TOPS XcEST Delta Linerlock

The XCEST line of knives caught my attention when TOPS Knives first released the fixed blade version, and its counterpart with the accompanying survival kit. While perhaps not the be-all-end-all knife for everyone, it certainly appeared to be a handy and nearly indestructible little brute, ready to take on most tasks assigned to it. The XCEST Delta folding version is no exception. It's kind of like the folding knife version of the snub nosed .44 Magnum.TOPS Knives offers a staggering array of purpose-driven blades for just about any situation in which a blade could be used. Efficiency, practicality, durability, aesthetics and quality of both materials and manufacture have earned them a respected place in the commercial knife world. Also their knives are made in the USA, so "Hats Off" to them for that. American quality is still alive and well!The XCEST Delta is a hefty knife, weighing in at nearly half a pound, but in fairness, it is designed for heavy use. The blade is a stout 3/16 inches thick, with a noticeable recurve to its edge, and protective coating. The blue/black, G-10 handle scales are reminiscent of the old canvas Micarta in both appearance and texture, and, coupled with the 1/8 inch thick frame liners, really fill up the hand without being overly bulky to hold. The convex blade edge on mine was razor sharp right out of the box, and needed no touching up prior to use. Its liner-type locking mechanism holds the blade firmly in place, and the "jimping" or grooves cut into the blade, frame and handle scales provide a sure grip regardless the task.The knife comes with both a reversible pocket clip, and a sturdy belt pouch-sheath. The blade on my knife tends to want to open easily, so with the clip positioned so that the point is up, that could spell trouble for pocket carry. That is not so much a complaint, but an observation, because on the other hand, the blade pivots open with little effort with either the ambidextrous thumb stud, or the slot in the top of the blade. Having carried a Buck Folding Hunter for numerous years, the idea of a belt pouch is not an issue with me.This is a working knife more than it is a tactical or fighting knife. Despite the many combat-ready knives available from TOPS, this model is better suited for construction than for destruction, and for survival rather than sentry dispatching. In a pinch, this knife can split small kindling wood when using a wooden maul on the spine of the blade, and even accomplish some light chopping on wood not too great in diameter. That said, it is neither a machete nor an ax, and should not be compared against either. Some other reviewers have said that the coating on the blade inhibits its use with a fire starting rod, which to me, would be its main drawback as an outdoors or survival knife. But that could easily be remedied by either removing some of the coating from the back of the knife or simply carrying a lighter.And, while the XCEST Delta certainly couldn't be used to build a log cabin all by itself, it looks and feels like it could. It is a solidly built, handful of functional knife, from people who know a thing or two about what makes a useful field tool or weapon, and who take pride in their work.

I purchased this knife as an emergency survival blade, which is what it was designed for I believe. I wanted the heavy thick blade, comfortable handle, and bow drill divot...able to do what a fixed blade can do. In these areas the knife delivers.Problems:Frist problem I noticed was the amount of blade play. It had both vertical and horizontal blade play. If you take the G10 scales off you can access the pivot screw. I took it out and realized that the tock tite that they used on one side was keeping the screw from being tightened as much as it should've been.Cleaned it up, put some new locktite, tightened it down, and that fixed it.Now on to the vertical play. Some call this blade rock. It was NOT due to the pivot screw. After taking this knife completely apart, I realized that the locking bar shape was not quite right. It was a little higher in the back towards the spine of the knife. This was allowing the blade to rock forward a little when it was in the locked open state. The front of the liner lock bar wasn't even touching the blade. (used a marker to see where contact was being made.Out comes the dremel. I took alittle metal off the back of the liner locking bar to straighten it out. It was trial and error.. take alittle off, try it, take more off, try it... Finally got it to lock perfectly.Note: If you are doing this please be careful. if you take too much off, you can ruin your knife.The last problem I still have, is that if you push the blade down towards the lock, you can push the liner lock out a little. This problem was there on day one. It's probably due to the slickness of the blade tang that meets the liner lock, and the shape of the angle on the tang.I've done a wack test, and other tests, and the liner lock will not disengage, just didn't expect any of this with the price.Bottom line, would I trust my life with this knife? Yes.Was I happy with it at the beginning? not reallyWas I able to fix it? YesShould I have had to fix it? Noside note: I could've have sent it to Tops to have them fix it, but you have to pay for shipping, and I didn't want to pay any more.

very poor lockup. Opened it up and flipped it over and gave it a test tap on the workbench and folded closed. Id think for the price there would be a little more attention to detail.

I like the knife which is more of a folding pocket ax then a slicer. It feels very sturdy and will probably last 6 or 7 lifetimes. My issues are for the price why not use the best steel? The steel is very good, don't get me wrong. It's tough stuff. I just feel for this kind of price it could have been the highest grade. Yes I did know that before I purchased however this leads to my other problem. It does not open smoothly or close easily making one handed use difficult for such a small blade. Even after greasing it up there is no smooth action in the blade. This would have been better if it was made with a flipper. Then you could at least flick your wrist. Closing it repeatedly will wear the skin off your thumb. I bought this for the tough design however I feel with TOPS you pay a lot more for the same functionality. With the inability to use it one handed I would say a lot less functionality. Update, in all fairness the blade deploy smoothed up over time. The heavy, thick, ax like blade will eventually do the work but it takes some time to loosen up.

Knife is a beast....that is actually good! I love every aspect of this pocket. It is every bit tactical and survival packed into a pocket knife. I have several TOPS knives and every single one of them are nothing but quality. I have nothing bad to say about this folder whatsoever. Was it "pricey" ... Sure! But I received a great knife. Got here quite fast...packaging very good!