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TOPS Unleashes El Chete for Heavy Duty Chopping

May 5, 2017

TOPS just unleashed El Chete, a king-sized machete built for chopping. Designed by TOPS President Leo Espinoza, El Chete has a massive, foot-long blade and a beefy handle able to tackle the toughest outdoor jobs.

The 30 oz. El Chete was born for one role – heavy duty chopping. “Leo wanted to design a chopping knife,” says TOPS’ Craig Powell. “Just something people could take into the woods that would do the job of a hatchet, but look great and be fun to use.” The knife’s set of three-layer Micarta scales allows for a hand-filling grip and greater control. “We wanted a thick handle on this. One that would feel a lot like a hatchet or small ax handle,” Powell explains.

Unlike many of TOPS’ other big blades, El Chete doesn’t taper in stock thickness. It maintains a full 1/4-inch width all the way to the tip. Powell tells us the company made sure the grind didn’t get too obtuse to provide users with a blade profile that can still cut and not just wedge material apart. “We did a fairly high grind on this to give it a nice sharp edge, but still plenty of weight,” Powell says.

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This is the first TOPS’ knife to feature their brand new Acid Rain finish. Not only does it offer a degree of corrosion resistance for the 1095 steel, Powell says it gives each El Chete a singular look. “Because of the process we use, the finish varies slightly from knife to knife so that each person gets something unique.” Users also have a choice between two different kydex sheathes: a steel clip version for hip carry and a dangler option for something lower on the leg.

El Chete is already available directly from TOPS and is on its way to leading dealers.

Knife featured in image: TOPS Knives El Chete

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