I have an FBM question

[kniferMan]

As a collector of mistresses I was wondering if anyone knows why the knife pictured below was called an FBM le. The grinds are much more indicative of a satin CGFBM with no corrugation... the number looks like it's #13. Does that mean that they made more then one? Does anyone else have one in their collection? Just wondering, that's all . Thanks!

The picture is from bussecollector.com

 

[dericdesmond]

that pic makes my mouth water, really

 

[Need2Know]

I believe it's a fatty in blade thickness. Other than that, more knowledgable Hogs will need to chime in to shed light on this.

Handle scales may come into play too. Not sure.

 

[Jaxx]

It is a Limited Edition Fusion Battle Mistress, .320" thick satin finished blade with machined "magnum" Tigerhide canvas micarta handles. There are plenty out there, but what makes them "limited" is that no more will ever be made in this configuration. All are serial numbered unless it was requested by the customer to make it "sterile" either by not having a number engraved (which would still have its assigned number under the handles & out of sight) or without having a logo, or having neither (full sterile).

Three full sterile FBMLE's

FBMLE as is (with number & logo & minor handle mod)

 

[Bigfattyt]

I miss mine.


They have a more neutral feel in hand than the FFBM.

 

[AZTimT]

While I was taking some new pics for this post Jaxx beat me to it... :thumbup:

They made a lot of FBM LE's with numbers up to #999 (not necessarily that many or all numbers) and also an unknown number of sterile (numberless and/or logoless), but probably not nearly as many were made as CGFBM's.

They are definitely not just flat ground CGFBM's either:

Look at the difference between the middle CGFBM's .25 thickness vs the bottom FBM LE's .32 thickness.

Now compare the number of scallops on the spine from the thumbramp on top of the front of the handle between the same FBM LE #4 and the CGFBM's below it in this pic.

Then there is the weight difference.
FBM LE 31+ oz

CGFBM 25+ oz

Or for G10 magnum approximate comparion (this is a flat ground CGFBM with no grooves) 27+ oz

 

[The Logical One]

I would give both of my nuts for that knife.

 

[AZTimT]

I would give both of my nuts for that knife.

Logical... both? Good luck finding someone to accept that currency medium. :barf: Saving up for one is much easier and less painful! :thumbup:

 

[The Logical One]

Logical... both? Good luck finding someone to accept that currency medium. :barf: Saving up for one is much easier and less painful! :thumbup:

As you know with knives like these, getting the money to buy it is the easy part, finding one to buy is the most difficult. Plus I can live without my balls, I would just dangle that knife in between my legs as a replacement.

 

[kniferMan]

Here's what I'm talking about guys.... I tried to illustrate it in a pic forgive the quick, thrown together illustration. I just thought I'd show a few from my collection to give you an example of what I'm talking about.

It does look like a fatty but the grinds are defiantly different.

• Here's what I'm seeing:
• The spine has two points in the spine like the CGFBM pictured
• the grind line at the choil is flat and straight.

It looks more like the image below. It's a regound CGFBM look at the grinds and compare.

Images from: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/848857-Busse-vs-Apple

 

[azwelke]

Good eye KniferMan!! I never noticed the FBMLE's with the spine like the CGFBM's.
I think most of them were like the FFBM's.
Al

 

[kniferMan]

Good eye KniferMan!! I never noticed the FBMLE's with the spine like the CGFBM's.
I think most of them were like the FFBM's.
Al

Yeah Al, that's what I thought too. However this is the one featured on busse's website. It can also be found as the description for the FBM le on bussecollector.com

I thought this was maybe a special version Jerry did originally. Maybe a super duper collectable version

 

[bobbystoney]

Weird. The changes stand out like a sore thumb now that you pointed them out.

I thought this was maybe a special version Jerry did originally. Maybe a super duper collectable version

Well, just having the #13 makes that one a very collectable knife. There are some who pay a good premium to own a #13.

Guess I can post a pic of my FBMLE to show off some snakeskin.

 

[AZTimT]

I see what you mean, and that is a unique piece.
It still looks to be the .32 thickness (if you look at the rear talon hole area) just cut out with the wrong pattern... kind of a one off whoops.
I suspect that particular #13 is in the Busse museum as the LE prototype and that few if any like that were released into the wild.
I can't recall seeing any in photos taken by customers, but I would most certainly love to be wrong.

If it is the thinner stock, then maybe someday I should strip that flat grind from blade to see what's underneath since Garth mentioned finding old blanks laying around and they've coated satin leftovers before...

 

[kniferMan]

Guess I can post a pic of my FBMLE to show off some snakeskin.

Bobby that is a sweet FBM! I'm jealous... I was thinking about taking the slabs from my muddsnake and putting 'em on my LE but never did it. Great look :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:!

I see what you mean, and that is a unique piece.
It still looks to be the .32 thickness (if you look at the rear talon hole area) just cut out with the wrong pattern... kind of a one off whoops.
I suspect that particular #13 is in the Busse museum as the LE prototype and that few if any like that were released into the wild.
I can't recall seeing any in photos taken by customers, but I would most certainly love to be wrong.

Yeah Tim, that's what I mean... that would be a grail collector piece to add to my collection of FBMs--but it wouldn't be safe with me. I use my mistresses hard . I think it's defiantly .32 thick. I have scoured the web for pictures of every different FBM out there. I'm still a young hog with a lot to learn but I have this little thing called an addiction oops, there it is, I said it .

 

[kniferMan]

If it is the thinner stock, then maybe someday I should strip that flat grind from blade to see what's underneath since Garth mentioned finding old blanks laying around and they've coated satin leftovers before...

Tim, I bet that flat ground CGFBM with no grooves you have is beautiful underneath that coating. Did you see the pics posted by DaKruiser? The below FBM bought by DaKruiser was a black coated .27 FBM. After stripping it, it almost looks like a stonewashed finish... truly an awesome blade.

see them at the bottom of this page: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/724888-Nothing-But-Pics-Part-II-NO-CHATTING/page28

 

[rlacan71]

While I was taking some new pics for this post Jaxx beat me to it... :thumbup:

They made a lot of FBM LE's with numbers up to #999 (not necessarily that many or all numbers) and also an unknown number of sterile (numberless and/or logoless), but probably not nearly as many were made as CGFBM's.

They are definitely not just flat ground CGFBM's either:

Look at the difference between the middle CGFBM's .25 thickness vs the bottom FBM LE's .32 thickness.

Now compare the number of scallops on the spine from the thumbramp on top of the front of the handle between the same FBM LE #4 and the CGFBM's below it in this pic.

Then there is the weight difference.
FBM LE 31+ oz

CGFBM 25+ oz

Or for G10 magnum approximate comparion (this is a flat ground CGFBM with no grooves) 27+ oz

MY FFBM has the same scallops as that FBM LE

 

[kniferMan]

MY FFBM has the same scallops as that FBM LE

Yeah, that's because the FFBM is the same shape as the FBM le. The only difference is the saber grid, heavy duty penetrator tip, blade coating and handle material.

Sweet knife by the way, I love all FBMs. I like the way the spine on that beast is rounded... very cool :thumbup:!

 

[philwar]

As a collector of mistresses I was wondering if anyone knows why the knife pictured below was called an FBM le. The grinds are much more indicative of a satin CGFBM with no corrugation... the number looks like it's #13. Does that mean that they made more then one? Does anyone else have one in their collection? Just wondering, that's all . Thanks!

The picture is from bussecollector.com

I own this very version, although this particular one looks a lot better than mine, which is a solid user. It's an FBMLE allright.

 

[rlacan71]

Yeah, that's because the FFBM is the same shape as the FBM le. The only difference is the saber grid, heavy duty penetrator tip, blade coating and handle material.

Sweet knife by the way, I love all FBMs. I like the way the spine on that beast is rounded... very cool :thumbup:!

Thanks. It looks to have a partial NM treatment. Only to top of the knife is like that. Everything else has the unrounded edges.