Are Busse worth the $?

wnease said:
This is a fascinating thread. I admit, as a maker, I am envious of Jerry's success. I admit that INFI is an excellent steel that I don't have access too. I admit that Jerry's design work is good, but his marketing is fantastic. The finishes.... well, they aren't good. The handles don't really feel comfortable. The edges start very far away from the user's hand, reducing leverage. They are expensive.

They are cool.

However, I like really thick blades. Not talking wimpy MOAB either. That's why I gotta have my Solid Class blades ground from 0.625" stock.

Jerry's gonna make me wish I hadn't written that. :)
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0.625"!!!:eek: Pictures or it didn't happen.:D
 
The finishes.... well, they aren't good.
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The LE fit and finish are superb.


Another fine point that hasn't been specified yet: Busse edges simply cannot be chipped. You can't really permanently damage a Busse edge. The edge of a knife is its most important component.
 
komondor said:
The LE fit and finish are superb.


Another fine point that hasn't been specified yet: Busse edges simply cannot be chipped. You can't really permanently damage a Busse edge. The edge of a knife is its most important component.
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Ok, there are some that are finished finely, just not commonly seen. I'm not trying to dis anyone...

...oh but I can chip ANYTHING
 
BlackHills said:
Exactly. When I first started looking at Busses I remember being amazed at a thread in the Swamp Rat forum where a guy broke his M6 after beating on it with a pipe wrench....and Jerry replaced it. :eek:

Just broke my M6 in half Skip to page 5 if you want to see where he admits the pipe wrench part.
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That thread was my entry point. 8 hours with a pipe wrench followed by prying. I got an M6 soon thereafter.

I wonder what ever happened to wicked1. :confused: He hasn't been on the forums for years, and at the time of that thread he was taking big risks. I hope things worked out for him.
 
Are Busse knives worth the money?

Of course not. You can tell because nobody buys them.

Not to mention the way Jerry’s company has gone bankrupt. :D
 
J.Mattson said:
So are cutco, and they’re decent at best.
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Send Cutco pictures and a story about how you pounded their smallest knife into a cinder block, and then kicked it until it broke in half, just to see how tough it was, and see if they want to replace it for you.

I'm not saying they wouldn't, but I would be shocked, to say the least:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=421583&highlight=broke+skeleton

Read that thread and then get back to me about the warranty.
 
Busses are worth every penny. There is no better hard-use knife on the market that I have ever found.

Nobody really understands Busse quality until they pick up AND USE a Busse. Nobody. I used to scoff at the prices, too, until I actually broke down and bought one. And used it.
 
Yes great steel and a fantastic warranty ... actually compared to customs and thats what you have to go to to get equal performance maybe even a bargin.. Plus some cool designs

Some favorites
Nuc HR
Knives008-1.jpg

TERROR MONKEY
Knives062.jpg
 
2 ASH-1's and 1 NMFBM, I love them and yes they are worth the money I paid for them, but they are not for everyone, 1. you should be able to afford them, 2. either you collect or you have a need for extreme toughness.

RickJ
 
Here's the thing. Even if you ignore the great performance of Busse's INFI steel, the awesome warranty, the great customer service and the fun, drunken community, you are still left with this: If you buy a Busse and decide you don't want it anymore, you can almost be guaranteed to resell your knife for as much and usually more than you spent. And that's after you've used it. That alone makes them worth the cost. There aren't a lot of knives out there that will increase in value.
 
wnease said:
Ok, there are some that are finished finely, just not commonly seen. I'm not trying to dis anyone...

...oh but I can chip ANYTHING
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I'm not offended, and you are entitled to your opinion of course. And I can respect that opinion.




But you are wrong.;)
 
they're good but perhaps not "worth the money" if you don't like the styling / design, which is quite a personal thing - I don't really like the designs but I appreciate the INFI. it is really quite stainless!

that said, you could also get a custom chopper in 5160 or 52100 in your own design at around the same price as the CGFBM, but you don't get INFI....
 
cbach8tw said:
I know this maybe starting a wildfire, so I wanted your opinions.....Are Busse knives worth the high price when you may get similar performance from knives that cost less? I am not talking really cheap knives, but good quality ones that also have a good reputatuion. I have read threads about Busse and I would like to hear from Busse or Swamprat owners who could justify it based on performance. To each their own, I know, and if they want to spend that much, so be it, but can you get similar results from other knives?
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I have never owned a Busse but for some reason have suddenly been bitten by the bug.

I've been a member here for years and have heard nothing but great things about Busse.

I agree with most comments so far; buy one if you like and if you don't like it for any reason, you shouldn't have much of an issue at all selling it for at least what you paid.

They do seem to appreciate in value, even if used. Can't say that for many other things in life.

I'm not aware of these other, less expensive knives that offer performance comparable to a Busse or, say, Strider.

I've learned that you usually get what you pay for.
 
Thanks everyone, I enjoyed reading your ideas, and it seems that if you buy a Busse and do not like it, you can successfullly resell it. And there are other factors that go along with the knife, namely warranty and community. At least we got to do some good discussion about knives. I will look more closely at the INFI steel aspect, it sounds like a good topic to explore just out of curiosity's sake. Enjoy your knives, no mater which ones you choose.
 
buy a scrap yard knife works model, and if you like it move up swamp rat or busse, if not - your only out as much money as you would be for a comparable bark river.
 
Jake Bauer said:
Sorry.. couldn't take it anymore. http://www.ratcutlery.com/warranty.htm (maybe not the better. But about the same, and like I said for way less $)

Guyon.. holy crap! That must be $100,000 worth of busses! I think you need to give me most of your Beckers to make more room for em. ;)
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the rat cutlery community seems similar, and is growing. their products and warranty also seem to be top notch. i don't have any yet, except an ontario rat 3 i purchased prior to rat cutlery making its own line.

they are certainly less expensive, but also offer limited variety. i really like the look of the rat line, but each is basically the same knife in a different size. their line will probably diversify as their company grows, and their creativity flourishes.

but i think its unfair to both to make a comparison.

granted, jerry makes often only makes one style at a time (excluding special offerings), but even that one style is available in many handle/blade color combinations. im sure there is a busse out there for nearly everyone, albiet at a premium price if it is an older model. i can understand looking at another company when this is the case. but since i owned my first, it has been very difficult to appreciate another fixed blade.

jerry's warranty has been the same for quite a few years. there are now other companies that offer similar warranties as well (or claim to). ive used the busse warranty a couple times, so can attest to its authenticity.

many of us who buy/use/collect busse knives got started when he was offering a warranty that few, if any, other makers offered, and that was part of the appeal. in many ways, jerry busse has set a standard with his business model that is difficult to emulate.
 
Jake Bauer said:
Sorry.. couldn't take it anymore. http://www.ratcutlery.com/warranty.htm (maybe not the better. But about the same, and like I said for way less $)
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Like I said, some match it, but you can't exceed it.

MORIMOTOM said:
jerry's warranty has been the same for quite a few years. there are now other companies that offer similar warranties as well (or claim to). ive used the busse warranty a couple times, so can attest to its authenticity.
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Speaking of RAT Cutlery and Himalayan Imports specifically, both have lived up to their warranty, replacing blades that broke during use, or for some just plain stupid abuse.
 
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