Sharpening the Tracker Knife
Recently I have received inquiries about sharpening The Tracker Survival Knife. Sharpening takes patience and time to develop the correct technique.
Today TOP Knives manufactures the Tracker Knife and according to their website they will sharpen your Tracker Knife for free!
Sharpening systems
I have used a variety of sharpening systems over the years and some systems work better than others. The Spyderco system uses ceramic composite triangular stones to sharpen a knife to a razor's edge!
Sharpening the Tracker and UKW chopping/skinner blade
All that is needed to sharpen any knife edge is a coarse stone for grinding, a fine-grit stone for finishing, and a strop for polishing. Sharpening the Tracker or the UKW chopper blade is no different then sharpening any other knife.
If you have never learned to sharpen a knife by hand there are library books, online articles, and video's to help you.
Using the Tracker's carving blade
The the carving blade has many uses including debarking green poles, smooth small knots, and to round off corners or flatten and remove wood on a bow stave.
Using a fresh cut conifer pole or if that is not available then a piece of lumber in a vice so you have two corners to practice with. Safety requires you stabilize the wood while using the Tracker knife in this way.
Wear Leather Gloves for safety
Wearing leather gloves to protect your hands, take the knife in one hand just shy of the tip and the handle in the other. Now draw the knife towards you, take it slow, along one of the corners of a board.
The UKW Carving Edge
Note: Russon's Tracker carving blade is unlike a drawknife as it cuts better away from your body like a wood ax because most axes, knives, and Russon's carving edge are beveled on both sides.
TOPS Carving Edge
With TOPS Tracker knife the carving blade is used as a traditional Draw Knife, pulling towards the body as the bottom edge is flat like a draw knife.
Watch the The Spyderco video at minute 33.7 for sharpening chisels and hand plane blades. - Spyderco Knife Sharpening System.
This system is designed to sharpen a variety of edges including the "Draw Knife" blade of Brown's Tracker knife.
If the carving knife "chatters" as you pull it towards you this means you are cutting against the grain or a knot. Reverse the wood and try again. In recent times 2x4 lumber is notorious for across grain milling so expect this type of problem with commercial lumber.
Ty, thank you for your question. To be fair I have yet to give this knife my official review. I would contact Mark Russon of Utah Knife Works and address your question on Stainless to him. Russon is always looking for feed back and is happy to answer your questions. If you like these styles of knives then you would like Russon’s Survivor. It has some quirks about it like all knives have. The biggest issue I have so far with it with my limited use of the Survivor. Are the large serrations on the top edge of the knife point. When I use the draw knife part of the blade the serrations are sharp with a bare hand. I would recommend leather gloves when grasping this part of the knife for use.
Is the Utah Knife Works Survivor Knife a good camp knife? I am worried since is stainless and not 1090 carbon like Tops tracker.
TY KWC