Recommendation? Good first Busse for camp/outdoors tasks?

Dadpool said:
Your photo, which I came across looking for examples of SHEs and different blade/handle color combos, was what ultimately sold me on how great that color combo is going to be. :)



I read a thread about that while doing my homework, but didn't know that the .25 blades became .22 blades with prettier surfaces down the road. I assume the dimples are more of an aesthetic concern, and if so they won't bother me. I sought out a coated blade and have no plans to strip it.
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I didn’t even realize they came in a full 0.25” stock. Although I never measured it, (and can’t now b/c it’s in the mail) I am sure yours is 0.22”. This, to me, is a good thing as INFI doesn’t really need the massive thickness, although it is certainly a selling point with certain models. I like a thicker blank with FFGs rather than v-grinds and on blades at least 8” and up.
 
If my math is right (and I'm still on my first cup of coffee, so it may well not be!), .22 inches vs. .25 inches is 5.58 mm vs. 6.35 mm -- a difference of 0.77 mm. I'm looking at the ruler on my knife chest, and I think I'd be hard pressed to detect a sub-1 mm difference by eye.

By extension, I have to imagine that in a blade of this length (IE not a long, dedicated chopper where thickness translates to a lot more mass for better chopping), .22 vs. .25 isn't going to make much of a difference either way. For example, in a saber-ground blade the extra .77 mm doesn't seem like it'd matter much for batoning.

That's just my gut, though, since I've never held a Busse and have no practical experience here. Does that sound about right?
 
I’m betting when you have the knife in hand, you’ll be pleased with the heft and just as glad it’s no heavier.
 
Dadpool said:
If my math is right (and I'm still on my first cup of coffee, so it may well not be!), .22 inches vs. .25 inches is 5.58 mm vs. 6.35 mm -- a difference of 0.77 mm. I'm looking at the ruler on my knife chest, and I think I'd be hard pressed to detect a sub-1 mm difference by eye.
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Uh-oh, maths! I’ll assume that you’re correct. I guess it never felt like a full 0.25” in relation to other blades I’d had. A few of the BGs, such as BG SFNO and BG ASH-1, for example, felt very chunky to me at 0.25”, but they were also shorter knives. It probably is 0.25”, it just feels better balanced to me, and therefore I assumed it was thinner.

I always felt that the NMSFNO was thinner than the BG SFNO, for example, and it turns out that they are both 0.25”. Something about that greater length and better balance (maybe the NM treatment, too) fooled me into thinking it was 0.22”.
 
You guys are killin’ me.:D

Just not that different if you don’t have the two side-by-side to compare. Apocryphiliac’s conundrum is perfectly understandable—either thickness has its own subtle advantages.
 
I will give it a highly unscientific hairy eyeball when it arrives (AKA set it on top of a ruler and squint at it) and report back with my best guess as to whether it's .22 or .25. ;) :thumbsup:
 
For a little perspective, the original INFI ASH1 was made in .1875” (3/16), .22” and .32” blade thicknesses. All have very dedicated and vocal supporters. Both .22” and .25” are obviously mid-range.
 
Glad my pic was helpful :)! The SHe2 (either variant, not much diff between them) is the most underated blade that came out of the Busse shop in the last few years, IMHO. It probably had to do with what Tim added about the dimples..
Dadpool said:
Your photo, which I came across looking for examples of SHEs and different blade/handle color combos, was what ultimately sold me on how great that color combo is going to be. :)



I read a thread about that while doing my homework, but didn't know that the .25 blades became .22 blades with prettier surfaces down the road. I assume the dimples are more of an aesthetic concern, and if so they won't bother me. I sought out a coated blade and have no plans to strip it.
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Sooo many good suggestions already and although this picture is missing the HOGB8 and my Euro-B6, you could easily do well with any of the following...
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Stump Buster said:
Sooo many good suggestions already and although this picture is missing the HOGB8 and my Euro-B6, you could easily do well with any of the following...
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If my Busse-spotting is improving, the SHE-2 I went with is on the bottom in your photo (albeit with tan/black instead of green/black G10). :D
 
I feel like I need to go chop something now looking at these pics. The SHE2 is beautiful, Im still searching for one with micarta..
 
Stump Buster said:
Since Dadpool has made up his mind, I'll just add one more pic to keep up the encouragement for his wise decision making...
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Keep 'em coming! :thumbsup:

My SHE2 is in the mail, the sheath is ordered, and I'm already planning day hikes earlier in the season than I'd usually go out in part so that I have an excuse to carry this puppy before summer camping season. :D
 
Dadpool said:
Keep 'em coming! :thumbsup:

My SHE2 is in the mail, the sheath is ordered, and I'm already planning day hikes earlier in the season than I'd usually go out in part so that I have an excuse to carry this puppy before summer camping season. :D
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Nice! Where did you order the sheath from?

Btw, you guys with your darn 2G SHe pics... now I’m thinking I will need to buy another one again someday. :confused::oops:

Not that I regret selling mine to Dadpool... nice seeing him giddy with anticipation. :D Plus I have a few more pieces of bacon in my trough. :cool:
 
It came! And holy :poop: on a shingle am I blown away by this knife. :D

It somehow manages to be simultaneously be heavy and solid (21.4 oz.), huge (relative to what I'm used to, at least!), and nimble in my hand. The gen2 ergo grip is everything I hoped it would be from the pictures, and the G10 surprised me by being both checkered and dimpled (kind of like two textures) -- it reminds me of pistol grips. I cannot wait to get this puppy into a sheath and out on the trail!

V3Gni01.jpg

gWIXFvt.jpg

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(For searchability: Busse Steel Heart Ergo 2 [SHE2])

I measured the blade thickness, and it is indeed .25. ;)

What a phenomenal knife! Thank you again to Apocryphiliac Apocryphiliac for a fantastic price on my first slab of INFI, and to everyone who posted here with recommendations and feedback. Much appreciated! :thumbsup:
 
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