Busse's performance

T

TheButcher

Joined
Sep 1, 2003
Messages
424
Just got back from 3 months in costa rica. I took a NO, SH and BM(all stock ergos). I must say they delivered in performance better than anything I've ever owned. After a while the BM took over 90% of all chores. It is now my favorite and the best survival/bush knife I have ever seen. I beat the hell out of it and it just keeps getting better with age. My HandAmerican steel rod rusted shut in the leather and in my bag before the first month. No rust problems with any Busse, and the asymmetric convex edge delivered everyday all the time. Can hardly wait for the Fusion SH and BM. :eek:
 
Butcher,

Welcome to the forum.

Glad to hear of the beatings those pups took. The BM is a workhorse, that's for sure.

What all exercises did you put them through?

What chores/usage made you gravitate to the BM??

Again, thanks.

Mike
 
Diddo what TMG asked. Also, what kind of working sharpness did you maintain throughout the use? Did you find that it made a big difference with the BM whether the blade was razor sharp or just below shaving?
Thanks
Luke
 
What else did you have on hand to maintain your edge? Ceramic rod? Leather strop?
 
Nice to read a "performance" post for a change. Looking at everyone's safe queens is pleasing to the eye, but it doesn't beat reading how well Busse's stand up to actual use.....
 
Mostly I used them in camping chores everyday. Brush clearing, firewood, small rancho huts,fended off coral snakes, played with making small traps and fish hooks, baskets, wood/bamboo decorative work, food prep(cleaned many fish including a 60 lb. cubera snapper with the BM and it only takes one dip and swip with the BM to smear peanut butter on a slice of bread), ding repair on my surfboard and many other jungle living chores. All I had for sharpening was a super small flexible, flat mill style file that stays in the sheath pocket and my one HandAmerican steel rod that rusted in the leather, but was used anyway. My SH and BM got more chopping abuse than the shorter NO, try splitting open a coconut with a shorter blade and you'll know how important that extra length is on the SH and especially the BM. I've never underestimated the value of such a big blade and also kept my machete handy. The machete got a workout also, but I could take off thicker limbs/branches with less effort with the BM even though it gave up around 15 inches to the machete! Never had any problem keeping sharp, even after smashing into rocks. I used the small file to smooth out the rock dings a bit and then to the steel rod. I have to say I chopped into some really hard/dense wood with very little edge damage. I haven't seen or held any of the new line so I'm still not sure what edge to get as I really like the way the asymmetrical convex held up. That being said I would appreciate any input about the new symmetrical edge. Anyway I guess I've rambled on enough, so hope this helps. :) Oh yeh, users have way more character than safe queens and I have both ;)
 
thats really good to know about the hand american steels... their fantastic, but its good to know that i need to keep ballistol on them if i ever go to a humid area (and its probably not such a bad idea to coat the inside of the leather with it iether)
 
I’m familiar with this particular problem. This was one of our grooved steels. In the last year or so we have replaced two grooved steels due to rust. In both cases, (including this one) the environment was the major contributing factor.

Our steels are case hardened. The core of the rod is encapsulated in a casing hardened to rc62-65. The casing is relatively thin. Breaks in the surface as you would find in a grooved steel may allow moisture to affect the unprotected core under extreme conditions. Keeping the rod dry and oiled will solve the problem.

On the other hand, our smooth steels are completely impervious to moisture, they will never rust, and the only way to make them susceptible to rusting is to break the surface with a diamond cutter. They don’t require oiling at all.

Using case hardened steel is really the only affordable way we can keep up with modern knife making technology. The emergence of super hard steels that are not brittle and will hold an edge longer is a marvelous thing. Figuring out new ways to keep these knives honed and sharp is a bit of a challenge- but that’s what we do, and most folks are pleased with our efforts.

As a matter of fact, we have developed a ceramic/steatite rod that will appear on our site in a day or so that will hone any existing knife steel.

Anyone out there reading this that would like to be notified as to when the info will be posted should email to kd@handamerican.com

The author of this thread is a very likable fellow, and a good customer. At first reading of his post it appeared a bit negative, but I don’t think it was malicious.

Of course I have no choice but to respond and explain, thanks for reading.
Keith De’Grau
www.handamerican.com
 
I've got a complete sharpening system fron HandAmerican and it's top notch. Very innovative, easy to change the paper and strops, and complete. All you need to sharpen all your knives.
 
Butcher,
Excellent report on performance, thanks!

Keith,
Thanks for clarifying things about your products. Great to see you are stading behind your stuff! Once I figure out where to but from, I'll be getting one of your hones!

Bo Hansen
 
Just to clarify, I never meant to knock on HandAmerican. Where I was the climate will kill just about anything and everything and even though my steel rod rusted, I still used it and it worked. I also have a complete kit from them and love it. Since I've been home I ordered another rod to replace the first, and the HandAmerican sharpening kit is all I use.
 
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