NO or BA, need your help/opinion

[cpirtle]

I recently sold off all of my fixed blades with the intention of getting one primary work horse. (of course I kept my favorite small fixed blades) In my life I have much more use for folders and that is where my heart is. I do however need a good fixed blade for camping, hiking, fishing etc..

The knife may be used for very light chopping but will primarily be used for food prep, general cutting and the things you expect from a general weekend or week long camping trip. Maybe some occasional hunting as well.

I am trying to decide between the Natural Outlaw or Badger Attack to fit this need. I have held the NO but never seen the BA. The NO would probably be the largest size I would want, not so much from the blade length aspect but from a weight aspect.

The BA appeals to me from a size/weight ratio but I feel the blade may be a little small for what I want.

Any suggestions from the Busse fans would be appreciated.

BTW, If the Busse is anything like my Sebenza's it probably won't be my last, so this is not a make or break situation, I would just like to make an educated choice.

Edited to add:
Maybe a Satin Jack is the ticket ??

 

[OwenM]

My criteria were similar to yours, and I got a Natural Outlaw. I'm happy with the knife, but if I had it to do all over again, I'd get the Badger Attack. I don't doubt the extra length and weight of the NO are advantageous when chopping, but I really don't use a knife for that. I do like being able to choke up on the NO, because of the choil, and the E handle supports this grip really well. Very comfortable.

Funny you mention the Sebenza. Seems like I see Busse and CRK comments from the same people. Something about having the best...

 

[RokJok]

Originally posted by cpirtle
The knife may be used for very light chopping but will primarily be used for food prep, general cutting and the things you expect from a general weekend or week long camping trip. Maybe some occasional hunting as well.

Given the scope of work intended for the knife, I would recommend going with your Satin Jack afterthought. The shape of the SJ blade is more generally utilitarian than the NO/BA blade profiles, which are pretty chunky for food prep or other activities where some delicacy of tip control would be needed. The six-inch blade length of the SJ should suffice for light chopping.

 

[HJK]

What about a ZT NO? I'm sorry I missed that one.

 

[SALTY]

I can speak with some authority on all three models as I own two if them (you had my NO for a while) and know about the third.

I have the NO/E and BA/E. I also know that the so called Satin Jack is right up there with the Kings Pants, the Lunar Landing and the Easter Bunny.

Anyways, as you know, the Natural Outlaw is about my very favorite Busse user. It's not too big and not too small. I think it's just right, although I find myself doing some more light chopping (actually limbing)than perhaps you would. What I especially like about the NO over the BA is the relief in the choil which accomodates the index finger very nicely for choking up. This, in practice, almost gives you two different sized knives in one piece; three if you also factor in that you can "choke back" on the handle for chopping/limbing. You could also do this with a BA but it cannot be choked down upon like the NO as it lacks the choil relief.

The Badger Attack does offer a more compact and portable package. It's length is not only more sheeple friendly, but seems to lose that little bit of extra length that is noticable in and out of vehicles and the like. The BA has sufficient girth for prying and the type of action (don't know the term) where you cut and then apply torque by rotating the knife about its longitudinal axis against the resistance of the cut medium.

With all of the foregoing having been said, I would agree that your uses would lend themselves to the purported/alleged "Satin Jack" assuming, of course, it really did exist. With its reported/supposed specs, it has a leaner aspect ratio than either the NO or BA and therefore suffers from not only reduced mass, but performance in that type of activity (term escapes me) where you cut and rotate the about its longitudinal axis against the resistance of the cut medium.

Do what I did and just be done with it. I have the BA/E and the NO/E and have ordered (back when I thought they existed) the "Satin Jack."

Seriously, my uses may be somewhat more rugged than yours and I just adore the daylights out of the NO/E. YMMV as your mission is a tad different. Trusting I confused and frustrated you sufficiently, I remain,

VTY,

Nimrod

Happy Hunting

 

[cpirtle]

Okay, I've read all the responses so far and will comment more on them later. For now though, I need to know the story behind Nimrod and his Satin Jack???

I've seen everyone teasing him, rubbing his nose in the poo so to speak. But what's the deal?

I e-mailed Dave at Busses today and he said he'd have some Satin Jacks ready to go next week.

He also told me that they have NO's and BA's in stock right now.

 

[Eric Isaacson]

cpirtle,
Tough choice, you know the question is not which one you get, just which one you get first

I have all three and my personal favorite is the BA-E, although the SJ may be a close second. The Badger sounds like it may fit the bill for what your needs are and it does work well for small chopping chores also. Light enough to easily carry it on hiking, camping trips. I thought a side by side comparison may help.
Top to bottom:
SH
SJ
ZT NO
NO
BA-E

 

[RokJok]

Originally posted by cpirtle
I need to know the story behind Nimrod and his Satin Jack???

Nimrod is suffering a malady that is terribly common among Busse Knuts. It is the dreaded "Where Are INFI Trucks?? Syndrome" (W.A.I.T.S.) that sets in immediately upon ordering a Busse blade and terminates only when the BTOJ (Brown Truck Of Joy, a.k.a. UPS truck) deposits the blade in your hand, sometimes many months after the order is placed. Nimrod's case of WAITS originated with an order placed for a Satin Jack apparently about the time it was to be used at the Last Supper and he still hasn't gotten the blade in hand.

Our long-suffering INFI brother Nimrod has a particularly acute case of WAITS. To maintain whatever vestiges of sanity remain to him after coping with copious quantities of unmerciful ribbing from the Busse Bladeforums Brotherhood here, he has gone into denial even to the extent of refusing to believe that the Satin Jack exists. Poor lad.

As the good doctor from Wauseon (Jerry Busse) has indicated, a good dose of INFI should put the symptoms in total remission. However, what would be the fun in that? So we continue with the saga of Nimrod And His Quest For A Six-Inch Bladed Holy INFI Grail.

When he finally gets that SJ in hand, I think we'll all be able to hear his holler of joy, no matter where in the world we live.