[Kaylee]

yeah, read his books as a college kid.. in retrospect a lot of it seems kinda flakey. That aside, the man knows more about woodsyness than I can pretend to, and I'm kinda intrigued with this knife he and TOPS came up with --

http://www.1sks.com/store/tops-tom-brown-tracker.html

I'm looking for a general-purpose deep bush/survival type knife. I have a little TOPS knife that I received from a very dear friend I'm just in love with, and a beautiful HI kukri from another dear friend. The one seems great for small stuff, but I'm not sure if I might not want something bigger. The kukri is just amazing for all sorts of things, but I'm kinda concerned about the size and the possibility of the metal rusting (this will be in Alaska).

Does anyone have any sugguestions? Obviously "blackops tactical man-killing" isn't something I intend to do, so I'm not necessarily looking for The Total Absence of Fear or anything here. ;)

Advice? Words of wisdom? general wisecracks? :)

[Kaylee]

By the way -- this is it...

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=37035&d=1142226636

[Mad Chemist]

TOPS are known for quality. Lately a lot of cheap counterfeits have been appearing. If you intend to buy one, make sure it's the real deal.

JH

[JShirley]

Read this thread (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=170278&highlight=Tracker).

Kaylee, if you're okay with doing it, I would probably clean your kukri extremely well, then degrease. Then tape the very edge of the blade, and coat the rest with flat enamel spray paint.

No, it won't be pretty. Yes, it'll be a tool, treated like a tool.

And I'm really glad you still like it.

John

[Kaylee]

I've done a fair amount of reading tonight, and from perusing about it seems the TOPS rendition ain't so hot. Without getting into the rarified air of Becks and so forth.. this looks interesting:

http://www.mtknives.com/wsk.html

It seems to correct most of the flaws of the TOPS model, for a similar amount of scratch.

Of course.. a smaller kuk does seems to do most of the same stuff..

hey John, would the kamis be willing to either provide a bare blade, or perhaps make a similar non-traditional pattern? The inner part of the kuk already seems about perfect, but it'd be nice to at least have a little swelling on the back as an impromptu hammer poll, right at the "bend" of the kuk.. I'm not t0o sure of the saw blade, but I don't think I'd mind it either.. and a better finger guard ridge would be nice.

Thanks!

-K

[loandr.]

I know Mark Terrell very well and you CANNOT go wrong with his work. Attention to detail and Customer satisfaction are a must for Mark....he prides himself on a razors edge as well. Hes one of the up and coming best IMHO....
Check out his Harbinger if on his sight. he has a few WILD colaborations coming out soon with "Team Sickness" as well keep an eye out for :-).

Loandr.

Below are my latest from The Sickness :-) 2 and 3 Finger Cleavers w/ Prsentation grade Desert Ironwood and Sculpted CF. Enjoy

[JShirley]

An interesting thread from Dan Koster (http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=385995&highlight=Dan+Koster)...

I personally think you might do best for overall usage with something like a Pen Knife (http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=392179&highlight=pen) (3rd from right) (this is a kukuri with little bend, but a pronounced belly), and a dedicated tool...like a hammer. ;)

You can't do everything with one firearm, either.

J

[1911JMB]

Rust is more of an issue with D2 than the Tops 1095, but the edge will of course last longer. My advise is that you should get neither and spend 125 dollars more and get a Mercworx Equatorian.

http://www.mercworx.com/detail.aspx?ID=45

[JShirley]

Oh, good god. She's looking for a tool, not a dedicated fighting short sword, which is what that monstrosity (http://www.mercworx.com/images/ProductImages/Knives/mwEquatorian.jpg) is.

John

[1911JMB]

It might be too big, but its kind of like a modern take on a Bowie knife. Yes it would be good at killing people, but a big knife is also good at chopping, slicing and other chores. Before choosing another model of Tops, I handled the Tom Brown Tracker. Its smaller, and the more I think about it, you are probably right that its the more suitiable design in this case, but its no lightweight little tool. Like all Tops knives, the Tracker is a big sharpened crowbar.

[JShirley]

Well, don't let me give the wrong impression. I like big knives, I just think a single edge would be a better choice. At least a little curvature would probably also be helpful.

[bigjim]

Kaylee,

In much the same fashion as the Munks that used to set themselves on fire to protest the US. (futile and self destructive behavior) I am selling off my HI knives.

Kaylee if your interested I have two Pen knives. PM me and I will make you a deal on one. Both of mine have been used barely at all and sharpened to a very high level.

Now having said that I suggest not getting one of these wierd shaped knives. I think a standard drop point knife of decent size will work better for most tasks than either the Tops tracker or the Pen knife.

Let me make this offer. Send your shipping address and I will send you one. If you like it pay me what you think it is worth.

Bigjim

Mods I posted this with out thinking. While the intent was just to help Kaylee, it sure does look like a forsale post. I undertsand if I needs to be deleted it and I will do so. I will also edit the offer now to move it further from a forsale offer.

[hso]

1911JMB,

The guys at Mercworx will tell you that their knives are combat knives first and survival knives second (if at all). You'll also find that real woods knives are single edged so that you can baton the spine for wood splitting. That way you don't have to drag a freakin ballast bar around when all you need is a camp knife. Also, Kaylee isn't cursed with testosterone poisoning that clouds her thinking that she needs a big 'ol knife.

Jen,

Come on down and I'll let you work in the woods with all my hadware until you find something that fits your needs.

[Valkman]

I almost brought up Mark when this started as he was agonizing over making a Tracker version a few months back. Mark's a good guy and you won't be sorry if you deal with him.

Obviously "blackops tactical man-killing" isn't something I intend to do

You sure? The Dork Ops 911 could be just for you! :)

http://www.darkopsknives.com/photo/11.jpg

"The choil-notch doubles as both a bottle opener and peacemaker-its’ deployment and use is a great bar fight deterrent in exotic third world locales." :D

Then again, on the opposite end of the spectrum:

http://usera.imagecave.com/Valkman/Knives_Ive_Made/Camp2.JPG

I make that one. :)

[JShirley]

You're fine, Jim. Carry on. In fact, PM me at your leisure.

Kaylee, if you're interested, take Jim up on his offer to send you one of the Pen Knives, and just let me know if you like it.

John

[hso]

Don,

Your fixed blade and a small axe is about all she'd need.

There was a hatchet sized bill hook that was made in Finland and brought into the states that is one of the most perfect light chopping tools I've ever handled, but the maker died and no one has taken up his tools. That and your knife would handle anything short of having to build a cabin.

[Skofnung]

This looks perfect to me.

http://www.barkriverknifetool.com/outdoor-bushcraft/northstar-black.html

Chopping is best left to hatchets, kukris, and machetes in my opinion. Knives for outdoor work are best kept small, handy, and super sharp.

[Soap]

I've thought long and hard about picking up a TOPs Tracker but decided against it for the following reasons:

-Sawback is not a self-cleaning design
-Too much fat of a belly for manuevering in a deer's gut cavity
-Sharp and pointy on both sides, also a disadvantage in a deer's gut cavity
-For the price I can get a good drop point plus a Gransfors Bruks

[carebear]

I just carry my SRK or old Kabar and a multitool and a little Case or Buck with some belly for whittlin and small chores.

Done me fine (with the occasional hatchet) for all my life bumming around up here.

This is more an excuse just to buy a new knife, isn't it? :evil:

[Kaylee]

This is more an excuse just to buy a new knife, isn't it?

You know, it just may be. :)

I used to have a Ka-Bar, and as wonderful a fighting knife as it looked, it didn't have a good "mass-to-usefulness" ratio for me. John's kukri, though bigger, seemed a lot higher on that "ratio" .. Mr. Terrell's WSK looks as if it might fit a nice balance point, hence the questions.

But ok hso.. I'll just come by some Sunday and ask to play with your toys, and decide after. Thanks so much for the help everyone!

-K

[carebear]

How much chopping are you planning on doing?

[Kaylee]

chopping?

Hrmm.. I imagine it would depend on the circumstances in which I'd be using it, but there have been times I've been doing a fair amount of chopping when out and about.

I think I'll hold off for now... play with the kuk s'more, and wait for Mr. Greco's entrance into the WSK field to see what'll come of that.

Thanks all!

:)

[bow4828]

kuks are great.You may also want to look around.Sometime You can get a Beck Tracker.He HAd the TM and was making these for Tom long before Tops came into the picture.

[gremlin_bros]

i wanted a tracker but didnt have the cash for one so like i usally do i built one from the specs and pics i made just about as close to the tops design as one can get without actually buying one the steel i used was an old leaf spring from an old pickup. the knife workes quite well but has several drawbacks one is the saw tooth needs redesigned to be more usable i would sugest a self cleaning tooth design i made the quarter round a bit deeper so to get a better bite the tops version has the blade thickness the same through the handel i would taper the handel to make still keeping it a full tankg just thin it fron the front to the back to make it more of a weight forward idea. but about the best idea i have come across is modifying a khukri into a field knife from this web site http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Ghurka/Khukri%20Modification.htm i will of course add a few touches of my own to truly make it mine but in the end i think it will make a much better firld knife than the tracker though the scout knife design for a small camp knife i find is a wonderfull thing and will be keeping my version (made from a cicular saw blade) with the khukri to make a great hard to beat combo.
i know this is all just openion but i am of the openion that the best knife to have in a survival / outdoor situation is the one you have on you at that moment because if you find it to big or bulky or heavy you wont carry it thus wont have it when you need it.
with all due respect to tom he has created a verry nice knife and it is quite usable for me however i keep it in my mind that the level of knife should mach the level of ability of the user thus for sombody who dosent have much skill with a knife it may be too much for them to work with effectivly but in skilled hands it can be a verry good knife .
i think the reason i like the khukri mod is it has a kiss method to it that works for a wide range of skill levels (kiss keep it simple stupid) so thats just my two cents worth.

[Hollowdweller]

I'm a big fan of Khukuris. Just wipe it off, it may rust a little but nothing bad. I usually carry a paper towel and another with a bit of oil when I'm taking a carbon steel tool on a trip.

HI makes a 17" 23 oz Ganga Ram Special and a 15" 18 oz one. Those are good general purpose.

I have a Pen knife too. Nice, but too small for over 5" stuff.

Here's a few variations

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/hollowdweller/khuks.jpg

Here's a Ganga Ram Villager model 17 in 23 oz

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/hollowdweller/k5.jpg

Here's a 17" 23 oz Foxy Folly model
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/hollowdweller/number2.jpg
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/hollowdweller/log3.jpg

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c19/hollowdweller/log5.jpg

[JShirley]

Very nice, HD, thanks for the pictures. 4th from right is EDMF? If so, I gave one
to Fumio Manaka in...early 2001, maybe?

John

[mercop]

I love my Harbinger from Mark Terrell. The knife if perfect. I would not hesitate if I needed a specialty blade like the WSK.