Problems encountered regrinding a TOPS Tracker

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Ok so top is a TOPS Tracker -3. I've removed the handle scales and I'm about to strip it. They were easy to get off but the little brass tube at the back for the lanyard couldn't be removed without destroying it, at least on the knife that I got.

Here is a question for the Tracker experts - what is the model of the one on the bottom? It is significantly larger than the TB-3.
 
If the one on the bottom is 11 3/4" long, then it is a Tracker 1. And I am just guessing here, but judging from the serial number, that is a fairly early T1.

Are you planning on re-grinding that T-3? Just be advised that ATS-34 does not grind like 1095.
 
OK now we're at the killer point. The hollow ground draw area and front portion are done. Up front I did a 4 degree flat grind with a convex edge. Now you see the problem. How to make that transition. I was thinking maybe a dremel or very carefully on the edge of the wheel of the grinder.
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That does look tricky...

I'd try to pull the hollow grind over right to the convex. Forget about angle... keep everything straight and feather that grind over.
 
Yeah I stripped the coating off. It isn't stock though, because I ground the draw portion of the knife up to create a true quarter round. I think I might have figured out how to make the transition. Waiting on a resupply of a certain kind of belt and then I'll give it a try. Jay Rouch gave me the idea. :)
 
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Eureka! I've got to clean it up a bit but I think I figured out how to do that transition. It is hollow ground from the semicircle towards the edge in the direction of the arrows. I need to clean up the tool marks and I'll sharpen up the "guthook" (LOL) portion. It is a little rounder there than I like but that is an easy fix.
 
I need to take the tooling marks out when I go to finish the blade, but the quarter round is functional, if your goal for that area of the knife is to waste your time making curly shavings all day. :)

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Finished the regrind today.
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Here is a photo of a stock TOPS Tracker vs. one with a quarter round. Ignore the handle mod I did. That is just a personal use thing.

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Can you do this for my tracker? What you did there I think is spectacular. Im a fab of the tracker knife by tops even with the blutish edge it has but it needs improvement and I think you nailed!! Would like this done.
 
Thanks. I won't be offering to regrind any other company's blades. This was an experiment to figure out how to make the transition between a hollow grind and a flat grind with a convex edge. I will eventually use what I learned here to put my own spin on the Tracker design, but I've got a handful of other projects ahead of that one.
 
Nice Doc. I'm happy you figured out what you wanted to do and were able to actually do it. Well done.
 
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They are definitely a hard blade to grind. I ground a draw knife portion into my Pack Golok and it was not easy.

I just got this TBT in a trade and was very intrigued at the regrind that was done on the quarter round, looks a lot like a Beck!

Anyway, nice work on a hard section to work! And kudos on making the situation right with the customer.
 
Sorry for the thread resurrection. Tobiism, I like that. I just traded into what appears to be an early production Tops TB Tracker 1 in barely used condition. It still has the original, not ever re-sharpened edge. It seems popular to re-work these beasts. On your's and Kyle's, I have to wonder how much of the "chopping" edge was removed. It's already precariously placed and angled for actual chopping IMO. More experience may change my mind about that though. I like the more pronounced 1/4 round. That area can make such nice shavings.

Kyle, how is yours working out? Any issues with the smaller chopping edge? Thanks.
 
The TOPS TB tracker comes stock with the sweet spot too close to the handle for chopping in my opinion only. One of the criticisms of the design that I've had is that the sweet spot occurs right at that transition point. I don't really understand that choice. The balance point could be shifted forward by skeletonizing the tang, grinding a tapered tang, or lengthening the chopping portion of the blade a little. I've played around with this design a little in my shop. What I've done is to make those changes, make the portion of the blade next to the handle only 2 inches wide. I've been playing around with a Scandi grind next to the handle with a full height, beefy convex grind upfront. The knife makes a little more sense to me that way, at least for the described purpose for the knife and for how I actually use it.

When I did the regrinds I did not change the location of the transition point at all, for fear of worsening the problem of the sweet spot. I removed enough metal in the hollow ground portion to shift the sweet spot forward just a little. It eliminated the problem of chopping on the transition point.
 
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