunter also got the same Tungsten Cerakote as its sibling, as well as more rotund scales for improved grip. The Shadow Hunter handle scales are Tan/Black Canvas Micarta and the knife now weighs in at 10.1 oz. A Coyote Tan Kydex sheath with a rotating spring clip is included.
MSF Folder
Shadow Hunter
Big And Bold
TOPS fans have always had an appreciation for larger knives and the Armado 6.5 slakes that taste. This large camp knife is designed by custom knifemaker Josh Navarrete (Navarrete Knives) of Oregon. Josh is a former champion of the popular Forged in Fire television series on the History Channel. “I have always wanted to design a knife that would embrace a simple rule that has been my mantra — make it and keep it simple but efficient.”
The 12.0″ long Armado 6.5 is capable of numerous outdoor chores, including clearing brush for a campsite, fire preparation, medium to large game processing, and meal prep for a hoard of hungry hunters. The Armado’s 6.50″ blade is a deep-bellied Drop Point with a swedge grind and jimped thumb rest on the spine. The 5.5″ handle design offers excellent finger protection on both ends and can accommodate the biggest of mitts. The Armado 6.5’s 1095 carbon steel is protected tip to lanyard hole with Sniper Gray Cerakote. Total weight is 14.0 oz. and TOPS provides a black Kydex sheath with a separate dangler for carry. If you need a camp knife that will go the extra mile, the Armado 6.5 is your knife.
Armado 6.5
Shadow Hunter X3
Folding Finery
TOPS Knives rarely does folders, so when they wanted an upgrade of their MSF (Mini Scandi Folder), they turned to Maserin Cutlery of Maniago, Italy, to handle the manufacturing. Maserin, known for its superb quality, came through in spades with a new blade design and steel, as well as handle improvements.
The TOPS MSF-G is 5.50″ fully extended with a handle length of 4.38″ (closed). The new blade is a wicked 3.25″ Clip Point of Bohler of Germany Elmax stainless super steel, which rolls out via a flipper for superfast acquisition. The new blade has a high flat grind as opposed to the old version Scandi half-grind. The MSF-G’s scales were upgraded to G10 with a diagonal texture for enhanced grip — your choice of green or black. For carry, the folder has a new reversible deep carry pocket clip, tip-up for right- or left-hand carry. In a nutshell, the Mini Scandi Folder has been transformed into a beast of a folding knife every bit as efficient in an EDC role as it is a woodlands companion — and the quality is top shelf.
This is a taste of the new outdoor offerings from TOPS Knives. They are every bit as ambitious with their tactical knives — and then there’s their culinary fare. With one of the most extensive catalogs in the industry, TOPS Knives has staked its claim as a leader in the cutlery universe, and, if history is any indicator, Leo Espinoza and his band of devoted employees won’t be letting up anytime soon.
For more info: TOPSKnives.com
