Busse v Randall's Adventure & Training ESEE

I own both busse and ESEE and i hav eto say that the busses are beter knives, but a the price that is to be espected. The esee knives are excellent knives for out in the woods, and aside from the double edged nothing any more tactical about them than the falkniven (swedish army knife) or brkt (knives for marines). Its all a matter of preference, if price was no object id own almost exclusivley busse (except for custom) however since price is a factor i dont think that ESEE can be beat for the price.

Either way your gonna be happy :thumbup:
 
I have used both. Swamprat/Bussekin blades hold an edge 5 x longer than that of ESEE 1095. It's all in the steel. That seals the deal.
 
i like busse because the edge tends to roll (as opposed to chip) when i use it to chop some hard wood. rolled edge is an easy fix for me. chip edge is not. just my personal preferrence.
 
Ive said it before and Ill say it again, Busse and Kin, performance wise are simply the best knives out there. When considering edge holding, durability, ergonomics, and warranty there is really nothing outside of the custom world that can rival them. It's easy to hate on busse knives because they are expensive but you get what you pay for. Ive only owned 2 INFI knives and probably will never own anymore but INFI really is pretty amazing. I have owned more swamp rats and scrap yards than I can count and I have been impressed by every one of them. SR101 and SR77 are the most amazing steels Ive ever used. Both put anything at the same price point to utter shame.

Swamp Rats and Scrapyards will always be my favorite but ESEE is definitely a close second and I will always own ESEE knives. Try them out for yourself and you wont be disappointed.

Pick up a Ratmandu and an ESEE 6 and you will see what all the hype is about.
 
I have owned both and only have Busse (And Family) left. Not knocking Esee at all as they are great knives just about everyone can afford and afford to "use". Busse are expensive and it seems loads of folks can't justify using a $800 knife.....that's too bad because they are hands down the best knives I have ever used.
 
i hate choils - like another posted said, if you designed the knife properly to begin with, there's no need for a choil so that pretty much rules out busse/busse-kin for me (esee is guilty of it on some of their models as well and the top reason why i sold what i had/skipped buying other models - it just bothered me too much regardless how much i used it...just couldn't get comfortable with choils). with that aside is handle ergonomics. the esee i only like is the junglas (the lite machete isn't really a pure blood esee) and the comparable busse (one of the few that i've handled in person) is the bush wacker mistress however it falls short when it comes to handle ergonomics with my hand.

there's a busse model/s (edit: it might have been a busse/kin since they were all on the same table but the banner behind the table said busse combat, etc.) that have that black rubber handle that i handled a few months ago at a knife show here and it felt very, very nice in my hand. too bad it had a choil otherwise i probably would've bought it to see what all the fuss is all about. i guess it depends from knife to knife but for now i'd say esee.

p.s. for those who claim excellent edge holding abilities/best/etc...post pics of those hard-used busse...i'm too lazy to search under your usernames to verify credibility :o here's my junglas, pic taken yesterday (for another thread). not stirring the pot, just want to see at least some wear (busse and esee - both camps are filled with couch potato fanboys!) to make sure your edge-holding experience isn't limited to cutting paper/air.

junglas_tc_03.jpg
 
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Hi All,

Thanks for your input. I have not experienced either brand, but have read and heard a lot about them.

I started this thread to learn what the forum thinks of these brands, and if I ever decide to get one, I will have a basis to start from.

Your views have been most useful and hope more is added to this thread for interesting reading.

Cheers.
 
Busses are nice - I have a friend with quite an assortment. Everytime we had our weekly breakfast, he would bring another one to show. They all came in a cardboard sleeve - or wrapped in a towel. My huge collection of now ESEE-branded knives - okay, an early RC5 and a very recent RC4 - can be carried differently... they came with sheaths... Busses don't! It reminds me of a Danish model boat company who markets their wooden boat kits separately from the metal fittings kit. They reason that since most model boat collectors leave their kits in the closet unfinished, why waste the money on the fittings? If you collect knives, you don't really need sheaths.

Sure, that RC5, at .25" thick, is in the Busse-lite tradition... and likely all I'll ever need, as I have no ambitions of fileting a Fleetliner. I actually like the RC4 a bit better - today - than a few of my Bark River knives, as they are almost too pretty to use. That is another consideration - spending a small fortune on a fb - finding a sheathmaker - awaiting their delivery... ESEE can usually be bought from stock - even with leather sheaths - and a collection could be started for what one Busse would cost. Heck, I am still thrilled to use a Buck 110 folder - or 192 Vanguard fb - as my camping/hiking knife.

I guess one should go with their desires - and pocket capabilities. I did - but went big buck last fall - and bought a CRK Umnumzaan made for Wilson Combat - a $430 pocket knife purchase to commemorate my receipt of my first SS retirement disbursement - after 46+ yr of contributing. I actually considered a Busse then - but, alas, the 'Company Store' had little to offer then. You will be happy with either choice.

Stainz

PS I did get a big 'chopper' - in the Busse tradition - a Benchmade 171 BladeSport 'Chopper' as a Christmas goodie from my wife - she knows I like Wharncliffe-style blades... now I can dice a Desoto... skin a Studebaker... violate a Volvo...
 
well, its probably more fair to compare esee to swamprat or scrapyard than busse's flagship.
For one busse, i can buy 2 or more swamprats (if you buy it from company store).
swamprat's sr101 performs similar to infi minus the stain resistance.
so for a little extra, you get some supersteel if you can wait for them to put it on company store.
and azwelke makes some nice inexpensive kydex.
 
I have a friend that swears by busse. I have a rat-7 and would love to get a junglas. I would like to know for the price how many people actualy use a busse?
 
^^^ I spent the full going price on a combat grade fusion battle mistress and proceeded to beat the **** out of it... Why buy a Ferrari and then leave it in the garage?

Edit:
photo-70.jpg
 
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It's funny to see them in this 'head 2 head' comparison because I have jokingly referred to ESEE as the poor man's Busse in the past.

While I have no Busse's, I do have a SRKW in SR101 and must say I have never been so impressed with a steel in my life. It is truly amazing stuff. However, I really like Rowenized 1095 and have never felt underknifed whilst using it.

All in all I think you could probably accomplish most tasks using either one of the two brands, but if INFI really is like SR101 with better corrosion resistance, then I'd have to place it over ESEE simply due to not needing a coating.
 
I may be coming out of left field with this but here goes.....

I don't care for either product. YMMV.

My primary concern in buying a knife is value per dollar spent. I don't look for tactical, dont look for some "miracle" steel and dont pay much attention to brand association. I find that with BKT/Kabar and Himalayan Imports, i can get quite a nice product with great customer service which will do anything that the higher priced knives will do without the associated pricetag. That being said each company here on the forums put out very nice products and in the end we are all different and have different tastes. Doesnt mean anyone of us is wrong in our purchasing decisions.
 
All very profound, but what about the real issues like Ontario vs Mora ? :D
 
Karda said:
I may be coming out of left field with this but here goes.....

I don't care for either product. YMMV.

My primary concern in buying a knife is value per dollar spent. I don't look for tactical, dont look for some "miracle" steel and dont pay much attention to brand association. I find that with BKT/Kabar and Himalayan Imports, i can get quite a nice product with great customer service which will do anything that the higher priced knives will do without the associated pricetag. That being said each company here on the forums put out very nice products and in the end we are all different and have different tastes. Doesnt mean anyone of us is wrong in our purchasing decisions.
Click to expand...

Spot on! While I do own a Junglas and sold my Busse BWM after taking delivery on the ESEE, I think the BKT/KA-BAR offer big value for dollars spent! I like large knives, fixed & folder. I have about 35 year old Western W-49 that is flat out lethal as a chopper and probably a fighter too. That old sucker is like a razor and holds an edge. It's not perfect - I do have to resharpen it once in awhile! :D
 
I just want to add that my post is myself, talking as a concerned consumer. Not as a moderator or my affiliation with H.I..
I've been around the block a time or two, have little disposable income. I do my research before each and every purchase. My situation dictates that i must spend wisely, so i try my best to get the most bang out of every dollar spent. Additionally i'm extremely descriminatory when it comes to my knives. I don't have to have the best or the latest thing out there, but i like to get the best i can afford and like to think that i havent needlessly overspent.
 
I would be proud to own and use either brands. I do learn however to Busse as I prefer convex grinds and choices of handle materials etc.

As with any knife you never really know if it's for you until you hold it and put it use. If it's not for you you can always sell it.
 
Without more specific questions from the OP and me being completely biased, sometimes for shallow or impractical reasons, here's my take:

I like Busse more even though I do not have one yet. I ordered one and it should be coming in soon. It's because of the culture behind Busse. It's like a high-end designer brand name that's highly collectible and has a large secondary market crowd. Limited runs of models, highly collectible, legendary steel with an unknown recipe--it's very cult-like. And I've fallen for it. I've seen pictures and videos of what an INFI blade can do and am sure they are highly usable. I don't like many of their designs, but there are a few I dream of having, made difficult only by availability and price.

I like ESEE--which I do own a few of--because I can actually use them. They are tough and practical, and I love my Izula and ESEE-6. The designs and aesthetic aren't really my thing, but they are highly usable and the sheathing systems are one of my favorite: ambidextrous kydex that can be carried many ways, compatible with those nylon backs and pouches they also produce.
 
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