Is the Busse market mostly collector driven?

Raymond1000 said:
Any carpenter owns multiple hammers. Different types of hammer for different uses. Finish hammer, framing hammer, roofing hammer, sledge hammers of different weights, single jacks, ball peens.

That does not make him a hammer collector.
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Good analogy, but when you have 4 framing hammers and 3 roofing hammers, etc. etc. (like my late grandfather) are you a hammer collector then?

I think the answer is yes.

I typed a whole bunch of stuff but realized I was rambling. I know I am a collector.
1. I have been collecting knives for over 30 years and find it hard to use a very valuable knife still to this day.
2. Knives that I use, still don't look used to most guys. If you don't baton it through stuff or mess up the grind sharpening they don't get torn up.
3. Just posting and reading regularly on this forum would lead most people to believe that you are a knife "collector." Everyone else I know outside of this forum does limited research or just asks the knife guy at work, buys a knife, and then doesn't look back until they see something that looks cooler and they are willing to buy it instead of the next coolest electronic gadget.

and finally...


4. Outside of deer season I have next to no use for a fixed blade knife in my area of operation and I never carry one on my person. I carry a pistol, spare mag, and a folder. Funny thing is you can open carry a handgun here but a knife over 4 inches is likely to get the police involved. (and CCW does not apply to knives either) So since I have a boat load of fixed blades then I have to be a collector.

I collect fixed blade knives because I like them and because they go up in value. With Busse it is the best of both worlds because you can use them and they will still go up in value which is rare in the knife world IMO.
 
PatrickKnight said:
You can have higher production than the Busse groups generate while still maintaining remarkably high QC. Just take the Rowen shop for example, I don't think anyone would argue that shop puts out a heck of a nice production knife for its cost.

That being said you would lose some of the ability to change handle scales and blade colors. Its all a cost vs profit thing for any business be it knives or any other product/service. The Busse shops produce a high quality product with a high mark up to a select group of buyers Capitalism at its finest.
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Yes, ESEE makes good knives for the price. But as far as I know, ESEE does not provide knives for retail sales through Walmart or Cabela's. Only through knife specialty shops such as knifecenter, bladehq, etc. Any maker that provided knives to particularly Walmart, and to a lesser degree Cabela's would have to have a much higher production output than even ESEE currently has the capability to provide. And to meet the current production requirements, ESEE has to out source production to Rowen for manufacturing.

To provide knives for sale through Walmart or Cabela's, Busse would almost certainly need to outsource most, if not all production. I seriously doubt that Busse is willing to do this considering the proprietary steel's used in their knives. That would be like giving away the secret recipe for coke.
 
The bottom line to me regarding the OP's comment on why doesn't Busse go mainstream to maybe a Wal-Mart or Cabela's is,

1. The knife designs are some of the best in the industry.
2. The performance of the steel's used in Busse / Kin are unequaled for performance.
3. Busse / Kin are low production only available direct, shows, or in private sales.

If Busse were to start selling at retailers like Walmart of Cabela's, they would need to manufacture 10's of thousands of different models to stock at those stores. If that happens, they become just another K-bar. Where's the cool factor in that?
 
As a Carpenter/millwright/shadetree mechanic who from time to time beat hot steel into shapes I at one time had more than 40 hammers with very little overlap, all of them users.

I still have more than ten (all of them users) I divided the rest up between three of my sons.

I at one point had more than 100 Busse knives (143 is the most at any one time I think) with ten users at a time, plus a few loaners to hand out, I had another hundred or so non Busse knives, now I am down to a few dozen Busse knives and maybe 50 non Busse knives, once again, I gave most to my kids and Friends, sold a bunch to free up cash.

I am more of an "accumulator" than "Collector" but I do have a few Collectable Busse knives still.

From January 2000 to May 2002, there were mainly two kinds of people buying Busse knives from me, Middle aged men who could afford the "Best" and people for whom a knife might make a real difference out in the Field aged 18 to about 30 or so.

In the last 5 years all I have sold to were Collectors.
 
Started out buying them for users back in the A2 steel days, and they beat my other survival blades all to pieces.. used the crap out of my steel heart ii , and battle mistress. Then a few years ago I was on line and wanted to see if busse was still around and found blade forums. Found out they were coming out with an anniversary steel heart called the ash1. Bought a couple of them and was hooked.. now I have.. a lot. Some are users but honestly, most are safe queens. And yes; I have fehrman, treeman, al mar, sog, cold steel, zt, and randalls as well.
 
My personal thought on threads like this one.........

It's takes all kinds to make the world go round
 
I am new to Bussekins. Have one Custom Shop RMD Pumpkin that was purchased for admiration only. My other RMD (CG), is for go. And it does get used - a lot. Certainly not through with my purchases of this fine family of knives. And some will be for collecting, some for use. What a great world - eh? Cheers.
 
Messer454...Same with my CHL here in Oregon. No limit to the number of handguns I can legally carry - (Glock G39 & Baby Swiss onboard as I type this at the local library). But one concealed Steel Heart? There's a problem. Cheers.
 
Mine are all users, I've beaten every single one of them into futile submission! Huh?:confused:
 
My opinion is this: I have some to look at and some to use. I have one that I don't believe I will ever use. It is just TOO pretty to me. My SFNO LE #99 out of 300 is PROBABLY a safe queen. I have used and will use all my others. I genuinely plan on using my TGLB that is coming. The beauty of Busses is that they make both ends of the spectrum. I know they can all be abused beyond what most any other knife will take, but to me, some are truly pretty enough to be museum pieces.

I do chuckle when I see people say "I have a new Gerber/ Cold Steel/Buck, and it's just as good." I swear, I want to do a video of my HOGFSH cutting a CS in half. They are only as good if you don't have a Busse!
 
I don't own that many BUSSE knives yet but, mine (so far) are all "Performance Driven" as VS "Collector Driven" with the exception of one.

That 'one" would be the Argonne Assault BECAUSE....in Pennsylvania I can legally own it in PA. but, it would technically be considered/classed a "prohibited" Knuckle Knife and a Dagger if I went walking and strutting around downtown with it. :D

Even though my local LEOs wouldn't ever hassle me over it since I know almost all of them personally.

I had to have it (and so I bought it) but, I figured that I might as well keep it pristine and in unused condition and just make a "kickass" leather sheath for it since I love working in leather.

My intention is just to keep it "Safe Queened" and pass it on down to my Nephew as a family keepsake/heirloon.

I MIGHT have the blade custom laser engraved for him one of these days.
 
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