- Joined
- Oct 14, 1998
- Messages
- 109
Hey all,
I just received the Busse Basic #7 from Mike and Spark yesterday. It came w/o a sheath (?!) and was clearly used for some pretty hard testing as the finish was worn in several places, and the spine was used to strike something fairly solid.
I haven't had time to test it yet, but I did sharpen in (it arrived pretty dull after all that testing.)
Here are my initial impressions:
1. It's a handsome knife, clearly designed for chopping. The belly is not nearly as gradual as the MD ATAK; the blade resembles the shape of a short machete. The blade is about .5" longer than an ATAK, and is considerably tip heavy (a good thing in a chopper.) There is no positive included angle and the Basic is clearly not designed to be a stabber, but given its weight, I can see why it fared so well in Mike's chopping tests.
2. The handle is comfortable, and the material gives much more than the composite used in Mad Dog handles. It is grippier, but I predict many blisters under heavy use w/o a glove. The handle shape is very functional, with good retention. The lanyard hole is a nice touch.
3. Sharpening was a chore. Spark and Mike did not include sharpening instructions, so I just duplicated the edge dimensions on the knife. The offset bevel is a little tricky, but the knife took a keen edge once I got the hang of it. Modified INFI ain't easy to sharpen. It was difficult to get a sharp, high polish edge that cut as well as a less polished one, so I finished off with 600 grit stone instead of the 4000 grit I usually end with. The knife simply performed better with the 600 grit polish.
4. Finish. The Busse came with a baked on black epoxy finish that is quite durable as far as finishes of this type go. It's fairly thick and robust and only showed wear at spots where there was very heavy abrasion. Some spots showed some slightly uneven application and bubbling, but nothing to be concerned about for a knife in this medium price range. The epoxy finish can be subject to capillary action at the edge, just as the MD hard chrome, possibly even moreso as the molecular gaps between the epoxy and substrate are likely greater than that of hard chrome and substrate. I am no expert on this, so correct me if I am wrong. Nothing a quick rinse in freshwater and wipedown with TufCloth can't prevent.
Overall, I'm pretty impressed with the knife. I don't particularly care for the strange bevel, but it is a handsome blade that is clearly designed for chopping trees and digging trenches.
Comparing the Busse and the ATAK is very much comparing apples to oranges (as Mike said) as their inspiration is totally different. But, for the forums, I'll do so anyway.
The ATAK is designed to do many things, and it does them all well. It's combat knife design is apparent, as the tip penetrates kevlar with ease. It maintains a good deal of mass that makes it a decent chopper and is tough enough to pry with. It can be best described as a fighting knife that can also be used for survival and utility.
The Busse is quite simply, a survival knife and it is an EXCELLENT one at that. While I haven't done much testing with it, it clearly hacks, chops, and slices very well. It's tip is not well suited to penetrating, as it is quite thick. However, it will hack through alnost any hard material. I would not hesitate to carry this knife into the jungle or combat. It doesn't have the clean, graceful lines of an ATAK, but the price is significantly lower. The black finish is a nice touch.
I'll give more details as I put both knives through their paces...
Tim
http://www.streetpro.com
Street Smart Professional Equipment
[This message has been edited by Arnistador (edited 16 November 1999).]
I just received the Busse Basic #7 from Mike and Spark yesterday. It came w/o a sheath (?!) and was clearly used for some pretty hard testing as the finish was worn in several places, and the spine was used to strike something fairly solid.
I haven't had time to test it yet, but I did sharpen in (it arrived pretty dull after all that testing.)
Here are my initial impressions:
1. It's a handsome knife, clearly designed for chopping. The belly is not nearly as gradual as the MD ATAK; the blade resembles the shape of a short machete. The blade is about .5" longer than an ATAK, and is considerably tip heavy (a good thing in a chopper.) There is no positive included angle and the Basic is clearly not designed to be a stabber, but given its weight, I can see why it fared so well in Mike's chopping tests.
2. The handle is comfortable, and the material gives much more than the composite used in Mad Dog handles. It is grippier, but I predict many blisters under heavy use w/o a glove. The handle shape is very functional, with good retention. The lanyard hole is a nice touch.
3. Sharpening was a chore. Spark and Mike did not include sharpening instructions, so I just duplicated the edge dimensions on the knife. The offset bevel is a little tricky, but the knife took a keen edge once I got the hang of it. Modified INFI ain't easy to sharpen. It was difficult to get a sharp, high polish edge that cut as well as a less polished one, so I finished off with 600 grit stone instead of the 4000 grit I usually end with. The knife simply performed better with the 600 grit polish.
4. Finish. The Busse came with a baked on black epoxy finish that is quite durable as far as finishes of this type go. It's fairly thick and robust and only showed wear at spots where there was very heavy abrasion. Some spots showed some slightly uneven application and bubbling, but nothing to be concerned about for a knife in this medium price range. The epoxy finish can be subject to capillary action at the edge, just as the MD hard chrome, possibly even moreso as the molecular gaps between the epoxy and substrate are likely greater than that of hard chrome and substrate. I am no expert on this, so correct me if I am wrong. Nothing a quick rinse in freshwater and wipedown with TufCloth can't prevent.
Overall, I'm pretty impressed with the knife. I don't particularly care for the strange bevel, but it is a handsome blade that is clearly designed for chopping trees and digging trenches.
Comparing the Busse and the ATAK is very much comparing apples to oranges (as Mike said) as their inspiration is totally different. But, for the forums, I'll do so anyway.
The ATAK is designed to do many things, and it does them all well. It's combat knife design is apparent, as the tip penetrates kevlar with ease. It maintains a good deal of mass that makes it a decent chopper and is tough enough to pry with. It can be best described as a fighting knife that can also be used for survival and utility.
The Busse is quite simply, a survival knife and it is an EXCELLENT one at that. While I haven't done much testing with it, it clearly hacks, chops, and slices very well. It's tip is not well suited to penetrating, as it is quite thick. However, it will hack through alnost any hard material. I would not hesitate to carry this knife into the jungle or combat. It doesn't have the clean, graceful lines of an ATAK, but the price is significantly lower. The black finish is a nice touch.
I'll give more details as I put both knives through their paces...
Tim
http://www.streetpro.com
Street Smart Professional Equipment
[This message has been edited by Arnistador (edited 16 November 1999).]