Is Busse the new Randall?

Dorito Monk said:
Really? You think Busse has a more significant following among normal folks than Randall has gained in the past 70+ years, or are you just joking? I'm not being sarcastic or anything, I just want to clarify, cuz I feel like I missed something here. :confused:
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I don't care how long has been around, what I care is what I'm getting for the money. I don't like to pay history, I like to pay for the performance.
 
I haven't owned a Busse, though I've handled many and used/reviewed several (thanks for the loaners, friends) - I have, however, owned upwards of 900 Randall's, make a living selling them, and even wrote a book on 'em as sold at the Randall Shop. Would I choose one over the other? Depends on the task at hand. Should a RMK ever fail or let me down, then I might switch to a Busse as a user. They are nice knives for the money. Until then, they are very different designs; use what cha brung and be happy with it... ;)

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The Busse Knife Company started in 1984. About thirty years later Busse is a niche market. There are many fans but not much cultural penetration.

In the sixties Randall Made Knives was about thirty years old. I’d grown up using knives; at work, hunting, fishing, backpacking. I knew Schrade, Buck, Puma, Collins. I’d never heard of Randall.

The first mention of Randall I recall was reading Bradford Angier. I bought my first one in the seventies. The lead time between order and delivery wasn't years but months. Only a few people I knew recognized the name, or the knife. Randall had devoted fans but not much cultural penetration.

Let’s remember that RMK wasn’t always the big name it is today.
 
Its an interesting question and one that has arisen before, albeit in a slightly different context (a Randall went up against a Busse in a torture test and appeared to whip its ass). The issue I have with Randall is that many of their better known designs are 'fighters' which have pretty limited application in real life. Still beautiful to look at, but not very practical really.

I also think that people are quick to quote their long history and yes they have been around for a while but longevity isnt everything. I believe a lot of it is nostalgia myself. They've been carried by soldiers in wartime, so they must be good. Any soldier will tell you a knife is usually the last thing that gets used on a battlefield. Hell, entrenching tools probably took more lives in WWII than knives. They usually get used to open crates and such. Carlos Hathcock used his to spread peanut butter on crackers while waiting for his next shot.

So let's be realistic. If you compare apples with apples and remove the sentimentality from the picture, the Busse is probably a stronger knife with better steel. However, one thing I will say in Randall's favour is that it comes with a damn nice sheath. :D
 
B'hump, you stated that your issue with Randall is that many of their better known designs are 'fighters' which have pretty limited application in real life, yet of the 28 different models, 35 if you count the Bowie variants as the different models they are, or the roughly 86 versions of the original 28 if you count the different blade lengths, or the roughly 120 different variations if you include the Dealer Specials, Non-Catalog versions, the Randall Knife Society club knives, and...

Discounting the miniatures and one-off's, only about a dozen, or ~10%, are fighters...most of the rest are either hunting/camping/outdoor knives, general purpose, or specialized use types. This not counting options. Catalog requests can be made at www.randallknives.com. Domestic requests are filled free, but I think you furriners have to pay a coupla bucks for postage. Money well spent, IMO.

Edited to add: for kurod - as far as new being better than old; I run pistol matches, have a CWP, and EDC either a Glock 19, a SIG P228, or a Browning Hi-Power. I have several Hi-Power's, but the one that gets carried and used the most, whether in matches or just plinking, is a 1954 vintage gun. All the above work equally well, regardless of age. So, I dunno bud, the BHP has a pretty good name, a proven track record, has been around about as long as RMK, and is still carried by some folks in the know - but is certainly not new...

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Yeah, you must admit that we had/have a progress in metallurgy technology and Randall isn't copying with it.
 
That's why I qualified by saying their better known designs. I realise that's subjective but when I browse dealer sites like Nordic Knives I see mostly fighters like the Model #1, the #14, and the bowies, which I classify as a fighting knife. But its just observation based on my casual browsing...

Melvin-Purvis said:
B'hump, you stated that your issue with Randall is that many of their better known designs are 'fighters' which have pretty limited application in real life, yet of the 28 different models, 35 if you count the Bowie variants as the different models they are, or the roughly 86 versions of the original 28 if you count the different blade lengths, or the roughly 120 different variations if you include the Dealer Specials, Non-Catalog versions, the Randall Knife Society club knives, and...

Discounting the miniatures and one-off's, only about a dozen, or ~10%, are fighters...most of the rest are either hunting/camping/outdoor knives, general purpose, or specialized use types. This not counting options. Catalog requests can be made at www.randallknives.com. Domestic requests are filled free, but I think you furriners have to pay a coupla bucks for postage. Money well spent, IMO.

Edited to add: for kurod - as far as new being better than old; I run pistol matches, have a CWP, and EDC either a Glock 19, a SIG P228, or a Browning Hi-Power. I have several Hi-Power's, but the one that gets carried and used the most, whether in matches or just plinking, is a 1954 vintage gun. All the above work equally well, regardless of age. So, I dunno bud, the BHP has a pretty good name, a proven track record, has been around about as long as RMK, and is still carried by some folks in the know - but is certainly not new...

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kurodrago said:
Yeah, you must admit that we had/have a progress in metallurgy technology and Randall isn't copying with it.
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Absolutely true, and I can see where, for the guys that don't use their knives yet need the latest wondersteel, that could be a problem. Good point. :thumbup:
 
BePrepared said:
Bro, Busse's INFI is the closes thing to adamantium that i'm ever going to come, so i am pretty sure that until i can manage to get mutant powers, Busse is my holy grail
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Two words: Amorphous metal. The tech isn't quite there yet, but it will be--and probably within the next decade.
 
Melvin-Purvis said:
Absolutely true, and I can see where, for the guys that don't use their knives yet need the latest wondersteel, that could be a problem. Good point. :thumbup:
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ZING! lol, so true. Too many people salivating at the mouth for the next Cru-forgeZDP189745INFIs45T to come out and drop heavy coin, then stash away in a vault...to each their own I guess, maybe they rationalize this behaviour as investment.

That RMK with the white handle is absolutely gorgeous.
 
That's funny, because most of the Randalls I've seen have been in minty, safe-queen condition... I reckon any knife that costs over $500 is going to be handled with care by the owner with an eye to resale value.
 
I can tell you that if I owned that white handled Randall, it would only pose for pics and do nothing else hehehe.
 
kurodrago said:
I don't care how long has been around, what I care is what I'm getting for the money. I don't like to pay history, I like to pay for the performance.
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Ah, okay, so you weren't kidding, you're just spouting irrelevant nonsense. :rolleyes: Whether you 'like to pay for performance' or not doesn't really have anything to do with the question of whether Busse is the 'new' Randall.

"It seems like Randall has had much more significant cultural impact, exposure, and proven use than Busse. I'd say Randall has gained a larger following over the years."
"NO, BUSSE DOES!"
"Wait, are you kidding? :confused:"
"I LIKE TO PAY FOR THE PERFORMANCE!"
"What are you talking about? :confused:"
"WE HAD/HAVE A PROGRESS IN METALLURGY AND RANDALL ISN'T COPYING WITH IT"
"Holy god what are you on about?...:confused:"
 
I don't think Busse is or will be the new Randall. At least not with Busse's current business model. Busse is only as good as the knife they are producing now, which they will never produce again. That's fine for selling out the production but if I wanted to purchase a Steel Heart I would need to look on the secondary market and pay collector prices. Randall has developed models that are classics. They have made the same designs for decades and they are still available today for new purchasers and new customers. Yes there is a long wait but if you want a particular model you CAN get it. This is not true of the Busse Combat. I don't believe the Busse model is good in the long term as the only thing that has to happen is they build a couple bad designs and a negative reputation will set in. Too bad the great models that Busse produced are NOT available. IMO, Busse should try to establish a base of a few classic models (like the Steel Heart, Badger Attack, etc) that are ALWAYS produced so that new Busse fans/customers can purchase one and in turn become long time buyers and users of their knives. As it is now if you don't like the current knife they are making that's just tough beans, you will have to settle for pictures on the internet or pony up crazy collector prices and that puts zero money in the hands of Busse Combat.


Precision
 
zuluninja said:
I can tell you that if I owned that white handled Randall, it would only pose for pics and do nothing else hehehe.
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Interesting. If I owned that 12-9 I can tell you that it would be used as often as I could use it. O1 is a fantastic steel for cutting things. It may not be a "super steel" but it flat out works.
 
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