Making a FBM comfortable?

corwise

corwise

Joined
Nov 10, 2006
Messages
1,408
A few months back I bought an unused CGFBM. My backyard has about a 1/2 acre of forest, oak and hickory, and got trashed by the ice storm that rolled through Oklahoma in December. The past month and a half I've been using the CGFBM for 1-2 hours every weekend and occasional weekdays cleaning out the downed limbs, chopping them into more manageable sizes and trying to clear up the mess.
Unfortunately after doing this for the past few weeks (and man does that INFI work great) my hand is just hurting. Just wrapping my fingers around a glass is seriously uncomfortable. I don't want to get rid of my FBM and get a Dog Father (although I might have to), so I'm wandering if anyone has any techniques for making the G-10 Mag handles more comfortable? Wrapping it with tennis racquet grip or something? The knife works great, and my hand can take several hours of chopping, but not several hours of chopping every week. :) Thanks much, have a good one.

Dave
 
And just because it's always more exciting with photo's, here's my backyard after the ice storm. None of the knife though, I'll have to get some. :)

IMG_0901.jpg


IMG_0916.jpg
 
corwise said:
A few months back I bought an unused CGFBM. My backyard has about a 1/2 acre of forest, oak and hickory, and got trashed by the ice storm that rolled through Oklahoma in December. The past month and a half I've been using the CGFBM for 1-2 hours every weekend and occasional weekdays cleaning out the downed limbs, chopping them into more manageable sizes and trying to clear up the mess.
Unfortunately after doing this for the past few weeks (and man does that INFI work great) my hand is just hurting. Just wrapping my fingers around a glass is seriously uncomfortable. I don't want to get rid of my FBM and get a Dog Father (although I might have to), so I'm wandering if anyone has any techniques for making the G-10 Mag handles more comfortable? Wrapping it with tennis racquet grip or something? The knife works great, and my hand can take several hours of chopping, but not several hours of chopping every week. :) Thanks much, have a good one.

Dave
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Hey Dave,

After helping you out yesterday for a couple hours, my hand is hurting as well. LOL!!!!

by the way, thanks for inviting me over and letting me try out hyour FBM. I went ahead and ordered a RTAK II for fun.

Take care man,
Brett
 
I am definitely wearing some thick leather gloves, which do help, but not enough. :)

Brett, glad you could come over and try out the toys. We'll have to throw a bigger OKC Busse party sometime. Enjoy the RTAC, but you gotta get a BFM as well!
 
You can sand down the humps and wear gloves.

You should wear a respirator if you start sanding on G-10 or micarta.

I prefer standard scales on anything in the .25" range and up.
 
corwise said:
I am definitely wearing some thick leather gloves, which do help, but not enough. :)

Brett, glad you could come over and try out the toys. We'll have to throw a bigger OKC Busse party sometime. Enjoy the RTAC, but you gotta get a BFM as well!
Click to expand...

I know, I KNOW!!!! I can't get that darn FBM out of my mind. I will DEF have to get one.

I think a greater okc busse party would be awesome. Sometime in summer where we can enjoy some kickass bbbq and cold beverages.

Take care!
Brett
 
Definitely a good-fitting pair of gloves, if your hand is hurting from the handle making contact with your hand. If it's a soreness issue with muscles, etc., That's gonna happen a little. Stretching and working with weights can help some.

Also, the grips can be sanded to relieve "hot-spots" if you're getting major blisters. :thumbup:
 
Busse should bring back the Res C grips. Sure theyre not as "ballin" as the multi coloured, textured micarta/g10, but theyre more usable IMO
 
I sanded the aggressive texturing off of mine because it was bothering my hands. I'm not sure how much it would help you, but this is what a few hours of 120 grit sandpaper can do to you handles if you like:

PICT4246.jpg

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I have found this to be far more comfortable for use. It sounds like the prolonged stress on your hands is the problem, though. I think if you just took a break and let them heal for a few days, you would find that they are no longer bothered by the work.
 
it looks really nice, good job.
one thing i remember...
back when i played soccer, my feet would get sore, so a doctor told me to take a cold pop can from the fridge and roll it under my feet while i watched TV or whatever.

the big trick here is to pamper your hands when they are done doing the work, so give them a little bit of a chill, im sure the illustrious drinkers of the Busse forums can find a beverage in cans.
bottle would work fine too...
 
I added some wraping to the handle of my FBM on the lower part of the handle, seems to help. I havn't been chopping for hours though. Please excuse the really unexciting pics.
IMG_2102.jpg


ash12.jpg
 
WOW!!! That's quite a lot of ice you got! Nice pix!!

Last summer, when I went to chop this bough with an FBMLE to drop it...

FBM206_TreeBough_wideview.jpg
FBM206_TreeBough.jpg


...The ridges caused a minor blister at the base of my right index finger in about 10-15 minutes... So I grabbed some sandpaper and just sanded the tops of the ridges down until rounded off and smooth, and did even less to the areas from the middle tube fastener to the pommel... Now it's gotta be about the most comfortable Busse to use that I have!!! It only took me about 20-30 minutes worth of hand sanding to get it where I wanted it, but still with plenty of grip traction left. :thumbup: After about an hour or two more on the bough, my formed blister was no worse, and my hand was fine, no pain. :)

FBM206_TreeBough2.jpg

FBM206_TreeBough3.jpg

TreeBough_Almost-through.jpg

FBM206_TreeBough4.jpg


After cleaning it up, and rubbing some mineral oil on the sanded grips...
FBM206_Oiled1.jpg


If you don't like using gloves, then I highly recommend sanding the areas down that cause you discomfort. :thumbup:
 
You guys need more callouses.

I suggest building/construction work. :p
 
I think the solution in part may be to just keep chopping and toughen your hands. I know that after some time of not doing things like hitting 200-300 golf balls or riding a bike for three hours or using a hammer for hours my hands will blister at contact points. The blisters turn to callous and then I’m good to go for years no matter what grips I have. :thumbup:

.
 
Fixed it....


Jaxx said:
After cleaning it up, and rubbing some mineral oil on the sanded grips... and some digital color adjustments.
FBM206_Oiled1.jpg


If you don't like using gloves, then I highly recommend sanding the areas down that cause you discomfort. :thumbup:
Click to expand...
 
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