New Knife Purchase - TOPS Tom Brown Tracker #1 VS TOPS Bushcrafter Kukuri 7.0

A

ARBY20

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Oct 15, 2022
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Hello all, I am about to make another knife purchase and am torn between the TOPS Tom Brown Tracker #1 and the TOPS Bushcrafter Kukuri 7.0. If anyone has either, or both! I would really appreciate your advice/input.

I will be using the knife as an all-round work horse, processing game, chopping/splitting wood, carving, making traps etc. I already have knives that perform well at these tasks, but I'm looking to bridge the gap between my Ka-Bar Combat Kukri and BK21. Needs to be more compact than the BK21, but heavier than the Combat Kukri for processing wood.

I'm currently leaning towards the Bushcrafter Kukuri. It's slightly heavier than the TB Tracker which would help with chopping, has a smooth spine that I can choke up on for skinning and an extended tang that forms a pommel. However... The Tom Brown Tracker looks very interesting, and having never owned or used one I am slightly inclined to give it a go. The serrations also look very useful for making trigger mechanisms quick and easily, however, they come at the cost of not being able to choke up on the blade.

Thanks in advance for the input!
 
As a khukuri guy, I would lean that way if it were me. I very briefly had an "homage" of the tracker to see if it made sense for my needs before buying an expensive version...it didn't. I gave it to my brother in about a day and bought a Tops Delta Class Steel Eagle instead.

I'm sure that if you put in the time to learn the system of the knife, it would be great. However, as someone who just does a few things out and about in the wilds, all of the angles and edges aren't really needed by me on a chopping knife.

The funny thing is that as my needs have evolved or shifted, I think the Mini Tracker might be a good fit to pair with a small axe or hatchet. The axe could do the chopping and rough in work. The little tracker could do fine work or saw in notches.
 
A ARBY20


Admittedly, I'm not much of a kukri guy. When I think of a kukri, my brain automatically goes down the "chopping" path. However, from my understanding of your post, it sounds like you may be wanting another Kukri to provide a little bridge/redundancy/overlap with the two that you already have. In that case, I think the TOPS kukri would serve you well.

The #1 Tracker, for me at least, is more of a multi-tool/do it all/survival-type blade that (*in my humble opinion) would handle more like a conventional knife, despite still being pretty unconventional in its own right. Other than the "processing game" thing, I think you'd be quite happy with it for all the other tasks you mentioned. I want to qualify that statement, too. I am not a "Hunter", by any means. However, I've been around some diehards most of my life and have seen the knives that they use when hunting. Just from those observations, I don't think the #1 would be ideal. I reckon there are folks who've processed game with 9"-10" Bowie knives. So, will the #1 do it? I'm sure. However, again, not ideally.

Just to address a couple of other things you mentioned...

Like you, I wish the Tracker had some kinda' pommel. Alas, the lack thereof was probably nothing more than TOPS strictly adhering to the wishes of the respective Designer. In regard to the sawback, you are correct. They are pretty glorious for perfect/90* notches...and there are about a million YouTube vids to prove that. As far as "choking up", I think you'd be quite happy with (*and surprised by) the #1. With your index finger against the small "guard" on the lower tang, you're pretty much right-up against the draw blade.


Beyond all the above, the #1 is like much of the other stuff that TOPS builds...reliable, robust, overbuilt, etc. (*as I'm sure is the case with the Bushcraft Kukri)

That's all I've got. Happy hunting!
 
I dont have the Tracker #1 but the #3, which is the slightly smaller and slimmer version, so what I got to say about it might not be of use to you, but I'll still type it ^^

To me, it's an all-rounder knife that does many things well but none perfectly, to me, I wanna clarify that this is my opinion. It's a decent chopper, my Fällkniven A1, which is about the same size and weight, chops better and carves better while being of a thicker bladestock too. The Tracker I've never found to be fun at carving wood, you can do it of course, but there's other big knives that can do it much better.

The shape of the blade regarding choking up on it is, as Alone has already mentioned, really good, even though it really doesn't look like it would be. I really like how your thumb rests nicely and comfortably on the thumbrest.

Overall though, the blade shape is not to my liking, I prefer the A1 :)
 
Thanks for all the input guys, much appreciated!

So I was still a little on the fence but figured it was best to stick with what I know and go for the Buscrafter kKukuri. I phoned up my local shop who I deal with regularly and... no stock of the Bushcrafter Kukuri, but.... two brand new #1 Trackers in tan had just landed! I figured it was a sign so I went with the Tracker, will upload another post once it's arrived and I've put it to the test.

Thanks again guys!
 
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