Need a little help

R

redman2006

Joined
Nov 6, 2012
Messages
306
So I am new to Busse, Infi, and the various models. I purchased a nmsfno as my first and have some questions. I think some of my issues are quirks of the knife, yet some may well be me.

So, a little history. This knife was purchased from a forum member and has sat basically unused in a drawer. It has the magnum scales and was to Busse right before I bought it for what he called a spa treatment which included the scales and a sharpening as I understand it.

The edge is sharp, but very thick. For chopping, this is fine, but I bought this knife for an all around user in the woods, camping etc., as well as a just fun to have knife. When trying to do basic cutting, it is really too thick of an edge.

Also, the grips fit amazingly well, but are slightly slick.

So I guess what I am trying to find d out, is do I try to make this knife my own and have the blade reprofiled a little and texture the scales, or do I accept that I bought the wrong knife and trade for something more useable for me?

What I don't want to do is ruin the value of it should it need to move on.
If I do move on, what should I look at as a trade? The ash appeals to me,but not having seen one in person, I may be heading from the frying pan to the fire.

Any thoughts and help on this subject would be greatly appreciated!
 
It's probably a fake. Mail it to me for disposal. ;)

In my opinion, the NMSFNO is the best all around Busse you can have. I've owned many Busse's over the past decade and still have this opinion. Just make it your own. If you want more texture on the handle... do it.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that no knife is truly the 'best' for all tasks. But partner the NMSFNO with a folder and maybe a Mora (yeah I said it)... and you are pretty well covered. Thinning out the NMSFNO too much would sacrifice edge strength and durability. Don't try make it something it is not. Personally, I prefer a convex edge on my larger knives.
 
I like a convex edge and have a few. This one just seems to have a little too much meat behind it. The overall design and feel of the knife is amazing, and I would hate to give it up. At the same time, it is just sitting there.

I keep looking at a ratmandu....I may be hooked.
 
There are a few pros on the forums that do the regrinds, I'd go with that option to keep it convex but thinned down to where you want it.
I'm assuming handles are G10 not micarta, micarta wouldn't be slick. You could get the handles bead blasted, or maybe even have a go with some sandpaper. The other options are to put some bicycle inner tube over the handle or wrap it with tennis racket tape
 
My advise, in addition to that above, and depending on your budget, would be to acquire an ash and even maybe a ratmandu and see which of the three you like best. Then...keep them all and buy more! :D Or I guess you could always move the other two here on the forum as they all hold their value very well. Even modifying a blade, if its done right, rarely diminishes the value of a Busse. Though it often can be more difficult to get what you have in them back out when you sell if you hire it done.
 
I think I will start looking for a ratmandu in infi.

One oddball thing on my knife, the logo is fairly faint. Most I see on here look deeply etched or colored. Not a big deal to me, but I do wonder why.
 
Busse also has made some anorexic or slimmer models also you may want to check out if your looking for something with more slicing capabilities.
 
Pics ? Is it satin? D.C.? I'm guessing by your explanation it was a coated blade originally. Stripped. Then sent in for refinishing. That is why the logo is so faint. Without pics it's hard to tell what may be wrong. You can only sharpen so much before you have to knock down the shoulders for it to be anything but an expensive wedge.
 
I have never had a mid to large sized Busse be a great slicer direct from factory. As you said, they are sharp, but they have a thick edge. The thick edge makes the knife bomb proof, at a detriment to its slicing ability. What really makes Busse's special is their ability to handle punishment without any modification. I have purchased a lot of Busse's over the last few years (80+) and they are a truly special breed of knives. That being said, I have started to get a lot of enjoyment out of having some of them modified to meet my personal needs better. If you love the knife and really like the ergos, and are just not a fan of how it slices, then by all means I suggest you send it out to have it modified to make it a better slicer. If you are not completely in love with knife, however, than I suggest you try some other knives out before sending a knife out to be modified. If you send your knife to one of the well know modifiers like Ban or Josh at Razor Edge then you will not hurt the value of your knife, but you are not likely to get all of your money back on the modifications if you decide to sell it after the fact. Naturally, if it's modified poorly by an unknown person it will significantly decrease the value of the knife. In all honesty, I have handled and used a lot of knives before I found the ones that were just right for me save for a few modifications.

In regards to why your logo is faint, I'm pretty sure bullpin hit the nail on the head; it was likely a coated blade that was stripped and sanded thus making the logo faint.
 
I have Ratmandu's, Swatmandu's, and BeefMandu's...None match the overall ability of the NMSFNO which is by no means a knock against the "Mandus". The NMSFNO is meant for all around use NOT as capable as a Busse Mistress for heavy chopping nor is it as capable as a Anorexic B4 for small work and slicing. The one blade that falls between the NMSFNO and Ratmandu is the BATAC which will slice better than the NMSFNO and chop better than the Ratmandu. When I take the NMSFNO out in the field I generally carry a capable folder for delicate work either a Spyderco PM2 or Endura and this covers all my forseen tasks.
 
Lots of great answers and advice here. Specifically to your dilemma, I think Zmbhntr nailed it.

For some medium sized Busses you may want to also take a look at these, which are all 3/16" thick.
SarSquatch - might be harder to find but worth it.
Lean Ash 1 - The .22"s are very nice as well.
HellRazor
Boss Jack LE - not nearly the size or chopping ability if the others. The Protos are much thicker behind the edge from the factory.


Regarding the Ratmandu, I wouldn't shy away from the standard SR101 version. Can be had at factory pricing at half the cost and will definitely get the job done. There are many who feel SR101 is a better choice for a smaller blade.

Regarding your NMSFNO, if you have g10 scales your grip issue may be solved with a switch to canvas micarta.


Good luck, and share pics of you can.
 
Welcome to the Busse madness. I've held knives for just a few days realizing it wasn't for me. I've also wanted the knife back after holding another similar size. I've decided now to only purchase knives with a full flat grind for slicing and saber grind for everything else. Also color and grip matters a lot, I prefer only Camo coated blades or satin and I much prefer Micarta Grips over G-10. So first I would decide what grind I want and then what color I want and also If it has a sheath. Then look for a model that suits you.
 
+1 for RMD in SR101. It isn't the most slicey of blades but it is tough as nails. It still will get cutting tasks done just not as easily as other options out there. But it is a great all-round user when you require something tougher than the norm. Seriously, i've put it through some stupid tests just to see if rumors were true about its robustness and well....get one :D
I cant comment on the performance of INFI vs SR101, but if you are happy with something less than half the price, probably 90% as tough and ease to sharpen, then I would look into SR101.
 
Tellya one I just picked up that's slicy as hell plus very light and gripy due to the res c handle is the basic 8le. Now I see what all the fuss is about. Don't know yet but been told it's a very decent lil chopper as well. And it feels so light! They don't come up on the exchange very often but one just sold the other day w a few kydex sheaths for $375.
 
 


Oh to heck with it. It is not worth the fight right now. I can not seem to get posting pictures right on this site.
 
Hello redman. Many of my medium and large Bussekin get reprofiled. It is usually enough to simply knock back the shoulder just above the edge. I have graduated to using a Harbor Freight 1x30 belt grinder, but that is certainly not necessary. Any coarse sharpening stone will work, or SiC sandpaper on a medium hard strop. Heck, one guy here used skateboard grit tape. A flat rock would work.

Don't be afraid to make that knife your own.
 
You could certainly mod the shoulder yourself, but it's likely to be easier, faster, and achieve better results to communicate with someone like Ban or Nydock regarding a full regrind. Just having Ban improve the existing Busse convex on my CS NMSFNO resulted in a very slicey knife that can still chop well.

I'm in the middle of doing a full convex regrind and spine swedge on a stripped CG NMSFNO using flat diamond stones for the swedge and balsa-backed emory cloth for the convexing...it's noticeably thinner stock than the CS NMSFNO I have, so I think the finished product will be very slicey indeed.

On grips, assuming they are indeed micarta and not G10, I would use something like rough scotchbrite to stipple them if you simply must have more tack in your grip. I find smoothed canvas micarta plenty grippy, though, so I'm probably the wrong person to opine.
 
Last edited:
Personally, I would send it down the road and try something else, but that's just me. As far as the Ratmadu goes, have an INFIDU but I think if I were serious about having one as a user I would go for a standard version in SR101. I prefer it's edge holding characteristics for what I do with a blade of that size. Plus, if you want to thin it out you are only altering a $160 blade and not one that will bring three times as much.
For a general woods blade I like something with a longer blade than the Ratmandu offers for batoning. It may be bigger than what you're looking for but the ASH2 is in my opinion an ideal blend of being hefty enough to chop, long enough to baton, and thin enough at the edge for cutting.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top