The blade:
The Ironside Tracker’s blade is formed of 1095 steel layered with 15n20 steel which ends up with a fairly tough blade. 1095 is pretty common steel in survival knives, because it can take a beating, has relatively good edge retention, and is fairly easy to sharpen within the field. 15n20 steel is analogous to 1075 high steel with a touch more nickel threw in. From an edge retention standpoint, the Ironside Tracker doesn’t hold its edge also as a number of the survival knives made with the costlier 154CM steel, but it’s much easier to sharpen. i feel this is often important for tracker-style knives because they’re harder to sharpen than conventional knives that have blades with only one grind type. Overall the Ironside Tracker performed most survival tasks well once I had the hang of the thing.
The Handle:
The hand features a rear lanyard hole just in case “> just in case you would like to require your chopping to the next level and two lashing holes in case you ever needed to show the knife into a spear. The micarta handle maybe a little smoother than a number of the textured micarta handles you discover on Condor or ESEE knives. This makes the Ironside Tracker handle a bit less grippy, but the finger grooves ensure a secure grip even when the knife is wet. For carving work, I found myself automatically placing my thumb on the recessed area of the spine for more control. this is often a pleasant design feature of the Tracker-style knife.
The Sheath:
The black leather sheath seems to be built, and therefore the one-handed draw is pretty easy in both the front and the back. The heavy-duty metal snaps feel durable, and that I would expect them to last for years.
In the Field:
The design of the Tracker is great for chopping. The wide rounded forward part of the blade behaves sort of a small ax. The blade bites well and holds its edge for quite a while. The finger grooves and rounded pommel of the handle make it easy to vary grips in a way that generates more power. We made short work of several branches and limbs and celebrated doing it. This knife throws such a lot of spark you’ll not even need feather sticks. A pile of dry pine needles or excelsior would probably get the work done. The tip of the Ironside Tracker’s blade is meant for drilling. Specifically to drill a hole during a piece of wood for a bow spindle. I personally believe lighting a fireplace with a bow is a terrible thanks to spending each day. I might rather freeze to death. Attempting to start out a fire with a bow is for masochists, but if that’s your thing then Ironside Tracker is a good selection for getting things started.
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