One Busse or 2-3 RAT's?

scotchleaf

scotchleaf

Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
2,232
My budget and I are torn about the pros and cons of getting a busse or a RAT 4 + an IZULA
 
Both great knives and great companies. I think you are going to get a lopsided response posting this in the RAT forum though. General might have been a better location.

It depends what you want to do with your knife, etc. What Busse are you comparing the RC-4 to?
 
INFI is truly an awesome steel, you wouldn't believe how hard we wail on their chopper and swords. And it holds a great edge. Lifetime warranty and you can sell it for the same price you paid for it, after you've used it.

RC knives are great for the money. The Izula is one of my favorite knives and probably my most used fixed blade.
 
There are a couple different versions of the badger attack, the most recent one is the BATAC. Personally I don't like the handles on that model, a little to wide for me. It's cousin, the Swamp Rat RatManDu (RMD) is much better IMO.
 
scotchleaf said:
I was ogling the Badger Attack
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The straight handle Badger Attack was pretty similar to the RC designs.

Old style SHBA:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=638507

Recently Busse came out with the SAR4 which is a similar blade size to the Badger Attack and doesn't have the TAC handle or excessive choil and ricasso.

Sar4/Batac comparison shots (check out post 26 & 31 esp). The Ratmandu is in there too.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=636351

of course the one to get is the Green Linen Micarta version. ;)

I like the RC-6. It's not too big, heavy, thick, or expensive. It's not too small. It's got a flat grind that makes for a good cutter. The RC-4s are ok, but c'mon, you've got a 3-4" folder in your pocket already. (don't you ?) I think an RC-6 makes for a better choice. You'll appreciate it when you're batoning.
 
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Both are great knives from great companies.

Bang for the buck go with the RATs.

Resale value, go with the Busse.
 
I have owned alot of Busse and flipped everyone of them, Busse, Great knife but for me Too expensive... RAT , Excellent knife ,value and a work horse
if your after a BATAC try RAT Cutlery's RC5 half the cost and pretty close the same feel....IMO
 
shotgunner11 said:
Both are great knives from great companies.

Bang for the buck go with the RATs.

Resale value, go with the Busse.
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shotgunner11 nailed it! If you are looking for great users for the money.. go with the RAT knives. If you are looking at it as a monetary investment.. go with the Busse.
 
Get what you really want.
If you want what is pretty much the best there is, and you're not afraid of using a $400+ knife, the Busse is it. Or if you want to pry open car doors, hack through a downed plane's fuselage, chop concrete, etc, go with the Busse.

If you are afraid to use an expensive blade, or you just want a good working knife that will do everything I knife should do, but is also well built and much less expensive, get the RC blade.
 
I'm a Busse guy from a while back- I have a whole drawer full of them, they're great. But I have to say, if you're on a budget, the RC-4 & Izula combo sounds better. RAT Cutlery and Busse have basically the same warranty, no matter what happens to a knife from either company, you will be taken care of.

If you're looking at one of the old Badger Attacks- that could set you back $1,000. A BATAC is in the $300- $400 range, plus you need to find a sheath. A RC-4 and Izula combo can be had for less than $200, including nice sheaths for both. Personally, I prefer the design of the RC-4 to the BATAC. The badger's handle is a bit funky, and the choil is huge and obtrusive. I have a BATACLE, which is a beautiful knife, but I find it awkward to use, it rarely makes it into the field with me.

Both companies make great knives, but if cost is an issue, RAT Cutlery gives you way more "bang for your buck", IMO.
 
If you're looking for bang for your buck, you'd be better off comparing RAT to Swamp Rat or Scrap Yard... both are Busse family companies with more value-oriented offerings.

Sometime this week, Scrap Yard will be releasing the Scrapper 5, with some nice specs:

Price: 99.95

Steel: SR101
Handle: Resiprene C Mudder Style
Blade Length: 5 1/4"
Blade Thickness: Approx. 3/16" Possibly thinner at .165"
Overall Length: 10 1/4"

Scrapper5CG.jpg



Scrap yard knives are offered in the company store for a couple of weeks after release, and after that your only chance to get them will be at shows or second hand, so if you decide to go with the Scrapper 5, you'll want to keep checking the http://www.scrapyardknives.com store regularly for the next week or three.
 
if you want the knife now RAT is in stock with most dealers, if your not quick on the ordering with busse & family knives your sol in 10minutes or less RAT knives all come with sheaths big Plus to me....
 
texastony, that's simply NOT true... the only busse-kin knives that sell out ultra-fast are the ones with very limited numbers, or when there is a ganzaa in the forums. Right now on the Busse company store, you can buy the NMSFNO, Sus Scrofa, or Skinny ASH-1. All of these have been available for more than a month. The SAR-4 LE, which was a limited run of numbered knives, was available for what, two or three weeks?

Same goes for scrap yard - the Muk was available for sale for a couple of weeks, and the intention is for the Scrapper 5 to be available for a few weeks as well.

Yes, you do have to be on your toes to score a Busse kin blade from the factory, but the real users, and not the collector pieces, are reasonably easy to come by if you're paying attention.

I understand you are a RAT fan, but there's no need to spread misinformation to downplay another company. Me personally? I am sticking to scrap yard and swamp rat knives, because I don't like the massive prices of Busse blades - but I don't feel a need to misrepresent facts to convince others to agree with me.
 
MustardMan said:
I understand you are a RAT fan, but there's no need to spread misinformation to downplay another company. Me personally? I am sticking to scrap yard and swamp rat knives, because I don't like the massive prices of Busse blades - but I don't feel a need to misrepresent facts to convince others to agree with me.
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That's hardly Tony's intention and if your going to claim that Busse kin knives are as easy to aquire as RAT blades, your kidding yourself.

Nobody is bashing Busse nor trying to spread misinformation for the purpose of advancing sales of RAT products and that assertation frankly isn't welcome here.
 
I should also point out that I love RAT knives, too - and their ease of availability along with their fantastic value are GREAT selling points. Great enough, in fact, that I don't think its necessary to exaggerate how difficult it is to get your hands on a Busse blade.
 
shotgunner11 said:
Nobody is bashing Busse nor trying to spread misinformation for the purpose of advancing sales of RAT products and that assertation frankly isn't welcome here.
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Perhaps not TRYING to spread misinformation, but it's misinformation all the same - right at this moment, there are three Busse blades available to purchase, and they will be shipped to you in a few days. Sometime later this week, there will be another blade available to purchase, and it won't sell out in ten minutes.

OF COURSE Busse blades are harder to get than RAT blades (and they cost a whole lot more, too!). I just don't see any need to exaggerate exactly how hard they are to come by.
 
Dude do not come here and tell me anything about Busse.... I have purchased plenty of there knives and I was referring to my Experiences...The reason the Scrapyard was up so long is because it is 154cm if it was made from SR77 it would of sold out as fast as the DF ,less 10 minutes....Only reason the Busse blades are there is probably due to the Economy only....all 3 brands are good,I have owned 'em all. I have own 10 Busse,12 SYK, & 8 SR and flipped all of them except the DF & DM,

I was not talking about picking up Busse & kind blades on the secondary market ,i was referring to buying new...
 
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