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Owners of the Koster Bushmaster
- Thread starter s500yards
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2009
- Messages
- 2,206
I got one off the trade forums here a couple months ago. Haven't really gotten a chance to use a ton yet (still need a sheath for it) but it feels great in hand, great handle ergonomics, nice thick, beefy blade stock, and I really like the flat grind, its a little thick behind the edge but that can be changed and could be good if you plan to really beat on it. I'd recommend it overall, I especially like that it's in CPM-3V.
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2004
- Messages
- 7,119
I also picked up a Bushmaster recently and haven't had an opportunity to test it out yet. But my initial impression is the same as Michael's. I'd add that the skeletonized tang and Micarta handle makes it deceptively light for a knife its size and extremely well balanced.
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2010
- Messages
- 793
Good if you have quite large hands. I couldn't stand the handle so I sold mine. That being said, the Koster MUCK fits my hand like a glove and is one of the most comfortable knives I own.
Got big hands? Give it a whirl.
Got smaller hands? I might pass. Get on his list for a MUCK instead
Got big hands? Give it a whirl.
Got smaller hands? I might pass. Get on his list for a MUCK instead
Anybody had problems with chipping in their Bushmaster blades? I saw a thread about this earlier in the Koster forum. But hopefully this was a one-off issue and not common.
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2004
- Messages
- 7,119
It's definitely stout. It shaves arm hair but doesn't slice paper very well. Then again, it's probably capable of digging up small tree stumps and cutting hinges off of car doors. You can't have everything. 
I'm thinking about sending mine in to richard j or norcalblacktail for a reprofile.
I'm thinking about sending mine in to richard j or norcalblacktail for a reprofile.
Really want to buy one, but still have some unanswered questions. So, I take it nobody in this thread has experienced any chipping. It doesn't look like a widespread issue, but if you read around in the Koster forums, a few did experience it and I'm hoping to rule it out as just a few unlucky cases, so I can go ahead and buy one of these.
Also, does anyone know the WEIGHT of the Bushmaster? Everyone says it's light due to the skeletonized tang, but I have yet to find an actual weight in ounces for the knife. In all the specs that I've seen for it, on the Koster site and here at BF, I've never been able to find the weight. I'm hoping it's something less than 10oz.
Also, does anyone know the WEIGHT of the Bushmaster? Everyone says it's light due to the skeletonized tang, but I have yet to find an actual weight in ounces for the knife. In all the specs that I've seen for it, on the Koster site and here at BF, I've never been able to find the weight. I'm hoping it's something less than 10oz.
Brian_T
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 1999
- Messages
- 1,766
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/539862-Bushmaster-Stop-1
Protos and not production but should give an idea.
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2011
- Messages
- 461
Mine is 215g or 7.58oz with the straight tang (not tapered) and canvas micarta handles. I'll do a review shortly.
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2011
- Messages
- 461
Upon receiving the knife new, it needed sharpening. The edge wasnt even on both sides of the blade and wasnt very sharp. This is my only real big complaint on the blade, as in my opinion a blade at this price point ought to have had an even sharpening and a hair splitting edge right out of the box. With that said, after putting an edge on the knife, it holds an edge exceptionally well and has quickly become my favorite knife.
At the base of the handle is a large lanyard tube. I dont personally like lanyards on my knives, but for those that do, this ¼ diameter tube is large enough to thread leather through it and is placed back far enough that the lanyard doesnt need to be gripped when using the blade. The scales have a radius on the inside edges of the lanyard tube which is a nice touch.
The back of the handle has a gentle, neutral curve that fits the transverse arch in my palm naturally in a variety of grips. I have average sized hands for a man. I wear large gloves, and they are a tad loose until ran through a dryer. The more aggressive convex curve at the bottom of the handle allows your fingers to grip tight around the tang without relying solely on the guards to prevent slipping. The full length tang is ¼ thick, as are the canvas micarta scales. The scales have a natural swell in the center with a slight cut around the front Corby pin and the lanyard loop allowing them to fill your palm nicely. The canvas micarta scales have just enough texture for a positive grip without being abrasive. They are warm to the touch in cold weather and actually have slightly improved traction when wet. The warm touch and increased traction when wet is awesome for an outdoorsmans knife that will be used in less than ideal conditions. The knife balances directly over your pointer finger when holding the handle dead center.
The cutting edge starts about ¼ in front of the scales where your finger is protected with a small but adequate guard. There is roughly 1 of sharp, heavy thumb grooves right in front of the scales for your thumb that appears to have been made by drilling with a 1/16 drill bit. The thumb grooves bite into your flesh enough to offer you a very strong sense of security and control, but not to the point that it tears up your thumb or creates blisters with normal use. The thumb grooves may be my favorite feature of the knife; they are executed exceptionally well for a working blade. For what it's worth, the reds on the blade in the photo are dust from the red leather in the sheath and bark, not rust. Also, the marks on the flats of the blade are from sharpening a pencil.
The blade blank is 10 long and 1/4 thick. The first half of the blade is straight which is great for planning, shaving, carving notches, cutting rope, etc. The half of the blade closest to the tip has a natural belly to it that makes it great for carving and crosscutting wood. The tip has ample material for strength; so you dont have to worry about it breaking if you stab it into a log to keep up with it or use it to drill through some wood.
The CPM 3V steel hardened to 60-61HRc takes a fine edge and has resisted chipping and warping despite my moderate attempts to test its durability. My blade was capable of shaving my thick arm hair off in a single pass even after a 4 night camp trip where it was intentionally overused on dried, hardened oak and cedar to cut and baton wood. The edge pulled the hairs slightly when ran in the direction of hair growth, but didnt pull my hairs when ran in the opposite direction of hair growth. After being sharpened with the standard Lansky sharpening system, the blade took an edge fine enough to shave paper or wood into thin curls. It is very easy to control the blade to make shavings, curls, and feathersticks for general bushcraft fire preparations, but is a bit harder for curling paper due to the thickness of the blade. The full flat grind makes it easy to get close to your cutting surface and move the edge at a shallow angle, but is also good for splitting sticks as you batten through them with more brute force motions. Below is some hardened white oak that was battened and cut into curls. I'm not the best at feather sticks but the knife performs well if I slow down.
The fit of the scales, pins, and lanyard loop are great. The blade has a nice sateen finish that is even throughout, but is starting to show wear. Upon really close inspection, you can see sanding or grinding marks on the blade under the finish. This may bother some, but this knife was designed to be a heavy use blade so that doesnt bother me a bit. The knife came with a KSF Wilderness CDF A sheath that has a very snug fit for the blade. The edges of the leather on the sheath are rounded with the stitching countersunk into the leather to prevent undue wear. The sheath has a simple split loop that allows you to slip it onto a standard belt and use the split loop to secure it around a belt loop in your jeans.
Here's a couple videos of making a feather stick and drilling into some white oak...
Making curls/feather stick: [http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee146/gdpolk/BushMaster/?action=view¤t=MVI_2882.mp4
Drilling: http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee146/gdpolk/BushMaster/?action=view¤t=MVI_2884.mp4
Overall Specs:
10 overall length with 5 blade and 5 handle
¼ thick CPM 3V steel, hardened to 60-61 HRc
Flat grind
Brushed finish on flats, satin finish on grind
Small, rounded guard on bottom of blade
Thumb-grooves with rounded spine between scales and thumb-grooves
¼ thick natural canvas micarta scales, heavily bead blasted
Scales attached with a ¼ diameter aluminum corby pin and lanyard tube
7.58 oz without sheath
12.17 oz with sheath
At the base of the handle is a large lanyard tube. I dont personally like lanyards on my knives, but for those that do, this ¼ diameter tube is large enough to thread leather through it and is placed back far enough that the lanyard doesnt need to be gripped when using the blade. The scales have a radius on the inside edges of the lanyard tube which is a nice touch.
The back of the handle has a gentle, neutral curve that fits the transverse arch in my palm naturally in a variety of grips. I have average sized hands for a man. I wear large gloves, and they are a tad loose until ran through a dryer. The more aggressive convex curve at the bottom of the handle allows your fingers to grip tight around the tang without relying solely on the guards to prevent slipping. The full length tang is ¼ thick, as are the canvas micarta scales. The scales have a natural swell in the center with a slight cut around the front Corby pin and the lanyard loop allowing them to fill your palm nicely. The canvas micarta scales have just enough texture for a positive grip without being abrasive. They are warm to the touch in cold weather and actually have slightly improved traction when wet. The warm touch and increased traction when wet is awesome for an outdoorsmans knife that will be used in less than ideal conditions. The knife balances directly over your pointer finger when holding the handle dead center.
The cutting edge starts about ¼ in front of the scales where your finger is protected with a small but adequate guard. There is roughly 1 of sharp, heavy thumb grooves right in front of the scales for your thumb that appears to have been made by drilling with a 1/16 drill bit. The thumb grooves bite into your flesh enough to offer you a very strong sense of security and control, but not to the point that it tears up your thumb or creates blisters with normal use. The thumb grooves may be my favorite feature of the knife; they are executed exceptionally well for a working blade. For what it's worth, the reds on the blade in the photo are dust from the red leather in the sheath and bark, not rust. Also, the marks on the flats of the blade are from sharpening a pencil.
The blade blank is 10 long and 1/4 thick. The first half of the blade is straight which is great for planning, shaving, carving notches, cutting rope, etc. The half of the blade closest to the tip has a natural belly to it that makes it great for carving and crosscutting wood. The tip has ample material for strength; so you dont have to worry about it breaking if you stab it into a log to keep up with it or use it to drill through some wood.
The CPM 3V steel hardened to 60-61HRc takes a fine edge and has resisted chipping and warping despite my moderate attempts to test its durability. My blade was capable of shaving my thick arm hair off in a single pass even after a 4 night camp trip where it was intentionally overused on dried, hardened oak and cedar to cut and baton wood. The edge pulled the hairs slightly when ran in the direction of hair growth, but didnt pull my hairs when ran in the opposite direction of hair growth. After being sharpened with the standard Lansky sharpening system, the blade took an edge fine enough to shave paper or wood into thin curls. It is very easy to control the blade to make shavings, curls, and feathersticks for general bushcraft fire preparations, but is a bit harder for curling paper due to the thickness of the blade. The full flat grind makes it easy to get close to your cutting surface and move the edge at a shallow angle, but is also good for splitting sticks as you batten through them with more brute force motions. Below is some hardened white oak that was battened and cut into curls. I'm not the best at feather sticks but the knife performs well if I slow down.
The fit of the scales, pins, and lanyard loop are great. The blade has a nice sateen finish that is even throughout, but is starting to show wear. Upon really close inspection, you can see sanding or grinding marks on the blade under the finish. This may bother some, but this knife was designed to be a heavy use blade so that doesnt bother me a bit. The knife came with a KSF Wilderness CDF A sheath that has a very snug fit for the blade. The edges of the leather on the sheath are rounded with the stitching countersunk into the leather to prevent undue wear. The sheath has a simple split loop that allows you to slip it onto a standard belt and use the split loop to secure it around a belt loop in your jeans.
Here's a couple videos of making a feather stick and drilling into some white oak...
Making curls/feather stick: [http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee146/gdpolk/BushMaster/?action=view¤t=MVI_2882.mp4
Drilling: http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee146/gdpolk/BushMaster/?action=view¤t=MVI_2884.mp4
Overall Specs:
10 overall length with 5 blade and 5 handle
¼ thick CPM 3V steel, hardened to 60-61 HRc
Flat grind
Brushed finish on flats, satin finish on grind
Small, rounded guard on bottom of blade
Thumb-grooves with rounded spine between scales and thumb-grooves
¼ thick natural canvas micarta scales, heavily bead blasted
Scales attached with a ¼ diameter aluminum corby pin and lanyard tube
7.58 oz without sheath
12.17 oz with sheath
I own the EDC 5" by Koster, and I'm on the current list for the bushmaster. Although both five inch blades of 3v, my one complaint with the EDC is it is hollow grind. But being EDC which my days off work it really is I do appreciate the weight savings and realize there's not a edc use for sabre. flat or convex. The overall shape and construction is beautiful, I'm sure the Bushmaster will live up to the excitement I have strapping the edc on my side. I'm personally really waiting for the WSS's next run, as that will be my work edc.
Being a one man shop, it's very easy to just read his site, see what he has to say and believe it.
Being a one man shop, it's very easy to just read his site, see what he has to say and believe it.