Help with good knife for small to medium work....?

A

alpinezone

Joined
Nov 22, 2009
Messages
11
I am new at posting here so bare with me. I am looking for a small knife 4 1/2 inch minimum all usable edge up to 5 inch. Nothing fancy and nothing very rare but made of infi and has a good designed handle for working hours at a time. Don't want something really thick or heavy. It will be for cutting rope, small batoning, basic camp chores, cleaning fish, skinning dear, etc. MOST importantly it's got to be survival orientated.

No fighter knives please this will be used consistently with my 8 year old daughter and here girl scout friends with me so totally practical would be great.

A sheath would be a bonus preferably kydex, waffle style to save weight? Anything you all can recommend, have, pics, thoughts, opinions, would be of great help.

My email if you prefer is primitiveskills@aol.com Thanks again!

AZ

Edited out WTB parameters. I'd suggest editing out your email address, but I leave that call to you as it breaks no rules I'm aware of. Spam might be a good reason to take it out though as anyone can still email you through the BladeFoums.com email service as long as you have that option enabled in your user settings.
 
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alpinezone,

Welcome to the Busse Forum! :)

This is a discussion forum, where you can learn about the models that fit you listed criteria. However, this isn't the thread to post a Wanted To Buy. Best thing to do is find the models that suit you here in this forum, then start a thread in the Exchange: Wanted To Buy sub-forum with the models that interest you and the details I'm about to edit out of your post. :)

In the meantime, lemme stew on what blades might fit your needs. When you say "all usable edge", am I assuming right that you are looking for a model without a choil? :)
 
Thanks for getting back to me. Yes am not looking for a choil unless it's very light knife and still provides a 4.5 to 5 inch edge. Thanks a bunch for removing my thread and putting it where it belongs.

AZ
 
I'm leaving your thread mostly intact here as this is the best place to get info on the models best suited to your needs. :) I just took out some of the WTB language that you can use when you go to post a WTB in the right sub-forum.

If you want an unedited copy of your post, please let me know and I'll email it to you! :thumbup:

As for choiless...

Most Busse knives have choils. However, if you don't mind a model with a 6" usable blade (choiless) or slightly less usable length blade (same model with a finger choil), I highly recommend the current offering still available for ordering directly through Busse, the BOSS Jack or the slightly thinner version, the BOSS Jack Limited Edition, which is nice and light.

You can check it out at www.bussecombat.com :):thumbup:
 
You're welcome!

If that one isn't to your liking, then I have another suggestion...

Swamp Rat has a model called the RatManDu, which has a 5" blade, but does only come with a finger choil, which would make the usable length just about 4.5" long. It is another fantastic model, and IIRC, it may be still available through Swamp Rat Knife Works, a Busse Family knife company. you can check out the RMD on the Swamp Rat sub-forum here on BladeForums. :)

Good Hunting! :)
 
Thanks so much. I didn't want to go 6 inch but when I looked at the specs it will work out great. Later this afternoon I am going to order the Black limited edition choiless. Thanks a ton for moving me into the right direction. I am skilled greatly in the outdoors but move like a donkey on the net. ;)
 
Again, you are most welcome. The pleasure was all mine...glad I could help! :)
Hope to see you back around here showing off pix of your BOSS Jack in action soon!! :D:thumbup:
 
alpinezone said:
Thanks so much. I didn't want to go 6 inch but when I looked at the specs it will work out great. Later this afternoon I am going to order the Black limited edition choiless. Thanks a ton for moving me into the right direction. I am skilled greatly in the outdoors but move like a donkey on the net. ;)
Click to expand...

You have made a good choice afaic...
 
BOSS Jack and Ratmandu are good choices, but both are full-tang knives and fairly heavy for their size. A lightweight INFI alternative with super ergonomic handle for extended use is the S5LE with ribbed "mudder" style Resiprene-C (rubber compound) handle and reduced tang, 5" blade. Often available on the Busse For Sale forum for under $300.

Edited to add: S5LE stands for Scrapyard Scrapper 5 Limited Edition, and has a satin-finished INFI blade. There is a "combat grade" Scrapper 5 also, identical in size, which has a coated SR101 blade, for less money.
 
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http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/839182-SAR-3-vs-Game-Warden-Hack-vs-BASIC-3
The above link has several suggestions, including the CABS/choiless boss jack, shown below:

P10802382.jpg
 
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The CABS would also fit your requirements. It is 4 inches of choil less goodness. It is thin enough to make a great slicer, dicer, and skinner. The handle is slim and not bulky.

However, the choil less Boss Jack is also going to be an instant classic! Wish I had one of those too (but I have a Muck on order too).
 
Check out the scrapyard scrapper 5 LE - this one is made of INFI and has a resiprene c handle that is very comfortable. My combat grade scrapper 5 (SR101 steel) gets alot of use.
 
CABS. Choiless anorexic boss street. Had one but have now opted for the larger boss jack. Last visible canary's pic should help you decide. Either one is great.
 
my first thought was CABS as well be cause it's choil-less otherwise the boss jack LE woudl be my pick for something light but longer.
 
It's really just been recently that busse has introduced any knife that is choiless, let alone light/compact/thin and choiless. Unfortunately if you absolutely require choiless as an option, your stuck with these two models, a tank buster, a warboar, a HACK bearcub, a HACK warden, a scrapivore from scrap yard or a vexilarious from swamp rat.
 
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Also surprised no one has mentioned the Muck!

Skinning, food prep, no choil, very "survival" oriented.


Well he did miss the order window, and they are not out yet, but I am sure there will be some up on the exchange eventually!
 
I've noticed something with the guardless knives from bussekin, they all seem to want your hand to be in the same position they would be in if there was a guard, leaving an inch of space between your index finger and the edge. If you do try to choke up to get your finger close to the edge, your getting half a fingers worth of scale at best, or your gripping just raw metal like you would on a gaurded/choiled version.

Muk
MUK7.jpg

SAR5
picture3096.jpg

the gaurdless hack series
HACK active duty
HACK_ActiveDuty.jpg

HACK game warden
picture5866.jpg

Swamp Rat Vexillarius (sp?)
Vex_4794a.jpg

same situation with the gaurded-sort-of-choiless pork belly skinner
pbs00003no7.jpg



The grip I'm talking about, where the palm swell is placed an in a way that puts your hand an inch away from the edge:
DSC04625.jpg
 
Which is not necessarily a bad thing. The metal edge is thinner and gives you a better sense of blind indexing the angle of the knife. It may wear down your hand after a few hours of work though, if you had to do a lot of it in the choked up position.

This is what your gripping when you choke up:
IMG_5368-1.jpg


This is an example of a handle modification to show what it would look like with a full index finger full of scale:
CopyofPICT1749-1.jpg
 
Last Visible Canary said:
Which is not necessarily a bad thing. The metal edge is thinner and gives you a better sense of blind indexing the angle of the knife. It may wear down your hand after a few hours of work though, if you had to do a lot of it in the choked up position.

This is what your gripping when you choke up:
IMG_5368-1.jpg


]
Click to expand...

What is that?? I am assuming it's a custom you designed/ordered? Whatever it is, I like it.
 
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