Is A Bussy Knife A ***** Knife?

[matthew rapaport]

Frank, There are just too many things that don't make sense concerning your primary point, the issue of the SHII's ill suitedness to fighting thanks primarily to its coil...

First off I note that there is 7.5" inches of knife with a 1/4" spine to push into somebody before you get to the choil. If, when you get that deep, your victim is still coming on, will it matter if the knife might hang on withdrawal?!

I would think there are LOTS of things about the SHII that make it unsuitable for fighting. The point is too blunt for good penetration, the weight is too forward for responsiveness, the handle (on my standard just prior to INFI) is offset 5deg bringing the point out of line, etc. It is pretty obviously not a "fighting knife" by most definitions of the term I've seen in a couple of years here. You are right I think in that, someone who BUYS a knife knowing that it is likely to be used in an attack is either a soldier or other agent of a government with black bag/wet responsibilities, or a civilian assasin, or cold-blooded murderer. The only other possibility is someone who thinks it is likely that he/she will be attacked in some manner for which a knife defense is a reasonable option. Neither of these types, it seems to me, would choose a Busse SHII with these missions uppermost in their minds.

At the same time, you admit that the knife is a fantastic general purpose "survival knife", which, everyone agrees is also a factor to be considered when choosing a knife for a "combat role", i.e. service in an armed forces.

So the whole issue here seems to come down to whether or not the use of the word "combat" is appropriate in connection with this particular knife. Seems it takes only a little to get us going.

Getting back to the knife, It seems to me that the choil is one of the design features that make it a *great* survival knife, and if not for the choil, it would be considerably less useful in every other survival or combat oriented role - other than chopping and fighting. You know the saying about a big knife being able to do little things, while a little knife can not do the big ones. That choil makes the SHII much more adaptable to the "little knife" chores that so often come up in any field work including (I would think) combat.

20:45 here now on the west coast. A few hours to go. Happy new year everyone!

[This message has been edited by matthew rapaport (edited 12-31-2000).]

[This message has been edited by matthew rapaport (edited 01-01-2001).]

[This message has been edited by matthew rapaport (edited 01-01-2001).]

 

[Frank Warren]

Matthew, I hate to do this in my first series of posts but the folks in this forum are for the most part fools. A "combat" knife has nothing to do with fighting necessarily? Let's go to the Oxford English Dictionary, New Shorter Edition published two years ago and the most recent exhaustive reference, and examine the word "combat." It has two entries:

1. A fight or armed encounter between two persons, parties, animclas etc.; a duel.
2. gen. A fight, fighting between opposing armed forces (usu. on a smaller scale than a battle); a conflict, strife.

The use of the word combat by Busse Combat or by participants in this forum is strictly contrary to ALL correct English usage and is therefore specious and dissembling; that is, a lie. This lie needs to be made because I don't see any of the main line as being suitable for fighting due only in part to the choil. And, yes, despite being 51, I think I can still sink the whole length of the Steel Heart into a human being without undue effort even though the blade is poorly designed for the purpose.

I would not be so ordinarily obnoxious about this but I'm sick of people telling me that words don't mean what they mean. I can tell you that "Go f*ck yourself" is a friendly homily on my part but you'll take it badly no matter how much explaining I do, won't you? And rightly so.

We have now established that any and all knives labelled Combat Knives are all and only about the matter of fighting. They are not about chopping wood (better done with an ax) and are not "wildnerness survival tools" (since this involves no fighting at all, and all combat is fighting).

You make the case that the Busse is poorly designed for combat and fighting, and I concur. It's d*mnable poor for the purpose. It's also not "nuclear tough" unless my CS Recon Scout is "super-nuclear tough" since it retained more edge for the same blade weight on the same piece of wood, on the same day, handled by the same guy. If anything, I beat on the Cold Steel harder by giving it a wrist whip which the Busse shape did not lend itself to.

None of this means the Busse is a bad knife. It isn't, in a survival tool role. I'm a bit disappointed that it didn't hold up as well as a knife nearly a third the price but the difference was minimal. The point is that after the "nuclear tough" sales hype, it was a disappointment. It did not "outperform" the Cold Steel on abusive chopping chores to the extent I tried them.

For a whittler, pry bar and chopper, it's okay but I have tools that will do each of those significantly better. A $30 Vaughn construction hatchet is much better at chopping. My Benchmade axis is vastly superior at small chores and whittling and skinning. My Cold Steel Recon Scout appears to have done as much in my testing so far, and does it better. And it is vastly the superior combat knife.

I don't believe that one tool is better than marginal at all things, if it can even do them at all. I'd be less disappointed except for all the hype - a "combat" knife that is nearly useless in significant ways, a chopper worse than any hatchet I own, not enough belly for good skinning and dressing and so on.

The Busse, since many have witnessed it, is great at slicing thousands of times without resharpening through manilla rope. But, ah, I don't DO that and don't NEED to. And I have knives that do nearly as well which are better packages.

I know a lot of this is all about perception, which means marketing hype. Okay, I understand that. Virtually none of us NEED a knife like this. One ends up with a lot of sizzle being proposed to sell the steak with the emphasis on sizzle instead of the actual meal.

Those of you who are happy with your knives should not be discouraged with that. Even if MY CS Recon Scout held up better, I may have a particularly good CS and a Busse that didn't get the usual care in manufacture. And these things happen. If you're abuse-tested your Busse and it's worked great, then you have one better than mine. If it does what you want, you are well-served.

My personal belief - as I commented to Lynn Thompson some time ago about the Shove Of Death and the Plastic Of Death - is that at times the hype can be excessive. Busse is no more guilty of this than anyone else, and probably no less. None of us NEED combat knives. Anyone with any brains is going to get himself a heavy handgun for fighting with as the survival odds much favor an older, calmer, seasoned handgunner than they will an older knife fighter when the regime is reliant more on youth and strength and speed than considered skill.

The Busse Steel Heart did not live up to my espectations - and I do have knife combat experience - as a fighting knife, an expectation I had every reason to believe would be fulfilled.

I think now we can consider this subject closed. We're all really collectors here, with our own individual notions of what we want. This time, I wasn't as happy as I thought I'd be. C'est la vie.

Best wishes to us all for a fine and prosperous new Millenium. Did any of us think we're really live into it when the first grade teacher talked about it? ;D

 

[Strabs]

ROFLMAOATGPUAS

Happy new year everyone!

Kevin


[This message has been edited by Strabs (edited 01-01-2001).]

 

[Boriqua]

And this wealth of information on what is preferable in combat was garnered through your vast experience in ...... um .. which conflict was that again

Which branch of the armed service and under what MOS?

I guess all those Gurkha are pretty stupid ... imagine bringing an ugly, BENT, guardless knife with little poking ability into combat and actually using it for fighting. Boy did someone pull the wool over thier eyes. Shesh ! Poor little guys. NOT

I wont argue with the results of your test regarding the Cold Steel. If thats what you experienced then so be it. I argue with your Combat knife Philosophy. I didnt get to poke anyone while a Combat engineer in the service. Opps there is that damn word again. But I used a knife hard regularly.

If my position were over run. (fun playing armchair army man aint it) I would be very happy to cleave the enemy with my busse or any other heavy steel tool. Say Etool! If I can be physically strong enough to ram my 7.5 inch 1/4 inch thick, almost 2 inch wide busse into an enemy and it gets so stuck I cant immediatly retrieve it .... call it a door prize. He gets to keep it. At least until he falls down and I can get a foot on him for levearage.

------------------
Alex

My Knife Page

 

[Boriqua]

PS
Being a fool Im not so Smart and all but I did a little playing in the Dictionary too

....

Troll: to fish for by running a baited line

You came here and blasted a knife you hadnt even used yet. Based on your ideas of combat and .... bear attacks ??

------------------
Alex

My Knife Page

 

[MTF3]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Frank Warren:
Hang on a minute, folks. I'm going to go abuse my Steel Heart. It's about to have a Close Encounter or a few dozen.

Back from Test Time!

It was the Busse Steel Heart versus the Recon Scout. Take wood sitting in the weather for over a year and whack it! Chop chop!
</font>

So you stopped in the middle of posting a reply to go do a knife chopping test?

Then you say you were surprised that the Recon Scout out-preformed the Steel Heart after telling everyone for the past two days that the Recon Scout is a better knife. Now I'm surprised.

Wait I had to go make some coffee...Back!

I have chopped with both my Recon Scout and my Busse Steel Heart variant(s), Natural Outlaw, and new Battle Mistress. I have chopped with both the E-handle and straight handle. I have chopped oak, willow, pine, dogwood, cedar, apple, and black gum with my Busses and my Recon Scout. I bought my Recon Scout a couple of years before any of my Busse models. When I bought the Recon Scout I told the guy I wanted a knife I couldn't kill. Sorry but the CS failed one of the first tests I usually do with knives I am not supposed to kill, the big ole tree chunk. I throw it against a big tree. Now not being a knife thrower I usually miss on the first throw and watch the knife go "bo'inng" out in the woods. The CS steel held up but the handle and the guard didn't survive. Hey, but at least my Recon Scout chops better now that I put a new stainless guard and hickory handle on it. Ask the boys that stopped by the Busse table at the New York show what my Steel Heart and Battle Mistress variants looked like after I had chunked them up against a few trees.

I did a side by side comparison chopping test on a six inch diameter willow tree. Yes, the Busse did knock out bigger wood chips, it also outchopped; plus, was much more comfortable and easier to use than the Recon Scout. I was using a e-handled clip point Steel Heart variant without a lanyard on either knife. Holding on to the Busse was easier, it chopped faster and held it's edge better. Sorry, I have gotten different results. (Funny you should use the term "parrot beak".)

I dinged up the edge on my Natural Outlaw by chopping deer bones after the bones and knife had been outside in the freezing cold for a couple of hours. Oops! Did I freak out? No. I used a ceramic rod on the left side like reccommended and brought the edge back easily. I have yet to damage the coating. I took the coating off the Recon Scout because it was scratched so much.

I am sure you aren't the only one that will say Cold Steel is better than Busse. Everyone is entitled to his own opinion. The sad thing is that several people would love to have a Steel Heart, you have one, and don't appreciate it.

Being that you are such a combat knife expert, it looks like you would had at least noticed the choil in the Busse logo and realize that it wasn't the knife for you. I mean with all the bear killing and all.

So sell the thing, take the money, go buy yourself a new Recon Scout and Ghillie suit. Then go after all them bears out there attacking people during rush hour traffic.

Troll is right.....

 

[rhino]

Well, Frank isn't a troll in my opinion. He may occasionally say some provocative things, but from what I've seen it's for the purpose of generating conversation, not to disrupt it or to start trouble and then slink away as genuine "trolls" do.

He may have less than glowing opinions about the Busse product, but I'm glad to hear it. I don't own anything in that price range, but I'd like to some day. I think it's good to hear opinions from all directions before making a big purchase like that.

I was one of the people who touted the Busse products in Frank's online presence based on word of mouth and things I've read on rec.knives.

So I bear some of the blame for him getting one and then feeling compelled to come here and talk about it.

Plus it has lured me here too. You all may learn to think of Il Franco fondly compared to moi!

By the way ... Hi, everyone!

I hate ascii "emoticons," but the little smiley faces on here are cool!

 

[Parker]

Frank, I wil get you Mr. Bagwell's number in the next day or so, it is on the office computer.

 

Hey Frank,
How many guys have you killed? Just for the record? Can't we all just get along? Without a gun... a man really only has two defenses against a pissed off bear.

1. Make sure your shoe laces are good and tight and run like a bat out of hell down hill.

2. Place your head between your legs say a quick prayer and kiss your ass good bye.

Check the test results on CS again. Just because the pipe they used for leverage made it to 70 doesn't mean the knife will.

As far as getting a sharper knife for your money. Here is where the value is in a busse. You can only get a knife soooo sharp. So why pay the exta money when you can another knife just as sharp for half??? Good question. Here is a good reason. Busse knives stay sharp for a long time. They hold their edge damn near for ever. I have owned (and still do) many cold steel knives. They are good blades but even that good tough Carbon V goes dull way before a good INFI dual grind. So that is the advantage (edge wise) of a Busse.

And if you honestly believe that Busse Combat knives are no good. My advise to you is to go and find a knife you enjoy more and go bother the people at that forum, you scary scary little man.

Oh yeah... Don't know how a Busse knife does against a bear but I hear they are hell on wheels against a duck billed platipuss on crack... you know, for all the times your gonna have to fight them too... on crack.

------------------
First impressions are usually the scale by which we are judged unless we make our second with something sharp and pointy.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/albumList?u=879893&Auth=false



[This message has been edited by Ryu (edited 01-01-2001).]

 

[MTF3]

Rhino, Welcome to the Forum. It is good that you research before you purchase. I like to do the same thing. I did considerable research on-line before I ever bought a Busse. I refused to order a Busse because of shipping delays being posted on the forums. Andy has since resolved that situation. Andy knows me well enough that if Busse Combat was making false claims I would be one of the first to call him.

I met and talked to both Jerry Busse and Dave Roberson at the Blade show last June. I showed them both knives I purchased from other makers. They both were complimentary about these other knives and makers. The attitude I got from them is that they strive to make the best knife that they can and not that they make the best knife in the world.

I have also witnessed them handle warranty situations. They stand behind their knives Period.

As far a Mr. Bear-Stabbin' Warren goes...

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Frank Warren:
The choil sucks The Cosmic Big One. For a combat knife, any full-length insertion is going to hang up on muscle and NOT come back out. This is fatal in combat with bears, and anyone who has been in a fight knows that one thrust is NOT decisive against either man or beast with a very few exceptions. THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED NOW!!!!! If we're gonna call this a combat knife, one MUST be able to use the point as well as the edge.

Fair beef? If I'm being a weenie about this, tell me so. I can take it, even if you do cuss me in the process.

Anyway, these are my unasked-for (and probably unwelcome) observations.

So flame away, guys. I think some of my comments here are arguable, but others are constructive.
</font>

He invited this one. His conclusion that the choil would hang in bear muscle and the name of the company is Busse Combat, therefore it was a lousy knife and the Cold Steel was much superior only served to get him labeled as a troll. I guess it worked too. Is everything Cold Steel produces either "cold" or "steel"? How many bears has this guy actually fought with a knife?

I have nothing against Cold Steel. I have reccommended their knives to several people who wanted a good knife within a certain price range. Andy is a good friend of mine and we talk knives a lot. He knows what I carry and what I buy. I speak mainly of my Busse knives on this forum because it is the "Busse" forum. Other than referring to us as "fools" at least (to his credit) Mr. Warren hasn't engaged in any personal attacks. He could have make the same point(s) without inviting a flame war. I hope he does get a choil-less variant. I would like to see it. I hope he remembers the term "custom" when he pays for it.

Rhino, if you want a Busse, just talk to Andy Prisco. He works real hard for his customers and I am sure will work with you. I know from personal experience that a Busse knife holds it's value and even increases in value even after being used.

 

[Frank Warren]

I'm not going to overload this thread with individual replies but make remarks which address the points raised (e.g. I ain't really a troll, and ain't really looking to stir anyone up although I seem to have done a good job).

Can I sit at my keyboard, take 10 minutes out to go bang on my knives? Yes, I can. AND I did. The results were what I found them to be. They are clearly arguable. The correct argument is "He's hip to the Recon Scout but not to the Busse shape, complained about difficulty using it, and did something to slam the edge much harder than the Recon Scout. The Steel Heart, as I know from my own experience, is much the better knife, so this is user error." And the truth is, I can't really dispute that. It takes more than 3 dozen strokes on old wood to know how well a knife lasts on the long haul. It also takes more than that to know how to best use a particular blade in this capacity. I CAN see where the handle on the Busse will hold up better. Kraton cuts easily with a knife, and micarta doesn't.

What I wrote previously is the truth to the best of my knowledge. I spent more time last time doing some minor cutting tests and where the Cold Steel was duller than the Busse before, it is now just a hair sharper and better on the straight cut on paper, that is, hold the paper still and use the edge like a chisel. On some of my materials, the ones that are more difficult, the CS cuts clean where the Busse leaves slight tears now and again over the area that got slammed hard. Not Real Science but, hey, I don't do this for a living. And, at any rate, after only 3 dozen strokes, they are both close. Both lost some edge and both show signs of having been really slammed into that wood. I still have wood particles embedded in the CS and the Busse, while it didn't do that, lost some Teflon near the edge through abrasion (these were power strokes I was using, people). I'll see if I can post photos later.

Which is the "better" knife? That depends on a lot of things, including the guy using it and what he wants.

Busse is a quality blade. That's truth. But so is CS. Is the Busse made heavier? Yes. It weighs a good deal more as well.

DO I LIKE IT? Only time will tell. Some folks here have said to me "Go USE it already, would you, Frank?" Damn good advice. Looking at it tells me little.

One thing I do want to say to all of you. Chill out. Just because 36 strokes on one kind of material, in my hands, on that day, favored the Cold Steel in MY hands and in MY opinion does not mean the end of the world, nor that the CS is the better knife. It does mean the Busse is not junk. I have NO other knives, besides these two brands, who could have handled even a dozen of those strokes. Both of these are wonderfully brutish knives that, while they may not cut steel and concrete, are still excellent blades.

One more remark. There are people out there doing Busse a GREAT disservice. They, and some of you here, talk like the knife never gets dull, the edge can never be turned, like this thing is PERFECT. NOTHING is perfect - not in this world, not in this life. My expectations, and some of yours, may have been raised artificially high. The knife, any knife, IS going to get dull when used hard, even if it is diamond coated. Even diamonds get dull. The last "wonder edge" I heard about was ceramic, and it CHIPS and does not resharpen at all. In the end, all real-world materials have limitations. Talking like INFI has none at all is both untruthful and unrealistic. Any steel can do only so much and any steel, ultimately, made into a chain, will break under its own weight if made long enough. That's just basic physics.

And when I think Busse is junk, I'll let you know. I haven't said that yet, or implied it. My impression is that it's one hell of a tough knife. TOUGHER than others? Well, I guess I'll find out as I go along.

I know my report is disappointing to some of you but there's hardly any product of any kind that is always all better in all ways. So let's all relax a bit, go easy on the semantics, and take it from there.

Left side to re-sharpen? I'll get on it and talk to you all later. Meanwhile, I'm gonna go party.

Happy new millenium, folks. We all made it.

 

[rhino]

Originally posted by MTF3:
Rhino, Welcome to the Forum.

Thanks for the welcome!

As far a Mr. Bear-Stabbin' Warren goes...
He invited this one.

Well, yeah. We've wanted to spank him a few times on our "home" e-mail list, but he'll grow on you! Honest!




[This message has been edited by rhino (edited 01-01-2001).]

 

[Frank Warren]

rhino, saying I'll grow on people here is a comment in questionable taste. Are you comparing me to a fungus?

 

[Hoodoo]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Frank Warren:
I know my report is disappointing to some of you but there's hardly any product of any kind that is always all better in all ways. So let's all relax a bit, go easy on the semantics, and take it from there.</font>

Frank, your report in no way disappointed me. I just considered the source. It's simple really. People like you come and go very quickly here. You dig yourself a big hole and fight like hell to keep from falling into it. Fifteen posts and you've pretty well shown us the kind of person you are. Basically just an ignorant person. And you want to blame everyone else for your ignorance. Most people who are ignorant like to keep it a secret and hang around the forums for awhile to find out what's what. But not you. You prefer to display your ignorance and then blame others for it.

BTW, if you want to see how the term combat is applied to knives, I suggest rather than going to a dictionary (that was hilarious, btw), go to a source dedicated to the specialty. Try Levine's Guide to Knives or something similar. When you become educated, and you lose that big chip on your shoulder, come on back and share your new-found knowledge. Or not.

A fungus too? If the mycelium fits...

------------------
Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM

 

[Lukers]

Hey all,
Wow has this thread just got nasty or what? Frank, I totally respect your results to you test. I have no reason to question your ability and handle and use a blade. I am a Busse owner as most of you know and when I first go my Bm-e I was extremely disgusted with the performance of it. This was due to the fact that when the blade blanks are laser cut, the very outer edge(like maybe .001")had the carbon burned out of it. That is why it took a few sharpenings before it started to hold up well. This might be the case on your SH 2. Andy or Jerry would be better guys to talk with about that.
Hope that helps
Luke

 

[geoffb]

Originally posted by Andy Prisco:

Andy, For those of us who are a bit more simple minded, would you mind defining the difference between a "combat" knife and a "fighting" knife?

I've just gone through all of the fixed blade knives I have. NONE of those that I would consider "combat" or "fighting" (if indeed there is a difference) have the notch Frank is alluding to. Even my Buck hunting knives don't have the notch. The only ones that do are various folders (excluding my Benchmade and CS folders) and some weirdo (gift) skinner that I never use.

It appears to me, at least of the drawer full of knives I have, that the notch is the exception rather than the rule.

 

[geoffb]

Originally posted by Lane Dexter:
Don't go away, Frank. We need the thank you for starting the most active thread we've seen here in a while. On the whole, would you say this group averages more civilized than we've seen lately on 1911TechTalk? Of course, that one is calming down now.

But Lane, do you have as much FUN here as over in the 1911 World Wide Wrasslin' forum?

 

[Frank Warren]

Thanks for the kind words, Lukers.

I think your remark on why the SH may not have been Nuclear Tough on its first mission has more than a little merit. It's just barely duller than the CS at this point and lost all that in the first few strokes. After that it lost no more. What I don't understand is why the CS is still as sharp as it is; I suspect that this is because it has the typically thick factory edge. If THAT edge dulls, one will spend the better part of a day with a set of stones bringing it back as one grinds in one's preferred angle for the Long Haul. Recall that I was using the CS and SH as axes in this first outing, and the finer the edge, the harder it is on it. The SH put in a very fine showing for as fine as that edge is.

These are both premium quality knives, and to get steel as good one has to go to very spendy custom knives and pray that they turn out okay since they are one-off, custom propositions. I'm not really disappointed in the Busse. For its first outing it did quite well. All I really need to talk about is how to fine up the edge a bit and I'll talk to Andy about that tomorrow.

If I had any complaints, you'd have heard them already.

As for you, Hoodoo, what concerns me about you most of all is that while my complaints have been about design, you show a side of Busse owners that may convince people that they don't want to hang out and become involved with Busse.

To those who are lurking here undecided, I point out that Andy and Lukers are much more representative of Busse Combat and its adherents, and that they really are excellent knives despite my design remarks. If you don't need to take down a Grizzly every weekend, it could be The Very Thing. I've never had this fine an edge hold up to this kind of abuse before, and there is better to come.

Respectfully,

/s Bear-Stabbin' Warren, the Jeremiah Johnson Of Modern Times

 

[Raptor]

You guys are killing me!!!!

1 hr. wasted reading this one!!!

I popped on over here to check out this forum since I haven't been over here for a while and this is what I get.

All parties posting here seem to make at least one (if not more) valid points in each post. That would include Frank also. But, I'm slightly disturbed by several attacks based on what appears to be a basic disagreement in terminology.

I would like to hear from Mr.Busse (himself)on this one:
Define Combat vs. Fighting knife as used here on this post??

My personal knowledge of Busse knives is only heresay and I come over to this forum to learn about them since I am very interested.
I think they (Busse) and Andy Prisco have a good reputation, but, I want to note that if I happened to just stmble on in here for the first time and read this thread I would not think too highly of all parties involved.
You'll note that Andy tears the post apart first, then offers to take care of the problem.
Also, I must note that I do not think that Frank should have posted this problem without giving sharing his concerns with Andy and/or Busse. This whole situation may have been able to avoid all together.

I post this mainly to make all aware of what kind of damage this kind of a thread/post can do.
I do not wish to personally attack anyone or further cause this problem to grow larger than it already has.

--The Raptor--

 

[HJK]

I'm no expert in "combat", however you define it, nor in metallurgy. But I have used both CS and Busse knives for a while and I have a little experience with fighting knives and techniques - and I reiterate that I make no claim to expertise.
I was and am very surprised to hear that a CS edge held up better than a Busse edge. That runs contrary to my personal experience, and I hold no brief for Busse. I love my Trailmaster [Carbon V], but my Steelheart II beats it in performance in every way as a utility knife/chopper. Maybe there was a problem related to laser cutting;maybe that batch had other problems; maybe there was an unintentional bias problem in the testing; and maybe the testing was accurate. But one test does not prove much: results must be reproducible and statistically significant to be taken seriously.
From my nonscientific point of view, my CS TM is more balanced and faster in the hand and I think has a better design for purely fighting purposes, but my neither the CS nor the Busses would be my first choice for a pure fighter. In that department I would sooner have a Lightfoot or Polkowski or Kasper/Polkowski, for several reasons, and these do include penetration and ease of withdrawal. I prefer double edged knives, but that's an old and long argument on its own.
What is a "Combat" knife? The dictionary may define "combat". but not "combat knife". There can be quite a difference. Frankly, all such appellations have to be taken with a grain, or a pound or two, of salt. Both Cold Steel and Busse resort to more than a little hyperbole in their ads, which can be ridiculed without much effort, but over the years I've found Jerry to be very honest and fair in his claims both on the phone and on the net. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him in person. He is more accessible than his counterpart, L.T. Both sides have their rabid supporters, but both brands make superb knives, with limitations of design and production. Until a really thorough comparison testing is done or real world experience is had on the knives' relatives benefits and problems as fighters on flesh blood and bone, this is all just speculation and posturing, isn't it? Interesting, though