Battle Mistress and more

[Eric Cain]

I am only 13 but I know(almost ) all the contents of most steels.
and I can see a movie that shows a knife for a brief second and I can tell you the brand ,make, model ,steel ,price, Etc. Do people think that us kids know nothing of knives ? My collection is probably not as grand as any of yours (after all ,buying customs with only allowence bites .) I will address the Battle mistress in 1 second .
I have some 4-5 knives in the 70 $ price range and about 6 benchmades i.e : Stryker,AFCK in M2 , Nimravus etc. So any way just because i am young don't think that I know nothing of knives . Any way about the battle mistress I have been thinking about getting one (combat grade)(yes I know it is alot)
where can i get one the cheapest [ websites , catalogs etc.]

P.S I went to bussecombat .com and they only have three models of knives why is that ?

 

[Sid Post]

Eric,

Younger members such as yourself, can have a lot of book knowledge. Even a lot of adults have only "book knowledge". Whether this is good or bad depends on your point of view. Time and experience will teach us all so many things that aren't covered in the specs so, please keep that in mind when you read someone's opinion. They have that opinion for a reason. As experience grows, tastes tend to change as well since, what you read in a magazine article sometimes does not prove valid in the field when you actually use it.

As to being on a limited budget. There are many fine knives that cost less then what many are willing to pay for customs. If your needs are met by a factory knife, then buy it and enjoy. Making an informed choice is more important in most cases to getting a good knife then just spending a lot of money. A high dollar custom that doesn't fit your needs is a poor choice, while a cheaper Wal-Mart special may fit your needs better even though it doesn't have the latest super steel and fancy sheath.

For the Battle Mistress, the only way to get a new one is from Busse Combat. I am not aware of any dealers for their custom line. You might get lucky someday and find one for sale "used" but, a hot item like that probably won't hang around long and probably won't go real cheap either. Good Luck on your quest for the Battle Mistress, we have all had a quest such as yours as children/young adults - sometimes we wanted a bicycle, a camera, a horse .... in the end the quest is similiar.

Sid

[This message has been edited by Sid Post (edited 08 June 1999).]

 

[RUDY]

Hello Eric, I am a kid as well. I am however a few years older at 16. As for people underestimating kids it may have happened to you but I asure you it will not happen here. Everybody is extremely friendly and helpful. They have all been more than happy to answer my sometimes stupid questions and no one has ever assumed my lack of knowledge on a subject although they often ought too.

AS for purchasing knives on an allowance I know it is hard. I myself do have a Battle Mistress though. It is a great knife. There is only one dealer of their knives that I know of and that is Shomer-Tec but their prices are about 50 dollars more and they often don't have Busse's in stock as they are in such high demand. The best bet is to get one from Busse himself and wait the 6 months or so.

Another possibility is to get one of their new production knives. They are not handmade but as a result are more abundant. They contain a modified INFI which still has great performance--only slightly below that of the INFI used in the BM. They have a very strong and chemical resistant rubber handle. They are supposed to be available this month.

thanks and take care
collin

 

[Corduroy]

It's good to see that you're never too young to be bitten by the "knife bug!"

Eric,
I think you'll find that folks here are judged by the merit of what they say, not by their age or their asserted credentials. That said, however, you'll find that there are some real masters of their craft on this forum, and when they speak we can all learn something by listening. In a recent thread I found myself posting alongside RJ Martin, Darrel Ralph, and George Tichbourne - time to back out and learn from the big boys!

That's what makes this forum such a phenomenal resource: we have makers, dealers, and company heads with countless years of experience to draw from! As long as you are polite and know when to speak and when to listen (yeah, I'm still working on that) I think you'll be treated with respect.

In regards to your question, I think that Busse Combat Knives is the best place to get a Busse knife - everyone else is just buying from them and marking up. They are one of the growing number of "semi-production" companies and so their line is small and their distribution is largely through direct sales. Personally I'd rather go for the lower cost of a true production piece or the personal touch of a knife made by one individual with their own hands, but Busse knives have one of the best performance reputations out there, so do as you please.

Just as a side-note, have you ever considered knifemaking yourself? I only began working on knives when I was 19, and I have always wished I could have gotten started sooner, before the demands of "real life" began to impinge upon my time. Not only do you have the same ability to learn about knives as older folks, but you have the same (if not greater) ability to learn how to use your hands and your eyes to craft something yourself. If you have a parent or other adult who could teach you shop safety and keep an eye on your work, you could actually start a rudimentary knife shop for less money than a Battle Mistress (I started working on handles with a scroll saw / disc sander and a Dremel tool in my college dorm room)! You'd certainly be quite a few steps ahead of many knifemakers by the time you were out of your teens!

Just an idea. Good luck in whatever you pursue.

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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)

 

[tknife]

Eric, I started really getting into knives when I was about your age, but had no where near the cool knives you now have. And I was just able to get a Mistress for myself and I am 27! If you decides to order one, it's definitely worth the wait! And welcome to a lifelong-lifeconsuming hobby

 

[Eric Cain]

Thank you for your information and I apologise if I sounded rude when I was complaining about age discrimination . To further clear things up I was reffering to people at knifeshows being "agists" (if that is a real word ) but I would like to say that all the members , administrators etc. on this forum are very polite and I would personally like to thank all of you for your kindness .

P.S. Yes corduroy i have thought of making knives but I have no experience coupled with a sometimes short attention span .


P.S.P.S Where can I get a look at the whole Busse Line of knives ?

 

[Ryan Meyering]

Eric,

This is my first attempt at a hpyerlink; if it doesn't work, just copy and paste the URL's. Keep in mind that the website's pretty outdated, including the prices. I ordered a Battle Mistress a couple of weeks ago and the price was about $350, not $297 as it says on the website.

I remember seeing some more pictures of the Battle Mistress and Steelheart II on Bladeforums a little while ago; you can probably run a search on Battle Mistress and/or Steelheart and find them.

Busse's website:

<url>http://www.bussecombat.com/</url>

Review and pictures of Battle Mistress by Ron Hood:

<url>http://www.survival.com/mistress.htm</url>

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For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23



[This message has been edited by Ryan Meyering (edited 09 June 1999).]

 

[Frantium]

Welcome Eric,

As Rudy pointed out, age discrimination won't happen here. Intellectual discussions (well sometimes not

)are the main menu, so feel free to say whatever is on your mind.

Actually you remind me of myself when I was very young. Yes, being a young knife nut is sometimes difficult. I remember I used to do extra jobs so that I could buy more knives. Older people asked questions about money spent on knives, etc. Sigh... those times...

Take care,

Reynaert

 

[Mike Turber]

I just built a new web site tonight with Busse knives in it so you can see the full Basic Line.

It is not complete but check back to it for more info soon.
http://www.busseknives.com

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Best Regards,
Mike Turber
BladeForums Site Owner and Administrator
Do it! Do it right! Do it right NOW!
www.wowinc.com

 

[Snickersnee]

It doesn't take much to get started in bladesmithing. I was pretty much born with a knife in my hand, and started making my own at 13.

Here's what I had to work with;

1 ancient grinder

1 antedilluvian electric drill

1 Pre-Adamite hacksaw

Notebook paper, ruler and glue for making patterns

some low carbon hot rolled steel bought at the local Scotty's

Now, I wasn't able to actualy temper these early blades, there wasn't enough carbon in the steel. But I did learn a lot about how to shape the steel and attach handles and such, valuable learning.

A while later when I dropped out of 8th grade, I went to a tradeschool where I learned metalwork, and could make blades that could be tempered.(by the way, STAY IN SCHOOL! A GED is NOT the same thing as a diploma in practice)

I plan to start making knives for sale next year. Specificaly, the fighting megafolders of 19th century Europe. I doubt I'll make any money doing it, it's kinda a niche market, but I'll provide quality knives to people who will have no other source for them, and it'll largely be do to having gotten an early start in metalwork/bladesmithing. Oh yeah, and I STILL have a short attention span.

As to age discrimination;

If some old fogey tries to laugh you off because you're young and doesn't want to bother to hear you out, or doesn't even care to share what he knows, just drop your Uncle Snickersnee a line and I'll straighten'em out.

Seriously, while the "experience" thing is a valid issue, most people go through life with blinders on. Age does NOT equal experience. It's just that old people have had more time to consider opening their eyes, or removing their heads from their sphincters. I hear all this rehtoric, especialy now that all these school shootings are going down, that the "problem with kids today is that they don't have proper guidance from adults. No respect for their elders".

Well heck! With all the old hands mocking the young upstarts and alienating them by telling them they know nothing and have nothing to contribute, is it any wonder they don't form a bond with their elders? It's the older generation that makes the younger what it is. Is it really so hard to swallow your pride and take a kid under your wing?

The fact is, boys, and increasingly girls, are attracted to cool stuff like martial arts, guns and knives, fishing and hunting, camping and survivalism. That's a prime oppurtunity for some of that good ol'fashioned mentoring. Doesn't matter if it's on some forum or face to face.

This forum is pretty good about that from what I've seen, but a lot aren't. Before I found BladeForums, I was checking out the stuff on DejaNews, and I gotta say most of those newsgroups were pretty elitist. I can be a real jerk at times, no, no, it's true, but it's not helping ANYBODY to chase off the young guys, the ones who'll take over when we're gone.

In short, if you're young and have a question, ASK IT. If you're young and have an answer, POST IT. If you're old and have a problem, meet me down by the railroad track.

(Disclaimer: Snickersnee is prone to exagerate and step out of line from time to time. He DOES NOT in actuality condone violence as the answer to all social ills. Uh, Enough is Enough, Stop the Violence or something...

)

 

[Dan K]

Eric,
Sometimes people at knife shows get a little short tempered, 'cuz they have no end of people attempting to rip'em off. Another point (I don't know where you live) might be that they are trying to avoid litagation problems. Here in Minnesota, no matter if I liked you and knew you well, I couldn't legaly sell you the knife that you desired.
Things were a lot different when I was your age. I've been waiting decades to say that!
Happy Trails, and welcome.
Dan

 

[AndrewT]

Just got my BM today from Pete's Tactical, aside from the change in the grip design, the tip of the knife also changed. I'll post some picts once I have my digi camera in.

Andy

 

[tknife]

I'm really interested in that new tip design, as mine is an older model. Love to see the pic.

 

[edenver]

Eric,
Don't sweat it... When I was your age I didn't have your collection. Oops! I'm 28 and as I look around I probably still don't. Darn...

Erik