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ill have to see how the SAR5 works
Told ya I just got it! ha ha
Yes sir.... it's on the way to its new home!
:thumbup:
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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
My first WoodCraft Knife a Busse?
- Thread starter Whiskey River
- Start date
Told ya I just got it! ha ha
Yes sir.... it's on the way to its new home!
:thumbup:
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2006
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- 16,703
They work for me!
Of course, so do my Fiddlebacks. And the occasional Koster or Krein.:thumbup:
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2005
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Because of the choil on Busse's I find that their 5 inch blades give the same amount of cutting edge as the 4 inch Bushcrafter blades .... and for doing a power cut on making pegs or pot hanger supports for the fire or simply cutting "green" sticks for the pot hanger itself .... the amount of edge on the Basic 5 or the sister company S5LE and Ratmandu work best for me in Bushcraft work.
I also like 3/16 or more thickness on the spine as when doing carving with a thumb grip on the spine the extra width is more comfortable. So long as you have a good re-profiled edge the spine thickness is not an impediment to good technique when working with wood. Food prep is really where you notice the spine thickness the most and I have to say I like a thinner spine for slicing vegetables/cutting cheese, bread and potted meats but when working on game or gralloching a deer the thicker spine is'nt noticed. So all told out of the Busse family I like the ones mentioned above best. The ASM edge on the Basic 5 is particularly good working with wood .... as good as a scandi grind IMO ....
You can do fine work with wood using any of these and the point on a 5 inch blade is still close enough to allow good "feel" for delicate tasks ....
A Woodlore knife may be the "first thought" for bushcraft work and they are excellent for delicate carving .....
but as has already been said .... when it comes to meat or fish preperation work a flat ground or sabre ground blade works better .... and on vegetables and food prep they are a lot more able ....
I also like 3/16 or more thickness on the spine as when doing carving with a thumb grip on the spine the extra width is more comfortable. So long as you have a good re-profiled edge the spine thickness is not an impediment to good technique when working with wood. Food prep is really where you notice the spine thickness the most and I have to say I like a thinner spine for slicing vegetables/cutting cheese, bread and potted meats but when working on game or gralloching a deer the thicker spine is'nt noticed. So all told out of the Busse family I like the ones mentioned above best. The ASM edge on the Basic 5 is particularly good working with wood .... as good as a scandi grind IMO ....
You can do fine work with wood using any of these and the point on a 5 inch blade is still close enough to allow good "feel" for delicate tasks ....
A Woodlore knife may be the "first thought" for bushcraft work and they are excellent for delicate carving .....
but as has already been said .... when it comes to meat or fish preperation work a flat ground or sabre ground blade works better .... and on vegetables and food prep they are a lot more able ....
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- Jul 6, 2007
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- 463
While the SAR5 certainly does the job and has the most comfortable handle, it's a bit heavy for prolonged delicate work. I find the Game Warden just a tad small for some tasks, though it certainly works.
I recently received a BOSS Street, though, that seems right size-wise. While its name seems to indicate urban usage, its blade geometry is certainly woodcraft-friendly. The handle is relatively comfortable.
It wouldn't be my favorite woodcraft knife (I have a separate thread exploring that), it is certainly a contender if you wanted a Busse for bushcraft.
I recently received a BOSS Street, though, that seems right size-wise. While its name seems to indicate urban usage, its blade geometry is certainly woodcraft-friendly. The handle is relatively comfortable.
It wouldn't be my favorite woodcraft knife (I have a separate thread exploring that), it is certainly a contender if you wanted a Busse for bushcraft.
DavidZ
Gold Member
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- Oct 30, 2004
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- 4,230
I use my SAR 4, and ASH LE all the time for bushcraft work with no complaints. I actually like the size of the ASH LE a little better for some tasks. try them all - You can always sell or trade on the forums. That way you can get and keep what is best for you. That is what I do!
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- Apr 25, 2010
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Why struggle when ya can get an ML Knife custom fit to your exact specs for far less money ?
Because it isn't INFI !
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- Mar 14, 2009
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- 3,646
Some Busses are crazy thick, and some are not, so I think the thickness argument really doesn't hold water - if you want thin INFI, you can certainly get it. And it's pretty awesome. That said, even thick INFI isn't automatically terrible for bushcraft tasks - I've made pretty nice fuzz sticks with a .270 thick FSH, and it out-cut many much smaller, much thinner knives, because I put a wicked convex edge on it. It all depends on the blade, the balance, and the grind - I personally found the blade on the BOSS Street to be far too thick, and sold the knife, but the much thicker blade on the FSH, in a chopper sized blade, still works well.
To me the biggest detriment for Busse blades for woodcraft, specifically in the category of a belt knife and not a chopper, is the dang choils. On knives 5" and above, I can tolerate a choil, if it is a full size choil that is actually useful for choking up. Some examples from the Busse family which get it absolutely right are the Scrapper 5 from Scrap Yard, the Ratmandu from Swamp Rat, or the High Street from Busse.
Far more often, however, especially on sub-5" blades, Busse puts the absolutely awful elf choils on the knife - they are far too big for a sharpening choil, and a royal pain in the butt when carving or cutting fibrous materials, but they are also far too small for a finger choil and useless for choking up on the blade. The elf choil is one of the worst design features I've ever seen, and I've gotten to the point where I refuse to buy any knife that has one, regardless of the company. I have also gotten rid of most of the small Busse's I've owned, for the same reason - I only kept one small elf-choiled blade, and that's primarily because I like the aesthetics of it.
In addition to the elf choils, the "trademark" front talon hole usually serves no purpose for my uses, and all it accomplishes is to push the cutting edge farther from my hand. On a big chopper where it's useful for attaching a lanyard, the talon hole is fine, but on a 4" blade, it's sacrificing utility for a "signature" look.
A thin, choil-free BOSS Street would be just about my perfect woodcraft blade, but due to the Busse business model, not only do I have no clue whether such a knife will ever be created, but I have to watch their forums and website like a hawk to have a chance to buy one at retail prices if it ever happens to get released.
I would rather just contact a custom maker and have him do exactly what I want, without the hassle - the chase is part of the fun of Busse knives, and I don't fault those who enjoy the game, but I grew tired of it. I suggest giving it a try, because it's an experience unlike anything else in the knife world, but it's not for everybody.
To me the biggest detriment for Busse blades for woodcraft, specifically in the category of a belt knife and not a chopper, is the dang choils. On knives 5" and above, I can tolerate a choil, if it is a full size choil that is actually useful for choking up. Some examples from the Busse family which get it absolutely right are the Scrapper 5 from Scrap Yard, the Ratmandu from Swamp Rat, or the High Street from Busse.
Far more often, however, especially on sub-5" blades, Busse puts the absolutely awful elf choils on the knife - they are far too big for a sharpening choil, and a royal pain in the butt when carving or cutting fibrous materials, but they are also far too small for a finger choil and useless for choking up on the blade. The elf choil is one of the worst design features I've ever seen, and I've gotten to the point where I refuse to buy any knife that has one, regardless of the company. I have also gotten rid of most of the small Busse's I've owned, for the same reason - I only kept one small elf-choiled blade, and that's primarily because I like the aesthetics of it.
In addition to the elf choils, the "trademark" front talon hole usually serves no purpose for my uses, and all it accomplishes is to push the cutting edge farther from my hand. On a big chopper where it's useful for attaching a lanyard, the talon hole is fine, but on a 4" blade, it's sacrificing utility for a "signature" look.
A thin, choil-free BOSS Street would be just about my perfect woodcraft blade, but due to the Busse business model, not only do I have no clue whether such a knife will ever be created, but I have to watch their forums and website like a hawk to have a chance to buy one at retail prices if it ever happens to get released.
I would rather just contact a custom maker and have him do exactly what I want, without the hassle - the chase is part of the fun of Busse knives, and I don't fault those who enjoy the game, but I grew tired of it. I suggest giving it a try, because it's an experience unlike anything else in the knife world, but it's not for everybody.
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Gossman Knives
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While the SAR5 certainly does the job and has the most comfortable handle, it's a bit heavy for prolonged delicate work. I find the Game Warden just a tad small for some tasks, though it certainly works.
I recently received a BOSS Street, though, that seems right size-wise. While its name seems to indicate urban usage, its blade geometry is certainly woodcraft-friendly. The handle is relatively comfortable.
It wouldn't be my favorite woodcraft knife (I have a separate thread exploring that), it is certainly a contender if you wanted a Busse for bushcraft.
That Boss Street actually looks like a nice size! Thanks for the shot of it along with the other two! It's the only one of those three that I have not seen yet.