In Search of the Best Busse

I like the SHSH2 but prefer the NMSFNOLE by a long shot.

I'd say, if I could only have one, I'd take an AK! Okay, but what about a Busse "knife" as opposed to a Busse sword? Here's what I think...

NMSFNOLE is perfect in every single way. Not too big, not too small. Perfect grinds, zero hot spots on the handle, and it even manages to smooth out the bird's beak pommel without reducing it's potential as an impact tool/weapon.

If the NMSFNOLE is too big or too new school, the next in line is the 3B2. The military group that ordered these knew what they were doing. As small as a Satin Jack (the real one, not the lumpy handled one) but with a small handle, better guard, better pommel, better handle design, better piercing AND chopping power, and longer cutting edge. And the choil isn't a "gorilla finger" size that is way bigger than necessary. The 3B2 took the SHSH1 and ASH and abandoned the uber broad look for a streamlined, lightweight tool perfect for any conceivable use. Need something heavier? Pack a hatchet with your 3B2 and pocket the $500-700 you'll save by not going with an authentic old school model.
 
I agree with DOL...my SHBA is just amazing, and ALMOST has me thinking of getting rid of my satin/snake ABA. Hmm...


And George...stop teasing already.
 
light heart fusion steel heart............. .243 thousandths of pure muscle!! Watch the leather!! aaayyoowwhhh!

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DE OPPRESSO LIBER said:
my humble opinion there are no knives made today as nice as the GRAIL KNIVES they were truly custom knives Made by the Master himself, once you have handled a SHBA,BBSHSH,SHSHII,SHBM you will never go back,the newer knives just do not feel good in these hands here:eek: so snag a Older Grail and know you have a the BEST:D
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Well, to each his own. Me, I don't think I agree. You can read my review of a SHSHII in this thread. It lost to the SFNOLE. The handle material is very comfy, yes, but the ergonomics of the handle are rudimentary. Today's mag slabs swell the palm better, and the rounded grooves provide more grip contour. Your post leads me to a question though, did Jerry grind and make all those older knives DOL mentioned himself?
 
Horton_Knives said:
light heart fusion steel heart............. .243 thousandths of pure muscle!! Watch the leather!! aaayyoowwhhh!

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Jeremy, that is just a thing of pure beauty. Not sure what it has to do with my fellow Austinite good 'ol Mathew, but if I had chance to include it in my review, it would deserve its own championship bout and have a straight shot at the title. It could just win, too. Hope one day I get that chance. ;) :D
 
Horton_Knives said:
I know you,,,, I know you..... baconslinger.......we had gym class togother!!

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Lol! He fits right in around here, just like Willie Nelson and Owen Wilson. Matt got arrested once for playing his bongos too loud in his backyard, at 3 a.m. . . . naked. Guess he wouldn't stop :rolleyes:. Last year, Willie's tour bus got stopped in the county north of us, which tends to be pretty conservative. They found a bunch of pot in the bus, enough to be hit 'em with distribution. Neither Willie nor his friends were charged or arrested for that. How'd they get off, you say? Well, with age comes experience my friends. Rather than point the finger and all claim it was the other guy's stash, like some petty criminals might, everyone on the bus claimed it was theirs. When faced with that problem, the cops realized that the amount of pot allotted to each person was not enough to bring anything more than minor misdemeanor charges. So they weren't arrested, and the small charge may have even been dropped.
 
Dood...that's WooderMan. "I love high school girls...I get older, they stay the same age."

And Slater, "Check ya later, check ya later..."

Classic isht right thurr. Man...that brings back memories.
 
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Balislinger said:
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That IS beautiful. I believe I know who you got that from, too. You are just too much, man. TOO MUCH!

Btw, George...you OBVIOUSLY need to go rent "Dazed and Confused." That film had some amazing cars in it, not to mention a ridiculous soundtrack and some hotties.
 
I'mGatMan! said:
Btw, George...you OBVIOUSLY need to go rent "Dazed and Confused." That film had some amazing cars in it, not to mention a ridiculous soundtrack and some hotties.
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Sounds like my kind of movie!:thumbup: BTW, for those who don't know, that knife 'der is a mint FATTY SFNO in black crinkle with old-school green linen mags. :eek:
 
OK, here's my review. The scales on the Fatty (green linen old-school mags) are just awesome. They have alot of character and depth, great shape and texture. The hand-shaped Tigerhide scales on the LE just kind of pale in comparison. The tigerhide scales don't have those ridges for increased grip that the machined mags do, and they look new--lacking character. I suppose they may develop more character with use and as skin oils penetrate the micarta, but these green linen scales have an old-school depth right out of the box that gives the knife a classic old-world feel in a single color, without too much flash.

The shape of the mags on the Fatty are perfect. My thumb sits right on the top ramp, and the length of the scales fits my hand really well. That is mostly true for the LE as well, but not quite so.

Now on to the blade. It's tough to beat the LE's pretty satin finished blade. The black krinkle on the fatty has some character (and I like this krinkle better than others I've seen, it's more subdued), and the black color of the blade goes really well with the OD color of the scales. The fatty gets points for a cool color combo, but the LE's blade is just nicer. Satin-finish, saber-ground, and with the Busse custom shop script, the LE's blade is a thing of beauty. I wish it had a deeper hollow-grind, that would really make it for me.

Overall, the LE is a fantastic package and tough to beat. The proportions seem perfect, not only in blade and handle sizes and ratios, but also in the knife's thickness, weight, and balance. The thickness of the LE allows some chopping, while still being nimble enough for small cutting shores.

The Fatty is a man's knife. That's the best way to describe it. The old-school look and feel, and black/OD green color combo, and it's heft, width and weight, all make it an uber-tough user. The weight doesn't seem to bother me as much as the last fatty I owned, maybe because I like the color combo better, but I can tell it would weigh on me during a long hike or something like that.

This is all kind of a preliminary review, as I've only held the Fatty for about a half-hour. Usually I take a few days to sort out my opinions. The scales on the fatty are definitely superior. The blade is not as exciting as the LE's. The total package of the LE is hard to beat, meaning weight, size, width, etc. The heft on the Fatty seems unnecessary at first, but then kind of grows on you.

I'm going to give the slight edge to the SFNOLE. The Fatty was perhaps the closest challenger yet, but the SFNOLE still gets my vote as the best all-around Busse I own.

This contest is probably on hold for a while now. It's tough to imagine another knife that could really challenge the LE. That is, until Jeremy sends me that fine customized HHFSH :D;):thumbup:. But that's another day.

If I was to design a knife that might beat the current champ, it would have these differences: A deeper hollow-grind from the saber-grind line down. This can be done on the CNC with different settings, and could then be hand finished and polished. The scales should be switched to either green canvas or green linen, machined, in the mag size.

One thing I like about the Fatty which I didn't mention before, are the stainless steel color tubes. Brass has its place, but the silver color just offsets the dark green in a classy way.

Congrats to the reigning champ, the SFNOLE. I suspect it may hold its belt for a couple years. Now that the main bouts are over, you know what that means. User-city, bro. It's time to pick a user and put it into action!

Thanks for bearing with me on these long-winded reviews. It's been fun!

(To be resurrected when a new challenger steps up to the table)
 
Just so you know, George...that fatty should have been mine. I got sniped with 4 seconds left on the auction, that dirty bastid. I'm surprised he let it go, too. I think I even called dibs as well. You're killing me, but I give up. It's time to breathe deep, and let it go...

Someday I'll grab some old school tiger mags, and I'll be happy again.
 
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