mymindisamob
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2005
- Messages
- 15,178
Yes it is. I had to let it go for medical bills some time ago. Definitely one of my favorites though. I miss it.
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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
I was shocked when I googled....
- Thread starter david tn
- Start date
Yes it is. I had to let it go for medical bills some time ago. Definitely one of my favorites though. I miss it.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2006
- Messages
- 14,591
The asym B11 is a very efficient chopper for it's weight, but it is not going to keep up with the heavier NMFBM. It is really impossible to compare different edge geometry unless you have two of the same blade, each with a different edge. There are some folk here who are big fans of the asym edge, such as Will York and PeterPHWS. They have spent far more time using it then me.
dunno...I think that everything depends on who you are and whta you need to do the most.
I'm not a big boy, i'm just 5'8 and i'm using an SH ergo, and it destroy everithing. If you need to run down a tree..well and FBM should be a good idea or a SAGE even better.
Form me, are quiete too big. At the end, i prefered a multitask as the SH is. Not easy to get one, anyway...
I'm not a big boy, i'm just 5'8 and i'm using an SH ergo, and it destroy everithing. If you need to run down a tree..well and FBM should be a good idea or a SAGE even better.
Form me, are quiete too big. At the end, i prefered a multitask as the SH is. Not easy to get one, anyway...
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2009
- Messages
- 4,555
I unfortunately don't agree with this. I have done a lot of chopping with both these blades and every time the B11 (full flat grind non asymmetrical) out chops the fbm and nmfbm. I think the B11 with the regular grinds is one of the best choppers out there and it is mainly due to the full flat grind I believe. It's light and fast but packs a lot of punch due to the speed and grind.
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2010
- Messages
- 9,846
Dave... not sure what sort of firewood you are processing up there BUT if you are just looking at clearing yourself a path to the bar in the local pub (maybe moving the locals on) then I think the NMFBM or MOAB would be the bomb.... 
Back in '85 I used a very cheap machete for just this up there ... 
Back in '85 I used a very cheap machete for just this up there ... Thanks for the tip on the Basic series. As I'm sure you already know, the reason why they call us "Busse collectors" is because we can't stop with just one! I'm not so naive as to think I will be able to resist when so many before me have failed expensively
The thought crossed my mind that I might get more than one of the same Busse model so I can have a user and a collector, but that gets expensive even faster, so I'm thinking along the lines of $1000+ for the collection, and $8.99 for a Tramontina user. I'll probably wait until I can get a coupon to shave 50 cents off of that $8.99 price
The thought crossed my mind that I might get more than one of the same Busse model so I can have a user and a collector, but that gets expensive even faster, so I'm thinking along the lines of $1000+ for the collection, and $8.99 for a Tramontina user. I'll probably wait until I can get a coupon to shave 50 cents off of that $8.99 price
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2005
- Messages
- 2,984
If you are looking at "processing wood" and carrying the knife on your belt ... or alternatively in a truck or in the house and sorting the wood from a wood pile for the fire ... then the "best" for the task starts to change according to how far you want to walk with the knife on you. If the knife is in the rucksack that also makes a hell of a difference.
On sheer performance - a Moab, TTKZ and NMFBM are the likely order due to weight and size and taking out of the equation edge angle and grind profile.
Put those last two points into the equation and they are important ... the words used by Resinguy describe the issue clearly. You want to have a good balance of grind shape behind the edge so that the taper of the blade enables it to bite deep ... without taking the edge too thin because then when chopping into the wood at an angle the edge will roll if it is too thin. What works best stems from experience ... although the shop now have a good idea on this too ... I have a flat ground Nuclear TTKZ which has a high sabre grind tapered at the spine for the saw teeth on the spine ... this works superbly with no need to modify the grind. I also have a NMFBM which after I stripped it and polished it up on my belt sander ... where "somehow" I think I hit "lucky" on the profile as this also works superbly and was the "model" of grind profile I used to re-shape my TTKZ ... I used it also on my KZII to develop the grind shape and that blade needed a lot less work but it too works great ( albeit the handle needs better grips or custom grips doing ).
I am a firm believer that "grind profile" behind the edge works a hell of a lot in giving "performance". It is a bit like the profile of a bullet. The VLD shape cuts through the air far better than a traditional round nose. You basically want the profile behind the edge to be an apple seed shape rather than a fatter "tear drop" shape in terms of the grind and once this is done the knife ought to bite into the wood up to the spine if the wood is akin to the UK softer woods.
If you are thinking these models and are happy carrying the knife in the rucksack then fine ... if you want something on your belt all the time then they are too big and heavy for me ... but that is a personal observation. For this use I like a Basic series knife. The flat taper of the Basic series seems to be ideal and the Asymetrical edge works better at avoiding "roll" for the level of "sharpness" you can apply to the edge. You can have the razor cutting ability last a lot longer than a similarly sharp convex edge without the edge rolling from the angular impact on the wood. This is again just an observation from using the knives a lot on wood. The secret must be in the shape of the edge and how there must be more strength behind the edge when impacting from right handed "chops" where the thick convex curve acts as a bolster to stop the edge from rolling.
For me if I were buying from the factory and wanted a "certainty" on grind shape ... the Basic 11 Asymetrical is a great one ... my NTTKZ is a "one off" and also crazy expensive ... the sort of thing you get when you really are going to thin the herd and go for something special ... but it is perfect from the off ... a combat grade NMFBM is excellent if stripped and polished up ... and not too expensive ... a flat grind MOAB is lkely to be superb but I have never used one ... the TTKZ's need a little work but more modern versions are likely to have improved from the first run which Resinguy and I had ... the TTKZ's have great grips for extended use ... as LVC says ... those grips are the best I have held for long term chopping ...
A CG NMFBM is likely to be the easiest to sharpen of the two best choppers I have. A khukri really needs a bit of skill on a belt sander or stropping leather due to the recurve. An ASM edge B11 is a doddle to sharpen ... even in the field ... so where you are at on sharpening is also a consideration. Every knife needs to have the edge restored at some point and how you do this will determine how well the knife will work.
On sheer performance - a Moab, TTKZ and NMFBM are the likely order due to weight and size and taking out of the equation edge angle and grind profile.
Put those last two points into the equation and they are important ... the words used by Resinguy describe the issue clearly. You want to have a good balance of grind shape behind the edge so that the taper of the blade enables it to bite deep ... without taking the edge too thin because then when chopping into the wood at an angle the edge will roll if it is too thin. What works best stems from experience ... although the shop now have a good idea on this too ... I have a flat ground Nuclear TTKZ which has a high sabre grind tapered at the spine for the saw teeth on the spine ... this works superbly with no need to modify the grind. I also have a NMFBM which after I stripped it and polished it up on my belt sander ... where "somehow" I think I hit "lucky" on the profile as this also works superbly and was the "model" of grind profile I used to re-shape my TTKZ ... I used it also on my KZII to develop the grind shape and that blade needed a lot less work but it too works great ( albeit the handle needs better grips or custom grips doing ).
I am a firm believer that "grind profile" behind the edge works a hell of a lot in giving "performance". It is a bit like the profile of a bullet. The VLD shape cuts through the air far better than a traditional round nose. You basically want the profile behind the edge to be an apple seed shape rather than a fatter "tear drop" shape in terms of the grind and once this is done the knife ought to bite into the wood up to the spine if the wood is akin to the UK softer woods.
If you are thinking these models and are happy carrying the knife in the rucksack then fine ... if you want something on your belt all the time then they are too big and heavy for me ... but that is a personal observation. For this use I like a Basic series knife. The flat taper of the Basic series seems to be ideal and the Asymetrical edge works better at avoiding "roll" for the level of "sharpness" you can apply to the edge. You can have the razor cutting ability last a lot longer than a similarly sharp convex edge without the edge rolling from the angular impact on the wood. This is again just an observation from using the knives a lot on wood. The secret must be in the shape of the edge and how there must be more strength behind the edge when impacting from right handed "chops" where the thick convex curve acts as a bolster to stop the edge from rolling.
For me if I were buying from the factory and wanted a "certainty" on grind shape ... the Basic 11 Asymetrical is a great one ... my NTTKZ is a "one off" and also crazy expensive ... the sort of thing you get when you really are going to thin the herd and go for something special ... but it is perfect from the off ... a combat grade NMFBM is excellent if stripped and polished up ... and not too expensive ... a flat grind MOAB is lkely to be superb but I have never used one ... the TTKZ's need a little work but more modern versions are likely to have improved from the first run which Resinguy and I had ... the TTKZ's have great grips for extended use ... as LVC says ... those grips are the best I have held for long term chopping ...
A CG NMFBM is likely to be the easiest to sharpen of the two best choppers I have. A khukri really needs a bit of skill on a belt sander or stropping leather due to the recurve. An ASM edge B11 is a doddle to sharpen ... even in the field ... so where you are at on sharpening is also a consideration. Every knife needs to have the edge restored at some point and how you do this will determine how well the knife will work.
PeterPHWS, I want a Killa Zilla Test Team (KZTT)! I'm sure I'll be considering other goodies too, but that's the one I'm here for. If I get a custom made, I was going to ask for a convex edge and thinner grind, but I don't know enough to be more specific than that.