How does the Custom Shop work?

C

Cutwater

Joined
Oct 8, 2009
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Hey y'all! I've been wondering how the Busse Custom Shop works. What I mean is, can I send them a knife and will they customize it for me (different finish/scales)? Or is the custom shop more for ordering the knife you want to your specifications.

I was wondering for two reasons, 1) Understandably, the shop is closed till Tuesday so I can't call up and ask, and 2) I have a Boss Street on order and before I get it shipped to me I was hoping it could be dropped off to the custom shop for different scales.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your responses! Y'all are great.

Side Note: Did I read correctly somewhere that Busse Custom Shop could make Blue and Black G10 1911 grips?
 
I'm no expert nor an official representative, however:

Yes, the Custom Shop (headed up by our very own Garth) will do things like swap the handles and change the finish and sharpen Busse knives you already own - and for a reasonable fee. In my last communication with them a handle swap was ~$65 and turning a DC blade to Satin was ~$75 (on an ASH in this case).

As for ordering a knife in a specific configuration - I hear they'll do that too, with two common caveats: (1) if it's a relatively common knife (ASH, FSH, BM, whatever) and you just want a unique finish/handle combo - that's the easiest and least expensive of the custom options. and (2) if you want something truly custom or more rare, expect to wait many months, maybe a year or three, and expect to pay upwards of $100 per linear inch based on the OAL of the blade.

Anyway, that's what I've picked up from being around here a few years. IN any case, email Garth at BusseCombat dot com with your questions and, in my experiences, either he or his assistant will get back you to within a few weeks in most cases.

Oh yeah - 1911 grips... yes, they've made them in bunches of G10 colors in the past and may still. IIRC they run around $75 or $100 a set, and you usually only see them at the trade shows like Blade or for sale on the Exchange once in a while. I have no idea if you can just order a set.

Good luck.

What sort of things were you looking for?
 
As far as I know, currently there is a no-modification status for the boss street. You can call and ask about different colors, but previously the answer has been no, for the time being it's just black/black.
 
DowntownDM said:
(2) if you want something truly custom or more rare, expect to wait many months, maybe a year or three,
Click to expand...

If you looking for a knife to be customized (you send in the knife) you may get it in as little time as 3 months, but if your looking for a truly ground up custom expect to wait 3-5 years.
 
Awesome, I appreciate the quick replies. Wait time isn't that big of a deal to me, I've waited 14 months for a Springfield Pro, but 3-5 years would take the cake!

DowntownDM, All I really was hoping for was to get a custom set of Black and Blue G10 made for the Boss Street, and at the same time have the finish stripped. That's gotta be my favorite combo!
 
As LVC was saying, and IME too, there tends to be a period where even the Custom Shop will not modify/customize certain specific models - and it's usually when they're still being offered direct (in whatever config they're offered) and immediately following when they were offered recently. I imagine this is to avoid many requests for specific quasi-custom variations when they'd prefer to focus the sales of those models to the configs being offered.

So, I doubt you can get such work done to a BOSS Street at this time.

You can, however, strip and satin it yourself (using the current handles for now) or have someone like NorcalBlacktail and others who mod knives do it for you.
 
Thanks again, Downtown. Does NorcalBlacktail do stuff like that (stripping and grip replacing) and (I feel like a newbie saying this) are there certain routes to commission work or do I just straight up email someone like that?
 
Cutwater said:
Thanks again, Downtown. Does NorcalBlacktail do stuff like that (stripping and grip replacing) and (I feel like a newbie saying this) are there certain routes to commission work or do I just straight up email someone like that?
Click to expand...

Norcal, and Ban though he seems to be around a lot less lately, will give them a satin finish and convex the edges (which generally involves removing and reattaching the handles), but I don't know whether or not they can or will swap the handles for something different. Most of the handles from Busse are machined, either the rough blanks which are then handshaped, or the entire handle including the texture. Given that G10 is hard to work with, I don't know if these guys have the capability to do that sort of work, but I'm not them so who knows. You don't see much of it IIRC.

Yeah, IME you can just email/PM Norcal and ask about his availability/willingness.
 
Any competent knifemaker could put custom scales on your knife. And that would not hurt the warranty on the blade itself.
 
will some one PLEASE make this info into a sticky. It comes up by someone every week at least once. :confused:

Cutwater said:
Hey y'all! I've been wondering how the Busse Custom Shop works. What I mean is, can I send them a knife and will they customize it for me (different finish/scales)? Or is the custom shop more for ordering the knife you want to your specifications.



I was wondering for two reasons, 1) Understandably, the shop is closed till Tuesday so I can't call up and ask, and 2) I have a Boss Street on order and before I get it shipped to me I was hoping it could be dropped off to the custom shop for different scales.



Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your responses! Y'all are great.



Side Note: Did I read correctly somewhere that Busse Custom Shop could make Blue and Black G10 1911 grips?
Click to expand...
 
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