Meserin Bone(Horn) handle Sodbuster Review

trevytrev

trevytrev

Joined
May 4, 2010
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*Edit note- It was pointed out to me that the handles are probably horn, not bone as listed on the site from where I purchased them. Realizing that they are similar some horn handle knives I have I did some research on Maserin's page and they are listed as blond horn. I'm adding this note as a clarification for those who read the review instead of editing the whole review.*

Some time ago I came across an Italian company, Maserin, that makes my favorite pattern the sodbuster. They offer the sodbuster in olive wood and in bone but since they are an over seas manufacturer it's not easy finding them over here in the States. Luckily I was able to find the wood handle version from a dealer here in the states. The knife has olive wood handles, stainless steel, good walk and talk, centered, but a few gaps on the back liners. It wasn't too pricey so I figured it an ok deal to add to the collection despite the minor fit and finish issues. Forum member Jack Black had posted a few pics of his bone handled version and I knew I wanted one, it looked nice! Problem is, the bone handle version is a bit more elusive, no US dealers carry them as of yet so the only for me to secure one was to order from a UK dealer. I ponied up and bought two and paid the shipping to have them sent across the pond. I figured I'd post my thoughts of the two knives here for anyone wanting info on these knives in the event they decide they may want one.

Here are my thoughts. I like the bone, it has lots of character. Each knife, despite being the same item, looked completely different from one another due to variations in the color and pattern of the bone. One knife had scales that matched in color on both sides, while the other had a white handle on one side and darker bone of the other side. This can be a bit bothersome for some but I chalked it up to natural materials and didn't let it bother me much. Unfortunately, the fit and finish are lacking about as bad as any knife I've owned. While they came shaving sharp, that's where the good ends. Walk and talk are good but one knife's blade is banging into the backspring causing an indentation on the blade. Not a huge deal to me since it cane be sharpened out and problem solved but along with other issues it just piles on. Both have side to side blade movement, one I consider within the norm but the other a bit more than would consider acceptable. Neither blade is centered but neither is rubbing the liners either. The most egregious fit and finish issue are the gaps on the liners, both have serious gaps of the bone pulling away from the brass liners. I realize these are user knives so complaining about cosmetic issues seems silly but when you have to pay more for the bone version than the wood, you'd expect a bit more for the money, not the case here. The wood had better fit and finish than both the bone versions I received. I'll say that as a sodbuster collector I accept a lot imperfection in my knives, it's a user knife and things can't be perfect. That said, I feel these two knives are pretty sloppy for the premium you have to pay over the wood counterpart(double the amount). Here are some pics:

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Thanks for the detailed review. Sorry you got some not so perfect specimens though. Hopefully you can put them to use somehow. Not practical to try and return them since they're from overseas.

I only have one Sodbuster - a yellow delrin in CV. It's a great workhorse for those dirty jobs where you just don't care much what happens to it.
 
Thanks Arizona! Definitely not practical to return them but I'm happy to have them as part of my collection non the less. Good, bad and everything in between I just want to have a collection where I can give inquiring minds some info on a knife they might be looking to purchase. I enjoy comparing different versions of the sodbuster pattern!
 
Thanks for the review. I almost ordered a Maserin knife last week. Think it was called a horticultural budding knife. Pulled out at the last minute as I was unsure of the F&F. I'm not sure if the quality of the knives you received is reflective of the brand in general but it's definitely made me more cautious about this Italian brand.
Linus
 
Thanks for the review, it's too bad about the finish, I'm not sure you received bone? Looks more like horn scales, at least from my seat, I really like the look of all the ones you have +++

Pete
 
Sorry to hear about this Trevor, you'd think a company would be a bit more careful to check what they're sending out, particularly to overseas customers. Unfortunately, I know from personal experience that that doesn't always happen. I ended up with my bone-handled Maserin Sodbusters because of an ordering error, I actually wanted the olive wood version, and it seems that I was pretty lucky. I've had a few other Maserin knives and have found the quality OK, they're what I would call mid-range knives. If you have to shop outside the US again, please let me know if I can help :thumbup:
 
Pete, they probably are horn scales now that you mention it, though the website called them bone. I personally like the look of the scales, just not how they fit:rolleyes:

Thanks Jack, I'll keep you in mind should the need ever arise:thumbup:

In the scheme of things these are still relatively inexpensive knives so in a way you get what you pay for, that said, for approximately the same amount you can find other versions of the pattern with better quality. Case has quite a few jigged bone sodbusters in various colors and steel choices that comparable in cost as the horn handled Maserin, and their quality is far superior.
 
Of the three Maserin knives in my collection, two are very well made and the third has a bit of wobble. I would not be happy with the gaps in those knives, although considering the price I'd probably follow the same course of action, put them away in the collection.
I wonder if the gaps are from poor workmanship, building to match the price, or if the raw materials weren't stabilized enough?

On the positive side those are very handsome knives, especially the translucent horn.
 
Pete, you were correct, I looked it up on Maserin's page and they are in fact horn. Thanks for the heads up!

Bob, I wonder if horn has a tendency to do this on knives or if it is a matter of stabilizing/bad craftsmanship. I have another soddie made of horn and it too has a spot where the horn has separated from the liner.
 
It looked more like horn than bone to me, I have a few knives with horn, favorite being rams horn seems to hold up better than other horn like bovine.

Pete
 
trevytrev said:
Bob, I wonder if horn has a tendency to do this on knives or if it is a matter of stabilizing/bad craftsmanship. I have another soddie made of horn and it too has a spot where the horn has separated from the liner.
Click to expand...

I suspect that the horn has warped after production. And it would be especially noticeable on that pattern since there are no bolsters, and because the horn pieces are larger than on a senator or peanut.
 
Pretty horn, but sorry bout the poor fit. Gaps between liner and spring are a little more acceptable as they do allow for easier action, but gaps between scale and liners are just unfortunate and aren't helping anyone. Perhaps you can glue and clamp them together?
 
Oh my word, those are breath taking. I LOVE horn and I didn't know anyone production used it. I have to try to find one of those!
 
FYI, the US dealer who I bought the wood handled Maserin from is now stocking the Horn handled version for about $45. I'm sure if you hit him up and ask for him to inspect it for severe defect before shipping you might be able to get a good copy. Hit me up anyone cares to know the dealer, he's not a BF contributor so I will not post it int he thread.
 
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