BG Hell Razor or DS8

ironwagon

ironwagon

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2015
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4,098
Good evening All,

Finally acquired 2 "grails" and looking for any and all advice/comments on which one to keep.

So to start with I have xl hands and I got to drink a whole lot of the kool aid before happening upon these 2 super knice knives which fit my hands just right! There is only a 5/8" length difference which goes to the DS8. When you align the 2 ends up they have an almost identical shape, somewhat, from the tip on back. The DS8 has the penetrator tip and is INFI, of course, and the Hell Razor is SR101. I am looking for the camping, hiking, and whatever else may come along the way knife, at least in this size category, to hang onto. I like the Res-C a lot, but the skull crusher on the Hell Razor sure is kinda sweet too.

Which one would you keep and how's come?!
:)
 
I don't think that you understand just how this forum works. We don't help you shrink your collection. Oh no, my friend, and new piglet wannabe! We are all about enabling your problem, until you are as cash poor and knife rich as the rest of us.

<insert evil laugh here>





OK, seriously. Skull crusher? Yes, looks cool. Functional? Debatable. You said the primary use will be camping and hiking. IMHO, lighter weight wins for that, plus the added comfort of Res-C under all weather conditions. That's why the Basic 8 LE lives in my hunt pack.
 
Hehehe...lol! Totally true!

Yea, couldn't remember the name of the pommel. I agree with your recommendation, but after about a dozen of the Busse, SR, and Sycko that came through my grubby paws it sure was a relief to have the HR finally fit like a glove. I guess as I am writing this and agreeing, I probably will keep the DS8... :)
 
But, I sure do like the HR as it looks like a Flak Jack on steroids! Weight isn't really a concern for me. When I go hunting I have a six shot .44 revolver on my side and I really don't notice it while hiking and tracking, except when we see bear scat and at that point my hand is close by it.
I've read a lot of the forum talk on INFI or SR101 and most of the census is that SR101 will keep a noticeable edge longer but INFI can be touched up easier. I had a SOB last fall and really liked it but it was a tad bit too small for my hands. At one point in the hunt we had followed an old hunting road and it must bot have been traveled on in quite awhile and there was a lot of limbs and small saplings along the way. They didn't last long cause that SOB chewed through them pretty quickly for being a lil guy. Afterwards the edge was still pretty sharp and I was impressed. That was my first use of INFI and I was pretty impressed. I haven't used SR101 out in the field, but I sure do like the HR too.
 
ironwagon said:
Good evening All,

Finally acquired 2 "grails" and looking for any and all advice/comments on which one to keep.

So to start with I have xl hands and I got to drink a whole lot of the kool aid before happening upon these 2 super knice knives which fit my hands just right! There is only a 5/8" length difference which goes to the DS8. When you align the 2 ends up they have an almost identical shape, somewhat, from the tip on back. The DS8 has the penetrator tip and is INFI, of course, and the Hell Razor is SR101. I am looking for the camping, hiking, and whatever else may come along the way knife, at least in this size category, to hang onto. I like the Res-C a lot, but the skull crusher on the Hell Razor sure is kinda sweet too.

Which one would you keep and how's come?!
:)
Click to expand...
I dig the one with the canvas scales alot
 
Boils down to how much you like the handles, imho.

I like penetrator tips...I wish they were a factory option on all models.

The "skull-crusher" pommel can be useful for busting open geodes, cracking nuts <the kind that grow on trees:rolleyes:>, throwing sparks off flint in a pinch if your lighter is out of butane.

Plus if you find yourself having to strike the pommel to use your blade kinda like a chisel, the direct contact with the steel will transfer more energy.

Res-C can be used to hammer and hammer upon but, as you'd expect, the Res-C does a great job of dampening a good deal of your kinetic energy you're applying.

Having said all that, ol #85, my customized Basic 8 is my go to hiking/truck blade ever since it's release:
HPnoBZk.jpg

43ievIO.jpg
 
I've only got a becker10 with scales as my outdoor knife... This is giving me boners and making me look up busse right now. Those things are pretty looking tanks. Those 1095?
 
Wannabe Rambo Guy said:
I've only got a becker10 with scales as my outdoor knife... This is giving me boners and making me look up busse right now. Those things are pretty looking tanks. Those 1095?
Click to expand...

not even close...

Google "Infi steel" and "sr101 steel" and get edgeumacated.

The closest analogues to Infi and sr101 would be A2 and 52100, repectively.

However, the soul of any blade is the heat-treat and Jerry Busse has taken his proprietary anneal, quench, and HT protocols to places no one had even imagined.

Seriously, what isn't top secret is really interesting to read about. Enjoy your journey.
 
PeteyTwoPointOne said:
not even close...

Google "Infi steel" and "sr101 steel" and get edgeumacated.

The closest analogues to Infi and sr101 would be A2 and 52100, repectively.

However, the soul of any blade is the heat-treat and Jerry Busse has taken his proprietary anneal, quench, and HT protocols to places no one had even imagined.

Seriously, what isn't top secret is really interesting to read about. Enjoy your journey.
Click to expand...
Dude, I dig it and appreciate it. I'm learning as we go, baby! Gracias, two point
 
Have both, keeping both, along with about 6 or 7 more in this general size lol.

Between the 2, DS8 wins on weight hands down where that is a concern, but I'll generally take the BG HR otherwise for looks and the fantastic handle. Mine is a stripper with tan canvas scales that basically darkened to maroon, awesomeness.

With another grail of mine, the old differentially heat-treated Chopweiler:

2020-04-03-14-31-41.jpg
 
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Man those are some nice looking sheaths! David Brown did one for the HR and it fits like a glove. Whichever one I keep it will be getting stripped. Is that Chopweiler CF? That is a quite a nice set there!
 
ironwagon said:
Man those are some nice looking sheaths! David Brown did one for the HR and it fits like a glove. Whichever one I keep it will be getting stripped. Is that Chopweiler CF? That is a quite a nice set there!
Click to expand...

Thx, got lucky and scored both of those sheaths at a discount from one of DB's misc stock sheath sales on the Exchange. Couldn't have planned it better!

The Chopweiler is just another stripper (by a previous owner,) not CF.
 
That's a really tough call, personally I've only ever had the Hell Razor to experience. I really like the looks of the Dog Soldier 8, however, enough so that I'd be hard pressed to choose the Hell Razor over it. That said, you've ended up with 2 great options. It really will come down to philosophy of use, if it's mainly camping and hiking stuff I'd rather have the lighter option with a slightly longer blade.
 
Thanks for all the advice and pics fellas!! Looks like the DS8 is staying and the HR is gonna find a new home. Bittersweet but such is a knife's life :) Have a great weekend BF brothers!
 
ironwagon said:
Thanks for all the advice and pics fellas!! Looks like the DS8 is staying and the HR is gonna find a new home. Bittersweet but such is a knife's life :) Have a great weekend BF brothers!
Click to expand...
The DS8 would have been my choice too; it has a much better handle in my opinion. :thumbsup::thumbsup:
You have a good weekend too, and stay healthy!
 
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