Basic 11, KZII and TTKZ .... marathon session!

I did a bit of work with the knife using the forward grip for delicate stuff like fuzz sticks and the blade shape works really well ....the shallow area just in front of the grip has a lot of control ....

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Even using the forward part of the blade and the tip was good ....

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Whittling off wet bark from odd shaped sticks is a good test of using the point to get into the awkward bits .... and whilst there is obviously a fair distance from the handle to the tip the control was still there and it was'nt a case of the tip feeling too "remote" .... it definately scores better at these tasks than the TTKZ .... the lighter weight helps considerably ....

Once I had whittled enough sticks to get a fire going .... I sat down and gave some thought to how it had done and prepared a brew ....

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the wood was a bit wet with the rain and the fire took a while to catch ....although the smoke served to keep the midges down .... later on as I did a bit of limbing walking down the trunk of the tree the fire really got going just burning a few of the smaller ones off ....

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Got a brew on and life is good ...:cool::thumbup:

In conclusion what I learned was that you have to have a bit of respect for the KZII when using it .... the grip needs you to have a "good grip" .... I did'nt get any deflections from the grip shifting but I did'nt use it till I was tired .... nor will I ....the TTKZ enables you to have a grip which is fairly "locked in" due to the closer figure hugging design of the handle .... this promotes confidence and you can turn on the "power" .... and I am fairly sure it will have more power than the KZII .... nothing cheats physics and it is more blade heavy and heavier all round too .... but the KZII is a lighter and more easily carried blade .... more versatile as well for the delicate work .... but when it comes to chopping go steady and carefully .... it might turn in the grip and deflect and if it did and you were "honking on the power" .... you might find your leg had become it's new sheath :eek::thumbup: So like I said .... I have to give it a bit of respect ...:cool:
 
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I wasn't too crazy of the KZII when I handled it at Blade. Sharp edges and an "odd" handle.

But if this becomes a productin knife, I might have to get one and send it to you for some mods because that's just mean looking. :eek::D
 
Nice pics.

Just reminds me of how much I hate yardwork, but doing it with a Busse makes it a little funner.
 
Well after sorting out my photobucket account due to bandwidth limits .... I can now upload some more pic's from the weekend where I decided to do a chop off against the TTKZ and the KZII.

I used the trunk of the tree I took down and tried to line up the most even section so both would have the same task ....

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I marked off two sections which had the same depth and the KZII is on the left and the TTKZ is on the right. The marks are tighter than the depth of the log ... usually it helps to go for the same width as depth as that gives you a 45 degree cut but when actually doing the cutting I widened out the marks .... the marks were mainly a guide to two areas where the depth was the same.

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I started with the TTKZ and decided to go in multiples of 10 alternating.... so I could take some pic's and to make fatigue a gradual thing for both .... anyway here is the pic of the first 10 strikes with the TTKZ ....

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Here is the 10 with the KZII ....

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Then 20 with the TTKZ ....

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20 each and it is still looking like both are "even stevens" ....

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30 with the TTKZ ...

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Then 30 each ....

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Things are still looking more or less even .... maybe a slight depth advantage to the KZII :eek: ...
 
Well doing the next 10 for the Zilla had an unusual event happen .... I got a few strokes into the next 10 and then the log snapped .... but snapped on the KZII side .... :confused::D ....

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So what do you make of it when that happens ???

I guess you could say the TTKZ and the KZII are both so close it is very hard to seperate them .... cleaning off the balance of the wood on the KZII side and the strokes needed to finish the TTKZ side were the same or there abouts ... I got to say I was so flumexed at what happened I did'nt take a detailed view of things after that ....so from recollection and going off how they felt I actually think the KZII does bite slightly deeper ... Jerry has certainly done a number on this one .... having re-ground my TTKZ which I thought was close to the grind on the KZII ...I think I will do some mic'ing of the KZII and see how the TTKZ matches up ... it still felt ever so slightly thicker to me in comparison .... which possibly makes the difference when the KZII can go deeper than the spine on follow up hits. The first 10 when they both had'nt gone too deep felt identical .... but as the cut got deeper the KZII seemed to be able to pull ahead .... but only ever so slightly ( to use that word again :D ) ... and my guess is that at the spine the TTKZ is a bit thicker and this forms more of an obstacle than a benefit ....

Anyway ... they both chop like demons :cool: Very hard to make a call on this ... but as the KZII is 5 oz lighter I am going with this one as the winner .... the new "king of the hill" :thumbup: :D

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A worthy post and admirable effort. Thanks for doing this and for the great info. And I know others have already said it, but I too like the slight mods you have made to the KZ2. :thumbup:
 
Great review, as always. :thumbup:

I find it very interesting that the new handle on the KZ2 has the upturned tail for added control, and that was the very thing that you cut off. I think the grip on my TTKZ is just fine.
 
The only thing disappointing to me with the new KZ is the new handle, it almost kills the whole knife for me. I thought the handle on the TT zilla was absolutely TOP NOTCH. I LOVED that handle, I even loved the coyote color.
 
For me Jerry and Garth are at their "genius" best on the new handles that have come out of Busse ... the BWM and the TTKZ are SO comfortable and ideal for chopping .... the KZII was probably done from an amalgam of many reports and comments .... like I said in an earlier post you can get all sorts of feed back and disseminating the wheat from the chaff is'nt easy .... for my money they just needed to have stuck with their own "instinct" on the TTKZ .... they had that grip perfect from the start .... my mods to the KZII were done to try to get the grip as close to a "Busse" style TTKZ grip as I could .... it improves the chopping performance/comfort a lot IMO .... and what Jerry/Garth have done on the profile of the new grind enables the issues with the TTKZ to fade away .... the KZII is an amazing "chopper" ....:thumbup:
 
Nyefmaker, here you go a good review on the KZ-11 from Peter as always. :thumbup:
 
Please more KZ2 photo updates! I have a deep lust for a kukri, so every little tantilizing piece you offer makes me warm and fuzzy inside. I still can't push myself to drop the dough for the KZ though. The handle seems a bit long, and the flared edge seems to be an issue? Do you think if they offer this blade in a skinny version that it would be even more ideal? Thanks for your thread so far.
 
HISknife said:
Amazing post. First in-depth user review for these knives, I think. Interesting how B-11 could keep pace with TTKZ. You just don't expect that just by looking at it.
But I'm more surprised how you found KZ2 grip to be problematic. Does it mean the grip is somehow sub-standard? I've been waiting for the day KZ2 would be offered for sale on Busse webstore, but now I'm quite bothered by what you've experienced here. Did anyone else have used their KZ2 and experienced similar discomfort? For someone who thought he found a Grail knife, this is devastating!
Click to expand...

I loved the look of the TTKZ. I was dissapointed to see the change with the KZII. That reward sweep up towards the talon hole seemed uncomfortable to me from the begining. So many other Busse choppers have a handle closer to teh TTKZ with zero issues. I think the original KZ was sexy. The new one... not so much... but... I dont care. Nothing beats my NMFBM LE :D
 
Thank you Peter for taking the time for a great review and a great discussion.

I searched and read almost everything I can find on the Killa Zilla 2 and this is by far the best thread and information on it.

Cheers
--Hugh
 
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