What could be better than a knife designed by Viking Tactics and made in the USA by TOPS? Oh, maybe that there are three knives in the TOPS Viking Tactics collaboration. Just like Goldilocks, you can choose the one that’s just about perfect for you because there’s a big one, a medium sized one, and a little one. Each knife has a unique profile and a ton of functionality.
Each knife in this series features a 1095 carbon steel blade with TOPS Acid Rain finish and Viking Vine filework on the spine. They have two-tone tan and green canvas micarta handles accented with “Blood Colored” liners and an extra-large lanyard hole. Finally, each knife comes with a Coyote Tan Kydex sheath with a Molle-Lok Short clip attachment.
TOPS Viking Tactics Norseman
The TOPS Viking Tactics Norseman is the big daddy of the three knives in this series. TOPS Knives tells us the Norseman was inspired by, “…a knife made by one of SGM Lamb’s Soldiers who was killed in action in Iraq on 17 June 2005. Kyle Lamb the Founder of Viking Tactics proudly presents the VTAC Norseman.”
This beastly badass has a blade length of 5.88” with a cutting edge that’s 5.5” long and a blade thickness of 0.19”. There’s a uniquely designed thumb ramp and a substantial choil for a secure grip in a variety of positions. The Norseman has an overall length of 11.5”. The contoured canvas micarta handles have an incredibly ergonomic grip with a large finger choil and a skinny waist. The knife alone weighs 10.1 ounces. The knife and sheath combined weigh 14.6 ounces.
TOPS Viking Tactics Norseman Details
- 1095 Carbon Steel, Acid Rain Finished
- 5.88” Clip Point
- 0.19” Blade Thickness
- 56-58 HRC
- Viking Vine Filework
- Full Tang
- Tan/Green Canvas Micarta Handles
- Blood Colored Liners
- 10.1 Oz. Knife Weight
- 14.6 Oz. Knife and Sheath Weight
- 11.5” Overall
- Made in the USA
TOPS Viking Tactics Crusader
With an overall length of 9”, the TOPS Viking Tactics Crusader is the medium-sized knife in this series. It has a blade length that matches it’s cutting edge length of 3.63”. This gives the user a ton of slicing room without adding a ton of bulk. The blade thickness is about 0.16” on this almost offset blade. It has the same unique thumb ramp as the Norseman.
The micarta handle on this full-tang, mid-sized beastie has an interesting shape that results in a comfortable feel in your hand and a subtle way of ensuring slip resistance. It has a generous finger groove on its 5” handle for a great grip with very few hotspots that we could feel.
TOPS Viking Tactics Crusader Details
- 1095 Carbon Steel, Acid Rain Finished
- 3.63” Drop Point
- 0.16” Blade Thickness
- 56-58 HRC
- Viking Vine Filework
- Full Tang
- Tan/Green Canvas Micarta Handles
- Blood Colored Liners
- 7.2 Oz. Knife Weight
- 11.2 Oz. Knife and Sheath Weight
- 9” Overall
- Made in the USA
TOPS Viking Tactics Patriot
The baby of the bunch still packs a wicked punch. The TOPS Viking Tactics Patriot has an overall length of about 6.75”. The cutting edge on this bad boy is about 3”. It has a funky blade shape that’s somewhat modified cleaver meets upswept sheepsfoot. What’s makes this blade shape awesome is the long slicing edge combined with the piercing power of the swept tip. All of that is reinforced with a blade thickness of 0.13” and a flexible HRC of 56-58.
The Patriot is the smallest of this series. However, it still has enough room in its highly contoured 3.75” handles to provide a fairly generous grip for the average sized hand. It’s incredibly light weight at just under 2.5 ounces, and the whole kit weighs 4.6 ounces. What all this means is that it’s a generally unassuming knife, that’s just about perfect for daily carry. It has a ton of utility and flexibility without being overtly threatening.
TOPS Viking Tactics Patriot Details
- 1095 Carbon Steel, Acid Rain Finished
- 3” Modified Cleaver
- 0.13” Blade Thickness
- 56-58 HRC
- Viking Vine Filework
- Full Tang
- Tan/Green Canvas Micarta Handles
- Blood Colored Liners
- 2.4 Oz. Knife Weight
- 4.6 Oz. Knife and Sheath Weight
- 6.75” Overall
- Made in the USA
Whether you’re looking for a big daddy, a medium utility, or a small badass knife, the TOPS Viking Tactics collaboration might have the perfect fit for you. They’re outstanding knives made in the USA with interesting profiles and fantastic materials. If you’re interested in these knives, click any link in the article or simply click the button below.
All images courtesy of Smoky Mountain Knife Works – smwk.com.
