Busse Active Duty & Shookum

[Barrabas]

Thought I'd share some info on my 2 favorite woods blades..look forward to your input as well.
I'm hoping to add some review notes on the Active Duty (AD) later on this evening, as you will be able to tell from the Pics there has been some re-profiling to get it where it best suits my needs. If you would like more info on the Shookum, feel free to ask and i'll post more on that, but did not want to take up to much time unless there is interest, as many others have already commented on that awesome blade, but thought some might like some additional pics comparing to other blade sizes as a reference if considering one.

Concerning Busse experience..have had a few of the kin spend some time at the casa: BATAC, Scrapyard Dogfather, Rat trap, Assault Shaker, SAR 5, and enjoyed a pass around for a Fusion Steel Heart..the AD wins hands down to me.

The AD is my current EDC.. I can carry comfortably in the Kydex in my front pocket, with little print..it is the Busse knife I have most longed to use, as thought it would be a general use blade, and thankfully..it has exceeded my expectations as have for now, forsaken the Folder as a knife that I Want to have on me if I only have one at any given time.

(If you are wondering, my palm width is roughly 3.5 inches / medium hands..AD fits like a glove.)

For starters, Here are some pics of a couple of my favorite blades side by side.

AD & SBT:

Phase 1:..just messin' around
Some feather stick work (AD prior to profile work):

Some cut comparisons between AD and SBT - note "S" stands for Shookum.. B for you know..

AD, after profile work:

Cedar

Fatwood

Hope you enjoy..

 

[Brian Sargent]

Nice knives!

Any more pics of the Skookum dangler/baldric setup?

 

[Barrabas]

Thanks Brian..Here ya go. (Gossman PSK alongside)

 

[Brian Sargent]

Cool setup. Looks like it will hook to your belt also.

I'm working on a couple of prototypes that would allow a fire steel, sharpener and tinder to be attached very similar to how you have.

Hopefully it will also combine the dangler into one piece.

 

[WILLIAM.M]

Great Knives!!!

 

[Barrabas]

Thoughts on the AD:
Finally.. ergos, killer steel, great edge retention, ease of sharpening, rock solid durability, and utility all wrapped up in an EDC fixed that I can carry in my pocket..so anytime I decide to hit the woods, I'm covered :thumbup:
Quick descrip:
Saber ground, 3inch blade, and approx 8 inches overall..Atwood did a killer job on the Kydex as well, very slim profile, that I can use a techlok on if desired.
This blade has the versatility I need in an EDC edged tool..although I love a scandi for dedicated wood work, the AD gives me more of an all-around utility that can perform relatively well on multiple mediums..which I really like when considering the "what ifs" that go along with a potential survival situation.
Like everyone who has a brain, I hope and pray it never happens..but if it does..realistically.. I may not have the opportunity to go get my BOB, or other equipment, or to a Shookum..I may not be in a purely "woods" environment..and wanted a tool on my person that would be durable enough to handle some prying and abuse if need be based on the uncertainty of what environment or obstacles may accompany the situation, but not sacrifice more than necessary cutting ability, while at the same time give me great edge retention, and finally..not present the potential failure points of what even the most robust folder, if pushed far enough, can take.
As you can tell from the Pics above, to best suit my needs/intentions in making the AD the best of both worlds between thick stock and cutting ability, I reprofiled the blade to approx 20 degrees, and subsequently the tip..but thankfully, I still have plenty of steel behind the edge...the edge retention is great..All the above wood working after the profile was finished, as well as others, still allowed a shaving edge when I was finished with the test run..with not all materials being of the Wood medium. The other thing I like about having this versus a scandi IMHO, is when cleaning animals (deer my primary thought here), this type of blade does not bog down around the edge as much as a scandi when dealing with the materials related to dressing an animal, unless you want to keep wiping it off continually. It is extremely versatile, and ergonomic in any held position.. To clarify..It's not a Shookum, but the Shookum is definitely not an AD..they both have their strengths..what gives the Busse the advantage to me as an EDC, is that among all of the other things mentioned..the greatest part is that it can stay with me, and provide a little more versatility IMO given the unkowns of environment I may be in from day to day..If I hit the woods, and know I will be doing a great deal of wood work while there..optimally the Shookum would be there too, but..the AD will do just fine, if it can't..

In short, Love this AD..truly a tribute to the design, craftsmanship and quaility of Busse, and their premier warranty associated..highly reccomend it if you are also a little disinchanted with having a folder as your primary EDC, and are looking for something to get you through until you have the option to get to more specialized tools for your given environment/needs. Take care..B

 

[mamun1024]

Great review and pics :thumbup:

 

[Bowman1911]

Great review! I'm lookin' for a 3"-ish busse when funds permit. Love the one's I already have!

 

[Barrabas]

Thanks Bowman,

I have had more blades than I can count, and pressed any I felt worthy through the gauntlet...that being said, it is so good to know that the Lord has blessed me to have the ultimate EDC in the AD..I have been, and hope to always be passionate about products that ACTUALLY deliver on the expectations presented with their persona..I wish all the folks that are considering a Busse would take the plunge..I was telling a close friend of mine at work today about how this knife (meaning Infi in general), for most applications requires nothing more than a light stropping, even after some intense use, to maintain a hairshaving status.Yesterday as an example, a woodsman/hiker/experienced camper came by my office, and I showed him the AD to ask him his opinion..he picked it up..and within a micro second had split his index finger..I thought he would need stiches..instead of freaking out, he was just simply asking if I would mind to sharpen his knives..point being..I am no expert sharpener (as do everything freehand), but with a little knowledge of sharpening, and a strops proper use..a Busse can stun you..I I hope you find what you are looking for :thumbup:

 

[sodak]

Great review, thanks! I've got an AD that I've modified and am making a sheath for that I hope to post up here soon also!

 

[hollowdweller]

I like the Active Duty. My only complaint is when I use a knife I have a tendency to use the part of the blade near the handle the most.

When I'm using the Active Duty like that I have a tendency to get the blade hung up on what I'm cutting because I end up sticking the point where the actual edge and the choil meet up into the wood if I'm not consciously trying to avoid that spot. I think the size of the blade and handle and all is great though!

Love the Skookum. I'd love to see a Boney Active Duty without the choil and with a full flat grind.

 

[Bigfattyt]

I like the Active Duty. My only complaint is when I use a knife I have a tendency to use the part of the blade near the handle the most.

When I'm using the Active Duty like that I have a tendency to get the blade hung up on what I'm cutting because I end up sticking the point where the actual edge and the choil meet up into the wood if I'm not consciously trying to avoid that spot. I think the size of the blade and handle and all is great though!

Love the Skookum. I'd love to see a Boney Active Duty without the choil and with a full flat grind.

I sure do love the Bony. I agree, that in that size knife I want no coil. My CABS is great for that. I think they ought to release another CABS with a shorter blade too.

 

[Barrabas]

I'd love to see a Boney Active Duty without the choil and with a full flat grind.

Wow..that would be an amazing blade. :thumbup:

Big Fatty, can you post a pic of the CABS next to your BAD?

 

[Bowman1911]

Thanks Bowman,

I have had more blades than I can count, and pressed any I felt worthy through the gauntlet...that being said, it is so good to know that the Lord has blessed me to have the ultimate EDC in the AD..I have been, and hope to always be passionate about products that ACTUALLY deliver on the expectations presented with their persona..I wish all the folks that are considering a Busse would take the plunge..I was telling a close friend of mine at work today about how this knife (meaning Infi in general), for most applications requires nothing more than a light stropping, even after some intense use, to maintain a hairshaving status.Yesterday as an example, a woodsman/hiker/experienced camper came by my office, and I showed him the AD to ask him his opinion..he picked it up..and within a micro second had split his index finger..I thought he would need stiches..instead of freaking out, he was just simply asking if I would mind to sharpen his knives..point being..I am no expert sharpener (as do everything freehand), but with a little knowledge of sharpening, and a strops proper use..a Busse can stun you..I I hope you find what you are looking for :thumbup:

I'm actually considerin' an AD or a BAD, however, I absolutely love the SAR handles. This bein' the reason I'm sweatin' over a MBC! Like you, until now I'd never considered a fixed blade for edc, but the MBC has me convinced I could rock it high & tight at 4 o'clock & not be uncomfortable.

 

[Mistwalker]

Thanks for the pics man. That Busse AD is one of a few Busse knives that catches my attention. May have to pick one up if I run across a good deal on one some day.

 

[Barrabas]

mistwalker..my pleasure Sir, truly mean that..hoping to put it through some more paces this weekend..and get up some more pics..after a micro bevel
Thanks all for the great feedback!

 

[Mistwalker]

mistwalker..my pleasure Sir, truly mean that..hoping to put it through some more paces this weekend..and get up some more pics..after a micro bevel
Thanks all for the great feedback!

Cool, looking forward to more use and thoughts.

 

[Barrabas]

On to Phase 2 of the testing..
Before I load the pics, thought I would throw this in as a point of clarification..
If you are in this side of the forum, it's because you like, love, or have a desire towards the outdoors in some capacity..and with all that being said..you gotta love fire.
so..if you have a deck, and don't have a hobo stove..you are soooo missin' out on some great times that will get you through until you can hit the woods, and some great ways to hone your skills until you can camp..

Been working a lot lately, and felt bad in leaving my precious wife and kids to hit the woods, but thankfully had an opportunity to hit the deck for a few and get warm by the stove..(still a little chilly at nights here in WV), so the pics to come are from my latest escapade on the deck.

As way of introduction to phase 2, barring the use of either natural or man made fire starters (ex. Fatwood, Magnesium etc), and since I am using a firesteel to get the fire going, with only the WOOD I can find/process, here are the steps I usually find most effective, and by the way, are the same steps used to get the forthcoming "hobofire" going:

1) Duff/Tinder (ultrafine scrapings that can EASILY take a spark.LMF used, btw..I'm a wuss..)
2) Wood curls (tight, thin..stressing THIN.. curls)
3) Pencil lead sticks (small as..yeah..pencil lead)
4) Pencil sized
5) Thumb sized

As has been well said by others..and have to give props to Iawoodsman for his excellent, and informative instructions on youtube for this..if you have these steps down, providing your wood is dry, a firesteel combo'd with these simple steps, will get you a sustainable fire pretty much anytime (always make sure you have double proportion in each category before you start, worst case scenario is you have extra for use later on, but if the elements are against you, more times than not, extra prep in the beginning, can save you time in the end)..btw..if you are mega anal, and want to..you can skip above mentioned #1, and go to #2..but again, you have to have very small, tight, thin (virtually transparent) DRY wood to catch a spark..have done it..but for the sake of time, I find scrapings to be easier, and much less time consuming as the initial first step..but to each their own..now I have to give the pc back to the Wife, so she can finish her movie..will be back later on with the pics..

 

[Barrabas]

Ok..now I'm back for phase 2:..

Here's a stack of initial prep work done with the AD:

Btw..forgot to take pics until I had it ready..had to take it all out..for your viewing pleasure..steps to prep are from left to right as mentioned above: duff/tinder, curls, pencil lead, pencil etc..also had started a like fire last night, and at that time batonned through a 1 inch diameter piece of seasoned oak (left over from a walking stick project) to get all prep work done..but failed to take pics,,that explains the extra scuff marks on the AD coating, which you don't have to have in the "satin" models..to me, gives extra character while I brake em' in..they'll be nekkid soon enough..

Close up view of the phases of prep:

Shot of tip versatility for splitting the pencil lead stuff..yeah,, forgot to take pics again until to pencil size..but you get the point..for the smaller sizes needed, where batonning is problematic, press the tip through the wood on a base board, and twist to break the fibers,,and push cut through..

y
Get all your "duff" in a consolidated pile, and use your firesteel to ignite..then add a generous portion of the curls you have near by, and work up through the steps of larger fuels until sustainable..it's a little more difficult to start a fire this way within the hobo stove, so did an example on a base platform of copper foil..

When came time to actually use the hobo.. I used some fatwood as a base layer, to get it ready for a lighter once migrated to the hobo stove..yeah, I'm lazy..but fat wood is soooo fun..(and smells..like erotica..man..I wish they made an aftershave that smelled like it..would wear it ery' day.)

Here's everything ready to ignite after migration to the hobostove..top wood btw..have no idea what it is..but all prep work was done using oak / base layer of the incomparable fatwood..

Kept me nice and warm, until time to head inside..thanks for watching....and btw..the AD still shaved when I was done..though the fatwood, did leave some tack..and pull a few hairs in the process...which is par for the course..it does that.

hollowdweller..with regard to your earlier post:

I have a tendency to get the blade hung up on what I'm cutting because I end up sticking the point where the actual edge and the choil meet up into the wood

I don't know if it was an intensional design, or a side benefit..but seems that point of the edge nearest the choil, makes an excellent place to create duff/tinder..used that in a combo with vertical/up/down motion on the actual bottom of the blade to get what I needed to catch a spark off the LMf..thankful to report that Infi, even under that type of use, still had a shaving edge after I got my duff .

For those of you that say a "shaving edge" does not matter..have to say I disagree..it is a gauge to me of how much further I can push the potential of an edge before a touch up is needed.

Peace to all..man, I love this blade.

P.S..Surprisingly, the guy who split his finger on the AD this week..stopped by my office to give me 2 blades to sharpen for him this weekend..sure hope I don't srew em' up..one of them is a mega sweet skinner that his Dad bought from a craftsman in Alaska while on a hunting excursion there..if our friendship makes it through this sharpening..it was meant to be..

 

[Gossman Knives]

I'm not a big fan of scandi grinds but I really like the Skookum alot.
Scott