Gone are the days...

adrock1978

adrock1978

Joined
May 30, 2009
Messages
2,538
It seems to me that its been quite some time since I would browse the busse forum, and the topics and threads would fuel my fever to purchase more Infi. I used to bounce back and forth from the discussion section to the exchange section for hours each day. Now its rare if I'm here half a dozen times a week. The discussions used to be filled with guys hunting down and showing off grail knives, dudes doing their own custom work to their Busses and the occasional Design the next Busse contest. Now I log in and it seems like more than half the threads are "off topic" or people inquiring about knives other than busses. I hardly see any of the old timers and knife dealers lurking any more.

Besides the perceived shift in forum environment, it also seems like Busse itself has settled into a bit of a slump as well. Like I said, admittedly I'm not around as often as I used to be, but what is new around here? I haven't seen one knife I HAD to have that differed much from the other 12 Busse/kin I own, in quite some time. All the recent offerings are either the Basic this, or Anniversary that... The Argonne Assault has been on the website for like... 16 months now? The last time the Company Store offered anything, Obama was taking office. For the first time! And hasn't it been almost a year since we saw a sneak peek of the 30 year anniversary Mojo or Mofo... I dont even remember which it was. I've spent the money I'd saved in anticipation for it about 4 times now. And what's up with the news letters? Cant we get one on the regular even if nothing new is coming out? Throw us a bone, maybe give us an update? I think theres a thread up there right now (from June) about how the next news letter in 2 weeks will blow our minds... Its August. Did I miss something?

I dont know. Maybe it seemed there was more available, or going on when I jumped on board in 08 because I was catching up and buying past offerings. But even the names of the knives have hit a lull. Basic 3, Basic 4, Basic 5, Basic 6, Basic 7... Rodent 3, Rodent 4, Rodent 5, Rodent 6... bla bla bla... Its like the only time we get to set eyes on something new, it's some fleeting glimpse of a knife at Blade that will never reach the hands of us mortals. I used to scoff at people when they pulled out anything other than a bussekin, because it paled in comparison to what I considered a tough use knife. I didnt even know or care that other knives existed. Now... I've bought more custom, small batch knives from other makers in the past few months than all the busses I bought total in 2012. Its an addiction and I'm sorry to say, if Busse doesn't scratch the itch, I look elswhere. And I hate that!

I still firmly believe nothing can beat a bussekin. I still chop wood with my Rat Daddy... still field dress and butcher deer with my basic 4 LE and I still sleep with my SR Desert Jack under my pillow... but the fever for more is fading. Fast. This isn't a thread bashing Busse. Trust me. I know you new guys will be quick to jump in with your bla bla bla and some of the old guys will definitely dispute what I'm saying. I did say all this was all based on perception and I wont deny any opposing arguement. Am I completely off here? I just know its been a long time since I maxed out a card on a Busse offering, or saw anything in a ganza that had me F5ing for 3 hours straight. I love Busse. I love their knives. I just kinda needed to get this off my chest.
 
I've been active here since late 2004 and while that doesn't mean squat :D, the forum has changed over the years and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I remember when I joined the forum it was tons of off topic threads mixed with hogs showing off huge collections. It was a fun time for me and that's what drew me to buy a Busse. Around the time of the game wardens, it seems there was a shift as all things change over time. I guess I'm just rambling but what I'm trying to say is that the forum is always evolving as new people join and the regulars get busy with life or have pursued other avenues. I know for a while I fell off the face of the earth due to schooling and being financially stricken, I didn't have the extra money to buy up new pieces or the time for the forums. As for the offerings, I can't really say. And there's nothing wrong with buying other custom knives. I have a few makers that I hope to score one day. I invest in people when I go to shows and buy from makers who are friends so I guess I'm more of a friend collector than a knife collector in that respect. Anyways, I hope this contributes to the conversation in some way. I'm tired and not sure if my thoughts are coherent right now :)
 
Well said brother. I have the same thoughts.... almost the exact same thoughts

Sorry I dont have much to add, I have been drinking with M67 over dinner and we just had this discussion.
 
Offerings have been off from when I joined as well. Quite a few re-issues of past offerings, Argonne Assault, AMS, SHBM, etc. I agree that the majority of the best and diverse offerings are made at shows and not everyone has the ability to attend those.

I took a break from the forums myself for a year or two. It's definitely a different crowd here now with some of the old timers left.
 
KnifeAddictAK said:
I've been active here since late 2004 and while that doesn't mean squat :D, the forum has changed over the years and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I remember when I joined the forum it was tons of off topic threads mixed with hogs showing off huge collections. It was a fun time for me and that's what drew me to buy a Busse. Around the time of the game wardens, it seems there was a shift as all things change over time. I guess I'm just rambling but what I'm trying to say is that the forum is always evolving as new people join and the regulars get busy with life or have pursued other avenues. I know for a while I fell off the face of the earth due to schooling and being financially stricken, I didn't have the extra money to buy up new pieces or the time for the forums. As for the offerings, I can't really say. And there's nothing wrong with buying other custom knives. I have a few makers that I hope to score one day. I invest in people when I go to shows and buy from makers who are friends so I guess I'm more of a friend collector than a knife collector in that respect. Anyways, I hope this contributes to the conversation in some way. I'm tired and not sure if my thoughts are coherent right now :)
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I can definitely agree that my financial situation (which is bleak at the moment) tends to determine the scope of my purchasing, but the forums still held my interest with both the conversation and the drool worthy new knives back then. Now, not so much. In the past I've purchased knives I had no business going near because of the price but I HAD to have it. The only reason I didn't buy some past offerings is because of the price. Lately I feel like I'm passing on completely affordable $200 knives because they do nothing for me. No rise. No excitement.
 
Maybe the hype has faded. Maybe folks got tired of the un-orthodox (frustrating) sales and marketing methods that I never understood even though I loved the products. Maybe the secondary market prices pissed people off enough to go elsewhere. Also, just like you (and me) people's tastes change. There is a ton of awesome makers out there and even the production stuff these days is super cool and fresh.

I can't disagree with much of what you said, however I still,like the company, great service but definitely in a rut. Like Apple, 20 blockbuster products in a row and now the lull. Happens to the best!!!
 
Not much chow in the trough from Busse lately...


But, Pokey just posted there is something coming up soon. Around 2 weeks from now I suppose. :D



I don't buy as many busse or kin knives as I used to, but mostly because I just don't need any more. I've got every size possible covered...in duplicate.

That doesn't mean I won't buy more Busse or kin though.


But at the end of the day I visit and participate in this forum because of the folks that hang out here. It's a great community. The off topic discussions generally come about when there isn't a lot of new Busse news. Frankly, I believe the off topic stuff is pretty interesting. Folks that gravitate toward the Busse forum are for the most part, people who are all about quality and realize that quality isn't cheap.

I'm one of those people and I enjoy reading about all things quality that we see so often on this forum. From blades to booze... firearms of all sorts to watches, cigars, optics and everything in between. I suppose we are really all just a bunch of virtual drinking buddies that get together and shoot the breeze. Fact is, most of us here already know about the performance of Busse and kin cutlery. I think it would be incredibly redundant if all we talked about was infi.

And it is still pretty cool to see the newbies who have discovered infi... and realize (surprise) this steel rocks! We were all there once. ;).


It's good stuff.



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I'm certainly not knocking what we have here. I love the company, I love the knives, and I really like the forum here. There aren't a lot of knife makers who mingle with us common folk here like the Busse crew does. This is still a great place to hang out, and I'm sure the Busse crew are cooking up some cool stuff to wow us with. I am really looking forward to a CG version of the SHBM.
 
Well, as far as the forum experience goes, it's up to us really. I just posted some cool pics of steel hearts. I love seeing pics of Busse knives and I'm sure you all do too.

Busse will continue to do what they do - produce awesome knives - and we will continue to enjoy them in one way or another.

There's no use dwelling on what 'used to be' or 'old school' this and that. Life and time don't work like that. Live in the moment and get on with it. We have and make this forum what we want it to be, so let's make it a cracker!!! :)
 
Christmas isn't the same anymore either:D
I bought a brand new SHBA off a Busse table at a gun show in 94...I think I had a Macintosh back then with a black and white screen on dial up, took about 5 min to download a picture of the worst quality. No BF not really much of anything except knife and gun magazines, every now and then (Few and far between) I would catch an article about Busse or see an add. A few years latter busse was at the SOF convention in Vegas, quite a buzz at the booth, the new Ergo's were out. I didn't like the looks of them at all, my interest in busse waned at that point, I even sold my SHBA to a fellow that goes by Mulder years later. Selling that knife actually got me back into Busse's and I soon replaced the SHBA and then some since.
Things change, if you expect them to stay the same you will always be disappointed. We have instant access to pretty much anything these days, the good old days were great and at some point these will be them for someone.
I'm rambling now, that Fireball cinnamon whiskey is kicking in!
 
kdstrick said:
I'm one of those people and I enjoy reading about all things quality that we see so often on this forum. From blades to booze... firearms of all sorts to watches, cigars, optics and everything in between. I suppose we are really all just a bunch of virtual drinking buddies that get together and shoot the breeze. Fact is, most of us here already know about the performance of Busse and kin cutlery. I think it would be incredibly redundant if all we talked about was infi.



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I agree completely. I've authored quite a few non knife threads in the Busse section. I guess without the excitement of new knives and the constant generation change over though, I go elsewhere to fill that niche too.
 
Its not so much that I'm yearning for the old, or rejecting the change. I guess its primarily the knives. I just don't see a flow of new knives that will keep an old school customer. Sure, you'll always have new guys coming over here and jumping on the secondary market, but eventually they'll be me, with all the older models. Unfortunately for them there's not much NEW coming out now or the recent past like there was for me 3- 4 years ago. I was buying anything old that interested me, plus Busse was hitting us with a new knife every 6 months. If an LE came out that you couldn't afford, you could count on the SEs or CGs hitting the Co Store 2 months later like clock work. We had SARs and Geminis and Bushwhackers and Boss jacks and Gladiuseses and freakin Grudges and all the ganzas consisted of these same knives chopped in ridiculous ways - not just 42 colors of the same knife...
Now... lol... we're waiting 10 months for a knife 30 years in the making. I really am laughing as I type. And not in a bad way. Because I'm rambling passionately.
I don't mind the off topic stuff... or the new guys or the atmosphere. But ultimately its not what brought me here.
 
I really think the lack of new releases stems from the fact that Busse Knife Group seems to be selling knives like hot cakes right now. Scrap Yard is not taking any new orders right now, supposedly due to their new website but I'm not buying that. I just think their production team is swamped right now with orders waiting to be filled, which would explain the time between releases.

With the popularity of the TGLB, it's no surprise that it's still up for pre-order after being up for over a year. I'm sure the Walking Dead also managed to introduce many new folks to this brand, along with all the preppers out there who take survival very seriously.

That being said, I am only interested in new steel from BKG because literally nothing they have released in the last 30 yrs. has fit my requirements close to 100% yet. I've looked at virtually everything that has come out of Wauseon, and almost everything has something about it that just kills the design for me. Because of this, I will continue to look for new designs in the future and hope that eventually I will find one (or two) that I have no complaints about.
 
Go to a show, feel the commradery, experience the trough and then your views may change. Might be less over the top fanboyism these days on the boards but in real time Ive never experienced a closer knit with a better group of people. In regards to the knives, my only complaint is that I cant buy and keep them all as jerry imo never seems to relent. Nmfsh, ams, tgs, aas, steak knives,nmshbms, butaniku, hawkeyes, pork shanks, basics that werent, the moad, hawks from the swamp, all types of highly functional options at low cost points from the swamp and yard, many others on que. Jerry gives us what we ask for as well as any other knife co cpt. As a buyer/fan of quailty knives, I couldnt ask for anything besides for maybe less offering$ : p
 
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Internet marketing has changed all businesses......not just the knife business. Everyone expects it now.....computers are never fast enough. My two year old grandson navigates my iPad like a pro.

Adrock, you termed it correct.......there are a lot of us here with "the addiction" and the "itch" needs be scratched. I have the knife addiction.....but not only for INFI.....that's a recent twist in a much longer affliction. I've evolved from sending off a check paper-clipped to a magazine ad I cut out to ........... sitting in my comfy leather recliner, drink in hand, flipping channels on the TV while perusing this site and others. I have an endless supply of custom knife makers at my fingertips, reviews on all of them......if I find something I want......it's bought and paid for in a few clicks.
Busse is special and the "two weeks" explanation applied virtually to everything is just a way of saying they are overwhelmed and doing the best they can to keep up. They have made stabs at social networking and newsletters, but my feeling is once you jump into that and make that commitment...........you HAVE to follow through and feed the masses that are out here waiting for someone to scratch their "itch". The company store has been down for "maintenance" for months......and now I rarely check it out.
The exchange has slowed some in part because much of it seemed to be fueled by new introductions. What I mean by that is that knives will go on sale often to fund other purchases. A ganza comes along with a large selection and immediately some will liquidate a few to fund their purchases. Put more new into the pipeline and it will fuel the secondary market.
That causes a lot of buzz and conversation and THAT......is good for the brand. Newsletter....good for the brand....but they need to actually send one.

By the way.....I have a Randall coming in this month.......that I ordered 5 years ago:rolleyes:
 
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Hmmm i joined this forum about a year ago because i needed to know the real value on some Busse knifes that was insanely overpriced at a knifeshop here in Norway, i never bought those knifes but i did buy a SFNOLE from the x instead. Previous to this i had only owned a BME and a Boss Jack but to me these knifes where just good knifes and i knew nothing about infi or Busse. Around the same time that i got the SFNOLE i lost my BME in the woods and it is still there :( , i had started to soak up info on Busses at this point but that did not stop me from being stupid and getting a CS San Mai 3 Khukri when my BME was lost, after one hour of doing the same work in the forest that my BME had done for 10 years the CS piece of crap was broken :mad:, i proceeded to get myself a KZ2 and then the infi hit the fan so to speak :D, i have spent about 10000 $ on Busses in the last year and i have 5 on order as we speak.

Ever since the infi fever hit me i have been trying to learn as much about Busse knifes as possible and i try to help out and give info to newcomers just like the old hogs helped me out when i joined, Busse knifes has turned out to be a hobby and i love it . The comunity we have here is unique and like Rob said: We have and make this forum what we want it to be.

As for new knifes from Busse there has been more than enough for me in the past year, catching up on the old ones and getting some of the new ones have been a heavy enough load for my wallet :D . But imagining myself in your shoes i do agree that maybe more knifes could have been offered but that being said i bet things will change when the TGLB craze dies down.
 
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aaaa_cccc said:
That being said, I am only interested in new steel from BKG because literally nothing they have released in the last 30 yrs. has fit my requirements close to 100% yet. I've looked at virtually everything that has come out of Wauseon, and almost everything has something about it that just kills the design for me.
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Woah woah woah. Have you tried any of those old knives?! I would love a breakdown of why and what requirements they dont meet that you have.

You do realize those 30 year old knives are the foundation of what Busse was founded on. HARD USE KNIVES.
 
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