David Beck W.S.K. vs. TOPs "TRACKER" round #1

That's the 1000 grit high polish finish on mine. Dave calls it the "pearl-grey" finish.

Vermonster used Sno Seal beeswax on his sheath I think. That's what I used anyway.

Chime in if I'm wrong Matt.
 
Did you have to request the high polish finish, or is that the default finish when ordering one ? Im thinking of ordering one and prefer the "pearl-grey" finish and wondered if I needed to specify which finish I wanted.
 
I need another knife like I need a hole in my head, but both look good. I know that TOPs is TOP quality (no pun intended) as my Anaconda can attest. Fit and finish are excellent. The micarta handles are perfect.

And along those lines is my one reservation about the WSK. The micarta looks to be polished a-la SOG Trident. If so, hope you do not get blood or any other liquid on it when you are using it hard, because that knife will definitely slip if the handles are as slick as they look in the pics. I have not held one yet, but I wonder if you have a choice to the type of micarta style you can get.
 
The Std. finish which I offer on my WSK knives is what I call my "pearl grey" finish. It is a high-grade finish which begins by wetsanding the blades to 1000 grit afterwhich the blade is then hand polished to a very high luster. The blades are then gun-blued & lightly buffed to produce a very uniquely worn or parina'd bluing which resembles the coloring of aged pewter but with a high sub-luster giving the finish some depth in appearance. It's really unique to see. Collectors love it. I used to make my Tracker knives with a variety of finishes but just chose one when I made this pattern available again as the WSK knife but due to requests I will also offer these with the option of brushed-satin or blued-satin finishes for those who intend on using their knives & don't wish to be afraid of maintaining the more refined finish. These finishes are also less labor-intensive to produce & would cost less than the high-grade "pearl-grey" versions.

David R. Beck, Knifesmith
 
David,
Does the same go for the micarta. Can the micarta be had in a rough textured finish instead of the slick polished one in the picture?
 
Let me tell ya, because of the contours of the handle, the W.S.K. won't go anywhere in your hand. It literally "sticks" to your hand, and fits like no other knife I've ever held. Very secure.

I'm sure the other owners will tell you the same thing.

Take care,
Jared

My Handmade Knives
 
For greater slip-resistance the handle could be bead blasted to rough it up some but I don't offer this service as I don't have access to a blasting unit. As Mr. Place has added, due to the contouring of the handle which has been shaped to fit the natural shape of the hand, the knife does stay put as it's used as many have found. Due to this I have never found the need to set up a blasting cabinet to offer this service. It would be a nice option to offer & I have some requests on this as there are some folks who prefer the looks of a blasted finish. Maybe one day this service will be made available but at this time all handles are polished.

David R. Beck, Knifesmith
 
where's the balance point on the knife? Also is the knife too heavy to carry hannging from a belt?

thanks
jonathan
 
The knife is a little front heavy and so the balance point is more toward the front due to the fact that it had a tapered tang and the widest part of the blade is up front. It is not too heavy to wear on the belt. The knife isn't that big, it only has a 6 1/2" blade. It looks bigger in photographs than it really is.
 
I just added the scout carry option to my sheath...NICE!
 
I dont have one yet. I am talking to David at the moment. He has this as an option so I went for it. Hope I dont regret it. I think it would be a nice option to have.

Vermonster.....what kind of bee's wax do you use again?
 
I dont think it was any additional cost. This is one sweet knife design. I wish I could afford the companion................
 
I haven't gotten the knife yet. He fits each sheath to the knife so he may need your knife to fit it.
 
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