Questions about Busse Infi and other stuff To Andy

[The General]

I want a good med sized camp knife and am considering the Busse Basic 5.

How will this compaire to my friends Bob D Pro Guide Knife in D2. Both are around the same price.

How rust resistant is Infi Mod steel?
Is Infi the wonder steel as everyone is claiming?

I want a using knife, not a toy.

What is the makeup of Infi steel?

If it is as good as people say, why are they so reasonably priced? Well they are expensive, but if they do as advertised, why buy any other blade?

Are you considering a folding knife?

Thanks

W.A.

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[Bronco]

Howdy General,
Welcome to BusseLand. Until such time as Andy can answer your question personally, you may want to take a look at the following review which I posted several months ago:
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001815.html

This should give you a little insight as to the toughness and performance that can be expected of INFI.

For the record, Modified INFI, as is featured in the #5 Basic you're looking at, differs slightly from the composition of the standard INFI that is used in the Combat line (Battle Mistress, Steel Heart II, etc.). If you use the search function you should be able to find several threads that address the actual make-up of INFI (although the supposed secret of INFI's performance is more a function of how the individual elements are brought together rather than which elements are brought together). Modified INFI reputedly performs at a slightly lower level than standard INFI, but the cost savings realized in the manufacturing process are passed along to the consumer.

The #5 is a good all around choice and I think you'll find in it a level of performance that is easily the match of D2 or M2. Not to tempt you too badly, but the new 6" Natural Outlaw from the Combat line is another fine Busse product worthy of consideration in this role.

"Why buy any other blade?" That is a good question indeed, and one for which I don't have too many good answers. About the only reasons I can come up with at this point to buy any other brand of knife is because at present Busse doesn't make a dedicated hunting blade and he doesn't make a folder. The folder oversight should be addressed by early next year, the hunter has yet to be addressed (but we're keeping our fingers crossed

).

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Semper Fi

-Bill

 

[The General]

Thanks for the post Bronco. I will indeed look at the link!

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[Cliff Stamp]

General :

[#5 Busse Basic]

How will this compaire to my friends Bob D Pro Guide Knife in D2.

I have no idea how Dozier heat treats his D2, but compared to a 62 RC cryo double tempered custom blade, my #7 has a much more durable edge, but it will wear faster. For low stress work very hard D2 would probably outlast the Basic, but overall, I appreciate the extra durability.

How rust resistant is Infi Mod steel?

Far above the D2 blade I referred to in the above. The Basic I had will only take light rust is left unprotected in normal use, comes off easily during cleaning. Even after extended soaks in saltwater the rusting was not extensive and no pitting occured. The handle didn't fall off either.

Is Infi the wonder steel as everyone is claiming?

It is a good steel and Busse has ground the blade to take advantage of it. That is a large part of why people are impressed with the blades.

What is the makeup of Infi steel?

There were some posts on this in the past in the general forum and I think the reviews forum.

if they do as advertised, why buy any other blade?

They are guaranteed to perform as advertized, there is no room for argument there at all as Busse stands behind the blades. As for why people use other knives - I have actually heard two main replies, the first is that the handle is uncomfortable (addressed in the "E" series) and the second is that they bought another blade before the Busse.

-Cliff

 

[Nakano 2]

The Busse Basics are all beefy blades and can probably stand up to much more abuse than the Dozier Pro Guide. Bobs micarta is finished on the smooth side (some fine checkering is called for here) while the Busse(s) have a rubber handle that will afford a more secure grip in less than ideal conditions. 2 different knives. But because Bob grinds his D2 real thin with a high hollow grind, they are hard to beat when it comes to pure cutting/ slicing. My Pro Guide is my favorite medium size fix blade.

L8r,
Nakano