Busse SR101/INFI-m = Thru Hardened?

Cutshaw

Moderator
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Messages
7,274
A visitor to the Swamp was asking why Rats had temper lines but Busse's didn't. I responded with:

"Most of the larger Rats (SR101) are differentially tempered (harder on edge, softer on spine,) hence the temper line. The Busse's are all thru-tempered to the same hardness = no temper line.

I don't know, but the Busse Tali-whacker in SR101 or the Basic series in infi-m might be an exception to that rule."

So... does anyone know. I'm guessing the Basics were tempered to one uniform hardness but what about the Tali-Whacker?
 
Paddling Man, I have a question in response to your sig. line......
You aren't married, are you? ;)
 
That's Hilarious!
thumbup.gif
 
I understood the Taliwacker was SR-101 and ASSUMED it was differentially tempered. It's the knife that started SRKW and is the missing link between the two companies, since it was a BUSSE knife but used SRKW materials. I don't believe it was modifed INFI.

I"m sure the Bully will be along shortly with the scoop.:D
 
the smaller sr101 knives are through hardened, such as the bandicoot and the howler.

nothing thats come out of busse combat as a production run knife was ever differentially heat treated - except maybe the taliwhacker. that i dont know about...

all the a2, the the infi and the modified infi are through hardened. at least, thats as i've come to understand it.


as to why, jerry feels (And as i understand is right) that a2, infi, and m-infi can stand/are better at taking lateral stresses and load bearing under strength applications then if they were differentially hardened. it is also my understanding that infi is very difficult to differentially harden do to the way heat travels through the steel matrix. part of what jerry was going for with infi was all the benefits of a maleable edge at high hardness, but also its ability to take lateral stresses at more pressure then other steels (bends less when you put the same amount of weigh ton it), but will bend before it breaks. the idea being that at the point at wich one steel is bent at a 90 degree angle and you cant apply any more weight to it becuase it will just bend more, infi is still closer to straight and can still have more pressure applied to it to help pry with.

with sr-101, wich to my understanding is 52100 with a busse style speciallized extensive heat treatment, he/swamp rats higher up feel that it does better at lateral stresses and pressures with a softer spine. in the larger knives at least, wich will generally end up taking more weight becuase of the leverage advantage.
 
Personally, I feel that the thru hardenned blades are better all around. Although Diff. Hard by busse is great, I would not like diff hardened by anyone else since the normalizing/tempering cycles might be suspect. Too many transition areas for stress to build up causing potential fracture areas. differential tempering lines are an area where metal fractures tend to begn and propagate. With Busse that is not the case due to his super long cryo/normalizing/tempering process that completely relieves all possible stress areas.

I have chopped with custom big blades that were diff tempered and had a slightly over half inch chunk come off the edge exactly where the tempering line is.

So a thru tempered blade is preferable IMO. In fact the recent extraveganza Battle Rats are all thru tempered, not differentially tempered that is why I could not pass them up. :thumbup:
 
Walking Man said:
Paddling Man, I have a question in response to your sig. line......
You aren't married, are you? ;)

Yep... 11 years about two weeks ago. We've each grown to know what "subjects" belong to the other. I get the garage, computers, cars and she asks me few/little questions about guns/knives/outdoor gear. She gets to pick the color of furnishings, landscaping for the yard, and something else... I forget. ;)

I only get into "trouble" at home if I open my mouth about an area that belongs to her. She has finally grown to expect my saying something embarrassing at social occasions - my BS meter peaks out pretty low. :rolleyes: We respect that each of us has our own bailiwick and we rarely intrude on the other.
 
Cobalt said:
So a thru tempered blade is preferable IMO. In fact the recent extraveganza Battle Rats are all thru tempered, not differentially tempered that is why I could not pass them up. :thumbup:

Those Battle Rats are nice knives. I bought one too.

Sounds like the Tailwacker and the thru-hardened Battle Rats are both missing links between Busse and Swamp Rat.
 
Back
Top