Best choice for a hard use all purpose survival knife?

Like I said, it looks like the NMSFNO is available custom but, truth be told the lower weight,slightly smaller blade and more functionally shaped pommel of the TGLB appealed to me. I have a bunch of knives, not because I'm a collector, but because it takes a few in hand to actually sort out what you need. There is a good chance I'll switch to something else at some later date but the TGLB will do for now and, who knows, from what others say who didn't like it at first, it may grow on me and end up my go to blade.
 
There are a few of us on here who have looked hard across the whole range of Busse blades released for the best offering as a general purpose wilderness knife, survival knife, camp knife and EDC.

The thing that many of us agree upon is that a "survival" knife that is "ideal" is unlikely to be carried all the time.

Most of us try and carry a compromise knife though when we go outdoors "just in case" ... this seems to fit your idea of what you want as it is not usually a full blown Khukri or NMFBM ... of those I have looked at for this role I tend to settle on my Basic 9 or SAR8.

My reasons for these choices are the "weight to performance" capability ... both are long enough to chop down a tree if need be and to baton through the trunk ... both easily deal with fire preperation and both can be carried without feeling you are lugging around a knife that just is too heavy and cumbersome to move with.

However, from testing loads of knives from Busse ... the real truth is that many models are so close to each other on performance that if you get any knife in a given size range you are likely to be well prepared for any given tasks.

Personally though I would not pick a knife with a double choil such as the TG due to difficulties in choking up on the blade. Something you will do a lot of with just "one knife" if preparing game ... there are a lot better models than that one for a general survival knife ... you only have to do some basic thinking on this particular point to see what I mean.
 
I highly doubt that you will regret your choice. Even if you do you won't lose money on it beyond the slight depreciation of using it, ie rental cost, which may not even be a factor if you hold on to it until they are no longer offered.

The only thing you gain besides cost with the NMSFNO over the TGLB is extra weight that can instead be used to carry a smaller blade, firesteel, fishing line/hook, first aid gear or whatever else you want. Keep in mind, the top guard does not get in the way in your hand nearly as much as it does in your mind and can always be removed or modified later, but not added to other designs.
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Weight of the NMSFNO, same thickness with the length of skull crusher added to both ends and a slightly wider blade.
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Weight of the 5 oz heavier original (not Light Brigade) Team Gemini, add an ounce for G10 if the handle is not micarta.
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The Basic 9 or SAR 8 like option currently available would be the Scrapyard 911, which for the price point, I would highly recommend for anyone that plans to have a two knife large coated SR101 chopper & small satin INFI food prep combo.
 
PeterPHWS said:
There are a few of us on here who have looked hard across the whole range of Busse blades released for the best offering as a general purpose wilderness knife, survival knife, camp knife and EDC....


Personally though I would not pick a knife with a double choil such as the TG due to difficulties in choking up on the blade. Something you will do a lot of with just "one knife" if preparing game ... there are a lot better models than that one for a general survival knife ... you only have to do some basic thinking on this particular point to see what I mean.
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I appreciate your thoughts on this. You and others have obviously considered the options and after reading your post I was "almost" tempted to order a custom MNSFNO but... the added weight with little benefit stopped me. I'm curious whether you have actually held the TGLB in your hand or whether you are making assumptions based on what you are familiar with? AZTimT showed a series of pictures a few posts back where he demonstrates that concern about the upper guard is a non issue when using the front finger choil to choke up and... it does have arguable advantages in a thrust attack. Anyway, we'll see....:rolleyes:
 
I agree with PeterPHWS here!!! I am not fond of a full crossguard on any knife unless it is a true fight i.e. Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife. I don't know what your intentions are totally regarding a SURVIVAL knife, but I for one am not walking 15 to 30 miles anymore doing force marches or even recreational hiking. So for me a couple ounces, I could care less about and don't even notice it. I have not handled the TGLB but I have the TG, a knife is a knife is a knife, it's just the weight issue there. Frankly I don't care for any of the skeletonized stuff either, but that's me and MHO and I will drop that right here. There are far better knives for Combat which it sounds as if you're talking around. This topic can go round and round as does Winchester/Remington, Ford/Chevy. Keep this in mind you your intent is to possibly have to use a knife in defensive posture and the individual is covered in web gear, vest, mags etc etc you had better opt for a thinner, no choil blade. If it just a shirt, you be the judge. I prefer my .40Cal... Oh and I do have some back ground here in that I spent 15 +years US Army Sct Plt Sgt, a number of years as a Public Safety Officer and have hunted and hiked my old carcuss all over Louisiana and Texas and been here in Alaska for the last 1/4 century. What's that these kids say now-a-days, PEACE OUT!!!
 
I'd choose the NMFSNO for precisely everything except hand to hand combat over the TGLB.... but it's not on the website available for order, and the TGLB was

so tglb for me
 
RussMo said:
There are far better knives for Combat which it sounds as if you're talking around.
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I'll admit that I don't actually know exactly what I'm talking "around". I do know that I predicted 2008. Since then, if you've paid any attention at all to the financial "slight of hand" that the government been employing to make the banking system appear stable, you'd be VERY concerned. I believe that collapse is imminent and, if it's a catastrophic collapse, I will be headed into the British Columbia wilderness. What I will need from a the knife along the way I can't possibly predict but every piece of gear in my kit has to accomplish the most with the least. That's why I'm even considering a 10mm Glock instead of a good rifle (though I haven't made up my mind on that yet).

P.s. For the urban environment I have to say am partial to my easily mastered 9mm Glock with Gold Dot 124gr +p ammo. ;)
 
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BTW, the move that really convinced me this was very bad was when the US government abolished the "Mark to Market" rule and gave the banks the right to value their assets how ever they pleased. Off course, when this occurred, the banks immediately went into the black and, overnight, "magically" created the appearance of solvency. This change in regulations was widely reported and EVERYONE just turned a blind eye and pretended it was business as usual (witness the resurgence of stock market speculation).
 
taiChiFighter said:
I'll admit that I don't actually know exactly what I'm talking "around". I do know that I predicted 2008. Since then, if you've paid any attention at all to the financial "slight of hand" that the government been employing to make the banking system appear stable, you'd be VERY concerned. I believe that collapse is imminent and, if it's a catastrophic collapse, I will be headed into the British Columbia wilderness. What I will need from a the knife along the way I can't possibly predict but every piece of gear in my kit has to accomplish the most with the least. That's why I'm even considering a 10mm Glock instead of good rifle (though I haven't made up my mind on that yet).

P.s. For the urban environment I have to say am partial to my easily mastered 9mm Glock with Gold Dot 124gr +p ammo. ;)
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taiChi, Now that is how you need to look at things. If the TGLB fits that niche for you, then you got my support on that. I think I might have sounded a little gruff and I apologize if I did. We are all unsure of the future but this is not the forum for that discussion we will both get in trouble. I have to say this does make a lot of since, "gear in my kit has to accomplish the most with the least". Well said!!!
 
"Accomplish the most with the least" ...

Allowing for the terrain of British Columbia ( where you don't need a machete or at the other end of the spectrum an axe ) you will get by fine with any of the choices mentioned here. TG, NMSFNO,SAR8, BASIC 9, SARGE7 plus a few others as well ...

I like the ASM edge for field use ... it sharpens very quickly in the field ... much easier than a convex edge ... so I like the Basic 9. At 14 oz's it is a great example of "most with the least" ...

Weapons wise ... having done a lot of military service ... I like a .22 integral silenced pistol for living off the land with a low profile sound signature and I can carry a 500 rnd brick for little weight. Today's kevlar and chest mags etc mean head shots are the logical choice and it is perfect in that role at pistol ranges.

I worked as a sniper so was "prone" a great deal. For a low profile prone personal protection weapon I liked a Bennelli semi auto shotgun. No "mag" depth to worry about due to a tube mag and in a fast moving situation you could take out the legs and then the head. Worked for me ... and would be my choice again as they are light weight and the selection of ammo available enables "most for least" as another great example.

Not sure as a Survivalist you need a long range weapon ... carrying this sort of thing in a drag bag precludes easy carry of a rucksack. I would give this a miss ... and M16's etc are always going to be abundant if you get into a "contact" and live through it ... basically you can "scrounge" what you might find if you need it ...

One thing to bear in mind is to develop a good set of skills that enable you to survive off a webbing belt and pouches ... your rucksack is the first thing you need to ditch in a "contact" ... and come back for it later if all goes well ... no-one can perform well with a rucksack on their back and if you need to you can live without what you have in it ... sleeping bag and other creature comforts can be over come if you have to ... that is when a good knife and shelter and fire skills kick in ...

Hope it never happens but I would rather be "fast and light" than "dead heavy" ...
 
I don't recall seeing any Busse's in 'The Road' based on Cormac McCarthy's novel... Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall were excellent tho...but not a movie you want the kids to watch...pretty gruesome...

So, umm, I guess in a post apocalypic 'scenario', yeah, the TG would be a good choice...

But if it ever gets that far, I highly doubt you (or any of us) is going to look back and think 'Man, if I had only coughed up the extra dough for a NMSFNO everything would be just peachy..."

I'm trying to be a little more positive/optimistic in my thinking on the future.

Anyhow...

BOSS
 
PeterPHWS said:
"Accomplish the most with the least" ...

Allowing for the terrain of British Columbia ( where you don't need a machete or at the other end of the spectrum an axe ) you will get by fine with any of the choices mentioned here.
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I'm actually pairing the knife up with a Sawvivor. The idea being that I only need a blade for splitting and would only use if for chopping if the saw was out of commission.
 
got to love my Saber ground SFNO, this one I stripped after the blade finish got pretty rough. a great chopper, not to heavy, and the spec ops sheath will hold a surfire, leatherman tool and a bic lighter.
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I didn't read all of the previous posts but the Basic 10 LE should solve your worries about corrosion and cost less than the TG.

There are some TG LE models around that are not coated and would work also.
 
fbusmc said:
got to love my Saber ground SFNO, this one I stripped after the blade finish got pretty rough. a great chopper, not to heavy, and the spec ops sheath will hold a surfire, leatherman tool and a bic lighter.
SANY2736.jpg

KnobCreekApril2010006.jpg
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What's up with the muliple versions of the same knife?
 
taiChiFighter said:
Does anyone know if there are any issues with using a coated knife for food prep?
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Kowing that the knife is clean and does not have residue sap on it is the issue ... prepare food with any blade which has any dirt or sap on it and you will get the "runs" ... happens all the time in the military with guys using coated bayonets which are hard to tell if they are clean ... the old SLR bayonet was my learning curve on this ...

In the field I always use a satin finish for food prep when cooking and use boiled water to clean the blade ... doing a gralloch or skinning game and preparing it I am happy using a coated blade ... it is handling/cutting the food after it has been cooked that you need to be careful ... or using a knife on none cooked food like bread or fruit ... cooking will clear up the risk of a bit of dirt on a carcass ... but slicing meat off a cooked carcass or cutting cheese is where problems start ...

Becareful if you have a tool steel blade where people tell you to do a forced patina ... these can be as difficult to tell if the blade is clean as a coated blade ... I experimented with these and then found when cutting white cheese that the cheese was tainted by stains ... not worth the risk of a dodgy stomach in the field ... nothing is worse ...

A seperate food prep knife is the best arguement for carrying a second blade for "survival" purposes ... and the extra weight is usually very little if you make a sensible choice.
 
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