- Joined
- Feb 18, 2003
- Messages
- 496
I think every knife nut has his own particular idea of what the perfect knife is. Mine is a knife for expeditions in the jungle. Why? Because that is what I like to do and it is an environment where a knife comes in handy. Probably no where in the world can one find a an environment more hostile and harder to walk through than a jungle. It is also one of the most rewarding environments because of its multiple beautiful and intriguing life forms. So, what is the best knife for the jungle. I myself believe (this is a subjective answer) that the Busse Fusion Battle Mistress platform to be the BEST. In particular I like the Combat Grade variety. It is a robust knife and is on the verge of the limit of usable weight. Because the other models in the Fusion BM platform are even heavier, they have been eliminated from our quest.
Why? Several reasons:
1) The steel is very good. It is resilient (as proved in tests). It maintains a good edge (as I myself have seen)
2) It has a great blade format. The width and length of the 10 inch Battle Mistress is very good. Not too small and not exageratingly big. For an all-purpose jungle knife it seems to me to be perfect
3) It has a great handle. The fusion (especially magnum) handle is really nice looking, durable and seems to be well affixed. The colors of the handle can be very attractive. You can get a good grip on it.
4) It feels really good in the hand. It is a well balanced knife
5) I just like it. Aesthetically, technically and for its overall design and usefullness.
On the negative side, I have only one complaint. It is too heavy for everyday jungle expeditions. One must lug around a lot of equipmant when in the forest. I myself am a photographer. If I was just going for a stroll through the forest it might be perfect in its present form. Seeing as though I am out in the jungle in a professional capacity, I feel its weight is problem when I am trying to reduce weight so as I can increase my performance level.
That said, so what then, is my perfect jungle knife? It must be a hypothetical answer because I have not, as yet, held the perfect jungle knife in my own hands. So I can only tell you what I "think" the best jungle knife is. Here we go:
Best Jungle Knife:
Reduced Thickness Combat Grade Fusion Battle Mistress with a magnum handle. Reduced to approximately 3/16 in. thickness
Cost (of whole package):
CGFBM with Magnum handles: $560 (average)
Cost of reducing it to 3/16 of an inch thickness: $250 (wild guess)
Combat sheath (I prefer Sempre Paratus): $75
Total cost: $885
I don't know how much it costs to reduce the whole knife down to 3/16 of an inch so I am just guessing. I would like to reduce the tang as well as the blade. I also don't know exactly how exactly much a Sempre Paratus sheath costs at this exact time - it is an estimate.
I am hooked on the Busse design, handles and steel. I have used my own Battle Mistress a lot and am extremely satisfied with its performance. If you are going to use one around the farm or ranch or even in the backyard, the standard format probably is perfect. I am talking about a knife for a long hard day's work in the jungle or for expeditions that last several days.
As far as the blade coating and the ridges that would get taken off when it was reduced - I don't like coatings and believe that the ridges are only cosmetic and don't add any practical performance enhancment.
Why the Sempre Paratus sheath? I think it's a great sheath for expeditions. The only thing I do is adjust the beltloop to make it more of a "high rider". The little pouch is great for carrying a sharpener, firestick, compass etc., which can come in handy in an emergency. It also is a sheath that you don't have to worry about jumping into a creek with. Leather would be a definite disadvantage when crossing a body of water can mean the difference between a quick solution or prolonged suffering.
I expect that some of the people on this forum will give in the missing price quotes to be able to come to a more precise cost.
So far, for me, Busse is the best solution in expedition knives. Unfortunately, for me to arrive at the "best knife" solution, I must make some adaptations. These thoughts are purely my own opinions and for each individual - your mileage may vary. Thanks.
Why? Several reasons:
1) The steel is very good. It is resilient (as proved in tests). It maintains a good edge (as I myself have seen)
2) It has a great blade format. The width and length of the 10 inch Battle Mistress is very good. Not too small and not exageratingly big. For an all-purpose jungle knife it seems to me to be perfect
3) It has a great handle. The fusion (especially magnum) handle is really nice looking, durable and seems to be well affixed. The colors of the handle can be very attractive. You can get a good grip on it.
4) It feels really good in the hand. It is a well balanced knife
5) I just like it. Aesthetically, technically and for its overall design and usefullness.
On the negative side, I have only one complaint. It is too heavy for everyday jungle expeditions. One must lug around a lot of equipmant when in the forest. I myself am a photographer. If I was just going for a stroll through the forest it might be perfect in its present form. Seeing as though I am out in the jungle in a professional capacity, I feel its weight is problem when I am trying to reduce weight so as I can increase my performance level.
That said, so what then, is my perfect jungle knife? It must be a hypothetical answer because I have not, as yet, held the perfect jungle knife in my own hands. So I can only tell you what I "think" the best jungle knife is. Here we go:
Best Jungle Knife:
Reduced Thickness Combat Grade Fusion Battle Mistress with a magnum handle. Reduced to approximately 3/16 in. thickness
Cost (of whole package):
CGFBM with Magnum handles: $560 (average)
Cost of reducing it to 3/16 of an inch thickness: $250 (wild guess)
Combat sheath (I prefer Sempre Paratus): $75
Total cost: $885
I don't know how much it costs to reduce the whole knife down to 3/16 of an inch so I am just guessing. I would like to reduce the tang as well as the blade. I also don't know exactly how exactly much a Sempre Paratus sheath costs at this exact time - it is an estimate.
I am hooked on the Busse design, handles and steel. I have used my own Battle Mistress a lot and am extremely satisfied with its performance. If you are going to use one around the farm or ranch or even in the backyard, the standard format probably is perfect. I am talking about a knife for a long hard day's work in the jungle or for expeditions that last several days.
As far as the blade coating and the ridges that would get taken off when it was reduced - I don't like coatings and believe that the ridges are only cosmetic and don't add any practical performance enhancment.
Why the Sempre Paratus sheath? I think it's a great sheath for expeditions. The only thing I do is adjust the beltloop to make it more of a "high rider". The little pouch is great for carrying a sharpener, firestick, compass etc., which can come in handy in an emergency. It also is a sheath that you don't have to worry about jumping into a creek with. Leather would be a definite disadvantage when crossing a body of water can mean the difference between a quick solution or prolonged suffering.
I expect that some of the people on this forum will give in the missing price quotes to be able to come to a more precise cost.
So far, for me, Busse is the best solution in expedition knives. Unfortunately, for me to arrive at the "best knife" solution, I must make some adaptations. These thoughts are purely my own opinions and for each individual - your mileage may vary. Thanks.
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