busse and kin question - sr101 vs infi

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foofie

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Sep 25, 2011
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I recently got my Ratmandu, and am really loving it - so much that I now have a Safety Mutt on the way...

My question - for six inches and under, is there much benefit to infi rather than the sr101? I don't mind coating/CG. The RMD has easily done everything I have asked. I want to buy some infi - just wondering if I should save up for one of the larger knives (NMSFNO?) rather than an SOB or something like that.

What I am trying to ask (with no offense meant to rats and dogs) is if I should save my infi dollars for the big boys? Or maybe the 1311 is enough...

Thanks for any thoughts.
 
Long story short: you can't go wrong buying a Busse. That said, I have developed a few preferences over the years.

I may have different opinions than many others, but I prefer SR101 for my smaller, coated blades. They hold an edge better for me and are just as durable in that size as I show here with a howling rat.

For small, uncoated knives that I intend to use as slicers, I like the D2 knives released by the Swamp - these have the best edge retention IMO, but I wouldn't pry with them.

INFI is my choice for larger blades that will take a beating or be used for heavy prying. I prefer that these not have coatings generally as I never have had a problem with corrosion with INFI and just love looking at the steel.

For the larger SR101 blades, I prefer that they be through-hardened rather than differentially tempered, but like them to start out coated.

I hope this helps. :thumbup:
 
Thanks. Sounds like a fair assessment.
Guess I will be saving my pennies for one of the big boys. If I keep buying Rats and Dogs, it may take me awhile.
 
Infi for anything I'll use rough. SR101 has an amazing edge retention, but, for me, it doesn't have the toughness of INFI for chopping and such.... just my two cents
 
I love and have more than my share of both. INFI is GREAT in any size but it shines past 5 or 6 inches where you have enough blade to REALLY abuse. It is also more corrosion resistant (by a loooooooooooooog way) than SR101 so if wet/corrosive environments is your place you get this benefit. In the smaller blades you are not giving much up with SR101 and it does have some benefits, cost and keen edge mostly..!!!
 
Kinda afraid to post this, but from my humble experience INFY would be better in choppers, but for smaller tasks SR101 might be as good. Most of my Busse knives are kind of fat. I do have a rat warden, and it took on a killer edge, and has retained it very well. My sniper hawk...well as I was walking by my table while cleaning up the place (the reason I clean up with a hawk in my hand is because I was getting ready for a camping trip and changed my mind on taking a hawk over a basic 11, so I was on my way to put the hawk away), I accidentally tapped my coffee cup handle with the edge of the hawk...the cup wasn't even knocked over or anything but the edge on the hawk chipped. My Basic 11 still has a good edge, and my UG came seriously sharp from the factory (my thinest INFY I think), so I know INFY can take an edge, but instead of chipping it will roll.
 
Really, for my smaller users it is great, but not necessary.

The bonus is the high corrosion resistance.

I have flexed and beat on thin smaller users and had great results, but you are not under knifed with anything Swamprat or Scrap yard puts out.
 
Thanks for all the frank remarks. I can't wait to get a big infi chopper but will console myself with my rmd in the mean time. It will be hard to resist a 911 since they are so cost effective.
 
If you don't own any infi, you should save for it, small knife or not. My first piece was actually a Scrapyard S5LE. I actually put that pretty piece of satin INFI to hard use. Even though I have come to prefer SR101 for it's wicked edge, INFI has it's place, especially if you are on a week long elk hunt where you won't have great opportunities to maintain the oxidation of your knife. Otherwise, I find SR101 tough enough for anything life can throw at me. I don't think any of my INFI has or will see the abuse that my Swamprat KDSH(SR101) has withstood.
 
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360joules said:
For the larger SR101 blades, I prefer that they be through-hardened rather than differentially tempered, but like them to start out coated.
Click to expand...

How come?

They no longer DHT blades anymore, but im just curious why you would prefer through-hardened?
 
I have owned and used an original Custom Shop Active Duty since 2003. It has pried, opened numerous cans, and dressed a lot of fish, cutting off heads and being twisted to crack through large backbones. It's edge is still pristine and it has not yet needed sharpening. It is a small slicer, yes, but I am very happy that it is INFI.

Generally, if I like a knife's design I buy it, and don't worry much about whether it's INFI or SR101.

FWIW, I consider the AD to be the best small knife to ever come out of Busse, and the Bandicoot, which replaced my AD as my primary fish knife, as #2.
 
I very much believe that Infi is best suited to the larger blades, especially the swords. In the zombie apocalypse the difference between the two steels could literally be life and death. the same is true of survival knives (generally speaking 5-11"). In this application, Infi would be the best suited overall steel to get the job done and keep you alive. For everyday uses where the difference might not be life and death, SR-101 or any other steel produced by Busse Knife Group should be about all you really would ever need.

When cost is factored in and having the absolute most durable product available is not the most important consideration, SR-101 comes out on top for me. This steel can be used for anything from small, thin slicers to massively thick monster choppers. I believe too much is made out of the lack of corrosion resistance with Satin SR-101, I can't say though regarding competition finish and DCBB. IMO, the only application where I feel it would really be a deal breaker would be when working around/in saltwater.

SR-101 takes a very fine and screaming sharp edge, but Infi shouldn't be too far behind in this category either. Another major criticism regarding SR-101 is that it is difficult to sharpen. I have not found SR-101 to be particularly difficult to sharpen, but it is definitely not easy to sharpen either. Infi, however is very easy to sharpen which is great for a survival knife as you might need to use makeshift sharpening methods.

I spoke with Dan Busse at Blade Show this year about the difference in edge retention between Infi & SR-101. He said that Infi had cut at least 2,300 pieces of 1" hemp rope in a public demo years back and this is actually the best test of edge retention that they are aware of. SR-101 has never been put through this exact test before, but from what he said the shop has seen it should be very close behind Infi. This should tell you that the difference most people will ACTUALLY experience in use, will in fact be quite small in this regard.

To be honest I very much agree with what MikeH said earlier, for me the design is often the most important consideration. The difference in the steel's performance will be quite small compared to the performance attainable through a different knife design.
 
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