Let's talk tracker.

gut hooks make sense only on rescue knives (I know, they aren't gut hooks then) rafting knives, and specialized skinners. Haven't done any yet :)


I see, il bruche. That's about right. I may have to do more than one, though.
 
Trackers are awesome...I like them, and you cant come to my tea party.....................................................none of you.
 
I bought the Tracker Knife, and replaced it with a SRKW Camp Tramp. I can do pretty much everything except break wire with the Camp Tramp, but what i found interesting is I put both knives up for anyone to use while at one of Tom Browns courses, and the Tramp was favored by far. During tasks where a knife was needed, I just announced there are a couple of knives here if somebody wants to borrow one, and although the Tracker was picked up more often to be looked at, the Tramp was actually used more.
 
As someone who has skinned a few critters, my experience is that a gut hook does NOT make sense on a specialized skinner. It is only useful for 5 cuts through hide (centerline to forelimb x 2, centerline to hock x 2, anus to sternum or neckline x 1), that can easily be made by any reasonably pointy knife. I prefer a caping knife for gutting, skinning, and quartering game up to and including elk size (that is the biggest I have ever been after).

I would say the first question is to ask "What is a tracker knife supposed to be?" Is it a combination bushcraft/hunting/survival knife?

I’d take a knife like the following, with a sheath that would accommodate a SAK with a saw and a firesteel.

j williams said:
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I guess you could put an arrow straightener/trimmer hole in it, but if my survival depended on creating a bow and arrows from scratch in the woods, I’d be toast for sure. Thank god there are companies that make compound bows, carbon arrows, and steel broadheads. YMMV.
 
I'd love to try a TOPS Tracker out as I can't see why it should be as bad as people say. The biggest complaint I hear is the grind but surely that can be sorted out without too much trouble eh ?:confused:
 
Pitdog, you could be right. But then, could that many people be wrong? My complants are legion, but start with the price. It tries to do too much. Also, the edge has to be a bear to sharpen. I thought like you, but then I realized it would cut too deep into the fund for knives that I really liked, like busses.
 
i'd like to give a tracker a real run through someday...at some point i will have the money to get one and play...

i have also thought hard about what i would build into a "tracker" style knife. when i think of the word tracker, i tend to think of a man (or woman) that is moving fast and light through the woods without alot of baggage. they want something that will setup a simple primitive camp and take care of any small game or fish caught for dinner quickly and efficiently. they want simplicity and simple ruggedness in all of their gear, and they don't want anything that they will be afraid to use hard.

so, i think that if i were to try to live that kind of life, or take a trip like that, i would take a typical "do it all, do nothing great" style of knife. blade length around 6.5-7.5", around 1.5" wide, a long slow belly like a bolo and a dropped point. basically, magnussen's bushmoro i think. i would change the handle from his, but basically the same thing comes to mind. i would use iet mostly for chopping on limbs and to split up wood for a fire at night. it would also have to be my camp-kitchen knife and my butchering knife.

i can't imagine myself using something like an arrow straightening hole other than for novelty in the backyard, and i have a neat survival book from the 70's that shows how to do it with your teeth or against your knee.

i think that just as important as the knife in this case is the sheath. a sharpening stone pouch that would fit a good versatile sharpener and strop. i would want a good position sheath (for each person a high/low rider would have to be personal preference) that has good retention without any kind of snaps or velco that can fail or somehow be sliced off (i'm thinking pouch sheath with dangler attachement)

just some thoughts...i might be back later.
 
Pitdog- this is one of those situations where the blade thickness and geometry makes it impossible to get good knife performance without a major overhaul of the knife in total. At which point you might as well make something different, since that is what you are doing anyhow.

hlee: I'm not saying yea or nay on a guthook skinner at some point, but I sure haven't made one. And to be honest, they make more sense as strap/cord cutters in a rescue knife.

The arrow tools - well, okay, I don't own any carbon arrows, and make my own bows. I don't think of bows and arrow making as a big short term survival goal, but if I'm going to be anything more than a couple days from rescue, I'll take the time to start making them.

And anyway- it is one of the better projectile weapons to know how to make if you get stuck with you, a knife, and a prolonged scenario. (unlikely, but still).

I've got - mostly for knifemaking and other work, but this counts as bow and arrow tools- over $1600 worth of power machinery, draw knives, heat guns, rasps, and so on. I *can* make a bow with a knife, a very reasonable bow can be made with a knife, and for someone who gets bit by the bug, he'd learn a lot by having a $150 knife that draws and scrapes well and can help out with arrows. And it's a lot cheaper than even my bandsaw, let alone the 2 good drawknives :D
 
koyote, I sure like the looks of your knives. I'm a KISS sort of guy when it comes to most outdoor gear. A simple knife works better for me. Its funny that just a couple of weeks ago my brother-in-law loaned me his Tracker knife which he bought used a couple of months ago. He bought it to collect it as much as anything. Anyhow I couldn't believe the weight of it. So of course jokes about who would carry it, needing its own trailer, etc. began. Maybe I'm missing things about its utility, but I just don't care much for it. I put it through some paces making fire. I could sure make it work, but it seems overdone. I handled the junior sized version at the Austin gun show last weekend. It is more likely to earn a spot in the pack because the weight is managable, but its still not what I'd choose. I used to build quite a few primative bows out of osage and other woods. I've never done it in a survival or simulated survival situation. That would be an interesting challenge. Again, I think a regular leuku type knife would probably be my choice for roughing one out, If I could have only one tool.
 
Shearwater- That's a lot of of how i feel. And I definitely don't want to duplicate the tom brown tracker knife. There are a few things I think are good ideas to have in a survival knife beyond cutting and batoning- draw knife and scraping, arrow work may be good. The fine filing may also be handy.

The tracker in general loses all reason (regardless of execution of the reaosning) once you have those covered and a small hatchet or hawk.

Nothing i've considered would really change the shape of the basic knife, or inhibit the core functionality. That's very important to me. And it's not like I'd stop making regular models. I'm just pondering what you could put on a knife without lessening its general functionality and ergonomics.

I do a certain amount of filework on some blades as it is, so the file ridge may end up being on there- won't know until I try it out. Same with arrow tools.

Adding basic tools to be carried in the sheath isn't a bad idea, also.

Tknife has the basics of my feelings. I've got something going, whatever it is, that works well. Changing up is for new types of knives and such. In fact, I've got a prototype chisel/convex knife sitting around thatI'm trying out for draw knife functions and batoning. I could just sell a "woodworker in the wilds" knife at some point.

Oh, regarding sheaths- Siguy- We've got the sheaths pretty well down for high or low carry without any serious failure points. You have to lace adjustments in, and that could fail depending on how you do it, but even then the main belt hanger part would still be there. and the sheaths are very repairable, since nothing except the main welt is glued and all the parts are independently stiched. They also have a lot of options for adding doodads, I suppose.
 
The Tracker only appeals to the "gadget" part of my brain. Then, I think about the movie, The Hunter, and get all pi**ed at the nonsense in there. :(

However, the 12 in AK khuk (second from left) has always seemed the best compromise blade for woods utility to me. As with any compromise, it is mostly big enough, light enough, sharp enough, portable enough and durable.

Here's my "work crew."


(Left to right, 15in H.I. AK, 12in villager H.I. AK, Sarge knife, and custom karda--done by Greg Sykes.)
HIworkcrew.jpg
 
hlee said:
As someone who has skinned a few critters, my experience is that a gut hook does NOT make sense on a specialized skinner. It is only useful for 5 cuts through hide (centerline to forelimb x 2, centerline to hock x 2, anus to sternum or neckline x 1), that can easily be made by any reasonably pointy knife. I prefer a caping knife for gutting, skinning, and quartering game up to and including elk size (that is the biggest I have ever been after).

I would say the first question is to ask "What is a tracker knife supposed to be?" Is it a combination bushcraft/hunting/survival knife?

I’d take a knife like the following, with a sheath that would accommodate a SAK with a saw and a firesteel.



I guess you could put an arrow straightener/trimmer hole in it, but if my survival depended on creating a bow and arrows from scratch in the woods, I’d be toast for sure. Thank god there are companies that make compound bows, carbon arrows, and steel broadheads. YMMV.
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+1:thumbup: Id think that would be ideal....Oh wait, thats MINE!:eek::D
 
I use my Tracker mostly for Chopping, prying and grass cutting (bedding). It is NOT as good for chopping as a Khuki. But it fits in my fannypack... :o
 
The Tracker is a love/hate design. You either love it or hate it. :D The biggest problem I find with it is that combo grind. It just seems awkward to use. For the life of me I just firgure out how you would effectively chop with it. The other thing is that sawback. 1/4" thick is IMO, just too thick to be effective as a saw. Making notches maybe, but sawing, no.
The design I came up with is the Beck handle shape and a straight grind/edge. Works better for me. I'm in the process of making two in the next week.
Scott
 
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