Recommendation? Pursue Grail? - or get a . . .

Kenneth F Huls

Kenneth F Huls

Joined
Jul 11, 2012
Messages
982
Ladies and Gents of acknowledged porcine predilection:

My Grail is a nice NMSFNO. Just have not seen any for a while. And, of course, they have become a tad pricey.

My all-time favorite all-around field knife is the ASH-1. I have "several," and they all see extremely hard use in the wilderness. I have no complaints with the ASH-1 - BUT I simply cannot shake the burning desire for a NMSFNO.

Perhaps this is due to personal inclinations developed via my first hand-made. I saved for and bought a Randall #1 (carbon) at a gun show when I was 13. Loved it - still do. The approx 8" blade is a magical and iconic thing. Though the NMSFNO is a heavier blade, and not a dedicated fighter (funny, thing that - I never fought a knife fight with my #1 in the last 40 years, but did use it a lot as a good camp/field knife!), it is nonetheless a beautiful 8 inch blade and epitomizes Busse for me in that realm.

But now there is the Forsaken Steel Heart . . . AND the Hell Razor 2! Both beautiful 8-inch blades in classic lines/styles. Both more readily available and in more configurations AND much lower in price!

The Razor is a fighter of course, but I hear not a bad all-rounder in the field (hey, I love my Skinny ASH - especially when humping gear a long distance off-trail!), and has the Walter Mitty allure of a fighter-based design, while the Forsaken Steel Heart with Nano Fusion handle looks to be a great all-'round 8-inch (and after all, Steel Hearts HAVE stolen my heart!).

SO, do I abandon the NMSFNO quest and get a HR2 or a Forsaken Steel Heart?

Thanks in advance for reading and for any input (if any :))!

Ken
 
Stick with your grail hunt. Took me well over 3 years to finally nail down mine and at a heavy price, but there is nothing quite like the unboxing of your grail knife.
 
In short, my answer would be no. Although I can’t speak on the HR2 I have multiples of the NMSFNO and FSH.

Although the FSH is a great knife I would take the NMSFNO any day based on handle, chopping power, and just subjectiveness being that NMSFNO is my favorite Busse design and I think it’s darn near perfect.

Go for a NMSFNO, you won’t be disappointed!
 
Thank you, ALL, for the speedy and thoughtful input based on experience!

I have learned over time that one should often listen to the gut, and you all are affirming that belief. Also, I am not entirely certain how I feel about CBT, so there's that. Based on experience, I feel like in the end I would still end up buying a NMSFNO even if I obtained and liked one of the other two.

The Grail Quest shall continue!!!
 
UNRL Ghandi said:
Stick with your grail hunt. Took me well over 3 years to finally nail down mine and at a heavy price, but there is nothing quite like the unboxing of your grail knife.
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Yeah but you were looking for that crazy a$$ Bosc ID. NMSFNOs are much more available. I traded a light user with sheath earlier this year for a comp finish Forsaken Steel Heart with sheath after it sat on the exchange for IIRC 2 weeks at an excellent price.
 
Waterman, if you meant your NMSFNO c/ sheath was up for trade/sale for a few weeks I wish I had not missed it!
I have been off the forum for a good bit trying to save $$$. Only partially successful so I have returned anyway :)
 
Kenneth F Huls said:
Waterman, if you meant your NMSFNO c/ sheath was up for trade/sale for a few weeks I wish I had not missed it!
I have been off the forum for a good bit trying to save $$$. Only partially successful so I have returned anyway :)
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Email me at christconnell at yahoo and I'll try to help you track one down
 
Go for the grail! I kick myself for not going for a MOABM when released and now I refuse to pay the $3k price tag on one. So don’t pass me up and keep up the hunt of the price is something you can handle
 
I've gone through this with guns before. Other purchaces may ease your craving for a day or two, but you will still want your grail. Better to just go after it right off the bat
 
Twitztids4, thank you so very kindly! I will email you shortly. Whether you let one of them go or not in the end, it is very generous of you to even consider it and invite the communication to discuss! Thank you! - I LOVE this forum and HOGS!

Waterman, thank you as well for your generous offer to assist, too. I will let you know if I am unable to score one from the gent above.

Thank you to the other commenters also. Yes. Funny, but as I was typing out my query to y'all, I was arriving at the same conclusion myself. I have been there in life with many things - guns, knives, bows, swords, motorcycles . . . and even wives ;) . Ya' just can't "settle" in life if what you really want is a real option. Even if the alternative is just fine or even much better than that in it's own right. That is the funny thing about communicating. You often answer you own question. But it is affirming to hear your inner voice is true.

I wil find me a NMSFNO!!! (with a little help from my friends)

Cheers!
 
Kenneth F Huls said:
Twitztids4, thank you so very kindly! I will email you shortly. Whether you let one of them go or not in the end, it is very generous of you to even consider it and invite the communication to discuss! Thank you! - I LOVE this forum and HOGS!

Waterman, thank you as well for your generous offer to assist, too. I will let you know if I am unable to score one from the gent above.

Thank you to the other commenters also. Yes. Funny, but as I was typing out my query to y'all, I was arriving at the same conclusion myself. I have been there in life with many things - guns, knives, bows, swords, motorcycles . . . and even wives ;) . Ya' just can't "settle" in life if what you really want is a real option. Even if the alternative is just fine or even much better than that in it's own right. That is the funny thing about communicating. You often answer you own question. But it is affirming to hear your inner voice is true.

I wil find me a NMSFNO!!! (with a little help from my friends)

Cheers!
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I was probably going to send you to Ken ( T Twiztids4 ) so it's cool he commented. I knew one of the regulars had at least one but I couldn't remember who.
 
Thanks, Chris!

T Twiztids4 (Ken?), I tried emailing just now 5 times and keep getting an undeliverable message. For some reason iCloud keeps changing the capital "F" in your email addy above to a lower case "f," and it come back undeliverable. I am not sure how to resolve and contact you.

I am Ken Huls at kennethhuls@icloud.com. I hate to prevail upon you to try contacting me as you are the one offering a generous favor, but I have failed in my attempts to reach you to date. Regrets and thanks!

Ken
 
Always buy what your heart actually desires (the Grail) rather than settle for the lesser.
In the end you'll not fully embrace the alternative and still long for the Grail and therefore have "wasted" your hard-earned money.

It's so heartwarming to see the HOG camaraderie in play. WatermanChris (Chris) has also reached out to me to help secure some hard to get Busse treasures.
 
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