Busse and Bark river

Owning both, here's how I see it:

If you like traditional designs, and for the most part, traditional materials, BRKT is at t he top of the game. Not all of the designs have small handles, either. I have huge hands and the Aurora and Hudson Bay fit great (probably others, but I don't have the money to check them all out). They also have a stunning array of handle materials from mundane to exotic.

Now Busse caters to the other end of the spectrum. The pinnacle of ultramodern metallurgy and machining they are. Granted, they are aimed at the extreme-use, tactical and collector markets, not the bushcrafter. But not everyone is a bushcrafter, either. Performance-wise, Busse often gets nixed for having not so sharp knives out of the box. Many times this is true, but it's not really a geometry issue. Many of their LE designs are full convex ground. Some other designs are partial convex with a final edge bevel. However, out fo the box, they have a rough, "toothy" edge. Probably great for rescue workers that have to cut rope of seatbelts. Considering the target audience, it makes sense that they'd come optimized for that.
However, I've taken both my Hellrazors and my Battle Mistress and simply sharpened the edge on a fine stone and then polished on a wood-backed strop, keeping the original bevel geometry. Both shave hair and do bushcrafting and butchering chores as well as any of my Bark Rivers, or knives of any other manufacturer, despite the reputation as "sharpened prybars".

When comparing them, you have to remember they are marketed to entirely different audiences.
What they have in common is that neither is cheap. "Joe Sixpack" that thinks Buck, Ka-Bar and Ontario are the epitome of knifemaking will find both companies hideously expensive (I know because that's where I came from).
People who own them understand why they are the price.

BTW if you don't think Busse is worth the price, you can get 90% of the performance with the Busse-kin companies Swamp Rat (run by his wife, Jennifer) and Scrapyard (run by his sister in law, IIRC). They use modified 51200 spring steel (SR) and modified S7 (SY) tool steel, and cost 1/2-1/3 the price of Busse with the same warranty. So you can have a Busse at a lower price.
 
I've tried Busse. Very nice looking, but unusually thick grinds. The grinds were far too thick for outdoor work. The INFI steel was flat out amazing though. Unbelievably tough.

I've also had a couple of Bark rivers. Awesome knives for outdoor work. Bark River understands outdoor knives, and designs them accordingly.
 
Lycosa said:
Busse has INFI---the overall BEST performing steel.
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:thumbup:

theonew said:
... for jackhammer bits ;)
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:confused:

It has the BEST combination of ease of sharpening, edge holding and toughness. Also comes in .125 with thin edge(which many are unaware of), some have great convex edges, and many are very thick. They make one for anything you could need a knife for.
 
Buzzbait said:
I've tried Busse. Very nice looking, but unusually thick grinds. The grinds were far too thick for outdoor work. The INFI steel was flat out amazing though. Unbelievably tough.

I've also had a couple of Bark rivers. Awesome knives for outdoor work. Bark River understands outdoor knives, and designs them accordingly.
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They do come too thick for my liking, but in fairness to them, I haven't seen them that much thicker than a lot of other "outdoorsy" knives. Most knives are too thick for me and my edgepro... ;)

I thin out almost all of my knives when I get them, and find that the INFI holds up as well as most when thinned out, but lately, folks that have thinned out their Busses have gotten flamed pretty good, so I'll stop talking about it, but I keep doing it - since they're mine!

I've had really good results with INFI, what I like about it is that it's very easy to sharpen, and holds that edge when chopping for a long, long time. I have some Bark River knives in both A2 and 52100, and they have had excellent edge retention in slicing through fibrous material. I can't comment on edge retention due to pounding, because these particular knives are small skinners.

Really, both companies make a good product. You just have to understand the orientation and limitations.
 
I have a busse (Badger Atk) and I have a barkie (Bravo 1). I like them both but they are totally different styles.

Personally I have to say I like my barkie more but that is purly due to the fact that I am not a huge fan of the coatings that are used on busse. I really like the busse that have satin blades but they are out of my range for a knife to be used. So I will stick with my barkie as they suit me better. One day I will probably get a busse--personally I dont like the huge blades as i find an axe to be more useful. Secondly, I am a long distance hiker so the heavy weight can be an issue. My bravo isnt the lightest knife but its tough enough to do what I need it to do (im willing to sacrifice the extra weight for a little bit of toughness:)).

Just my 2 cents
 
I have had both (multiple times) and prefer Bark River hands down.

Ron LaBella
 
To use an analogy like some sebenza vs. strider thread: One's an American tank and the other is an American sports car. It all comes down to personal preference.

I like tanks and sports cars but can rarely afford either. :foot:
 
Thalestin said:
I am a long distance hiker so the heavy weight can be an issue. My bravo isnt the lightest knife but its tough enough to do what I need it to do (im willing to sacrifice the extra weight for a little bit of toughness:)).
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Long-distance hiker here too. I like a lot of the smaller Barkies for LD hiking (Mini Northstar is great) but I have Busse Cultellus on the way to try that role. As a non-hog, I thought Busse just meant huge tactical choppers. I didn't realize that there were smaller, affordable, satin-blade choices as well.

It is, however, tough to beat a Barkie in the woods. :thumbup:
 
tradja said:
As a non-hog, I thought Busse just meant huge tactical choppers. I didn't realize that there were smaller, affordable, satin-blade choices as well.
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You are not alone, most don't realize it since Busse is more known for there larger knives.

You should love the .125 Cultellus you have coming! One of my favorite's, very light and makes a great Bushcraft type knife. The 3.5" blade is smaller than most of the 4" bushcraft type knives, but its the perfect size for me.
 
+1 on the Cultie, and an even bigger +1 on the Boney Active Duty. Both of which are easy too find, made from very thin stock, full satin and on the lower end of the price spectrum.:D
Left to right: Cultellus, Boney Active Duty (BAD) and a Skinny Ash.:cool:
DSC_0091.jpg
 
I sprang for a NMSFNO because of all the Busse's I've seen I like the design the best and it's available now. It's pricey, but it's a keeper. You could pair it with a lot of Bark River's, but I think a Spyderco Mule Team knife in S90V is a lot better deal. YMMV ;)

 
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