The Tom Brown Tracker Survival knife

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ShadowBlade

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Nov 24, 2006
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I posted this in the General Forum with little replies, so I thought I would search for answers and advise from this wise group. What is every ones opinion on Tom Brown's Tracker knife for wilderness survival? Here is the information on his design

The Tom Brown Tracker Survival knife is made exclusively for Tom by Robb Russon, a custom knife designer. This knife does an outstanding job for the serious survivalist. Take a look at the picture to really appreciate what this knife can do.

http://wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/trackerknife/trackermag/thetrackerv1-2pg11.html
 
Did you notice the heading of the article?
Wilderness Survival
Tracker Knife

An article featuring the original design of the Tracker Knife
From The Tracker Magazine, Feb 1982.

(Obviously these are not available any more since this magazine was published in 1982! This material is reproduced here purely for interest of what Tracker merchandise was available back then.)
Click to expand...
This design has gone through many hands since then, custom and production. Currently, Tom Brown has TOPs making a production version, and several custom makers have similar products available. Dave Beck seems to have made the best Tracker or Wilderness Survival Knife while he was still working.
 
shadow--- howdy... :D you picked a good place to ask you're question... you're going to get a lot of different opinions and responses for sure...:o

i think the tracker knife is a very cool design, from what i understand it was a long time in the works..... there are a few other makers putting out some really nice renditions of the tracker...

me personally, i would rather carry a good sized fixed blade and maybe a small hatchet.... i have some friends that have the tops trackers and they are insanely heavy:eek: .. i think my hatchet and fixed blade maybe, weigh about the same if not less....:o there is now a mini version out, i have yet to handle to handle one....

if at all possible, you should try and check one out before you buy it...

mike
 
We've been down this path a couple of time before but I can't find the old threads. "Tom Brown Tracker" is one of those searches that makes the search engine freeze up.

For what it's worth, I don't like the looks of it much. I think it tries to be too many things. I prefer to keep thinks simple, and this design really defies the KISS rule in my opinion.

People seem to love them or hate them. I've never used one or even handled one, so I can't say for sure which side I would be on, but there is nothing about the looks of the knife that gives me any inclination to seek one out to find out. For those who love them, I say to each his own. If it works for you, great. I'd rather have a good khukri though.
 
I think the knife and the movie, hand in hand, was a brilliant marketing ploy and made Mr Brown lots of money. I am not so sure how brilliant the knife design on it's on merits is. Chris
 
100% pure marketing and yes I have used one. Gimmic at best. This century's Rambo knife so to speak.

Skam
 
I got one for my wife because she's a big Tom Brown fan.

She took it out in the woods and said to me
"It's obvious that Tom Brown has never handled a khukuri"
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It's OK, but there are a lot of other knives that will do as much much cheaper and although it's really sharp the bevels on the production model are really too steep. It would actually chop much better if the "V" of the edge was at a lower angle. Still not as good as a khukuri of a similar weight.

A khukuri is a better chopper and better draw knife than the Tracker by far. The saw on the Tracker is really of no use. Also the khukuris have a small accesory knife for fine tasks usually and you have to buy that with the Tracker.
 
IMHO, it is an overpriced, overweight waste of good steel. You could buy and carry a good knife and a whole survival kit for the same cost and weight. $300 and 28oz will take care of a lot of gear.

It is an interesting design and I'm sure will perform tasks that will help keep you alive in the woods, but it sure don't float my boat!

Just scanning the Tops catalog, the Overlander or Pasayten Light Traveller would make better cutting tools, leaving budget and weight to devote to covering other facets of a kit.
 
I saw ,IIRC ,an article in one of the knife mags that said Tom brown and his instructors at his school carry a really nice looking William Henry knife as their EDC knife.
 
I think it's nifty looking but would take a mora a fallkniven or a sak in to the bush with me any time over that...looks to big to do small things well and to small to do the big stuff well...other knives might not be as well designed from an aesthetics pov but if you look at the people Tom Brown learned from (The native americans) none of them had such a fancy rig I'd just as easily drop 80 bucks on a fallkniven or 15 bucks on a mora and spend the rest of that dough on a sleeping bad and some other gear. I do alot more cleaning panfish and cutting cheese in the bush than I do making arrows or heavy use stuff...doesn't mean that if I was more skilled I couldn't do it with my regular fixedblade though.
 
A small Gransfors Bruks or Wetterlings hatchet and a decent fixed blade will be way more practical in the camping "survival" world than that unwieldy piece, imho. :) :) :)

Won't be as sexy, but if my life :eek: depended on survival in the wilderness that is the way I would go.
 
Try searching 'WSK' or 'Wilderness Survival Knife.' The WSK is the common term for knives similar too the Tom Brown Tracker in styling.

And yes, most of what you will read here will not be in favor of the design. I own a Red Scorpion Six Predator, which is similar to Dave Beck's WSK design. I have only used the Predator on one trip last fall, and it performed fine for me. I view the WSK design as a one-piece multitool. It will handle a variety of different tasks, but it won't be the best tool for all those tasks. But it works fine for me.
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I'm with hikeeba.The wsk design is good for general camp chores and is great for those who want to keep their pack lighter.That said it won't chop as good as a hatchet or shin as well as a skinner but it'll get the job done.I have both the TOPS verson and the Red Scorpion 6 verson.I like the RS6 better than the TOPS.
 
hikeeba said:
Try searching 'WSK' or 'Wilderness Survival Knife.' The WSK is the common term for knives similar too the Tom Brown Tracker in styling.

And yes, most of what you will read here will not be in favor of the design. I own a Red Scorpion Six Predator, which is similar to Dave Beck's WSK design. I have only used the Predator on one trip last fall, and it performed fine for me. I view the WSK design as a one-piece multitool. It will handle a variety of different tasks, but it won't be the best tool for all those tasks. But it works fine for me.
RI06015.jpg

RI06013.jpg

RI06012.jpg
Click to expand...


I like that Red Scorpion Six Predator knife. Where do you get a knife like that?
 
ShadowBlade said:
I too do not like the TOP version, I am refering to the orignal Robb Russon design. The "real" Tom Brown Tracker Survival knife.

Like in the link.
Click to expand...

I feel that Dave Beck's design of the knife is the "true" Tracker knife. Far SUPERIOR to the others. Also, Mr. Beck is a great guy, one of the best makers that I have had the pleasure to speak with.
 
I've never used one, but I agree with DaleW; it seems like a lot of weight and steel that could've been used for a more versatile kit. Also, I really don't care for it's design. I think Tom Brown Jr. is awesome one way or the other, but it seems to me that knife is a little gimmicky.

I don't mean to step on any toes it just seems that way to me.
 
I do not own any WSK's so I cannot comment from that perspective. I see Tom's knife evolving slowly, and as it does, I like the looks of the design more and more. I'm not quite ready to buy one, but I think one day in the near future, I will. Before that happens, I'd like to see the saw teeth on the false edge disappear and be replaced with thumb ridges. I'd like to see the tip of the knife be hollow ground and wickedly sharp. I'd like the blade to be long enough to have a useful chopping edge, and I'd like to see the price come down to around $100, kydex sheath included. I'd like to see a softer kraton-like handle material. If those kinds of issues can be addressed, I think I'd be willing to look very favorably on owning a WSK. In the meantime, I plan to watch the WSK-style and wait. I see the WSK as a kind of fantasy/art knife that is slowly evolving into a real user.
 
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