Jerry: My comments were not directed to either end but to both and some e mails Angie received while I was gone. I guess you did not understand the nature of the post.--- Ed Fowler
Ed, No, I did not and do not understand the nature of your post and since I dont know who or what the email that Angie received concerned, I cant possibly know what is going on here. If you were sent some private emails from someone, then perhaps you should have responded to them privately instead of placing such confusing posts on my forum.
If it is a pissing contest your wish to encourage, I suggest we put all the cards on the table, from some early correspondence to the day I visited your booth at the blade show and you were nursing some blisters on your hand. Think about it!!---- Ed Fowler
Ed, I am thinking about it and am still confused. My recollection of our early correspondence goes back to the late 80s (1987-88?) where I disagreed with an article you had written in BLADE magazine about convex, vs. flat, vs. hollow grinding. The blisters at the BLADE show were from my cutting 2,771 pieces of 1 hemp rope in a live demonstration. We talked about INFI and you said you were interested in forging some. I sent you some pieces to forge and the last I had heard you hadn't had a chance to do any experimenting with them.
Jerry, do I have to make the knife myself or can I too have it made by a factory? ---- Bill Burke
Whichever you prefer Bill. Do you have a factory?
If you reread my post I believe that I clearly stated that I own one of your knives and I didn't say one thing negative about it. Why did you take so much offense to what I wrote? --- Bill Burke
Bill, I didnt take offense to anything you wrote. I think that the confusing nature of you, Angie, and Eds posts came off as rather challenging. Although I dont have any personal experience with one of your knives, Im sure that you make very fine blades. I think that Jerry Shipman was very fortunate to have one of your blades with him when he needed it most and am very glad that he had the where-with-all to use it in order to save his bacon. Had he a lesser blade, the results could have been disastrous. You are to be commended on making such a fine blade.
Having been a custom knifemaker for over 20 years now, I have seen many trends come and go. Throughout the 1980s and for much of the 1990s custom knifemakers (primarily the stock removal boys) were able to claim performance superiority over production bladeware. This was due in large part to their ability to obtain and use the more expensive and high-tech wonder steels on the marketplace and the inability of manufacturers to move quickly. Today, however, the trend is much different and the custom knifemaker must rely on a different advantage than makers of years gone by. Now, within months of a new steel being used and touted by a custom knifemaker, you can rest assured that Spyderco or Benchmade or some other modern cutlery manufacturer will begin producing blades from the new wonder steel in order to make it more available to the masses. Often these factories are able to wring the same level of performance out of these super steels and the performance advantage is immediately lost by the custom knifemakers who use it.
As for the ABS boys and those who forge their knives, they had a real advantage in the 80s when it came to high performance bladeware because they were able to blow production knives out of the water when it came down to tests of overall performance. That is still the case in most instances and there are very few production knives that can stand up to the performance tests that a properly forged blade can pass. However, there are exceptional blades that not only stand up, but can far surpass the overall performance being reached by the hammer slammers of today. Busse and Swamp Rat make those exceptional blades. This certainly does not diminish the value of a handmade or hand forged blade, as much of their value lies in other areas.
When I make a Jerry Busse custom knife or Busse Custom Variant, the price is considerably higher than a Busse production blade due to the fact that I have much more time and workmanship invested in the custom piece. However, the performance is not going to be any greater between the two. Therefore, when it comes to my custom pieces, it is not the performance that makes the difference to the customer, but other factors. It is the unique design, the wild flair, the artistic interpretation of a customers ideal knife, the fit, the finish, and quite often the personal nature of a custom blade. There is no doubt that every custom knife that is made carries with it a small piece of the maker who created it. When someone buys a Jerry Busse custom or an Ed Fowler or a Bill Burke, they are not simply buying a knife, but are buying a piece of that maker. The piece that they are buying includes that makers personality, their integrity, and certainly an expected level of performance, as well as a host of other factors.
I have no desire to get into a flame war with some fellow knifemakers. Ed and I get along fine and I am sure that Bill and I would get along just as well. However, if I get the impression that someone has come into my house and is spoiling for a fight, then I am more than willing to meet them at the door. Apparently that was not the case here.
So, instead of all of this chest puffing and poor communication, I would prefer to see some beer drinking and knifemaking. . . . and not necessarily in that order.
You guys are always welcome to join in on the discussions that we have here and I look forward to getting past this confusing thread.
Keep up the great work and good luck in all you do,
Jerry Busse
. Here's how it works: All three gentleman relax with their beverage of choice and talk this over. The "Pronghorn Guys" design the blade, Jerry makes it out of INFI, The "Pronghorn Guys" polish it up and put one of those nice handles on it. Then all three put their names on it. Make three of them, take them to Blade and have each guy beat the tar out of them in front of everyone. Then auction the the blades off and give the money to Charity. Afterwards everyone goes out for more drinks and steaks. 
! Hey,..."Idahoskunkfighting..." looks like a dirty word! Anyway, thanks to all! I hope to see Mr. and Mrs. L. again, later this spring. Thanks for the fun. Goodbye, David