TOPS Knives Tom Brown Tracker #1 Review
February 10, 2016
94 The Good
- Multiple blade edges
- Balanced & ergonomic
- Functional sawtooths
The Bad
- Heavy
- Expensive
- Difficult to sharpen
The world renowned Tracker has been around for quite some time and is quite popular in the Outdoor / Survival world; so much so that it has spawned numerous versions in different sizes, and steel types. It’s more expensive than your standard fare camp knife, but it will outlast most anything you compare it to. Furthermore, it’s made in the USA so you know that the quality is top notch. Anyone spending a lot of time in the wild – especially folks who want to limit the amount of tools they take out there with them—will benefit from the Tracker.
CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS
You would be hard-pressed to find a knife of this type that is designed and made as well as the Tracker #1. The traction coated 1095 steel has an HRC of 56-58 which makes it the right hardness to take some serious abuse. The Micarta handles are not only ergonomic, but also prove to be super tacky, even when wet.
EASE OF USE
The Tracker was designed to be used for a multitude of tasks and it performs them all exceedingly well. The balance of the Tracker is spot on and I found that precision work – like skinning and trimming – were fairly easy which is uncommon for a “big, bulky knife”. Folks with smaller hands might find the tracker #1 to be a little too big. In those cases I would recommend the “Tracker #2”.
STEEL QUALITY/EDGE RETENTION
The traction coated 1095 steel on the Tracker #1 will hold a decent edge for an extended period of time. When it finally does need sharpening, block off a larger chunk of time as the differing edges require more attention to detail than a knife with a single, straight edge.
DURABILITY
Tops knives is known for making durable knives that like to be abused, and the Tracker #1 is a shining example of that. Using 1/4″ thick, traction coated 1095 steel alleviates the worry of the Tracker bending or breaking, and the micarta handles are virtually indestructible as well.
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