Tracker

[HardedgeKnives]

After watching the movie The Hunted with Tommy Lee Jones I became very interested in the knife design used in its making. TOPS picked up the rights and sells it as a factory made knife under the name “Tom Brown Tracker” so I watched several YouTube reviews of the knife in order to not only create my own version but make improvents in the overall function ( As can be seen from the photo this is NOT a copy). First 3/16 inch thick 1095 (TOPS uses 1/4") is selected to provide a strong blade that has both good chopping and cutting while keeping the knife light enough to actually carry. Next, several of the reviewers complained that the location of the transition along the edge fell on the chopping sweet spot and reduced the effectiveness to chop. So I moved this transition forward away from the sweet spot and also got rid of the little step along the edge while retaing a strong convex ground point. The saw back was incorporated into the first few of these I made which really isn't a saw (TOPS isn't either) but a notching tool. On this one I've removed the saw saw back for two basic reasons. This knife is also intened to be used as draw and push knife however the amount of pressure that can be used when pulling on the saw back area of the spine with a bare hand is very limited. An additional fucntion is splitting wood using the baton method but the saw back makes this ineffectient and tears up the baton.

Specs:

3/16 inch thick 1095 high carbon steel differentially heat treated.

Handle is Mozambique (Amazaque) wood scales on the knife's full tang.

Blade Length is 7.5 inches

Overall Length about 13 inches

Brown tooled leather sheath (shown)

SOLD (Price is $200 plus $7 shipping)

I take PayPay, major credit cards over the phone, money orders and checks.
Thanks,
Kelley Ward
Hard Edge Knives

 

[akthor]

As a former owner of a Tops Tracker I like some of your changes. I had mine reground by a knife maker to make the edge more knifelike and less axe like. I also had him strip off the coating and bead blast it for a finish.

The thing I truly loved the Tops Tracker for (besides the hedgehog sheath it came in) was the handle. It was the most comfortable knife handle.

The handle on yours looks a little short to me and I would have preferred micarta to wood but I love the blade changes and finish. Also would want a scout carry sheath

But as someone who owned a tracker your version would definitely be more functional right out of the box than the Tops version.

 

[HardedgeKnives]

Hello akthor,
Thanks for the input and compliments on this design. I like working with Micarta and will keep it in mind for the next one. Your ideas on the scout carry sheath is also great. Do you perfer leather to Kydex or the other way around? It's easy enough to make up a Kydex to go along with this.
I think the handle just looks a little short, it's a little longer than 5 inches. This Tracker is overall a little more than an inch longer that TOPS and all that is in the blade making the handle appear shorter.

 

[guardog36]

I like the improvements! I'll take it. Paypal and PM
sent.

 

[akthor]

I like leather personally. If this knife is actually longer than the tops tracker blade then the handle might be better a little longer.

I also really like your elimination of the saw back, you were right it was pretty useless and prevented you from putting a lot of pressure on the spine with your hand.

 

[HardedgeKnives]

Hello guardog36,
Got the payment and will have the knife in the mail today.
Thanks,
Kelley

 

[mykel m]

Diggin' it Kelley!
I never liked the TBT for the reasons you addressed with your improvements.
Nice work man.