TOPS has some incredible outdoor knives that are perfect for any bushcrafting or survival needs. The TOPS Silent Hero is one fine example of everything an outdoors knife should be, light-weight, strong, and assembled of high-quality materials, but the real story here is who designed this knife and what inspired its aggressive shape.

Anton du Plessis is the designer of the Silent Hero. His credibility lies in his resume which is certainly as impressive as the Silent Hero. Anton was head of the International Crime in Africa Program (ICAP), as well as a Criminal Justice/ Counter Terrorism legal expert for The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). His career was centered on taking down international drug and crime organizations, which, frankly makes him a badass.

Today Anton is the Managing Director at The Institute for Security Studies in Africa. He works with the Silent Hero Program protecting wildlife from illegal poaching and extinction. He drew on his counter terrorism combat experience and his safari bushcrafting skills to design a knife that can do them both, the TOPS Silent Hero.

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One thing that stands out with the Silent Hero is its weight in contrast to its size. At 12Oz, the Silent Hero is great at reducing fatigue from using a large outdoors knife and reducing the overall weight you might have to trek with. The blade is 1095 High-carbon and coated with an attractive black river wash finish. The Choil is a finger hold, which is perfect for when you need to choke up on the knife and maintain a controlled cut.

The handle of the Silent Hero is black linen micarta with an attractive Rocky Mountain tread style grip. Its durable and provides a fantastic grip. The handle is reinforced with three screw rivets, so that the handle doesn’t fail under intense conditions. The handle has holes in the handguard and base to allow for paracord use. This gives the knife versatility to be lashed into a spear or retained with a simple lanyard.

The Silent Hero comes with a high-quality leather sheath and the standard TOPS whistle. Each knife comes with a certificate of authenticity that includes maintenance and care instructions on the back.

The Details

  • 1095 High carbon blade
  • Micarta handle
  • 5 ¾” blade length
  • 11 ¼” overall length
  • Black leather sheath
  • Made in the U.S.A.

As a guy who personally loves bushcrafting, I can really see the value in a knife of this caliber. The Silent Hero is available for $149.99 at Smoky Mountain Knife Works (smkw.com). Simply click the button below to find it. You can also get involved in the Silent Hero program at thesilentheroes.org.