TOPS is closing out August with the latest version of their Wilderness Guide fixed blade, the Wilderness Guide ’23. This revision makes further refinements to the longstanding outdoors knife.
As TOPS themselves notes, there is no way to create a knife that suits the needs of all outdoorsmen all of the time; but the goal with the prior Wilderness Guide 4.0 was to create something that could be as versatile in the field as possible. It took a very wide bullnose blade and attached it to an elegantly, unconventionally ergonomic handle – the inspiration for its quirky but effective shape came when TOPS CEO Leo Espinoza gripped a piece of clay and saw the shape it left, then decided it could make an ideal knife handle.
With just a glance between the Wilderness Guide ’23 and its predecessor, it’s obvious that this is a light revision, not a complete overhaul. The wide bull-nose blade is still here, albeit beefed up even further with a .06″ increase in the stock thickness. It’s also just a bit longer, measuring 4.38 inches compared to the 4.0’s 4.25 inches – not enough of a difference to alter the knife’s capabilities in any dramatic way, but these thoughtful tweaks help it fit even better into its intended all-arounder role.
The handle shape has been retained too, but like the blade it has been thickened up, and further rounded to take the comfort factor even higher. And whereas the Wilderness Guide 4.0 featured hollow pins through the handle, the Wilderness Guide ’23 does away with these, opting for a pair of large bolts instead. The lanyard hole is still located at the very end of the tapered, pistol grip-style butt end, and the ’23 comes with a Kydex sheath now, replacing the nylon one seen on its predecessor.
The Wilderness Guide ’23 is available now.
Knife in Featured Image: TOPS Knives Wilderness Guide ’23
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