Airkat 04 Apache VS Busse Battle Mistress

[wuyeah]

Which you would spend your money.........first

Have a bit doubt about $650 for a 154CM blade.

Dwaine does have destinctive, unique design that seperate him from other maker. :thumbup:

Busse simple, clean work horse type of design is never gonna go off style. not even talk about INFI :thumbup:

Busse are being talked every where. Have not seen much talk about Airkat fixed. Anyone would like to give some words?

 

[MikeH]

I am totally unqualified to comment on the Airkat, as I have never held or used one. As far as I know, it may be the finest knife ever.

I am, however, an unabashed Busse fan, and these knives will never, ever let you down.

 

[Planterz]

Have a bit doubt about $650 for a 154CM blade.

Don't.

Just because 154CM isn't the newest ubersteel, that doesn't mean that it isn't great. Far, far more important than the actual steel is the heat treat. An improperly treated S30V blade will be extremely underwhelming compared to a properly treated 154CM blade. Also, Airkat is a small company, and S30V (and some other new, exotic steels) have rather finicky heat treatment requirements, and might require equipment that the shop doesn't have.

In any case, 154CM is still an excellent steel. People get too hung up with having the newest steel (I'm guilty myself from time to time). Think of it like an exotic car. Just because the new Porsche has 5 more horsepower than last year's model, your car isn't suddenly an underpowered piece of junk.

And to be honest, you probably wouldn't notice the difference anyway.

 

[nenofury]

Airkat has a unique design and a good sheath. Busse has no sheath. What is the price of the Busse? Is this knife going to see serious work? If so you are much better off with INFI.

 

[robertmegar]

To collect AIRKAT. I have spoken to Dwaine and he is not making fixed blades anymore (at least for now).

To use Busse. Proven performer.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

And to be honest, you probably wouldn't notice the difference anyway.

There is a huge difference in stainless steels and the non-stainless tool steels, the toughness can flexibility can be *many* to one times greater. It is very obvious in use, especially of knives of that size. It is also very obvious even in smaller knives if they are optimally ground.

Airkat has a unique design and a good sheath. Busse has no sheath.

The Busse knives have various sheath options, kydex, leather and cordura all from well respected guys, they are just not done in house.

-Cliff

 

[Planterz]

There is a huge difference in stainless steels and the non-stainless tool steels, the toughness can flexibility can be *many* to one times greater. It is very obvious in use, especially of knives of that size. It is also very obvious even in smaller knives if they are optimally ground.-Cliff

I'm refering to 154CM vs. whatever new stainless steel happens to be the best this month. Obviously there's a difference between stainless steels and carbon steels, especially in a hard-use fixed blade, but that's not what I was talking about.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

The question was Airkat vs Busse, so ATS-34 vs INFI is obviously one of the main issues. In regards to stainless steels in general, the same thing holds, there are large differences in properties from one to another, most of the high carbon ones are similar in impact toughness and strength but can vary widely in terms of wear resistance.

S90V for example isn't similar in behavior to ATS-34 in that regard at all. There is though a bit too much "fad" perspective where a few years ago a steel was excellent and promoted for use by all kinds of high speed operators and now it is suddently not usable and looked down upon, but a lot of this comes just from promotion to sell the new material.

-Cliff

 

[Walking Man]

Battle Mistress, no question for me whatsoever.
Then again, I'd take a Mistress over just about anything else.
The Airkat you mentioned is a much smaller knife. If I need a smaller knife, I would still get a Busse.

 

[wuyeah]

How much is a Brand new Busse BM?? I have seen a lot people selling recently. wondering I should go for a used or new.

Besides American Kensei, which is clear a sword not knife....Is there a bigger Knife model than BM? or 10" BM is the biggest knife in Busse line?

 

[leatherman]

So far, in the standard Busse lineup the Battle Mistress is the biggest of the bunch. As far as the biggest knife, the MOAB seems to be the king of the hill, it was a very small run, and may be a one shot deal, but worth a shot.

Carillo has some awesome sheaths with his knives, but with some imagination, and not so much more cash, you can have a battle mistress with a very similar sheath for as much as the Carillo rig. btw, I've not seen an Airkat fixed blade for 650, those things are hard to find an fetch a premium when found.