“You won’t be able to put it down”, Tops says in their advertisements for this knife. And, I have to agree. Not many knives have excited me and provoked me to use them continuously as the Tops Tanimboca Puukko has.
I’ve had this knife for around 4 Months and I seem to find a use for it every single day. It’s honestly the first “bushcraft” type of knife that I’ve deployed into my EDC (everyday carry). It’s compact, comfortable, reliable and performs well at a lot of different tasks.
Tops Tanimboca Puukko Feel & Performance
Within the first 2 days of owning the Tops Tanimboca Puukko, I decided to sit down and bust out a rough spoon to see how it performed. At that point, the Puukko was still brand new and not broken in at all (well, really, the only thing that has changed from then was the micarta was a bit more tactile).
During this carving session, I never once had a problem with the knife being uncomfortable to carve with, even after working with it for a couple of hours. With that said, I’m not telling you that it’s the most ideal fine carving knife, but it was a great exercise to gauge its initial performance. (It did very well)
I feel the Tops Tanimboca Puukko shines for its utilitarian type of uses. This is a no-nonsense work knife! It is right at home cutting cordage, making notches or busting out feather sticks at camp. Just the same it’s perfectly suitable as a compact Fixed Blade for EDC as well.
As for the handle: Tops did a fantastic job on it. I’ve loved Micarta ever since I got my first knife made with it. It is comfortable, plenty grippy when wet and takes on some fantastic character as it ages.
Shown Above: Tops Tanimboca Puukko and Überleben Zünden
Tops Tanimboca Puukko Quality
This is my first Tops Knife, so I want to talk about the brand a bit. Tops are in a price bracket that competes with a lot of other solid companies (sub $100 range). But I feel like they’re knocking it out of the park and they definitely have my full attention as a knife brand, based on the Tanimboca Puukko.
Current retail price for the Tanimboca Puukko is $100 and some change. To me, I feel like this knife is worth every penny. It is a very tough knife that can endure a lot of hard use. The steel is very strong and won’t let you down. The handles are smooth in all of the right places. And the included sheath is very nice as well.
Any room for improvement?
Tops have done a fantastic job with this knife and it is by far the best modern Puukko that I’ve used yet. If I had to get super picky, I would throw out a few options for consideration:
- Grind & Bevels: I definitely see the reason for the secondary bevel for strength purposes and it does make sense for this knife. But, it would be cool to see Tops do a “Mini-Puukko” with a true Scandi Grind (no secondary bevel) and a thinner blade stock. The purpose would be for finer, more detailed work and it would slice a bit better.
- Sheath: The leather sheath is almost perfect based on my preferences. But it would be great if Tops put a Ferro rod loop on it since the majority of people using this knife will likely be carrying one.
Tops, if you do ever release a Mini-Puukko with those specs, hit your boy up – I wanna use it!
Who would love Tops Tanimboca Puukko?
I honestly can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t find appreciation for this knife. Everyone that has picked it up has loved it and I’ve recommended it to all types of people.
But, if I had to narrow it down, this knife is perfect for avid outdoorsmen (and women). People who love simplistic and tough knives that are built to work.
Shown Above: Tops Tanimboca Puukko and Crud Gjöra Gloves
Tops Tanimboca Puukko Review (9.5 out of a 10)
I can see a very small fraction of room for improvement (as I mentioned above) with the Tops Tanimboca Puukko. But this knife truly has impressed me and it’s one that I will never sell or trade. I use this knife on a weekly basis for my outdoor trips and around my own property for food prep, general maintenance tasks, opening boxes…You name it. This knife really jives with me and it’s one that I’m positive you all will continue to see more of if you’re following me on Instagram.
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Ethics Statement: Tops Knives sent the Tanimboca Puukko for the purpose of an unbiased review & content. Tops has not previously proof-read or influenced this article in any way. All opinions, statements, and content are my own.
Shown Above: Tops Tanimboca Puukko, Überleben Stöker Stove, Überleben Lødern Firesteel, CRKT Pack Axe
