- Joined
- Jan 21, 2000
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How about a knife COMPANY review? Couldnt think of a better place to put this.
I just received a Busse Combat Satin Jack from Wauseon, a special order that was basically a regular 3/16 thick, combat-grade SJ with the rear talon ground off for a more traditional handle shape.
I ordered the knife in July, it was promised for September, and I finally received it in late October after calling the factory a couple of times. During the time I was waiting for the knife, I was frustrated because I wanted to have it in my hands, and it seemed to take forever. But when the knife arrived, it was exactly right--set up just like I ordered, great feel and balance, with the special order work done spot-on, and a little extra penetrator tip work thrown in for free. This is a fairly standard Busse experience, which Ive seen repeated over and over again via reports from others here on the forums.
It made me think of all the customers out there who are waiting impatiently for their knives, longer than expected, as it takes the factory just a little longer than expected to make each one exactly right, but ending up with something that each owner will treasure as a piece of equipment that has no peer. I was musing about the experience, thinking back about what made me decide to order this knife to begin with, and it set me thinking about Busse knives and about knife making in general.
As we draw toward the end of Busse Combat Knife Companys tenth year in the business, it seems appropriate to offer these thoughts as something of a review of Jerry Busses direction and performance--not so much a critique, but more a tribute from someone who considers himself a tough-sell knife customer and one who loves hard-use blades. Im hoping others will share their thoughts.
The first thing that comes to my mind is that knives and knife making are, by nature, a product and a business of compromise. Strength vs. toughness. Hardness vs. ductility. Rust resistance vs. performance. Thin blades and edges cut best. Thick blades and edges are stronger, more durable. Short blades offer control and precision. Long, pointed blades offer greater piercing ability. Long, wide blades offer greater chopping power. Balance can make a knife want to stay in the hand or to fall out of it, can make for a quicker blade if blade-light or a more momentum-generating, powerful one if blade-heavy. A knife handle that feels supremely comfortable in the hand in one working position may feel awkward in another. And then come the compromises in manufacturing. Price vs. performance. Quantity vs. quality. In thinking through these compromises and the position Jerry Busse has taken on each of them, Im struck with head-shaking wonder that one man has pushed the envelope so far in so many directions in such a short period of time. Ten years.
Ten years ago, Busse was making knives of D2, ATS34, and then, more voluminously, of A2 steel. Then Jerry actually went out and invented a knife steel--INFI. A steel that has arguably the best combination of toughness, strength, edge holding and corrosion resistance of any hard-use blade material in history. To try and imagine the hours and days and weeks and months of researching, interviewing metallurgists and blade makers and steel manufacturers--then putting all that information together and developing a process with a manufacturer, to actually produce an original steel for his own knives, is mind boggling. And then came the research and work to develop a tempering regimen that takes over 50 hours to complete, to get the absolute best performance he can out of every INFI blade.
Over these ten years, Jerry has experimented with many different blade shapes and sizes, but all of them have two things in commonthey all will cut very efficiently, and they all will stand up to the worst abuse imaginable (hold on, Cliff
). His trademark broad, flat-ground blades are a wonderful foundation on which to experiment with all kinds of edge grinds. His own asymmetrical grind is innovation at its best, a wonder of simplicity, efficiency and strength, with its smooth convex cutting action on one side of the bevel and a minimum of cutting resistance on the other, flat side. He has experimented with serrations, multiple ground swedges, penetrator point grinds and special hollow-ground points, choils to make big blades more controllable for the finer cutting tasks, polished blades, smooth coatings, crinkle coatings, and a variety of eyelets placed strategically for lashing and attaching safety lanyards and D guards.
His handles have been through the design process so many times it would be hard to imagine a texture he hasnt applied to micarta or a pommel/pinkie hook combination he hasnt tried. Screws, bolts, rivets, flared-tube handle fasteners. Straight-handles with talons for security and e-handles curved to fit the human hand, cord wraps, proprietary Resiprene rubber grips--name it, hes tried it. And then the sheaths. Leather, kydex, kydex with cordura, snaps, pouches, lashings. Innovation and more.
I look back through this litany of developments, and realize I havent even scratched the surface of what Jerry Busse has thought through--and made better--in a knife. A couple of things keep coming back at me. The first is that, essentially, were talking about just one man and just 10 years. Thats a relentless pace for one man to keep--a driven pace. The second aspect of all the developments mentioned above is that all of them have been offered and tested under one very rigid ultimatum: Every Busse knife that leaves the shop in Wauseon, no matter in whose hands it ends up, in what far corner of the world or beyond, in what outrageous circumstance of survival, work, or hard play--every knife--is unconditionally guaranteed against failure. Period.
When you re-read the list of his developments in light of this one overriding commandment, it hits you.
Jerry Busse is a brilliant, tireless, relentless, driven visionary, who passionately hates compromise in all its forms. And he just as passionately loves to make great knives. For a man who hates compromise with such vehemence, and is faced every day with making a product that is so obviously a product of compromise itself, his calling must be the sweetest of agonies.
Of late he has completely re-invented the vision once again, by shaping an operation to address price-point and manufacturing process compromises. He has successfully launched a new line of Swamp Rat knives, under the direction of Jennifer Busse, his wife and right hand. These knives feature conventional select steel, but with an exhaustive heat treat combined with differential zone tempering to give uncompromising performance--all for under $200 a blade!
And he still wants to market a Busse folder--a FOLDER from this man who hates compromise with a vengeance. No wonder hes been musing publicly about the project for three years, without being able to commit to the final design. Who knows how long the battle has been brewing in that brain of his (did someone say brew)? To make an indestructible, fixed-blade knife is admittedly impossiblewell, most would admit that, wouldnt they (quiet, Cliff)? To strive to make an indestructible folder is insane...or perhaps only genius?
To such a man, in reverence of such remarkable achievement, what can one say except, Happy Anniversary, Jerry. May you (and we) enjoy many, many more.
-Will
I just received a Busse Combat Satin Jack from Wauseon, a special order that was basically a regular 3/16 thick, combat-grade SJ with the rear talon ground off for a more traditional handle shape.
I ordered the knife in July, it was promised for September, and I finally received it in late October after calling the factory a couple of times. During the time I was waiting for the knife, I was frustrated because I wanted to have it in my hands, and it seemed to take forever. But when the knife arrived, it was exactly right--set up just like I ordered, great feel and balance, with the special order work done spot-on, and a little extra penetrator tip work thrown in for free. This is a fairly standard Busse experience, which Ive seen repeated over and over again via reports from others here on the forums.
It made me think of all the customers out there who are waiting impatiently for their knives, longer than expected, as it takes the factory just a little longer than expected to make each one exactly right, but ending up with something that each owner will treasure as a piece of equipment that has no peer. I was musing about the experience, thinking back about what made me decide to order this knife to begin with, and it set me thinking about Busse knives and about knife making in general.
As we draw toward the end of Busse Combat Knife Companys tenth year in the business, it seems appropriate to offer these thoughts as something of a review of Jerry Busses direction and performance--not so much a critique, but more a tribute from someone who considers himself a tough-sell knife customer and one who loves hard-use blades. Im hoping others will share their thoughts.
The first thing that comes to my mind is that knives and knife making are, by nature, a product and a business of compromise. Strength vs. toughness. Hardness vs. ductility. Rust resistance vs. performance. Thin blades and edges cut best. Thick blades and edges are stronger, more durable. Short blades offer control and precision. Long, pointed blades offer greater piercing ability. Long, wide blades offer greater chopping power. Balance can make a knife want to stay in the hand or to fall out of it, can make for a quicker blade if blade-light or a more momentum-generating, powerful one if blade-heavy. A knife handle that feels supremely comfortable in the hand in one working position may feel awkward in another. And then come the compromises in manufacturing. Price vs. performance. Quantity vs. quality. In thinking through these compromises and the position Jerry Busse has taken on each of them, Im struck with head-shaking wonder that one man has pushed the envelope so far in so many directions in such a short period of time. Ten years.
Ten years ago, Busse was making knives of D2, ATS34, and then, more voluminously, of A2 steel. Then Jerry actually went out and invented a knife steel--INFI. A steel that has arguably the best combination of toughness, strength, edge holding and corrosion resistance of any hard-use blade material in history. To try and imagine the hours and days and weeks and months of researching, interviewing metallurgists and blade makers and steel manufacturers--then putting all that information together and developing a process with a manufacturer, to actually produce an original steel for his own knives, is mind boggling. And then came the research and work to develop a tempering regimen that takes over 50 hours to complete, to get the absolute best performance he can out of every INFI blade.
Over these ten years, Jerry has experimented with many different blade shapes and sizes, but all of them have two things in commonthey all will cut very efficiently, and they all will stand up to the worst abuse imaginable (hold on, Cliff
). His trademark broad, flat-ground blades are a wonderful foundation on which to experiment with all kinds of edge grinds. His own asymmetrical grind is innovation at its best, a wonder of simplicity, efficiency and strength, with its smooth convex cutting action on one side of the bevel and a minimum of cutting resistance on the other, flat side. He has experimented with serrations, multiple ground swedges, penetrator point grinds and special hollow-ground points, choils to make big blades more controllable for the finer cutting tasks, polished blades, smooth coatings, crinkle coatings, and a variety of eyelets placed strategically for lashing and attaching safety lanyards and D guards. His handles have been through the design process so many times it would be hard to imagine a texture he hasnt applied to micarta or a pommel/pinkie hook combination he hasnt tried. Screws, bolts, rivets, flared-tube handle fasteners. Straight-handles with talons for security and e-handles curved to fit the human hand, cord wraps, proprietary Resiprene rubber grips--name it, hes tried it. And then the sheaths. Leather, kydex, kydex with cordura, snaps, pouches, lashings. Innovation and more.
I look back through this litany of developments, and realize I havent even scratched the surface of what Jerry Busse has thought through--and made better--in a knife. A couple of things keep coming back at me. The first is that, essentially, were talking about just one man and just 10 years. Thats a relentless pace for one man to keep--a driven pace. The second aspect of all the developments mentioned above is that all of them have been offered and tested under one very rigid ultimatum: Every Busse knife that leaves the shop in Wauseon, no matter in whose hands it ends up, in what far corner of the world or beyond, in what outrageous circumstance of survival, work, or hard play--every knife--is unconditionally guaranteed against failure. Period.
When you re-read the list of his developments in light of this one overriding commandment, it hits you.
Jerry Busse is a brilliant, tireless, relentless, driven visionary, who passionately hates compromise in all its forms. And he just as passionately loves to make great knives. For a man who hates compromise with such vehemence, and is faced every day with making a product that is so obviously a product of compromise itself, his calling must be the sweetest of agonies.
Of late he has completely re-invented the vision once again, by shaping an operation to address price-point and manufacturing process compromises. He has successfully launched a new line of Swamp Rat knives, under the direction of Jennifer Busse, his wife and right hand. These knives feature conventional select steel, but with an exhaustive heat treat combined with differential zone tempering to give uncompromising performance--all for under $200 a blade!
And he still wants to market a Busse folder--a FOLDER from this man who hates compromise with a vengeance. No wonder hes been musing publicly about the project for three years, without being able to commit to the final design. Who knows how long the battle has been brewing in that brain of his (did someone say brew)? To make an indestructible, fixed-blade knife is admittedly impossiblewell, most would admit that, wouldnt they (quiet, Cliff
)? To strive to make an indestructible folder is insane...or perhaps only genius?To such a man, in reverence of such remarkable achievement, what can one say except, Happy Anniversary, Jerry. May you (and we) enjoy many, many more.
-Will
)
