BA vs SJ

O

OmegaA

Joined
Feb 13, 2004
Messages
282
Hello, guys,
What in your opinion is better knife and why? If they are quite equal, when each knife works better than the other?
I have BA3 and I selected it over SJ with similar handle because I thought that BA3 has thinner blade, but as I understand now it is not the case, there are SJs with 3/16" thick blades. Also, I found that even the blade length of BA3 is ok for work, I would not complain if it was longer. Then on pictures I found BA3 more pretty than SJ, but now I am not sure (or it is the time to get another Busse? :D ).
What is your experience?
Regards,
 
Neither one is better than the other except for what you want to use them for. I think the SJ is geared a bit more towards SD work and the BA more towards field work, but both will work in either role. The BA is my favorite Busse. Just has a very handy blade shape and size that works for me. My EDC is a SHBA.

I also have a SJ but it gets very little carry time mainly because I don't have a rig yet where I can carry it concealed, comfortably. The same goes for my NO which is pretty much the same length as the SJ with a different blade shape. The SHBA just happens to be the largest thing I can carry in total comfort (concealed).

If you like thin blades, you should check out the Desert Anorexic Badger at a bit ovver 1/8" thick. Also the Natural Outlaw can be had in 3/16" (Zero Tolerance) and is REALLY a handy blade. The best of the ZT series IMO. They pop up in the Exchange from time to time, as do the others.

What are you going to use it for and how are you going to carry it? I wouldn't get rid of the BA3, but rather add another Busse. More toys to play with. LOL Have fun.

Rob
 
OmegaA,

The handle is the same size on the BA3 & SJ. One difference that you might not readily notice is the shorter choil and ricasso on the BA3, which helps reduce its overall length - while I like this, I would love to see a BA3 with an inch longer blade (keeping the smaller choil & ricasso)! :cool:

There have been a lot of blade coating variations for both the BA3 & SJ, including satin (uncoated), black, desert tan, jungle green (BA3), jungle camo (BA3) and urban camo (SJ); the different handles include black, gray, tan and snakeskin (multi-colored) - not all handle colors were available with all of the different coatings.

I agree with Rob that whether the BA3 or SJ is better depends on the use. Send me an e-mail and I will return it with a couple of comparison photos.

Gene
 
I also find that it would be really nice to have BA3's blade about 1 inch longer.

Could you explain me please, why do you think BA3 is more for field use while SJ is more for self defence? I thought that since the blade on BA3 is shorter than on SJ, SJ should be more comfortable for field use while BA3 is for carrying in a city.
Regards,
 
Sorry, guys, that I did not reply your question.
I intend to use my knife for outdoor camping and hunting. Its main use will be for food preparation, but there will be limited skinning, cutting wood and digging arrows from trees. Maybe very limited chopping (so far it looks it will never happen because saw on SAK cuts tree branches faster than my BA3 chops them). I do not intend to use it for self-defence at all. Neither I intend to carry it on myself in cities, so the concealed carrying is not an issue. Could you explain which knife you think will be better for me and why? It seems to me that blade on BA3 is a bit short, therefore I thought about SJ. But I am not sure if the blade on SJ is a bit too long for comfortable use.
Regards,
 
If you could ever find one, the Tanker-A sounds perfect. Longer than a BA and shorter than a SJ. I missed out on the offer and have been kicking myself ever since.

I would think it's the blade shape more than size here. If you look at the NO-E's vs the SJ for instance. Both have pretty much the same blade length but with different shapes and widths. The NO is a bit more curved at the tip for say skinning and the SJ a bit more pointy. Also there is a bit more belly on the NO and the BA.

It's really hard to say this one or that one. You really have to get one in the hand and see how it feels. I also know that's easier said than done, but if you get one and it's not for you resale is not a problem or a loss. 99% of the time you can resell for what you paid for it.

Rob
 
a satin jack would make a better all around camp knife and a badger would work better for all day belt carry. i think you need one of each, one for your belt and one to leave stuck in your camping table :cool:
 
What Rob said. Both for the Tanker-A sounding what you want and for kicking myself for not buying one.

Cheers,
BJB :D
 
I looked at Tank Buster and it looks like Swamp Rat Howling Rat. My fingers are not big and I like to cut by part of the blade closer to the handle, therefore I think the finger hole on the blade will make some discomfort. At least this was one of the reasons I likes BA3 more than Howling Rat. What do you think?
Regards,
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top