Anybody have/had a Tom Brown Tracker by TOPS knives

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  • jimmothy86

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    I've been eyeing them, thinking about getting one, nowhere nearby that i know of has one in stock so i can't get hands on, but i was wondering what you all thought?
     

    rhino

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    I've been eyeing them, thinking about getting one, nowhere nearby that i know of has one in stock so i can't get hands on, but i was wondering what you all thought?

    Send an PM to bradsknives or knife lady. They may have one in stock.
     

    natdscott

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    The biggest problem with the TOPS survival knives, in my limited opinion, is that they are hollow ground. The positive is that they are also about 3/4" thick steel, so there is plenty of stock to revise them into a convex grind, which is more durable and cuts and wedges better.

    There's a guy for this, and he is in Fort Wayne. Look at the brands he has a dealership for alone:

    Grindstone Cutlery

    Dude knows things about steel, and he can regrind that blade for you in the shop while you wait.
     

    rhino

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    The biggest problem with the TOPS survival knives, in my limited opinion, is that they are hollow ground. The positive is that they are also about 3/4" thick steel, so there is plenty of stock to revise them into a convex grind, which is more durable and cuts and wedges better.

    There's a guy for this, and he is in Fort Wayne. Look at the brands he has a dealership for alone:

    Grindstone Cutlery

    Dude knows things about steel, and he can regrind that blade for you in the shop while you wait.

    Are you talking about the TOPS Tracker models?

    In general, TOPS has dozens of models that could be legitimate "survival knives." Most of them do not have hollow grinds. It's been a while since I handled a Tracker, but I don't recall hollow grinds on either section.
     

    chezuki

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    Are you talking about the TOPS Tracker models?

    In general, TOPS has dozens of models that could be legitimate "survival knives." Most of them do not have hollow grinds. It's been a while since I handled a Tracker, but I don't recall hollow grinds on either section.

    Tops Trackers are not hollow ground.

    Oddly enough, the main page of the site linked to “fix” the supposed hollow grind features a Tracker variant/knockoff that is in fact hollow ground.

    IMG_2828a-custom_tracker_natural_g10.JPG
     

    Bradsknives

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    The biggest problem with the TOPS survival knives, in my limited opinion, is that they are hollow ground. The positive is that they are also about 3/4" thick steel, so there is plenty of stock to revise them into a convex grind, which is more durable and cuts and wedges better.

    There's a guy for this, and he is in Fort Wayne. Look at the brands he has a dealership for alone:

    Grindstone Cutlery

    Dude knows things about steel, and he can regrind that blade for you in the shop while you wait.

    I know Mike Billman @ Grindstone Cutlery personally....good guy, very knowledge about knives, and he can sharpen a knife like nobodies business. One thing though, he is not a direct dealer with most of the companies that he has listed on his website......like Microtech and Chris Reeve (there are others) as an example. You can simply go to these companies websites and see their direct dealer list, and Grindstone Cutlery is not one them....... A little misleading IMO. :twocents:

    Microtech Dealers: https://www.microtechknives.com/find-a-dealer/

    Chris Reeve Knives Dealers: https://www.chrisreeve.com/find-a-dealer.html
     
    Last edited:

    rhino

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    The biggest problem with the TOPS survival knives, in my limited opinion, is that they are hollow ground. The positive is that they are also about 3/4" thick steel, so there is plenty of stock to revise them into a convex grind, which is more durable and cuts and wedges better.

    There's a guy for this, and he is in Fort Wayne. Look at the brands he has a dealership for alone:

    Grindstone Cutlery

    Dude knows things about steel, and he can regrind that blade for you in the shop while you wait.


    I just re-read. Are you sure you meant hollow ground? If a blade were hollow ground, it would be difficult to convex grind it because there would be nothing there to grind. Hollow grinds are concave, the opposite of convex.

    Perhaps you meant to say saber grind? Or flat? Or scandi? Or even scandi-vex? It would be possible to convex all of those if enough material were left, but not a hollow grind (unless you ground away the entire part of the blade that was holllowed, which would not leave enough for a knife).
     

    jimmothy86

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    Jan 29, 2010
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    Indianapolis
    Thank you all for the replies! So it looks like a trip to Fort Wayne may be in my future, also, is revolver in Greencastle?

    Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
     

    Mike Billman

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    Sep 21, 2018
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    The Tops trackers have a very shallow semi hollow grind. The edges are very thick but once reground to a gentle convex they cut very well. The quarter round of the tops is a joke but again with the right regrind it works awesome.
     

    Mike Billman

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    Sep 21, 2018
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    Tops Trackers are not hollow ground.

    Oddly enough, the main page of the site linked to “fix” the supposed hollow grind features a Tracker variant/knockoff that is in fact hollow ground.

    IMG_2828a-custom_tracker_natural_g10.JPG

    This is one of my handmade wsk type knives. The pic may be deceptive but its definitely convex ground and the blade on this particular knife was 8" long.
     

    Mike Billman

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    Sep 21, 2018
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    Fort Wayne
    I know Mike Billman @ Grindstone Cutlery personally....good guy, very knowledge about knives, and he can sharpen a knife like nobodies business. One thing though, he is not a direct dealer with most of the companies that he has listed on his website......like Microtech and Chris Reeve (there are others) as an example. You can simply go to these companies websites and see their direct dealer list, and Grindstone Cutlery is not one them....... A little misleading IMO. :twocents:

    Microtech Dealers: https://www.microtechknives.com/find-a-dealer/

    Chris Reeve Knives Dealers: https://www.chrisreeve.com/find-a-dealer.html

    Hey Brad... I should have set up an account here a looong time ago... As to my wrbsite... When you brought knives into my store on Clinton I was a dealer for Chris Reeve Bebchmade Spyderco Victorinox ect... I never sold knives off of my website and only had the site to highlight that I had a real knife store and was a real knife guy that did all of the things one would hope for from a full service curlery store. It made guys feel better about sending their expensive knives to me for edge or sheath work knowing I wasn't just some guy selling knives out of a spare bedroom. I appreciate the compliments on my sharpening skills buddy.
     

    Bradsknives

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    Hey Brad... I should have set up an account here a looong time ago... As to my wrbsite... When you brought knives into my store on Clinton I was a dealer for Chris Reeve Bebchmade Spyderco Victorinox ect... I never sold knives off of my website and only had the site to highlight that I had a real knife store and was a real knife guy that did all of the things one would hope for from a full service curlery store. It made guys feel better about sending their expensive knives to me for edge or sheath work knowing I wasn't just some guy selling knives out of a spare bedroom. I appreciate the compliments on my sharpening skills buddy.


    Got it!.......Good seeing you here, and I hope all is well with you.
     
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