Becker vs. Busse

A

ahppyhkr

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May 5, 2002
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I was wondering if Becker knives are considered a good knife.. I was checking out the Becker Utility 7 and the Companion. Does anyone own one of these and if so what is your opinion of these knives...I'm looking for something to carry as a primary camping/hiking knive. I've been checking out some Busse knives but was wondering if the cost of these knives $250.00+ , is worth it compared to getting a Becker Utility $50.00 or a Companion for around $70.00.
 
Both Busses and Beckers have a great reputation around here. I own neither but I have handled both. The Becker C/U 7 is definately one of the best buys in the industry. I have yet to find a Busse that I really like, but there is a large group of people around here who love them. You may also want to check out Strider.

In my opinion (unless you are going off to war) the best ratio of "what you pay" Vs. "what you get" can be found in either the Becker line or the Camillus WW2 line. I was recently looking for a general use camp/utility knife and chose the Camillus Pilot Knife. It can be found for less than thirty bucks and is very easy to customize to exactly what you desire if you are willing to put a bit of work into it.
 
I have busse and BK&T knives and can only only help by saying that Busse knives are worth their price and BK&T knives are way underpriced for their performance. Neither blade would ever let you down. I would say get the one that feels best in your hand and you won't be dissappointed.
 
I have busse and BK&T knives and can only only help by saying that Busse knives are worth their price and BK&T knives are way underpriced for their performance.
Click to expand...

... And so are Bill Siegle's knives. Take a look, you are going to like what you see.

n2s
 
A Caterpillar D6 is an expensive way to get to the grocery store and an F-150 is good value for the money, but it ain't no Caterpillar and can not perform a bulldozer's tasks. I own Becker Knives and Busse Knives. They are birds of different feathers to say the least.

I like the C/U-7 and feel as though it is one of the best values going. The shape and dimensions lend itself to many outdoor and utility tasks. It may not be the best chopper (balanced for other things) and the handles are a tad slippery when wet (designed for comfort and some slip to avaiod blisters). The knive is a very good utility knife for the price. Camillus is a good company and will stand behind their product.

Busse knives are in a different class; make that a different world. They not only perform all expected tasks without working up a sweat, but they beg for abuse. I kid you not, there is a reason why there are so many Busse fanatics. I truly believe that a Busse knive will outperform any producton knife (probably customs as well) is hard use, abuse and pressed-to-failure testing. They are expensive and worth every penny. Jerry Busse unconditionally stands behind his products (other than intentional damage) and Busse customers are happy fans.

Hopefully I have sufficiently confused you so that you purchase one of each. That would be the best.
 
Yep, I'm now confused:), With the Busse knives I was looking at the NO vs. the Satin Jack. So now the debate is over the NO, SJ and the Becker...I was hoping to not shell out too much money but I'd rather get something that will last me a while and keep that voice inside my head from saying "I think you need to buy another knive, ohhh look thats a nice one, you don't have that one do you?":)The internet has its good things and its bad things, bad because you get to see way to many knives that are really nice...Think I need to set up a savings account especially devoted for new purchases...
 
I'll keep this simple.

Busse Satin Jack:
3/16" thick, good all-around knife

Busse Natural Outlaw:
1/4" thick, good heavy duty worker (i.e. chopping)

Becker:
I dunno, never owned one

I had a Busse Basic 9 for 3 years and did all sorts of crazy abusive things to it and could still get it razor sharp. In fact, I didn't give it any maintence for over a year of hard work. They will last a lifetime. Only recall one breaking and it was because of user modifications. The words "sharpened prybar" come to mind. YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO REPLACE THIS KNIFE. Only problem might be is you aren't comfortable with it. If that is the case you can sell it or trade it here at virtually no loss. A Natural Outlaw was just posted forsale here :)

-Jeff
 
I think you should make a list of what tasks you thing you will need a knife for.

If you will be doing a lot of salami and cheese slicing, and maybe a bit if firestick shaving, I'd probably go with a thinner Becker. If you will be doing lots of chopping and such, then a Busse will probably be looking more attractive.

If both knives fit the duties you have on your list, then I'd look at things like how much money I am willing to spend, and which knife feels better and looks better to me.

By the way, I am working on putting a handle on a Mora knife blank. The blank cost something like $9 American, and Mors Kochanski's Bushcraft book teaches you how to use a baton (wood stick found on ground) to cut through trees. No, not 12" diameter trees, but 4" trees and such are easy to get through. Plus, the 5/32" blade will make cutting thin salami slices a bit easier! I tell you this story just so that you make sure you think about your outdoor needs. I sold my LTC kukri because it sat idly for over a year, and the only time I did use it, I hacked through four half-inch branches just to use the knife.
 
Well its hard to say how much chopping I'll be doing because to be honest with you I've never had a knive that was capable of chopping. Most of the blades I have are thin blades, which are great for food prep and basic camp tasks.. The major drawback to them though is that I've always considered them too weak to use for other tasks and I would kinda like a knive that I can use cut up things like steak and cheese, but also have the ability to split wood with if needed, make a hiking stick when Im hanging out, punch through a tuna can , etc..I wouldnt mind loosing some fine slicing capabilities in order to get a knive that I can abuse...
 
3/16" LE Satin Jack..... 3/16" LE Satin Jack..... 3/16" LE Satin Jack..... You'll lose a touch of fine slicing ability in comparison to thinner bladed knives, but it will slice well. The Satin Jack positively mows through the chore of whittling a hiking stick, and can handle food prep much easier than your standard Busse chopper. Best of all, you can still beat the piss out of it, without fear of breaking it. Baton away!!! Pry away!!! Slice away!!! The 3/16” LE Satin Jack is my idea the perfect camp knife.
 
My views on the BK&T C/U-7 and Busses are in these threads.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=191387
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=191388

Bottom Line:
Get the Becker C/U-7 if price is a consideration for you. It is IMHO the best $50 mid-size fixed blade knife currently on the market. I found the Becker to be a fine cutter with an extremely comfortable handle.

Get a Busse if you want a blade for the "I dare not have this knife fail" scenarios. The higher absolute failure limits of the Busse carry a commensurately higher price tag, as you'd expect. Busses are (again IMHO) the ultimate durable knife for carry in survival or extreme situations. They're bombproof bruisers that will easily outperform the person driving them.

Either Becker or Busse blades would serve you well as a primary camping/hiking knife. Both are good "bang for the buck" blades. It just depends on how much buck you want to spend.
 
As stated above several times, Buy the Becker because it's good and affordable. Actually, buy two, because if the first one breaks, at $100, it's a great buy and still less than Busse.

Although, if you want one that'll last a lifetime and never have to be worried about or replaced because of use (only if stolen), then the Busse is an unbeatable value. I have several. I am still in the military and the Busse Steel Heart II is my first choice and is currently on my web gear for field usage.

It's a matter of need vs value. It's your decision, although I suspect that you'll end up with both eventually.

Ed
 
Ok so I decided on the Becker Utility 7 for several reasons primarily due to the price difference and also due to the fact that I liked how the knife looked as well as the many positive reviews I've seen on it. Well it arrived today and what seemed to be one of the longest days at work all seemed worth it as I opened the box... Wow, first impresions last a lifetime, and well, this knive is amazing. I wasnt so sure what to expect from it due to the fact that I payed 50 bucks for it and I have this belief that you really do pay for what you get...This knive is one heck of a knive, I cant see how you can beat it for price, looks, and uses out in the woods...Out of the box it definetely shaved with ease...Ok so now I was on a mission, I had that look in my eyes, the look that my girlfreind could see I was up to no good..Out to the shed I go, rumaging through all the outdoor gear I've accumulated over the years.. Ahhh, 2x4's, a bunch of them...So away I went, hacking through these with a sick kinda grin of my face, periodically checking the sharpness against the hairs on my arm...Still shaves.... Damm, now I got to go back out there and clean the chunks of wood from the deck...This by far is an awesome knive at an awesome price.. And its strong, I dont see how you could manage to break this thing. The arrival of this knive couldnt have been at a better time, for Im off for a 4 day backpacking trip in NY..I'll post more reviews on the overall performance of it when I get back...Ahhhh so If anyone's camped out in the hills of NY and happens to hear a constant choping late at night, its not the some crazed animal lurking about , its me having some fun constructing some camp chairs:)...See ya. Thanks for all the help guys and enjoy your weekend...
 
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