Photos Knives getting tough love - Battle scars & action pics!

[Alone]

Tracker pack checking in...

Nice!


Disclaimer: I think that JoeX is a d*uchepacker.

Despite that, whenever he talks about "indestructible" knives, he always seems to mention the TOPS Tracker along with his favorite, the WTG Ares... (*and he HATES TOPS)

 

[vnvman]

Nice!


Disclaimer: I think that JoeX is a d*uchepacker.

Despite that, whenever he talks about "indestructible" knives, he always seems to mention the TOPS Tracker along with his favorite, the WTG Ares... (*and he HATES TOPS)



View attachment 2670015

Tell you what, I'm not a big Tops fan myself, I think that most of their good knives are the smaller, EDC ones, and even then...I'd still pick up other brands first.

The Tracker however is a different story, it has a soul so to speak. Honestly I didn't even like it out of the box, then I turned into a sort of scandivex and customized the handle and it improved a lot. It's also one of those kind of "impossible" knives that forces you out of your comfort zone and makes you come up with new ways to use it and have fun with it. Just looking at it always brings up good memories.

Given the chance there are many other tracker designs that are probably more effective and make more sense as general use camp knives, but I have a special relationship with this one... Also maybe because the other ones are too hard and or expensive to get lol.

 

[tatsu]

His father sharpens it for him freehand on a stone. A bit heavy-handed...

He asked if I could fix it for him.

How does he sharpen that? I have to know!

 

[knoefz]

Someone said Tracker knife????
Ok, I'll play

 

[knoefz]

 

[knoefz]

Guess this thread attracts coated knives... They just scar nicer

 

[scdub]

His father sharpens it for him freehand on a stone. A bit heavy-handed...

He asked if I could fix it for him.

Easy - you just need a new blade and presto! Fixed!

 

[maxjeg]

In fact, most scratches and abrasions on knives are only visible from certain angles.

 

[vnvman]

In fact, most scratches and abrasions on knives are only visible from certain angles.

Speaking of angles...altough most of the marks will probably wipe off later. I took the big guy for a walk in the woods near my place and put it to work for some minor trail clearing. Actually not that minor, but it took it like a champ.

 

[Horsewright]

My dad found this knife in the back of a car he bought for parts. He said it was like what he carried in WW2. Other items are his:

 

[CPP]

This Busse DDSH is my most recent purchase and since I got it I’ve taken it out many times. I haven’t used it to baton - all of the coating wear is from chopping and carving.

I touched up the factory edge several times before recently re-profiling it freehand to a convex of ~18 per side. Bites really well now!

View attachment 2669087View attachment 2669088

A Lego sharpening guide?

 

[vnvman]

Quick walk down the river this afternoon.
The kid wanted some to eat so I processed some wrist thick branch of damp wood I found by the riverside with the Silky and batoned it into sticks with the Colossus.

And shortly after snacks were had.

Success...And no knives got wrecked that day.

 

[scdub]

A Lego sharpening guide?

Yessir!

Used the magic Lego block for years and finally built a nice little stand to hold two of them.

If I recall these particular slanted blocks have around a 16 degree angle, so with freehand “wobble” I figure my final edge angle ends up at around 18 dps.

 

[maxjeg]

Quick walk down the river this afternoon.
The kid wanted some to eat so I processed some wrist thick branch of damp wood I found by the riverside with the Silky and batoned it into sticks with the Colossus.

And shortly after snacks were had.

Success...And no knives got wrecked that day.

When you batoned the branch it into sticks, was the knife lock on? Or was the blade free to rotate on the axis?

 

[vnvman]

When you batoned the branch it into sticks, was the knife lock on? Or was the blade free to rotate on the axis?

I always baton my bigger Cold Steels locked.
I've never had an issue. Maybe every few weeks I tighten the pivot a little if they develop minimal lateral play, but most likely it's just the screw loosening up because of vibrations.
On some occasions I even batoned (small sticks) with a puny 3" Hold Out 3 locked, no issues whatsoever.