Is there a better production WSK than the Tom Brown Tracker?

savagesicslayer

savagesicslayer

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May 24, 2005
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We all know the Tracker can't hold up against the Beck or Linger WSK but I was wondering if there was another non-custom WSK to compare to.
Remember it has to be mass produced not production.
 
If it has to be other than production, you might wish to alter your question.

I know of no non-production/non-custom version. But wait, something will appear in the east, and it won't be a star.
 
The only other one that is a production model is the one called the Timber Pig. I've not heard much good about it but then again, there really hasn't been alot of discussion about it's performance. The design of the WSK is a bit to radical for me.
Scott
 
I posted the question because I wanted something other than the custom versions of the tracker to compare the Tom Brown Tracker to.
 
there was one put out by actionbladez (with a z), but according to the boy scouts it is a piece of junk.
 
TOPS is the only company licensed by Tom Brown to make the official Tracker. The design changes by Tom Brown to the production version were done in conjunction with TOPS in order to ease the process of making the knives. The knives are not mass-produced like a big company -- they are handmade (like all TOPS knives). The only part that is manufactured is that the basic shape for the blanks are cut by machine.
 
This isn't exactly a WSK, but it's pretty close in concept and I think a little evolved in the design in that it doesn't have as many edgy angles to deal with:

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/knives/detail.asp?value=018G&cat_id=322&type_id=686
322686m.jpg
 
I think it looks like you take a club and stab it into the blade so that forms your other handle
 
Brian Jones said:
TOPS is the only company licensed by Tom Brown to make the official Tracker. The design changes by Tom Brown to the production version were done in conjunction with TOPS in order to ease the process of making the knives. The knives are not mass-produced like a big company -- they are handmade (like all TOPS knives). The only part that is manufactured is that the basic shape for the blanks are cut by machine.
Click to expand...

Another thing about the TOPS Tracker is that if you havent actually handled one your opinion isnt going to be that good. It looks klunky, but I guarantee that as soon as you hold one your perception will radically change.

TOPS has to be one of the most under-rated / talked about knives on this forum. They are excellent, their F&F is great and as cheesy as it sounds they really are confidence inspiring.
 
the browning knife pictured above was contracted out by TOPS. Looks real close to the tracker but with enough differences to tell the difference between the two.
 
Hey Temper,

I desperately wanted to buy one of TOPS Trackers, I even had a dream about it (now that's an obsession) and that changed right when I got a hold of one. It's like a friggin iron, one of the old heavy ones. IMHO of course.
 
Stepa said:
Hey Temper,

I desperately wanted to buy one of TOPS Trackers, I even had a dream about it (now that's an obsession) and that changed right when I got a hold of one. It's like a friggin iron, one of the old heavy ones. IMHO of course.
Click to expand...

Really? Just goes to show you cant please all of the people all of the time. :)

I think matched with the Scout or C.A.T (essentially the same knife but cheaper) its a great cutting combo.
 
Cliff Stamp said:
That is likely a obtuse bone or hard work edge, the primary edge would work well enough as a draw knife, a normal bowie pattern does this fine, it isn't specific to the Tracker design.

-Cliff
Click to expand...

Yep, here's a bit of history: The Marble's Woodcraft originally had the top sharpened to deal with little bones and such. Later, Puma offered a larger, heavier, improved multi-grind design in their White Hunter.

The Puma looks to be a better design than the Browning, the handle is more user friendly. The finger goove on Browning might be bothersome while using the top edge.
 
It is a poor idea in practice though, with a quality steel you don't need much edge angle to handle bones, 15 per side does it easily even on sloppy heavy chopping on caribou, going up to 20 and the edge on a quality tool steel starts easily chopping up nails and the like. If you need to run something more obtuse than that, change steels / heat treatment. Plus having the top edge sharpened is ergonomically limiting, plus reduces versatility in general. Most of the time bone cutting isn't a real issue, you can work around most joints, and for food break open bones with the spine.

-Cliff
 
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