A few questions from a Busse novice

Wharn

Wharn

Gold Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2011
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4,061
Hey folks,

I have been lurking on here a little too long and have come to realize that I don't own a single nice fixed blade in my collection, and I'm wanting to change that. After reading posts here and reading the Busse website I have a few questions:

1) It seems Busse releases one model at a time, and once it is gone it's gone for good. I have my eye on the Boss Jack, and got the impression it won't be around much longer, should I act now?

2) I am really liking the look of the limited edition blade over the combat grade. I got the impression that INFI is rust resistant enough that I really don't need to consider getting the CG for added protection. Am I correct with this assumption? (This knife will be around salt water)

3) I want my first Busse to be a user. Do people normally buy the LEs for users?

4) I like the fact that there are so many options for customization. I have my eye on the blue/black g10. I just wanted to make sure that it looks like the one shown in the middle here: http://www.bussecombat.com/home/index.shtml

5) Any tips on a sheath? I saw someone posted the spec ops one that looked great. I almost think a knife this classy deserves a leather one though.

6) Lastly, should I back out now before I get sucked in? :)

Thanks!
 
Hello, I'm new to Busse myself but I've learned quite a few things. I just ordered a combat grade myself, my first Busse.

1. Get the BOSS Jack if it's to your liking. It is to mine - good blade length, blade height. A lot of people love and recommend it, too. I'm sure I will.
2. Not sure what you mean by CG... combat grade? convex grind? I don't see how either of those offer extra protection against rust. INFI is known to be corrosion resistant, from what I gather.
3. I see lots of LEs go into safes and marked up greatly for resale. No reason they can't be, though.
4. Another member recently started a thread asking for pics of the blue/black g10: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/875130-Boss-jack-LE-blue-black-g10-pic-request
It looks to be brighter than the one on the Busse home page.
5. I ordered the Spec Ops one myself. Personally I like Kydex sheaths that can be attached to other things, like the ESEE nylon back and pouch. Leather is nice but it can get bulky.
6. Your choice. How much of your income is disposable? :cool:
 
1.) Yes.
2.) Yes.
3.) Yes.
4.) Yes.
5.) Yes.
6.) Yes! ;):D

But seriously...
1.) Yes, once they are gone, you might be able to find one or even a few at a show, but now is when you can get it the way you want it...instead of the way you find it. (with the exception of LE's...once the run is done these will not be produced again)
2.) As for satin or double cut (bead blasted), it is very rust resistant...as long as you take care of it in an environment with salt water present. I recommend satin finish over double cut in these areas, personally. A little cleaning between uses and some oil or Flitz (ETA: Sentry Solutions 'Tuff Cloth' or 'Marine Tuff Cloth') should be all the maintenance you need.
3.) Normally? Busse and "normally" don't often collide in the same sentence 'round here... :D:D ...but some do and some don't. The LE's certainly ARE as tough and every bit the fantastic users the CG's are, though. :thumbup:
4.) G-10 varies from sheet to sheet. Although there can be no guarantee that the blue-black G-10 will look exactly like that image, I have yet to see any Busse with it that I don't like. It's one of my favorite G-10 colors Busse uses. :) BTW, that middle Combat Grade BOSS Jack (CG) in the pic looks like Tanker Grey and blue/black G-10, in case you were wondering what the combo was.
5.) If you are planning to use it a lot and around salt water, I recommend kydex over leather. You can wash out kydex, but not so much with leather. Also, any scratch or rub marks from the kydex won't really matter on a well "loved" (used) knife...and the Tanker Grey coating does tend to not show these as much as satin finished Busse's.

And 6.) Definitely run! Busse's are like Lays potato chips...ya can't have just one!!! ;) :D:D (but they really are fantastic knives!!!)
 
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1) Yes. Get it as long as you can. Everybody here expects a new offer to pop up anytime

2) Any steel can rust, even stainless. Therefore, I wouldn't use a Busse as a diving knife. But as long as it is "around" and not permanently "in" saltwater and you take minimal care of it you shouldn't face any problems - even with the LE. However, the CG coating offers additional protection against rust

3) The satin finish on the LEs allows you better cleaning of the blade. This is a major advantage if you want to process food. There is a whole bunch of people beating the crap out of their LEs. No problem at all

4) answered above

5) My first shot would be one of the sheath makers recommended on the Busse homepage or one of the guys hanging around on this forum. Chances are good that they have your model at home so you don't have to send your knife in.

6) Run, brother, run! Try to get out as long as you can :eek: :D
 
If you can afford it, I would get a Boss Jack if you think you may like it. If you do not like it you can get your money back and likely more on the secondary market.

Satin INFI will hold up to rust better than a lot of the tougher steels, but it depends on how well you care for it. If you are concerned that the knife may get neglected, go combat grade. I don't recommend doublecut... I've had it rust easily in wet conditions here and salt isn't a factor.

As for an LE user... a lot of Busse knives sit on shelves because of their value on the secondary market, but there are also a lot of us that use the crap out of them. I use my LE's, infact my CABS (which is pretty much an LE) gets used as much as any other knife I own. I will confess that I have considered picking up a second CABS to keep as a safe queen, and I have matching Boss Jack LE's ordered to have one safe queen and one user... but that's mostly because I really love the handle on the Boss knives and I want to have backups incase anything ever happens twenty years from now and they've become irreplaceable. :)
 
Thanks for the answers everyone. I've still been thinking this one over hard. I want my first Busse to be right.

http://www.bussecombat.com/knives/2bj.html

Is the handle on that one black canvas? Any preferences on canvas vs g10 for a Busse? I've had canvas on my ESEEs before but have never had a fixed blade knife in g10, only pocket knives. I'm wondering if I should go in just plain black g10.
 
Yes, #13 (in that pic) has black canvas micarta handles.

To each their own...Some prefer the canvas micarta, some like the G-10. With me, it depends on the knife...I like canvas or linen micarta on bigger blades, but don't mind G-10 on smaller ones. For the BOSS Jack, I chose black canvas on my LE user pair (#27 choil & no choil) since we had a choice. :)
 
Wharn said:
Any preferences on canvas vs g10 for a Busse? I've had canvas on my ESEEs before but have never had a fixed blade knife in g10, only pocket knives. I'm wondering if I should go in just plain black g10.
Click to expand...

I love the canvas micarta. The only reason I have G10 is ONLY for aesthetic reasons as I like the bright color.

If you like the canvas on the ESEEs then I think you will like the canvas on Busses - the G10 on the ESEEs is a little more rougher teture (which I prefer) and I'm not really a big fan of the Busse G10 at all as I dont like it when it gets wet. Canvas is also cheaper too...

If you can swing it, maybe order two BJs - micarta and G10 - and sell the one you like least on the For Sale section - you will make most of your $$$ back if not all or even a little profit if the BJs are pulled down by the time you sell...

For me most of the fun with Busse is trying out the different models and options and then discussing them with the fine folks here :)
 
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