Questions about the Bussekin steels

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PatrickKnight

Joined
Jan 24, 2012
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Well i have finally decided to try to convence my wife to let me get a Busse or Swamp rat, since I read a post saying that Jerry had sent over a bunch over knives to solders as gifts (that werent tax deductable) and any man willing to do that is more than deserving of my business. However I do have some questions about the steel differences. From what I have read infi seems to be the end all be all to hard use steels. However im wondering how sr101 and sr77 stack up to infi. Also the model im currently looking in is the RMD, but since im very new to the Busse world are there any infi steel models that are simliar in size and shape to the RMD.

Also im sorry if this wasnt the place to post this since it does inculde Swamp Rat questions (since they have there own sub forum) but I thought since it was a Bussekin product it would be ok to post here since I also had questions about infi and other Busse models.
 
You will love the RMD! Tougher than nails and looks and feels great! I own both Busse and Swamp Rat knives and the are both great! SR101 is ultra tough and so is INFI! I actually am a bigger fan of Swamp Rat knives only because of the prices for such a super tough knife! You will not go wrong with either knife! I will warn you though...... usually buying one will lead to buying the other! They are as addicting as crack! Welcome to the madness!

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infocus2006 said:
You will love the RMD! Tougher than nails and looks and feels great! I own both Busse and Swamp Rat knives and the are both great! SR101 is ultra tough and so is INFI! I actually am a bigger fan of Swamp Rat knives only because of the prices for such a super tough knife! You will not go wrong with either knife! I will warn you though...... usually buying one will lead to buying the other! They are as addicting as crack! Welcome to the madness!

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Honestly the amazing price of the RMD is what got my attention. I also just think it looks so very balanced with the blade shape and handle looking to me almost perfect. However this will proably be the only time I will be in a situation to fork out a good chunk of money for a knife. Not saying these arent totally worth it just any other time they would simply be out of my price range. So I want to get the one I can live with forever and not second guess myself and look at my RMD and say to myself I wish this blade was infi. To bad I cant get an RMD with an infi blade boy howdy id be in heaven.

This might be a silly question but what is the point of what appears to me to be a lanyard hole on the for end of the handles of most of the Busse models?
 
PatrickKnight said:
This might be a silly question but what is the point of what appears to me to be a lanyard hole on the for end of the handles of most of the Busse models?
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A lanyard helps you keep your grip on the knife when chopping.

BTW RMD FTW. :)
 
Get the RMD! Its a fantastic knife for the money, I've used mine extensively and cant be happier for what I spent.

The BOSS Jack is in a similar price structure, but bang for your buck you cant beat the RMD. If you prefer uncoated knives, go for the RMD LE or The RMDx LE Both are superb values and readily available in the aftermarket.
 
One way to think about the steels is that the SR101 (Swamp Rat version of standard 52100 steel) has about 90% of the overall performance of INFI at 50% of the price. Some folks believe that SR101 has better edgeholding than INFI. The property that SR101 lacks is corrosion resistance, so keep it clean and oiled. The Scrap Yard SR77 ( = S7 ) is very tough (S7 is used for jackhammer tool bits) but is the worst of the three for edgeholding.
 
Sr101 is a great steel.

The only "giveaway" you will find will be in corrosion resistance. You have to take more care of Sr101 than Infi.

Sr101 is said by some to edge out Infi just a bit in edge retention (I can't speak to this, as I have only owned Infi).

Sr77 is said to be a tiny bit more shock resistant? I can't speak to this (though it is a shock steel).

All I can say, is pick one you like the look of.

Any steel that Busse, Scrapyard, or Swamprat will have more performance than any person can reasonably use.

There is a reason that Busse owners still buy Scrapyard and Swamprat. They represent the same quality, and a great value.


What I can tell you is that with all three "family" companies you will find a real giving, caring group of people.

Constantly doing great things for those who serve our county (and us Joe Schmoe's too).

You will also find that Scrapyard, Swamprat and Busse owners tend to to great stuff all the time (a group of great guys on here donated a Busse Boss Jack, and David Brown donated the sheath for my cousin, in time for him to deploy to Afganistan as a Marine MP).


You should not have any hesitation to buy any of them.
 
for 5"s I'd look at the RMD, S5 and S5LE. A scrapyard 511 would be just as capable, less expensive, and still available for direct order, but some people think the grip is too small. The BATAC might work too. It feels pretty good, to me, but is bulkier. With a two finger grip and a lanyard to will chop way better than the others if you really needed it to, but not anything like a larger blade would.

For something a little bigger and not much heavier, a Boss Jack or SJTAC could still be found close to $300. I think the SJTAC feels a little better, but the Boss Jack is sleeker and has a choilless option. Older Jacks would be just as good too but would cost substantially more.

If you could go up to around 8", check out the DSF(TMDSF/DSSF).
 
Well after some looking around a Busse is out of my range, however I can deffently see an RMD in my future. Now from what you guys have said the sr101 steel can gather rust rather quickly when compared to the others but im wondering what type of oil would be the best to treat it with to keep it from rusting. Also i plan on beating this knifes brains out just cause it seems I can and it will be happy to do. If I do manage to rust it while in the field will wipping it with oil when I get it home remove and rust build up?

And I would just like to say thank you guys so very much such a welcoming group of guys and most helpful.
 
SR101 is a carbon steel, so if you have any other experience with non-stainless outdoor knives, then you know how to treat your RMD.
 
Just go ahead and get a RMD you will not regret it. You can thank me later, and please don`t come looking for me when you are on your fourth Busse and you can`t pay your bills;)
 
thebrain said:
Just go ahead and get a RMD you will not regret it. You can thank me later, and please don`t come looking for me when you are on your fourth Busse and you can`t pay your bills;)
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Im totally scared this is going to happen but one thing I noticed with these knives more than any other brand is man they hold there value.
Thanks for all the input guys I will soon be ordering a tan micarta tanker grey bladed RMD.
 
I am relatively new to the Busse-kin knife thing but I can wiegh in on this subject because I own and used all three Busse-kin steels you mentioned. I compare the Busse-kins to Ka-Bar's, Cold Steel, and ESEE.
As far as Toughness and Edge Retention. I can not tell a dfference between the three Busse-kin Steels.
As far as Stain resistance, I can not tell a difference between INFI and SR 77.
As far as Ease of sharpening, SR 101 takes the most effort.
Overall, the Busse-kins have performed much better in every department than the other companies I have used over the years. Also, I prefer res-c handles over g10 or Micarta. I have had some comfort issues with the harder materials. The res-c always fits just right, with or without gloves, wet or dry. I am not an engineer or metalergist, I just call it like I see it. YMMV.
BTW, The Ratmandu seems to have a cult following among people that have many knives to choose from. Although I don't own one, I can't ignore it's popularity. I do have a SYKCO 511 which has a similar blade profile (but with the Res-c handles that I prefer) and I think it rocks!. If you buy the Ratmandu and don't like it, you can easily resell it for what you paid. Something I have never seen from any knife company I have purchased from.

Unklfranco
 
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