Bark River Trakker 16 month review

First in a series of videos reviewing the Bark River tracker.
Check theses guys out!
Gabe Humphries- / @gabehumphries5483
Mr. Black- / operationalextras
ForestMantis- / @forestmantis1737

[@splinterdevilblood6366]

Thank you for this. Everyone wants to unbox or first impressions a knife. This actually helped

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Awesome, that's what I was hoping for!

[@chrisabercrombie6528]

You trip me out Jim all the stuff you know about weapons. I really wish I can do the things you can do. This knife is so nice and you are very intelligent, Amazing 🤩

[@pinkiewerewolf]

Nice video! I bought two from BRK’s 2020 run of Trakkers. Gave one to a buddy. I liked your demonstration on the quarter round. Most “knife channels” that review a Trakker/WSK knife don’t know this feature or function of the knife. I need to get back to Bushcraft USA’s forum. Had some family issues in 2019 & 2020.

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Thank you! I really enjoyed your posts on BCUSA, it would be awesome to see you active again :) I get it though, family stuff always comes first.

[@pinkiewerewolf]

@@bushcraftcostarica808 Thank you. 2021 is going to be a great year! 👍

[@Mr.Quibble]

I just purchased a Bark River Trakker today. I'm excited to finally have one. I also have a Skullcrusher’s Xtreme Blade (SXB) by EJ Snyder, but no Tom Brown or Beck, though I think the Beck WSK is everyone's dream knife in this category. I enjoyed your review.

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Thank you so much! I really enjoyed having my Bark River, absolutely amazing blade. It's one of those tools that you can always rely on, razor sharp and built tough! I have never seen a negative comment on the SXB, will have to check them out one day. There's a new video in the works, stay tuned :)

[@G13-j3c]

Bark river makes these in house . Most of the knifes are sent out for grinding and heat treatment. All the in-house bark River knives are very nice. The ones that have issues are sent away .

[@SharplifeCr]

excelente video! y mas aun que estes aqui en Costa Rica! Saludos!

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

¡Gracias amigo, es un hermoso lugar con gente cálida!

[@joshdoddadbod]

Ive never understood how the quarter round could bbe used as a gut hook. The quarter round would split the hide and then the sharp cutting edge behind it would then cut into the animals entrails making it counter productive. I think it is great for nice feathersticking.

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

It confuses me too. I'm not saying that it can't be done but I don't understand how.

[@l.v.i.bushcraftandsurvival6692]

A couple of things would keep me from biting on this one. First, no saw back, and second, hollow grind. If I am spending big money on one, I'd go whole hog and get the Beck. Mr. Beck coined both terms "Tracker", and "WSK", and I got the feeling from my interaction with him that he doesn't like others using those terms for non-Beck knives. It's way too late to stop that forest fire though, people associate any knife that even remotely looks like his knife as either of those two names. When I spoke with Mr. Beck, he refered to the TOPS version as the "Tom Brown Knife". I like Mr. Beck's knife the best of all of the versions I have seen out there. Mr. Martin makes great knives, but he went the stainless steel route, and a harder stainless to boot - not my cuppa tea, I want something easily maintained in the field. Glad you're having fun, keep it up. :-)

[@l.v.i.bushcraftandsurvival6692]

PS - good going on convexing that draw section. As to the gut hook / quarter round, I use it to cut into bark too. When I got my TOPS version years ago, it came with a book from Tom Brown on it. I don't know where it is, but I am sure I have it somewhere. If I find it, I'll do a video showing it. Lanyard - I use one to keep from an accident, just as you said: to keep my hand from jumping up onto the edge. That mechanical injury would be more than a bad day in the big woods.

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

....my Beck Gen 3 model C WSK will be ready for pickup in late June. I've been on the list since March of last year I am absolutely ecstatic! Mr Beck has been so wonderful to deal with and I have a huge amount of respect for the way he crafts his blades. He is tailoring this WSK to my specs which is the v grind for the first section and a convex for the forward section, the blade is going to be 3/16 of an inch thick and tapered.

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

That's a bad day bud!

[@l.v.i.bushcraftandsurvival6692]

@@bushcraftcostarica808 that's great, I was hoping he was open to working with customer specs. I am probably going to have him do one for me as well. I'm going to keep it quiet until it's done though :-)

[@derekstynes9631]

Hey There I just wanted to say that You did a Great job and Please keep Up with Your Posts You are a Born Communicator so get Ready for a Flood up Subscribers !

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Your comment made my day, thank you!!!

[@n8mayfield]

Great video man. Good info

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Thanks bud, it was guys like you that sent me down this rabbit hole! Lol

[@A_Meek_lake_Dweller]

Very informative coming from a Khukuri user. The Tracker design is intriguing! On a 10 scale with the Tracker being a 10 what score would you give your Khukuri?

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Oh man...that's like rating my kids! lol. A solid 8.5, the advantage of the Khukuri is of course the chopping power but it's also a bit heavier (usually) and harder to carry. The Tracker is just awesome for getting all the material together for a fire, curls, kindling, sticks. Plus, like the Khukuri you can baton the wet stuff to get to the dry. The quarter round and almost Ulu shaped front section just work so well....I love my Khukuri but I definitely carry a Trakker now.

[@A_Meek_lake_Dweller]

@@bushcraftcostarica808 Thank you for the reply. You made a great video and it was very helpful in moving me closer to pulling the trigger on a tracker. Tom Brown Jr's book the Tracker and the movie in the late 60s My side of the mountain was what got me started. Thanks again! : )

[@G13-j3c]

People collect them . They don’t make them often , and it’s rare to see actual hard use . Unless it’s a tops tracker

[@AntwonDaBusiness]

Glass cutting boards are for baking. Not for cutting haha. The most you would do is use a doe knife on it but that’s it. That’s what they are for.

[@TripleEEDC]

Great video!

[@chrisabercrombie6528]

I really like the blade too. Awesome 👏 I mean I really like it lol 😆

[@nidannow]

It’s a beautiful knife but no one should ever have change or modify a knife after spending $400. That doesn’t even make nonsense.

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Lol, then I won't even go into my gun collection. At least 80% of them are completely modded out! My Saiga 308 literally has the trigger assembly moved forward about two inches 😁 There are very few things in my possession that are stock, if it's mine then I will spend the time to make it fit me.

[@jameslittle6561]

Hey mate lots of love from Australia! Would you consider selling your trakker? The modifications are exactly what I would have done, and it’s hard to organise things from this side of the world :)

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

James I'm sorry, it was sold last year! I was funding my Tracker from Dave Beck. I know what a pain it can be getting gear from another country. If I still had it, it would have been heading your way!

[@jameslittle6561]

@@bushcraftcostarica808 aww thanks man I hope your new tracker does you well!

[@refaiabdeen5943]

Cheers Mate!

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Thank you!

[@LaRemnant]

Great vid!

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Thank you!

[@G13-j3c]

I’m be scene couple different styles to the grind from Bark River

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

I think the last few batches the quarter round has definitely improved.

[@G13-j3c]

They are spirals not curls . Very very nice 👍🏻

[@G13-j3c]

The white g10 is nice and the black g10 . The wood no way .

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

I love the looks of their wood handles but Micarta or G10 are more practical.

[@mrmagoo491]

Do you miss the saw on top like the tops tracker ? Thanks

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Sorry I missed this! So far no, because a lot of the time I am gripping that section for carving. However I am on the list for a Beck Gen3 next October and I will be getting the saw on it.

[@robbychism]

I had a BRK Trakker that I let go in a trade, was a good knife. The handle was my favorite part of that knife, they do a great job on that. I like the mods that you've done to yours, looks like you've made some good improvements. Good video

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Thanks, I really dig the handle too. Glad you enjoyed the video, more to come!

[@InLakech_AlaKin]

You look like Corbett from The Corbett Report on KZbin

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Oh wow, ur right! Now I just gotta check out that channel too ☺️

[@Shamelesscritique1]

I kinda feel like the blade design belongs on a much longer knife...like a small machete or hatchet...the original tom brown trakker seems squashed and cramped also the grind and edge geometry seems sloppy, crude and not very refined, making modification a necessity...the dipped curved spine to baton with is pointless and in the wrong place.

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Do you mean the T1 or the WSK? Not sure how you would have the space to put all this on the head of a hatchet but I've seen some great machetes customized to this type of design. While the T1 does get customized a lot it's not sloppy or crude....just overbuilt (think Ruger firearms). However the Beck Gen3 is like a streamlined jet boat! I understand the confusion about the dip, it's in exactly the correct place to work on bigger pieces of wood without getting the blade stuck. So that you can baton all the way down the length of the log.

[@Shamelesscritique1]

@@bushcraftcostarica808 okay maybe I should have said some sort of "cleaver" instead of hatchet...I meant length wise...second the baton dip is completely unnecessary and redundant...but really I just mean the design requires a longer blade to fit all it's "features". Also when ninety percent of enthusiasts, youtubers, bush-crafters and reviewers etc either say they wouldn't use it, don't like it or heavily modify the blade to suit them...well it's not a good practical design...novel, exotic and interesting...but not very good...regardless of who's manufacturing it or to what quality. Personally it looks to me like it belongs in a silly fantasy setting along with oversized serrated swords, giant war-hammers and impractical armour...not in a real world survival or bush-craft kit.

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

@@Shamelesscritique1 ah... sounds like your mind was already made up. Go with that. Never mind the 245 PAGES of Tracker Action Pics on BCUSA....or....well, I could go on but there's really no point. Enjoy whatever you want :)

[@Shamelesscritique1]

@@bushcraftcostarica808 Dude ya said yourself you felt the need to modify the blade...you made up your mind and decided it wasn't good enough, wasn't quite right or not the way ya wanted etc...yet feel the need to defend, make excuses and justify it to some rando in the comments.

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

@@Shamelesscritique1 lol 😂 yup, definitely not the knife for you!

[@daleocallaghan6228]

THATS A TOM BROWN JR. KNIFE. ITS DESIGN HAS BEEN COPIED.MY FRIEND.

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

Yes it has, for a full history (as I can tell) check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZWWlJ6qjLunqrM

[@Just_a_Tool]

Do you know the reason for the blade's peculiar shape?

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

The Tracker's unique design allows for a more multi-functional tool. The handle is long so you can comfortably use 3 separate grips, fine work, normal use and chopping. The draw knife section is ground thinner to be extra sharp for fine bushcrafting tasks and the quarter round allows for making woods curls for fire....far faster than feather sticks. The front section has a more robust grind for chopping or batoning.

[@Just_a_Tool]

​@@bushcraftcostarica808 Do you have any videos showing how you sharpen the blade? It seems the quarterround would be the hardest part.

[@bushcraftcostarica808]

@@Just_a_Tool here's a couple :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4Tdf6p5jpWEaas kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIa3poGKpMhgZ7c