B8 insight??

Flatsman007

Flatsman007

Gold Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2010
Messages
2,683
Please share your thoughts on a B8 for all around woods and camp chores. I have had several B11's and loved them they are just too long for practical carry for my use. I also had a B10 LE choices and thought it was the one but never fell in love with it. Then there is the Battle Rat. Probably my fav all arounder if I had to pick one. I have had several of them and loved my first one with tan handle and stripped blade the most. Not pretty but a beast. Also have had the NMSFNO and it was wicked. I think about getting another. Had a SFNO LE and also just never fell I love. Not that they were not all great, I am just looking for another perspective. Also the CGFBM was sorry I ever let her go. I the upcoming Ganga I want to get one or the other. Thoughts please........ Thanks.
 
Hmm... with everything you just mentioned to consider... I would suggest one of the B8LE's that are priced very nicely on the exchange, especially if you want satin for food prep, factory convex edge that works great and if you get real lucky, a tan handle. The cg's are coated, v-edge and not that much cheaper after shipping. There's a little thread about them too. ;)
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Mmm, love that factory guaranteed satiny convex edge goodness!
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Yes....I have used my LE just a wee bit to see if its the ONE and its a keeper for sure. I was wavering on getting a B8 since I have a B10 but now the B8 is going to move to the front of the line.
 
Busto said:
Yes....I have used my LE just a wee bit to see if its the ONE and its a keeper for sure. I was wavering on getting a B8 since I have a B10 but now the B8 is going to move to the front of the line.
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Thank you sir! Your insight is helpful.
 
The B8 handles great for its size.
Scales are great & fit my large hands well.
The LE's are a great buy.
 
I agree, the 8LE is a great carry knife for extended trips. The factory convex is perfect. You can't go wrong with it.
 
Anymore input on the B8? I have seen a few short reviews on the LE in the B8 thread but nothing to in depth. Are there any specific reviews on the CGB8? I currently have a TGLB on order through the busse site but now that the B8 is being offered I think it might be better for me to go for that in the ganza. I have a rodent 9 that is awesome but I wanted to try something a little smaller with INFI. Would there be that much of a difference in performance between the CGB8 and the LE for general woods bumming tasks due to the different edge and coating? I was going to start a thread but Flatsman007 beat me to it so I hope it is alright if I added here.
 
Factory edge convex vs V, yes you will see a big difference, but there is nothing keeping you from improving your V edge as long as it was not overdone to cause failure.

Coating holds more dirt, is slightly harder to clean and creates more drag when splitting.

That's about it difference wise, you really can't go wrong either way Hog B8's are great...

...companions for a B13!
 
Was hiking the North Cascades in Washington State this morning near the Canadian border and ran into some overgrown segments of trail that I would ordinarily want a longer blade to clean up—a B11 or machete. All I had with me was the B8, and I had been looking for an excuse to give it a workout. As it turned out, the B8 was all I needed. Light swings with just a wrist snap took care of the little stuff, and two strokes like that would clip off 1”+ dia saplings with minimal effort. The balance is just superb, and the Res-C grip feels like an extension of my hand. I can tell chores like limbing out poles to make shelter would be child’s play with this knife. Plus, it’s so light on my belt that I honestly don’t think I notice it any more than I would a Basic 7 or even a B5. See page 264 of the Basic 8 thread for pics.

Edited to say: My B8 has been modified to my specs by Garth, but I would not expect performance to vary much for this kind of task.
 
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I have to say that the B8 has filled the niche as my main workhorse. If I were still in SAR this would be my knife for that purpose. It's light and large and capable for anything that I'd want. I admit to having been very skeptical once they started shipping as I didn't think that the 0.20" thick blade with full flat would give me much confidence. While I still would like to give a full convex blade in this thickness a try, I have grown very fond of this knife as a do everything blade.

For a small hike where I don't anticipate continuous, heavy use, I like the basic 7 for a slightly more compact size.
For working at the wood pile, I really like the basic 9.
For a camping trip, hunting or other purposeful trip into the woods, the basic 8 has earned top spot for me.

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360joules said:
I admit to having been very skeptical once they started shipping as I didn't think that the 0.20" thick blade with full flat would give me much confidence. While I still would like to give a full convex blade in this thickness a try, I have grown very fond of this knife as a do everything blade.
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I'd say you've got yourself a full convex there in the Basic 8, I can assure you of this. Please stop with the full flat nonsense guys….. full convex can be so close to being flat that the eye cannot even perceive the curvature. This is one of those instances, trust me.

Just as the TGLB are ground with a hollow curvature that is essentially that of a 42" circle, I'd wager the Basic 8 is right around that large of a diameter. Putting a straight edge against the blade to check for flat/curved surface will tell you little as to whether it's truly flat when you are dealing with this large of a curvature, IMO.
 
If I concede to the semantic argument and call my B8LE a full convex blade, it does not magically give me what I am hoping for in a knife.

I want to be able to know by my own use and perception that I have a full convex knife and not take it on faith. I want the added heft and strength that comes with a deliberately full convex blade. I do not want a knife that is only full convex through an electron microscope and has no functional difference over a full flat.
 
I'm still waiting for the rest of the differences between the Basic 8 LE and CG
 
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