HG-55 Limitations

[DreamHawk]

Hi folks, I'm a Busse newb with some questions for you all. I recently purchased an HG-55 after wanting one for the longest time. I'm not really a heavy user ie: plowing the knife through sheet steel and what not, but I do scrap metal on the side and use my knife for cutting wire, rubber off tires, and other "heavy duty" type applications. I camp and fish, and could never see myself using the knife to improvise shelter and what not, but stranger things have happened. So my questions are as follows:

This being a combat knife, does the tip possess the strength for digging into wood, possibly earth?

Is the edge on this knife suitable for batoning?

Would I be better suited with something like an ASH-1 for all around utility/strength?

I love the design of the HG and given Busse's warranty I'm surely not afraid to use it, but I don't want to do something the knife was not intended for. I'm curious, can anyone clarify the limitations of this knife?

 

[Lapp_Dance]

I own an HG-55 Military Overrun, and really like it. I believe the knife was designed as more of a fighter, and would be somewhat (read not entirely) limited as a utility knife. The swedge on the knife will chew up a baton if you use it for wood, but I'm sure it will still get the job done. Heck, I've batoned with a Mora.

The ASH-1 is a fine knife, and you will probably get a few recommendations for a NMSFNO, which is also a very nice blade. I would see the Game Warden or one of the Street's as more of a utility blade, with the ASH and the NMSFNO being large utility styles.

 

[bravodelta]

I had an HG-55 LE. Could it baton, probably. The tip is massively strong, no doubt about it. It is a very very poor slicer as it comes from the factory. I seriously doubt you could slice up a tire with such a thick edge. There are many better Busse options. You would probably do much better with something liken a Regulator, Ash or even a a Boss Jack CG

 

[Al-Sheikh]

(...) I do scrap metal on the side and use my knife for cutting wire, rubber off tires, and other "heavy duty" type applications. (...)

The HG 55 is a fighter design which I love, but for practical tasks there are more suitable models out there.

If cutting wire and rubber tires is one of the main tasks I would look for a model without choil. Doesn't mean you can't do it with a choil, but the blade will get stuck in the material every now and then when you push it too far. This can be pretty annoying if you have lots of work to do.

First model that comes to my mind for the tasks you describe is the BOSS Jack LE or CG. If you wanna go heavier the Tankbuster is the way to go. If you wanna go lighter grab a BOSS Street. All these models are available without choil.

 

[DreamHawk]

Thanks for all the input! I have a reason to buy another now lol. I can see the look on my girlfriends face already. 0_o

 

[Last Visible Canary]

This being a combat knife, does the tip possess the strength for digging into wood, possibly earth?

Is the edge on this knife suitable for batoning?

Would I be better suited with something like an ASH-1 for all around utility/strength?

I love the design of the HG and given Busse's warranty I'm surely not afraid to use it, but I don't want to do something the knife was not intended for. I'm curious, can anyone clarify the limitations of this knife?

for the vast majority of busse's, when you read 'fighting' and 'combat', don't read 'hand to hand altercations', read 'field of combat utility'. Unless it's a custom shop knife with a heavily thinned edge, anything 'fighter' from busse will be a fighter only in outline, it will be a heavy use utility knife in geometry.

Those knives that don't fit into that mold are very much in the minority. The two that come to mind are the CABS and mini Sus Scrofa, both of which have thin edges (around .025", as apposed to the average .040") and high flat grinds.


That said, I haven't read any comments about the thickness of the edge on them, so I don't know.