- Joined
- Feb 6, 2000
- Messages
- 3,021
Well, after about a year and a half of reading and learning, I finally decided to take the plunge and get a Busse. I got a Steel Heart 2 E. And let me tell you, I am not the least bit disappointed!
This knife has about a 6 3/4" to 7" edge, with an overall length of about 13". The blade is 1/4" thick of INFI. The sheath is kydex-covered nylon (or some synthetic material!) with a pouch. This info is for those of you who aren't that acquainted with Busse blades.
In the past I've voiced my opinions about my dislike of the "E" handles. That has now changed. Firstly, the knife looks ever so sexier in real life than in photos; for some reason you have to be holding the knife to realize how awesomely sexy it is. Also, the drop of the handle makes the knife exquisitely comfortable to use. I would prefer the handle slabs to be larger though. The handle is very slim, really. It's only about 3/4" or a little less wide. That makes it compact, etc., but I think thicker and more rounded handle scales would improve the comfort of the handles, as well as reducing fatigue while in use, and improving safety. The diamond quilted micarta has great retention, but isn't abrasive, and is comfortable. I remember someone mentioning that the tang in the handle extended above the handle slabs and made the handle uncomfortable. I in no way did encounter this problem. On my knife, the tang and the handle slabs are very nearly flush, and I had no comfort problems. I think that because the industrial fasteners creat three small holes in the handle, a makeshift spear would be easy to make with a stick and some rope. The lanyard and talon hole would also help this. The finger cutout is an excellent feature, and allows you to do very precise work. I had no problems with cutting myself on the edge next to the cutout, partly because the rest of my fingers were behind the talon hole/guard.
In pictures, the blade tip looks extremely blunt. I find this not to be true. The blade tip isn't all that sharp, but would be quite passable for military/tactical purposes I think (as in stabbing someone). It is quite a sharp point, actually. Also, the tip is very strong (the blade does taper from 1/4" stock to about 1/8" stock at the tip, during the last 1.5" to 2" of the blade). The primary grinds on the blade where a little off. I didn't expect this. It may be due to the assymetrical grind, but somehow I doubt it. Anyhow, the grinds aren't really that much off. I do have a question: the assymetrical grind is on the primary grinds, right? If so, on what side (if the tip of the knife is pointing away from you). I can't tell which side the convex grind is on, and the convex grind must be somewhat subtle. The crinkle coat on the blade is very good. It gives the blade a nice look, and feels very durable. I found one other problem with the knife. Right next to the pommel of the knife (slightly on the top side), there is quite a large blemish in the blade. The blemish has been covered by the crinkle coat, and is mostly superficial, but is a little bothering. I would have thought that it would have been ground off, or fixed in some way. But hey, it's not really that bad. Maybe I'm over-reacting. It is really only cosmetic. It's 4-5 millimeters long and about 2 millimeters wide (the width of the blade; I hope I've got my measuring right). It is probably just under a millimeter deep, but is quite noticeable. Anyhow, as I have said, it's only cosmetic, and this is a user blade. Even if it wasn't, the crinkle coat hides it pretty well.
I am very impressed with the sheath also. The kydex insert does have some hold on the knife, which is a nice feature (and the insert is permanently glued into the sheath, so it won't fall out). Also, the retention strap is very tight and strong on the knife, so when it is engaged, loss of the knife is next to impossible. The quality of the pocket on the sheath is also a welcome surprise. I expected an open, loose pocket. What I got was a pocket with a strong velcrow (sp?) cover and elastic or something that keeps the items in the pouch snug and tight. One could keep a small sharpener in there. The holes at the bottom and top of the sheath make attaching the sheath to a bag/pack quite simple, with a bit of rope. The one thing I would like to suggest about the sheath is that it be made to ride about an inch and a half higher or lower. As others have said, it's neither a true high-ride or low-riding sheath. While it's ok how it is, making the belt loop higher or lower would be a nice improvement.
What can I say! I love this knife! I can't wait till I get a chance to really put it through its paces.
On one of the pics in this link, I'm holding the knife with my index finger in the finger cut-out (is this called a saber grip? I though I heard that somewhere). Here's the link:
http://members4.clubphoto.com/a318774/Steel_Heart_2_E/
This knife has about a 6 3/4" to 7" edge, with an overall length of about 13". The blade is 1/4" thick of INFI. The sheath is kydex-covered nylon (or some synthetic material!) with a pouch. This info is for those of you who aren't that acquainted with Busse blades.
In the past I've voiced my opinions about my dislike of the "E" handles. That has now changed. Firstly, the knife looks ever so sexier in real life than in photos; for some reason you have to be holding the knife to realize how awesomely sexy it is. Also, the drop of the handle makes the knife exquisitely comfortable to use. I would prefer the handle slabs to be larger though. The handle is very slim, really. It's only about 3/4" or a little less wide. That makes it compact, etc., but I think thicker and more rounded handle scales would improve the comfort of the handles, as well as reducing fatigue while in use, and improving safety. The diamond quilted micarta has great retention, but isn't abrasive, and is comfortable. I remember someone mentioning that the tang in the handle extended above the handle slabs and made the handle uncomfortable. I in no way did encounter this problem. On my knife, the tang and the handle slabs are very nearly flush, and I had no comfort problems. I think that because the industrial fasteners creat three small holes in the handle, a makeshift spear would be easy to make with a stick and some rope. The lanyard and talon hole would also help this. The finger cutout is an excellent feature, and allows you to do very precise work. I had no problems with cutting myself on the edge next to the cutout, partly because the rest of my fingers were behind the talon hole/guard.
In pictures, the blade tip looks extremely blunt. I find this not to be true. The blade tip isn't all that sharp, but would be quite passable for military/tactical purposes I think (as in stabbing someone). It is quite a sharp point, actually. Also, the tip is very strong (the blade does taper from 1/4" stock to about 1/8" stock at the tip, during the last 1.5" to 2" of the blade). The primary grinds on the blade where a little off. I didn't expect this. It may be due to the assymetrical grind, but somehow I doubt it. Anyhow, the grinds aren't really that much off. I do have a question: the assymetrical grind is on the primary grinds, right? If so, on what side (if the tip of the knife is pointing away from you). I can't tell which side the convex grind is on, and the convex grind must be somewhat subtle. The crinkle coat on the blade is very good. It gives the blade a nice look, and feels very durable. I found one other problem with the knife. Right next to the pommel of the knife (slightly on the top side), there is quite a large blemish in the blade. The blemish has been covered by the crinkle coat, and is mostly superficial, but is a little bothering. I would have thought that it would have been ground off, or fixed in some way. But hey, it's not really that bad. Maybe I'm over-reacting. It is really only cosmetic. It's 4-5 millimeters long and about 2 millimeters wide (the width of the blade; I hope I've got my measuring right). It is probably just under a millimeter deep, but is quite noticeable. Anyhow, as I have said, it's only cosmetic, and this is a user blade. Even if it wasn't, the crinkle coat hides it pretty well.
I am very impressed with the sheath also. The kydex insert does have some hold on the knife, which is a nice feature (and the insert is permanently glued into the sheath, so it won't fall out). Also, the retention strap is very tight and strong on the knife, so when it is engaged, loss of the knife is next to impossible. The quality of the pocket on the sheath is also a welcome surprise. I expected an open, loose pocket. What I got was a pocket with a strong velcrow (sp?) cover and elastic or something that keeps the items in the pouch snug and tight. One could keep a small sharpener in there. The holes at the bottom and top of the sheath make attaching the sheath to a bag/pack quite simple, with a bit of rope. The one thing I would like to suggest about the sheath is that it be made to ride about an inch and a half higher or lower. As others have said, it's neither a true high-ride or low-riding sheath. While it's ok how it is, making the belt loop higher or lower would be a nice improvement.
What can I say! I love this knife! I can't wait till I get a chance to really put it through its paces.
On one of the pics in this link, I'm holding the knife with my index finger in the finger cut-out (is this called a saber grip? I though I heard that somewhere). Here's the link:
http://members4.clubphoto.com/a318774/Steel_Heart_2_E/
