Busse Knives (INFI Steel): Is It Worth The Price?

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In my opinion as a multiple Busse owner, Infi is a great steel for abusive users who wont or cannot afford a completely broken blade. Infi is not immune to edge damage however nor are jerry's designs superior to other similarly sized blade manufactures when it comes to ergos, cutting performance or edge robustness. Although in the last area (edge robustness), Busse is certainly one of the top contenders. One thing I must say, Jerry's designs are very easy on the eye, many are aesthetically pleasing, at least to me. Unfortunately this doesn't always transfer to a good blade performance or ergos in given size class.

For some uses Infi, again in my opinion, is not optimal. It's not very good for acute edge angles often found in bushcraft knives and it's edge retention is not at the top of the class which may or may not be of importance on hunting applications or for steel performance freaks. Some people really like Busse blades for game processing so opinions do vary but regardless edge retention is not quite at the top.

I agree with others that Infi is very easy to sharpen.

On a last note on the subject, I could live without a single Busse blade but I still have two Infis left:a SS4 from SYKCO and a BATAC. Neither of which is a large blade.
 
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When I first started getting into knives I always wondered the same thing. I had Buck, CRKT, Cold Steel, and many of the well known "good knives at a great price" companies. I had heard about Busse and the two sibling companies (SwampRat and ScrapYard) a lot and when I finally pulled the trigger I realized what a step up they were. I started small, a SAR3 (search and rescue, 3 inch blade). I paid a decent amount for it, but let me tell, it was worth every damn penny. It was remarkably comfortable, looked incredible, and the blade was just perfect for every day tasks and then some. Now yes, there are lots of knives that fit that description, but there is just something about holding and using a Busse that gives a sense of confidence, you KNOW the knife will do everything you ask it to and a lot more. The INFI steel they use is sharp, (not sure just how rust proof they are but mine has been left in compromising situations and no rust yet) and it prys when needed. I have since sold the little one and moved into the bigger ones, but one thing to remember about Busse besides what I've said and the ZERO question warranty, is that if you do purchase one, and do not like it for whatever reason, you can always sell it here and get a full return on your money. It IS worth checking into. There is an obsession with this company for good reason. Happy knife hunting :)
 
IMO people don't buy Busse for INFI. That is often the given explanation, but really they're just buying Busse as a company, the knife is secondary.

Right now I'm pretty convinced that Busse has the best heat treat, quality control, and warranty in the business. I'm not saying their blade grinds are up to CRK levels, I am saying your knife extremely unlikely to fail. And in that extremely unlikely event that it does fail in use, it will be replaced (that's use, not gross abuse, think of things that are just about guaranteed to break any knife).

Yes, you can go 90% of the way at a tenth the price with a cheap 1095 blade. But you can also go 99% of the way at a quarter the price with a Scrapyard blade. My recommendation for most people is to look at Scrapyard knives first.
 
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Yea...It's worth it ;)
 
I’ve owned both brands.

Although they have very similar performance characteristics, the biggest difference between INFI and 3V is edge holding ability.
3V is better in that regard.

I also feel that the skeletonized handles and rubber inserts make Fehrman knives more vibration resistant when chopping.

After several years of use with both types of steel, I would rate the corrosion resistance of both brands as equal.
 
Bowxpress said:
For the size you mentioned, then I would say yes it will be worth it, smaller blades you can find a lot better performance from different brands for far less-- and " BePrepared dude" best edge retention and hard to sharpen??? what are you smoking?
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There are a few Busse models that were heat treated to slightly higher up the Rockwell hardness scale than what is normally done... Some of the older models were harder, and more recently a few others like the thinner "Bony" Active Duty model (BAD) also. He may be referring to one of these in his post. My user BAD has been used quite a bit for several years and has yet to need a good sharpening.
 
bearcut said:
I’ve owned both brands.

Although they have very similar performance characteristics, the biggest difference between INFI and 3V is edge holding ability.
3V is better in that regard.

I also feel that the skeletonized handles and rubber inserts make Fehrman knives more vibration resistant when chopping.

After several years of use with both types of steel, I would rate the corrosion resistance of both brands as equal.
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Are the handles on the final judgment skeletonized? Or just the Hood series?
 
CPM 3v will out perform INFI in toughness and wear resistance.....with that said being said ,close to shock series steels, and having more carbides
will result in better edge holding and dimensional stability...IMO.Though the busse's still have well ground blades, and great build/materials makes
them desirable and functional..
 
CPM 3v will out perform INFI in toughness and wear resistance.....
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I don't believe so. 3V is probably more wear resistant, but it is certainly not tougher. 3V is a powder steel and my understanding is that it will not hold up to either shock or lateral stress nearly as well as INFI. 3V might take a bit more to bend it (lateral strength), but it will break much easier once flexed past a certain point (less toughness).

3V is also an overall phenomenal steel when done right.
 
You've all been giving me a lot to think about :) I was seriously considering getting a Fehrman - that is, until I read Cliff Stamp's review on the Fehrman Extreme Judgment :S

MUST - RESIST - URGE TO BUY BUSSE!!!!! O_o

I CAAAAAAAAAAAAAN'T!!!!!!!!!! O_O (Lol)
 
Forget Cliff Stamp. Fehrman's knives are extremely well received here on the forums, even by loyal Busse owners. I must say, however, he needs to make his handles a bit larger.
 
If you look around, you could probably find a few 3V knives for a bit less than the Fehrmans. By all accounts, Busse knives are very well made and Busse is a reputable company that has a very good relationship with their customers, but their prices are driven to some degree by the popularity of the knives in the market. I'm cool with that. I wish I had such problems. :D Some of the knives in their lower priced lines like the Ratmandu series appear to competitively priced, but there main line is pretty expensive for what is essentially a factory knife or, at best, a mid-tech. INFI may cost a lot more that 1095, but it doesn't cost that much.
Altaraz said:
You've all been giving me a lot to think about :) I was seriously considering getting a Fehrman - that is, until I read Cliff Stamp's review on the Fehrman Extreme Judgment :S

MUST - RESIST - URGE TO BUY BUSSE!!!!! O_o

I CAAAAAAAAAAAAAN'T!!!!!!!!!! O_O (Lol)
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kurodrago said:
Yeah, but it seems that nobody can get right done...look at Bark River for example.
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Paul Bos and Peters can apparently get it done right and that is with using the simpler standard high temperature tempering method instead of the crazy complicated low temp process like Roman Landes talks about. 3V apparently requires that whatever austenizing temp you chose be DEAD on, but other than that, it actually seems simpler to HT than some stuff like Elmax that require even higher temps.
 
The simple answer, for me, is yes.

The more complex answer is yes.

Infi is a great steel if you are looking for tough steel. It is a great mix of super, super tough steel, that also holds a decent edge pretty long, and is also pretty darned corrosion resistant.

For impact resistance, and flex, I don't think you can beat it. It is probably the best hard use steel for the money. Thick or thin, it outperforms any other steel I have seen at being tough.


BePrepared said:
It works like this... Busse makes INFI knives... they are IMHO the best knives being made in terms of edge retention and durability (hard as hell to sharpen though)

BUT, they cost 2-5 times as much as knives that will work JUST as well in almost every circumstance.

if your life is going to depend on it, cost is less important... otherwise, decide based on your finances and your willingness to spend large sums of money
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I don't find the steel hard to sharpen at all. If you happen to smack a rock and roll the edge, it is much much easier to fix than other steels. It resists chipping, and is easier to push back in line.

I have personal experience with this. Doing damage and thinking I will have to remove a lot of metal, then after a bit of steeling, it is is just a few strokes on either my diamond stone, or sandpaper, and it is good to go.

Funny you would post this tonight. I just finished using two of my big ones tonight for 1.5 hours or so. I used my KZII and my B11 (which I let another guy use). I chopped into the ground on one stroke, and dinged the tip. No chipping, just a bit of edge roll, which will push right back in line with a few minutes work.

I have done this with other choppers and had to spend hours sharpening it out if steel is lost from a chip. Or the roll won't push back in place. I had this happen on another knife. the Roll looked fixable. When I tried, a bit of the edge came off. The price on that knife was right in line with a B11, with a laminated steel blade.



If you buy direct from Busse, your price will be better. If you wait till a model is sold out, expect to pay an increase. Not always, but most times.


gine said:
CPM 3v will out perform INFI in toughness and wear resistance.....with that said being said ,close to shock series steels, and having more carbides
will result in better edge holding and dimensional stability...IMO.Though the busse's still have well ground blades, and great build/materials makes
them desirable and functional..
Click to expand...

CPM 3v won't outperform INFI in toughness. I wish knifetests.com was still running. No steel came close in toughness, no where close, except for Sr77 (jack hammer steel) from the same company (Scrapyard is a Busse family company).
 
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