busse knives are they worth it?

ACMarina

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If you're trying to decide, check out a Swamp Rat. They're kinda like Busse's production line, if you will. Then, if you like it, imagine what it would be like if it were a lot bigger and more custom.

My next FB will be a Busse. .
 

XFlash

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If iterested I have a Natural Outlaw 6" tan with the edges Satin finished ,serial numbered. No shealth mint as shipped.
Will post pic tonight if want to see.
Xflash
 

XFlash

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Mossyoak, here are the pictures.
They are great knives, but you are right they are pricy.

#1 Tali Whacker (Busse Swamp Rat Cross)
#2 Collector Busse Natural Outlaw
BC1.jpg


#3 Busse Satin Jack standard
#4 Busse Natural Outlaw Standard
BC2.jpg


#3 and #4 with included sheaths
BC3.jpg


I also have several Swamp Rats if you want to see them.
 

nightgaunt

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I recommed the Becker BK7 or BK10 (a bit smaller) for all types of camp and ranch chores. Plenty sturdy and feels good in the hand. All for less than $50.

I've handled a few Busse's and was a bit freaked out with the price-to-specs ratio. Of course, I love Striders, so pretty much personal preference and how much $$$ ya' got in your pocket...
 

03lab

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XFlash, great pics! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif I'd love to see your Swamp Rats. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Mossyoak, you might also want to take a look at Fallkniven's line up. They are my favorite when it comes to fixed knives. Nightgaunt is right about the Becker knives though, for the money they are hard to beat.
 

XFlash

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Here you go 03lab, Swamp Rats.

#1 4 1/2" Bandicoot Standard
#2 4 1/2" Bandicoot Non Catalog Desert INFI
Bandicoots.jpg


#3 Paul's Rachet Standard
#4 Howling Rat Standard 4 1/2"
PR_HR.jpg


#5 7 1/2" Camp Tramp Desert
CTramp.jpg


#6 9 1/2" Battle Rat Standard
BRat.jpg


Enjoy Xflash
 

ACMarina

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Your SR knives #3 and #4 (okay, knife and hatchet) are my standard SAR setup. They're Sooooooooo tough /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

XFlash

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They really are great knives. The Howling Rat has such a great feel, and even though I did't show them, the sheaths are of excellent quality as well as Kydex lined. I was so inspired I even tried my hand at making some knives.
 

Codeman

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I've got a Busse Combat Basic #3 & #9. They preceded Swamp Rat, but were a cheaper alternative to the customs. They have Modified INFI steel, which is why they cost less. I wouldn't trade either for anything.

One day, I'll buy a real Busse, but it will probably be a safe queen, which is really the wrong place for a Busse to be. I'd have no hesitation to drop the money on one, if I had need for it. I don't, so the Swamp Rat line is very attractive.
 

verpus77

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Busse Combat Knives are definately worth every penny in my opinion. I have never seen a knife take a beating like a Busse, and still be one of the sharpest knives I've ever used. I own a few Busses and a Swamp Rat and find it hard to justify spending money on any other blades after having first hand experience with their performance. My favorite kind of vacation is the "primitive recreational experience" where a large knife is my only tool in the wilderness. There is no other knife that I would trust my life to. If you are going to be hard on a knife and can afford it, I'd say get a Busse.
I am currently in the process of selling/trading off my folders to make room for a Busse Active Duty as my EDC. After handling and using one, it has made my other small knives seem weak and obsolete.
 

straightblast

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I own several of them, nice knives. I prefer the knives built by Rob Simonich, but Busse makes a good knife.

If I was buying a beat-around everyday fixed blade, would probably not spend on the Busse. As a skinner? I believe there are better knives. Search places like KnifeArt and BladeArt for a good skinner.
 

out5yder

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Aug 20, 2008
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In my opinion, any object worths it if it is useful to you more than the amount of money you have spent on it.

If you want to have the feeling of having the most indestructible knife on the planet and if you believe this feeling deserves the money for a Busse knife, then it worths it. If you want to impress your neigbours by showing them you have the most indestructible knife on Earth and you feel this makes you enough happy that it worths to pay those money for it, then it worths it. If you intend to cut nails, screws, thick metal wire and you want to do this with a knife while you have other more obvious choices, then it worths it.

Practically speaking, the only advantage of a Busse Combat knife is the indestructibility of its INFI steel and nothing else (the indestructibility given by the fact it does not chip while hiting dull materials). INFI does not poseses the best edge retention, it does not poseses the best edge achieveing ability, it does not poseses the best shock resistence, it does not poseses the best corosion resistence, it does not have the most obvious ease of sharpening and its records on lateral strenght are still discutable since many big knifes have comparable lateral strength regardless the steel they are made from. INFI is only a good balance of all of these properties and has as a big advantage only the fact it does not chip at 59HRC if it hits hard materials. Furthermore, the designs of Busse knives are not at all the best. A proper design for a knife is half of its practical value. But Busses are heavy, most of them have a too thick tip and the overall design is good only for a few kind of cuts and for chopping. They stuck in wood when you use them for batonning and the tip of most busse knives penetrates with too much efort and difficulty soft materials such of flash covered by warmly dressing (compared to an AK-47 bayonet or to a Fallkniven knife for example).

Busses ARE NOT the best knives on the market from the practical point of view. And their value constantly increasing on the secondary market is given only by what psychologists call "The Principle of Insufficiency". Busse Combat does not produce a coherent line of knives such as companies which have discovered an optimised practical knife design do. They put on sale a particular model for a couple of months and then they change to another design and another name. People know they cannot find a particular knife for too long and they feel that knife has a very high value just because it will be more and more rarely to find after the stock finishes. Jerry Busse knows this and he concentrates only on making of newer designs to replace the existing ones and so on. Also, the words "limited edition" are very often used on the Busse Combat site. So, the value of these knives are especially given by the marketing strategy. If you don't believe me, just think about this: If a knife design is so good, ergonomic and optimised, why it is not produced again and again in "non limited at all" editions and why isn't the production growing constantly all over the world?? This should be a natural consequence of a really revolutionary good quality product: the company would extend and the production would constantly grow and that product would soon become easily available all over the world because its purchase is guaranteed by its quality. But with Busses, this natural law is not working, so, it means Busses are not so revolutionary as they seem to be and their success on the market is maintained by the principle of insuficiency.

There are much beter knives out there for any kind of works and for all-in-one or survival too, but I don't want to give examples because I don't want to make advertising. The best knife IS NOT the one which is more resistent when used for things that are not supposed to be acomplished with a knife, and the best knife IS NOT the one wich resists better when used in an inadequate way. The best knife is the one which performs the tasks (which it is intended for) in the best and optimised way possible.

Best Regards!
 
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