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Busse knives

S

sirupatespecial

Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
537
Always in the market for a knife. So, I was looking at Busse's website. In the market for a camp knife, 5-7" blade. Disappointed that Busse doesn't have anything like that available. Closest would be the "mean Street" but that's only a 3 1/2 inch blade. Unless you include the Battle mistress. Which I love. But the blade is 11". So, no camp knife, survival knife, field knife etc. from Busse. If you want Infi steel which I would like.

So, I looked at Scrapyard and Swamprat. Now I have a few that will work. No Infi but the steel they use Sr101 seems like a fine steel and would work for 99% of the folks, including me. Only problem is, Busse seems enamored by finger choils. Not one knife offered without a choil. Huge choil's. What's up with that? That would probably eliminate Busse's knives from my consideration. Heck, why not run the blade to the handle and if you want to choke up, choke up on the handle? I've never had a problem with that. Maybe I don't know what I'm missing since I don't own a knife with a choil?

Anyway. Mr Busse, if you are out there. Please produce a camp knife style in Infi with no choil and I'll be your first customer!
 
Well the team gemini makes a great all around camp knife, but you would get more responses in the Busse forum. Lots on the exchange too.
 
cricketdave said:
Well the team gemini makes a great all around camp knife, but you would get more responses in the Busse forum. Lots on the exchange too.
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Yea, I thought about that. Just has that "combat knife" look, which I understand since it's Busse combat knife company. Damn big ass choil on that one too:rolleyes: So what's up with a choil on a "combat knife"?
 
sirupatespecial said:
Yea, I thought about that. Just has that "combat knife" look, which I understand since it's Busse combat knife company. Damn big ass choil on that one too:rolleyes: So what's up with a choil on a "combat knife"?
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I think the first time (that style of) choils became well-known was on Randall Vietnam-era combat knives. Length of blade/reach is an important factor in a combat knife, and a lot of folks feel that the optimum length for a combat knife is longer than you'd want on a working knife... the finger-choil helps you you choke up on it, get more leverage on the tip, for instance, but gives you another inch or so as a weapon.

In utility knives I think it only makes sense if they're big enough to chop with, then it's a way to compromise between chopping length/balance and that needed for working with the edge.

Either way, it's an attempt to make the knife more versatile. It goes in and out of fashion, and some like it, some don't.
 
Ok, I see. I always wondered why most(all) Randall's had that extra inch or so of ricasso(?). Didn't make a lot of sense to me. Same with the Loveless style hunters. I guess that's why there are so many different styles of knives. If I'm paying for 5" of blade or whatever then I prefer 5". Or close.

I noticed on the Battle Mistress that it is available with or without choil. Would it be so hard to offer Scrapyard or Swamprat with that option?

I'm sure not trying to tell Mr Busse how to run his business. But that would seem like an easy enough fix for those that like a full blade.
 
Depends on just how much they want to redo the program to cut blanks, also on how many requests. Busse has been very successful at what they do so I imagine they will keep on with there standard practices. Personally I find a choil useful on medium sized blades makes it easier to choke up for finer work when needed.
 
cricketdave said:
Depends on just how much they want to redo the program to cut blanks, also on how many requests. Busse has been very successful at what they do so I imagine they will keep on with there standard practices. Personally I find a choil useful on medium sized blades makes it easier to choke up for finer work when needed.
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I guess. But how hard could it be to cut blanks with no choil? Also, I can't believe that there is no market for a camp or field style knife in Infi? Maybe one of these days. Or maybe not.......

I know very little about Busse. Seems that they change their designs every now and then? Are there maybe discontinued models that are close to what I'm looking for? It's not any kind of emergency tho. I have way more knives than I have an actual use for already:D
 
Nothing like trying to whittle a spoon with an 8" blade to make you a convert. ;)

Survive! is offering both the GSO-5 (without finger choil) and the GSO-5.1 (with), but the blade on the 5.1 is actually that much longer for the choil, which makes it almost the length of the GSO-6.

Not combat-oriented, though.
 
If you want to stay with a Busse Kin product I can not say enough good things about the Ratmandu from Swamp Rat. Also dont get to hung up on INFI while its a great steel its not the only great one, I will personally take SR101 (52100) over INFI any day of the week.

Or look for a choiless Boss Jack on the exchange that seems to be perfect for what you are looking for.
 
look at the busse custom shop ,then the drop down at shop now, shop ideas knife gallery. pretty sure you can get them to make pretty much what you want. not sure on the cost but if you're looking for your own piece of perfect it may work out.
 
"Survive! is offering both the GSO-5 (without finger choil) and the GSO-5.1 (with), but the blade on the 5.1 is actually that much longer for the choil, which makes it almost the length of the GSO-6."

Survive! must be doing well. Website and a large online retailer show's "sold out" on everything. But yea, the 5.0 looks like what I want. Or the next largest.

"If you want to stay with a Busse Kin product I can not say enough good things about the Ratmandu from Swamp Rat. Also dont get to hung up on INFI while its a great steel its not the only great one, I will personally take SR101 (52100) over INFI any day of the week."

Yep. Looks good....except for the choil(sigh). Oh well. And I am a big fan of 52100.

As for the custom shop. I was kinda confused by the website but I just figured out the custom shop. Looks like yea, you can get pretty much what you want. You haf'ta email them and they will get back. As for pricing, looking at some samples I'd figure anywhere from 500-700 bucks. Maybe more:eek: Might just spec one out anyway.....
 
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sirupatespecial said:
Survive! must be doing well. Website and a large online retailer show's "sold out" on everything. But yea, the 5.0 looks like what I want. Or the next largest.
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They are doing well, gotten a lot of good reviews, and they're not meeting demand at this point, but they're also changing websites- I think this week- and they marked even the few things that were available for order as "sold out" in preparation for the change.

They say the 5 should be available for order on 3/28. They have a reputation for being... somewhat optimistic.

I have no connection with them other than as a customer.
 
My Scrap Yard Military Overrun 511 has an almost non-existsnt choil, even less existant than the standard 511. Its really just a flat 1/2" section of the ricasso. Excellent light weight camp knife.

Why does this thread not have any pics?
 
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Love'em or Hate'em, the Busse and Kin are what they are. And they are damn hard to beat.

Just ordered a Rodent Solution, and still hoping they will run some Game Warden's again soon.
 
I am really drawn ( in theory) to the 7 inch camp blade. In practice, not so much. I much prefer the one big, one small combo, that doesn't stop me from buying 7 inch blades ,but that's a different story

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Most of the Busse's have a choil. I just picked up a used Steel Heart Ergo with a choil, but it has plenty of blade and may allow for finer work using the choil. It is in the mail on its way to me. We'll see...
 
Firestrike said:
Love'em or Hate'em, the Busse and Kin are what they are. And they are damn hard to beat.

Just ordered a Rodent Solution, and still hoping they will run some Game Warden's again soon.
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The Game Warden was one I mentioned in the recent "Knives you regret not buying" thread.

I don't really know much about Busse knives. I dislike coated blades, and I think I have enough knives made of "inland-only" steels, wasn't aware until recently that they had done anything that wasn't coated, and I still have no idea what the corrosion-resistance of the steel they use is.

I like the design of the GW, though... as much as I can tell from photos, anyway.
 
amflud said:
My Scrap Yard Military Overrun 511 has an almost non-existsnt choil, even less existant than the standard 511. Its really just a flat 1/2" section of the ricasso. Excellent light weight camp knife.

Why does this thread not have any pics?
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Hey! I like that. Didn't see it on the website tho?
 
choil on the scrapyard mud mutt isn't bad - it's got a pretty decent 5" blade and though odd looking, the handles are comfortable.
 
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