foxyrick
British Pork
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2006
- Messages
- 2,254
An often asked question in many circles is, "if you could only have one..." or similar. Well, due to the vagaries of life over the last few years, I've had to gradually sell off my knives, and other stuff, to keep afloat.
Finally, with a sale earlier this evening, I'm almost down to my last three Busses; just one left to go to a new home. Having to see this one go really made me quite sad for a while, but it also brought back good memories here.
These last three will stay with me until the end because if I get to the point of needing to sell these, I think I might actually need them more than I need the money!
We'll get to which ones those three are later. First, I feel like going through my (once was) collection.
---
In the beginning, Jerry created the Battle Mistress! OK, I know it wasn't the beginning beginning, but it was my beginning. Shall I begin?
I just missed the original FBMs at the store, much to my annoyance. I would have liked to try an LE. Still, I managed to snag a snakeskin CG locally.
It soon got convexed, treated to a double D-guard, made some friends and ate its first wood. Convexing the FBM was fun; I learned that infi grinds a little differently to what I was used to. Sort of gummy, almost. Not hard to work though.
Next, I ordered a BATAC, direct from the store. The FBM would soon have one of its own kind to play with. Before that arrived though (only two weeks) I grabbed myself an unused HHFSH. What a knife!
Best friends, with the BATAC sporting a shiny convex edge, like its bigger sister. Gotta love that snakeskin:
Following closely on the BATAC's heels was an HR. The HR needed a little TLC when it arrived. The 'pristine condition, as new' HR had, I think, been used to chop hardened piano wire and had its tip rammed into an anvil. That taught me how well infi responds to being steeled. By the time I had finished with a screwdriver shaft, most of the damage was gone. A little gentle grinding and stropping and the Hell Razor lived up to its name. It's still joint sharpest of all my knives and makes arm hairs jump off screaming.
---
...and so it began. What followed over the next few years is a common story. Ganzas wearing out my F5 key, hitting the exchange every two minutes looking for, well, whatever, pestering the Boss to make more knives. We all know the story. Here are a few more that have passed through my hands:
Snakeskin Badger Attack 3, (beautiful scales on that one) and a shiny AD:
ASH-1 LE and original Culti, had a few each of those:
More Hell Razors, loved that black/tan one especially:
The ASH-1, HOG edition:
The NMSFNO:
One of the best of the best, the long-awaited SFNO-LE:
Some family photos:
---
There were more, but my photos seem to have gone AWOL. There were other makes too of course, but nothing worked for me the way a Busse knife did. I haven't used them as hard as some do, and some of the knives I've had weren't used at all, but I knew they could be. They were all users at heart.
All things come to an end though, and my collecting days had to end.
---
Why I kept what I did, and didn't
My 'one knife' is my HHFSH. As soon as I held that knife, I knew I had found the one. Everything about it just works perfectly for me: The grip of the magnum scales, versatility of the fusion handle, balance and length of blade... it's perfect. I can chop more efficiently with it that I can the longer CG-FBM and really, I can't imagine anything being a better all-rounder than the HHFSH.
Next is the ASH-1 LE. Funny that I didn't really think I would like it when I bought them. They were the only knives I have ever bought with the thought that I would sell them on after a while. The way that knife just locks into my hand makes me want to hold it for ever and the quick, light blade makes short work of things that don't need the heavy-weight HHFSH. In a way it reminds me of the Bowie knife that I grew up with as a kid; the knife that went everywhere with me.
Last (but never least) is the original HR. The slimness of it, with the standard scales, allows me to secrete it into the smallest space on my belt load or rucksack. The HR is so slicey that it almost scares me, and nothing scares me! (except being forced to watch afternoon TV movies perhaps :shudder: )
So, the ones I let go? In most cases it was simply that they would never really be used while I had the above three, except for variety. Even the LE SFNO that I let go this evening, which I would describe as one of the best knives ever made and which we pestered Jerry to make, could not displace the HHFSH as my primary user. Letting the SFNO go sort of triggered all of this. I think its new owner intends to use it, I hope so. I never did.
The only knife left to go is my last Tigerhide Cultellus, then my last three will have to hold the fort on their own. I think they will manage.
---
Do I regret any of this? Hell no! It's been an amazing ride, and I've been privileged to hold and use some fantastic tools and works of art. Wish I could have tried a few more, but such is life. Besides, who knows what tomorrow might bring...
In all seriousness, thank you Jerry (and the crew) for a whole lot of fun that I've had over the years playing with the best knives ever.
Finally, with a sale earlier this evening, I'm almost down to my last three Busses; just one left to go to a new home. Having to see this one go really made me quite sad for a while, but it also brought back good memories here.
These last three will stay with me until the end because if I get to the point of needing to sell these, I think I might actually need them more than I need the money!
We'll get to which ones those three are later. First, I feel like going through my (once was) collection.
---
In the beginning, Jerry created the Battle Mistress! OK, I know it wasn't the beginning beginning, but it was my beginning. Shall I begin?
I just missed the original FBMs at the store, much to my annoyance. I would have liked to try an LE. Still, I managed to snag a snakeskin CG locally.
It soon got convexed, treated to a double D-guard, made some friends and ate its first wood. Convexing the FBM was fun; I learned that infi grinds a little differently to what I was used to. Sort of gummy, almost. Not hard to work though.
Next, I ordered a BATAC, direct from the store. The FBM would soon have one of its own kind to play with. Before that arrived though (only two weeks) I grabbed myself an unused HHFSH. What a knife!
Best friends, with the BATAC sporting a shiny convex edge, like its bigger sister. Gotta love that snakeskin:
Following closely on the BATAC's heels was an HR. The HR needed a little TLC when it arrived. The 'pristine condition, as new' HR had, I think, been used to chop hardened piano wire and had its tip rammed into an anvil. That taught me how well infi responds to being steeled. By the time I had finished with a screwdriver shaft, most of the damage was gone. A little gentle grinding and stropping and the Hell Razor lived up to its name. It's still joint sharpest of all my knives and makes arm hairs jump off screaming.
---
...and so it began. What followed over the next few years is a common story. Ganzas wearing out my F5 key, hitting the exchange every two minutes looking for, well, whatever, pestering the Boss to make more knives. We all know the story. Here are a few more that have passed through my hands:
Snakeskin Badger Attack 3, (beautiful scales on that one) and a shiny AD:
ASH-1 LE and original Culti, had a few each of those:
More Hell Razors, loved that black/tan one especially:
The ASH-1, HOG edition:
The NMSFNO:
One of the best of the best, the long-awaited SFNO-LE:
Some family photos:
---
There were more, but my photos seem to have gone AWOL. There were other makes too of course, but nothing worked for me the way a Busse knife did. I haven't used them as hard as some do, and some of the knives I've had weren't used at all, but I knew they could be. They were all users at heart.
All things come to an end though, and my collecting days had to end.
---
Why I kept what I did, and didn't
My 'one knife' is my HHFSH. As soon as I held that knife, I knew I had found the one. Everything about it just works perfectly for me: The grip of the magnum scales, versatility of the fusion handle, balance and length of blade... it's perfect. I can chop more efficiently with it that I can the longer CG-FBM and really, I can't imagine anything being a better all-rounder than the HHFSH.
Next is the ASH-1 LE. Funny that I didn't really think I would like it when I bought them. They were the only knives I have ever bought with the thought that I would sell them on after a while. The way that knife just locks into my hand makes me want to hold it for ever and the quick, light blade makes short work of things that don't need the heavy-weight HHFSH. In a way it reminds me of the Bowie knife that I grew up with as a kid; the knife that went everywhere with me.
Last (but never least) is the original HR. The slimness of it, with the standard scales, allows me to secrete it into the smallest space on my belt load or rucksack. The HR is so slicey that it almost scares me, and nothing scares me! (except being forced to watch afternoon TV movies perhaps :shudder: )
So, the ones I let go? In most cases it was simply that they would never really be used while I had the above three, except for variety. Even the LE SFNO that I let go this evening, which I would describe as one of the best knives ever made and which we pestered Jerry to make, could not displace the HHFSH as my primary user. Letting the SFNO go sort of triggered all of this. I think its new owner intends to use it, I hope so. I never did.
The only knife left to go is my last Tigerhide Cultellus, then my last three will have to hold the fort on their own. I think they will manage.
---
Do I regret any of this? Hell no! It's been an amazing ride, and I've been privileged to hold and use some fantastic tools and works of art. Wish I could have tried a few more, but such is life. Besides, who knows what tomorrow might bring...
In all seriousness, thank you Jerry (and the crew) for a whole lot of fun that I've had over the years playing with the best knives ever.
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