1911A1 DIGITAL SNOW GI Style Government size 1911 in 45ACP. Available in either finish. $770 HAWK DIGITAL NAVY Deluxe Commander size 1911 in 45 ACP. Available in either finish. The TOPS Baja 3.0 is a stout little feller with a big boy attitude. Carry this one on your belt or back pocket and you might not miss that folding knife. $860 PAS12 PG-R/C DIGITAL NAVY Self Defense Style Pump with 18” barrel, muzzle break, rail and 2 piece pistol grip stock. A LittLe tough Love TOPS Baja 3.0 fixed Blade— BiG-KNife feaTureS iN a Small PacKaGe. everal of my friends prefer carrying a small fixed blade over a folding knife, and they have solid reasons. First off, it’s easier and quicker to employ a sheath knife. You simply draw it from its sheath and boom there it is. No fumbling around opening a blade. Secondly, unless you’re taking on a brick wall or Sherman tank, there’s very little chance of failure with a fixed blade. No mechanism, no lock, no pivot—just one piece of sharp steel with a handle on it. If you’re predisposed to the same kind of thinking, the TOPS Knives Baja 3.0 just might be your knife. The Baja 3.0 is 6.25 inches in overall length, 3 inches of that in a stout drop-point blade. Notching on the backside of the blade serves for an enhanced thumb grip. Green Micarta handle scales—grooved for added purchase—make for sure handling and a nicely sized lanyard hole resides at the base. The blade is easyto-sharpen 1095 high-carbon steel, powder coated in an attractive Desert Tan to help keep the rust monster away. The Baja 3.0 comes with a wellmade, double stitched black leather sheath that allows for either vertical or lateral belt carry, or you can just park it in a side or back pocket and carry it “woods walker” style. The Baja 3.0 may be a small fixer, but it comes to play. Some knives just feel tough. This is one of those. The 1095 steel is non-stainless, but that’s why many serious users prefer it. It can be sharpened in the field without special mediums like diamond or ceramic and requires only the occasional light coat of oil along the edge to prevent corrosion. TOPS sells the Baja 3.0 at a nickel shy of a 100 bucks: a small, very reasonable price to pay for a little tough love! $480 www.iverjohnsonarms.com 321-636-3377 S Pat Covert MAKER: TOPS KnivES P.O. BOx 2544 idAhO FAllS, id 83403 (208) 542-0113 www.gunSMAgAzinE.cOM/indEx Blade steel: 1095 High carbon steel, Closed length: 6.25 inches, Blade length: 3 inches, Weight: 3 ounces, Handle: Green canvas micarta, Carry: Black leather sheath, Price: $99.95 TOPS BAJA 3.0 60 WWW.GUNSMAGAZINE.COM • MAY 2014
