CABS and Bark River

CapitalizedLiving

CapitalizedLiving

Joined
Dec 1, 2007
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Just this weekend I got to see my favorite knife reviewer "virtuovice" use a Busse CABS and give commentary before, during, and after its use. Here is an avid deer hunter who buys a ton of knives and then actually runs them through the wringer (mostly with hunting tasks).

Probably nothing new here... some of these videos below were made almost 10 months ago. You'll need about an hour and 15 minutes if you want to watch all four in their entirety, but I think it's worth it.

So first off, here's his "pre-use" video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDBpcHwp_HI

He offers a general explanation of the knife and the custom leather sheath he purchased for it. He is clearly fascinated by the flat-to-convex grind and, under a microscope, he shows how clean the transition between the two is.

Next, we get a comparison of the CABS, a BRK Fox River, and a CKC knife during deer dressing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek9Z_3ZxgZ8

He makes it clear here that the CABS is NOT a hunting knife. However, you can see that it does the job anyway, and not without a fair bit of grace, and requires no sharpening afterward.

Next, we get a comparison of the CABS with a BRK Bravo 1 during deer dressing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQQukgBJr-k

I liked watching him use two non-hunting specific knives for hunting-specific tasks. He mentions at one point that the CABS is better at this function than the Bravo. At the end of this video we get to see him stropping the CABS and giving a bit of advice on the best strop for this knife (which turns out to be a different type of strop than what he uses on BRK knives).

Finally, this is the last video I found by virtuovice on the CABS, which isn't a review per se but just his thoughts on its design and price point...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbxR22v2dKY&feature=related

The stated purpose of this review is to compare his most expensive knife to his cheapest knife. CABS comes out as the most expensive, which isn't terribly surprising. He explains what "anorexic" means (the knife had no appetite and got thin, lol). The best part is how he explains the edge angle of the blade and actually shows a paper-cutting test that is useful to the viewer (explaining how the knife produces clean cuts yet produces palpable resistance, then shows the "hairy" look on the cut surface indicating that resistance).

In summary, virtuovice seems to be pretty consistent in his belief that the CABS is a dependable knife for hard use, single-knife situations. However, he seems to feel that the blade geometry inherently causes some resistance when cutting and he vacillates between saying the knife holds its edge and doesn't hold its edge. After watching the videos I think it's fair to say that it holds its edge quite admirably.

As a result of watching these videos and thinking about them, I bought a CABS. I cannot afford one and I probably don't need it, but it's the closest thing to a perfect design Busse has made, in my opinion. And if perfection (again, in my opinion) is this hard to come by, I should get while the getting is good (or present at all). I feel I can now test INFI against my own Bark River and Fallkniven knives (a Bravo and an S1, respectively) and see which one comes out as the first choice in one-knife situations. I think the CABS should do a very good job in this regard.

Thank you for reading!
 
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Interesting read, I saw his video a while ago with the cabs and like the way he reviews knives.

You bought a cabs and have a brkt bravo and fallkniven but no pics?!?!?! pics or it didnt happen. :thumbup:
 
I used my cabs on 2 large doe last week. It worked great... and it still shaves arm hair just fine. I've also used my BAD, meaner street, and meaner hack on deer in the past. They all work great. IMO 4-4.5" is preferable for deer.
 
I don't have the CABS yet... but I should get it (AND a sheath) both within the week. I'll do an update (INCLUDING PICS, I swear) once it gets here.
 
I can use any knife to gut and skin a deer, some work great, some just work. What I really like about virtuovoice is he actually semi butchers the deer in the field under field conditions. Cutting out the backstraps, loins, etc. I have spent hours watching his videos and do not view the time as wasted. Here in Ohio our gun season is 1 week long and in my county we are allowed 2 deer. It isn't like I get tons of practice. Thanks for the links.
 
messer454 said:
I can use any knife to gut and skin a deer, some work great, some just work. What I really like about virtuovoice is he actually semi butchers the deer in the field under field conditions. Cutting out the backstraps, loins, etc. I have spent hours watching his videos and do not view the time as wasted. Here in Ohio our gun season is 1 week long and in my county we are allowed 2 deer. It isn't like I get tons of practice. Thanks for the links.
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You're welcome! I also learn a lot from his videos. Sadly I've been learning a lot more from youtube than from personal experience lately, but I tip the balance whenever possible.
 
if busse every makes a 5"+ version I'll be all over it, and will proclaim it's glory for many years to come. Especially if it's in the higher 62-64rc.
 
never herd of a "bark liver" knife before? (confused) :confused:

however i have heard of a very spcl blade coming soon to a store near you :eek:
 
idahoskunk said:
never herd of a "bark liver" knife before? (confused) :confused:

however i have heard of a very spcl blade coming soon to a store near you :eek:
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You know, Skunk, you're one of the reasons why this was so difficult. I finally find one Busse I REALLY like and actually can pull the trigger on, and you roll out another model. Looks like I'd better keep an eye out for this one...
 
Thank's for the link. I kind of eluded to this in another thread and hope I am not stepping out of bounds with my opinion for I have not been a member here for very long. It is my perception, that Busse Combat, has always made hard use knives that are backed up with a lifetime warranty. Hard use, and that warranty, may dictate the way they are made. Many model's can be pressed into service for skinning however, they may not be ideal for one reason or another. I think the field is wide open for Busse/Kin to make some knives dedicated to skinning. Maybe if there was a Busse "Sport's" division, and maybe a different warranty method, perhaps some design's could be made more in line with the role of skinning. That is only my perception and may be off base. I do believe there is a demand for thinner, more task specific knives. The Muk, and CABS, was something out of the ordinary for Busse atleast, that is what I gathered from reading many post when they were released. Again, I have not been here to know every model released and reviewed and is only my perception of the history of this company which may be incorrect.
 
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Super X said:
Thank's for the link. I kind of eluded to this in another thread and hope I am not stepping out of bounds with my opinion for I have not been a member here for very long. It is my perception, that Busse Combat, has always made hard use knives that are backed up with a lifetime warranty. Hard use, and that warranty, may dictate the way they are made. Many model's can be pressed into service for skinning however, they may not be ideal for one reason or another. I think the field is wide open for Busse/Kin to make some knives dedicated to skinning. Maybe if there was a Busse "Sport's" division, and maybe a different warranty method, perhaps some design's could be made more in line with the role of skinning. That is only my perception and may be off base. I do believe there is a demand for thinner, more task specific knives. The Muk, and CABS, was something out of the ordinary for Busse atleast, that is what I gathered from reading many post when they were released. Again, I have not been here to know every model released and reviewed and is only my perception of the history of this company which may be incorrect.
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There have been a fair number of hunting/skinning (and even a filet knife or two) released by Busse. I think the idea of a "Sports Division" is kind of inherent in Busse's overall business model due to their limited runs and mission-specific design philosophy. One month we may get a mega-chopper designed to take down a redwood forest, and the next we get an EDC thin and light enough to be used as a paring knife.

So I think it's fair to say Busse plays a good game when you look at their customer base as a whole, and realize that there are a lot of demands for various knives to fit every role from government procurements to models designed according to discourse on forums like this one. I think we'll see hunting, fishing, bushcrafting, and maybe even cooking knives come from Busse. The question is when, and how long will we have to grab one before they're gone.
 
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To the OP it's funny you should mention the CABS and the Bravo1 together. I recently found out that the leather sheath for the bravos fits the cabs perfectly! A great cheap leather sheath for an awesome knife!

ETA I should mention that I'm talking about the old sheath design with the firesteel loop. Not the new design with years generation of bravos.
 
HandofCod said:
To the OP it's funny you should mention the CABS and the Bravo1 together. I recently found out that the leather sheath for the bravos fits the cabs perfectly! A great cheap leather sheath for an awesome knife!

ETA I should mention that I'm talking about the old sheath design with the firesteel loop. Not the new design with years generation of bravos.
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I think I have one of those sheaths. I'll verify when the CABS gets here, but here's what I've got, with a very ass-beaten Bravo 1 resting comfortably in it...
bravshe.jpg
 
Here you go.

smugshot338953-L.jpg
 
Where I live is mule deer, not one time has INFI's edge lasted though a complete field dressing and skinning without -needing- to be sharpened, where as Bark Rivers A2 will, and then cut paper very easily,and BusseKin 154cm also will finish and be able to cut paper.
 
Bowxpress said:
Where I live is mule deer, not one time has INFI's edge lasted though a complete field dressing and skinning without -needing- to be sharpened, where as Bark Rivers A2 will, and then cut paper very easily,and BusseKin 154cm also will finish and be able to cut paper.
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Virtuovice definitely was happy with the edge retention of the Bravo 1 after dressing a deer. As you can see in the video, it sliced paper afterward with no issues at all.

But is it a matter of edge retention of INFI in general, or would the blade grind have something to do with it?
 
The geometry is a huge part, I have had INFI convex ground to zero edge and it out- performs in cutting/slicing way more than factory specs- excellent improvement, however the edge does need to be sharpened more often than other steels.
 
Interesting. If INFI must be sharpened more, what is its main advantage? My guess is since INFI tends to bend more than break it would outlast most knife steels that are more prone to chipping and the eventual need for reprofiling (assuming you're not using your INFI to chop a brick in half). Does that sound accurate or am I off base?
 
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