Is INFI Losing Ground ?

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Anton41Beukes said:
I use my knives and don't care about steels anymore... funny how things change when you just don't care. More to life.... worrying about which steel is best is really stupid.
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Lol, but that's just it....with INFI, you don't worry. At all.
Other steels.....go get big chip, send it in, and get a ground down stub of what used to be a knife....or very far from what you originally had....
 
I think it’s hilarious that people are still fight about what INFI is. From what I’ve gathered, it’s not a complicated special steel, composition-wise, but it is a proprietary heat-treat. Often, what you do with something is more important than the base ingredient.

A painting from Van Gogh, Dalí, etc. isn’t famous and fetch millions for the type of special paint or canvas they used, but for what they did with it.

Even if it is a “non-expensive steel”, Busse does something special with it and nobody else does it. That’s enough for me. Bob Kramer openly uses 52100 in some of his customs, but can still charge north of $300 per inch for his kitchen knives. It’s the artistry, not the material you pay for.

Now, yes, the performance gap has closed a lot with newer steels and newer options. But isn’t that good for everyone? If you feel like other things are better than INFI for you, go for it. If you still like INFI for what it is, go for it! Every company (or even anyone) is entitled to have their “special sauce” kept secret. By now, we are familiar enough with the properties of INFI. That’s good enough for me.

My late grandma’s beef rice is still the best in the world. We all know the ingredients and her recipe. But nobody makes it like she did.
 
Only thing I don’t like about Busse’s is the fact they don’t include a sheath with their knives. Nothing fancy just a nice fitting kydex sheath like CPK. I’d gladly pay more for one even though I’m sure there is a nice markup on kydex.
 
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I like Inox steel, it's the bestest everest ... on a serious note. I have been carrying Busse concealed daily since 2013. I like the Tgulb.... love the design. The Regulator is also imo one of the best defensive blades you can get. I also carried the hr2 for about 1.5 years. Great blades.
 
infi is close to A8mod in some percentages but it is not
Cobalt said:
Asked before?

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/133109-What-is-INFI-w-o-nitrogen?highlight=infi


And some more fun info, that anyone can find
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at least there is nickel and nitrogen
not sure if cobalt is still in
I tend to believe that infi recipe didn't change
I would rather believe in Jerry than some website whose resources is from some random guy using an element analyzer x that probably can't even detect nitrogen
(so called 2009 recipe)
when it comes to analysis ,only the chemical method is for sure accurate
more info

 
I'm sorry what does that mean........"loosing ground"?

If it means that time has passed and something newer has come along which has properties that may or may not be better then we all need to understand..... that was absolutely bound to happen.

I have a custom made daily use kitchen knife made from 440C which I use all the time, sharpen all the time, and cut with all the time. It works as well today as the day I bought it home from the maker 30 years ago. My steak has no complaints about the fact that it is 440C.

My NMFBM and Skinny ASH are no worse at doing what I need them to do today than they were when Jerry made them 10+ years ago. The steel didn't magically loose its fantastic properties just because a newer and possibly better product has been invented.

I have no doubt that Jerry is constantly working in the background to improve BUSSE's legendary blade properties but the idea that somehow BUSSE is loosing ground because there are new steels out there is preposterous.

INFI was fantastic steel yesterday, is fantastic steel today, and I hope in 100 years someone out there will have my Skinny ASH and will still appreciate what a fantastic knife it is.
 
Steven65 said:
I'm sorry what does that mean........"loosing ground"?

If it means that time has passed and something newer has come along which has properties that may or may not be better then we all need to understand..... that was absolutely bound to happen.

I have a custom made daily use kitchen knife made from 440C which I use all the time, sharpen all the time, and cut with all the time. It works as well today as the day I bought it home from the maker 30 years ago. My steak has no complaints about the fact that it is 440C.

My NMFBM and Skinny ASH are no worse at doing what I need them to do today than they were when Jerry made them 10+ years ago. The steel didn't magically loose its fantastic properties just because a newer and possibly better product has been invented.

I have no doubt that Jerry is constantly working in the background to improve BUSSE's legendary blade properties but the idea that somehow BUSSE is loosing ground because there are new steels out there is preposterous.

INFI was fantastic steel yesterday, is fantastic steel today, and I hope in 100 years someone out there will have my Skinny ASH and will still appreciate what a fantastic knife it is.
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Well said
 
bikerector said:
Personally, the steel isn't anything magical. Busse's heat treat is, just like what Nathan can do with 3V. They can push the performance for a "non-special" steel and make it perform very well. IMO, you're not paying more for the steel when buying their knives, you're paying for their expertise on heat trear for that steel. They also happen to design nice knives that are made pretty darn well.
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Let's not forget the warranty or guarantee with Busse knives. If you break it send it in and Busse will take care of you.
 
d762nato said:
Let's not forget the warranty or guarantee with Busse knives. If you break it send it in and Busse will take care of you.
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I'll be honest though, I don't much value into warranties, maybe because I've never neede to use one, but I never like the idea of a broken knife in a trip and then trying to coordinate a replacement while still on the trip.

The chance that I have edged tool though... is unlikely.

Based on the cost of Busse, it is a nice touch, I suppose, and hopefully enables more people to use their knives.
 
bikerector said:
…I don't much value into warranties, maybe because I've never neede to use one, but I never like the idea of a broken knife in a trip and then trying to coordinate a replacement while still on the trip…
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I understand this thinking, but to me replacement is secondary to the fact that, from the beginning, Jerry was determined to build the strongest, most reliable knife he could give us. The fact that he put his money where his mouth is with the no-questions-asked guarantee to me was a way of saying he was committed to doing just that. If you look back over the published evidence of what people have put Busse knives through, and what it actually takes to break one, then you understand the point of that warranty. I wouldn’t think twice about that guarantee if people routinely broke Busse knives and had to submit them for replacement. But the company wouldn’t have been around for long anyway, had that been the case. The point to me is that Jerry was—and is—willing to bet his company and his name that his knives will stand up where others fail. And he’s made good on that bet. His company is thriving today because he’s giving us exactly what you imply is more important—proven performance from some of the most reliable hard-use knives in the world.
 
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Crag the Brewer said:
please explain......?
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A friend of mine used to work for a company that made cryo equipment that they sold to customers doing cryogenic research (e.g. universities, etc). Their equipment would take test samples very slowly down to extremely low temperatures, and then very slowly back up to room temperature.

To my mind, that's the way to do it.

Dipping a knife in liquid nitrogen... let's just say I prefer the other approach.
YMMV
 
INFI still seems to be doing fine for me.

Losing ground ?.................................nah
 

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OP, if you're trying to make a comparison and are worried about having knives that are the "top of the heap" as you put it, that is...well...some subjective fuzzy criteria that really is impossible to maintain never mind even define what "top of the heap" should mean in the discussion. What should really matter is what some above have touched on--do your knives meet your needs? If they do, then worrying about all the other knives out there is pure folly and a recipe for going crazy IMHO. Of course, YMMV.

FWIW, I have knives with Delta 3V, and INFI, and A2, Cruwear, Super Blue, K390, S90V, M390, Damascus, Damasteel, N690, CPM-154, Maxamet, H1, LC200N, LamCos, Magnacut, etc., etc., etc. I have owned the original Silent Knight and still own Victorinox and lots of stuff in between. They are all top of the heap in my book!
 
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