S5 LE & Sar 5 comparison pics / opinions?

nydude

nydude

Joined
Jun 10, 2009
Messages
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Thinking hard about this 5’ range… but something light? If anyone had a side by side with the S5 LE and the Sar 5 it would be great. I floated the exchange but didn’t find anything were they were right next to each other.

Thanks a bunch in advance.
 
I don't have a pic, but those are two very different knives...
the S5 LE is very light and comfy, it's thinner and have a different edge profile.
IMHO it's more usable "out of the box".

the SAR5 is more massive blade, full tang, heavy chunk of INFI goodness.
one could disassemble a car with it. by reprofiling and thinning the edge a bit it's a nice blade, too. the fact that the edge starts right on my fingers, disturbed me enough to sell it. (I regretted, of course...) but it means more edge,too.
my preference between the two is the S5 LE as a very light knife made of INFI.
...I like full tang(contoured-or exposed tang) knifes, though.
 
I've actually EDC'd the S5LE for the last 10 days or so and it's just damn comfy. A wide polo shirt is all it takes. And you're still holding a lot of knife in your hand.
I don't know the SAR5, but even the SAR4 is a lot heavier than the SY. If weight and ease of carry is a criterion, go for the S5LE.
 
Cannot help on the pic's...but I have handled the SAR5 and I own a S5LE...I would go with the S5LE...definately.

There is some guidance from Jerry about not criticising the SAR5...he knows it is'nt pretty...but it can be modd'ed into a very useful knife...personally though if you want more "weight" to a knife in that size ( the S5LE is beautifully light ) I would consider a Ratmandu...I have two of those and in that size of knife there is very little advantage in Infi...mainly corrosion resistance...both steels take a great edge...and edge holding is also great on both as well...one day an Infi RMD may be made and you will see how popular that knife is:cool:
 
could a mudder handle be put on an Sar 5 blade? is that where the wieght comes from?
 
nydude said:
could a mudder handle be put on an Sar 5 blade? is that where the wieght comes from?
Click to expand...
No, the SAR5 is a full tang, whereas the S5LE is a hidden tang. If you would put the mudder handle on the SAR5, it would become very bulky.
 
resinguy said:
Jerry HATES the SAR5. It was produced by (drunken :rolleyes:) mistake. You can criticize it all you want.
Click to expand...


Well if the SAR5 was the result of a "drunken mistake",,then I look forward to some more INFI goodness:thumbup::thumbup:,, as much as I LOVE my SAR5, and as much as Jerry drinks:D:D I think the odds are good!!

Somebody crack the wax on the Makers Mark:thumbup:
 
I've got the S5LE, and the only thing I wish it had was the ability to use the butt as a pommel to bash with. Well, that and I wish the choil was a bit more rounded. Other than that, it's a fine skinny infi knife.
 
ikkyo said:
....... those are two very different knives...
the S5 LE is very light and comfy, it's thinner and have a different edge profile.
IMHO it's more usable "out of the box".

the SAR5 is more massive blade, full tang, heavy chunk of INFI goodness.
one could disassemble a car with it. by reprofiling and thinning the edge a bit it's a nice blade, too. the fact that the edge starts right on my fingers, disturbed me enough to sell it. (I regretted, of course...) but it means more edge,too.
my preference between the two is the S5 LE as a very light knife made of INFI.....
Click to expand...



ikkyo - summed it up pretty well.

I have an S5CG that I have stripped and made some modifications to.
And I have a SAR5 (that I feel need handle modifications and weight reductions). They are pretty different - especially in regards to weight.

I could probably get a picture of the two together, but I don't see much point since one of your MAIN criteria preferences was "Light Weight".

With that statement alone, I doubt the SAR5 is what you want.


S5CG = 6.75 ounces; .185” thick; 5.125” blade; 10.0625” oal
S5LE = 6.5 Ounces; .169” thick; 5.125” blade; 10.0625” oal
SAR5 = 10.85 ounces; mine 0.200” (stated .1875”), 5.0” blade; 10.0” oal


The S5 "IS" very light-weight and offers a LOT of knife for the weight. :thumbup:

The S5 might not be full tang, but it is a DANG nice knife and it WILL be plenty tough. It is a Busse and kin and Busse and kin Res-C knives have a long history of plenty of use. :thumbup:

Also, the "Mudder" handles on the S5 are VERY comfortable! :thumbup:


I am one who feels the SAR5 has flaws - mostly in the overly large and Beefy handle, but the SAR5 has good potential for those willing to make modifications.

I am a big fan of satin blades, so some day, my plan was to strip and make quite a few mods to my SAR5. The main problems with the SAR5 (other than being coated) are the VERY large handle for a knife its size and it is VERY heavy for a knife its size. Most of the extra unnecessary weight is in the handle. But, reshaping the SAR5's handle and trying to shave a couple ounces is a LOT of work - requiring some skill, tools and know-how. And even if you do "Significant" modifying and reshaping to the handle and SAR5, the SAR5 will never be as light as the S5. The Res-C handles with hidden tangs are always going to offer the most blade at the least amount of weight.

As Ikkyo said: the S5 is "more usable out of the box". That said, I made a few minor modifications to my S5 - including rounding the choil. I also removed the ramp and some other very minor mods. Mine was a coated CG, but I stripped it before finding out about the LE in satin INFI. :grumpy:
I like SR-101 a LOT, but I would have paid a bit more for both SATIN and INFI. :thumbup:
Aside from my modifications, most people would LOVE the S5 out of the box.

The blade on the SAR5 is nice. But, I prefer the S5's blade. I am not real fond of clipped blades. I like the convex part of the SAR5, but the blade is a tall and heavy.

The S5's blade is dang near perfect for all-around uses. And more suited for carry.

--------------

If you want INFI with a "FULL" tang - and lighter than the SAR5 with better handle size, ergos and weight, I think the Urban Grudge is nicer than the SAR5 for most uses. :thumbup: But, it is still a lot heavier than the S5.

Urban Grudge = 9.35 ounces; 0.243” thick; 5.375” blade; 10.5” oal

Otherwise, if having a "light-weight" knife is a primary criteria, the S5 is about as nice and capable as a 5" bladed knife can be and the S5 is going to be VERY hard to beat given the criteria.

.
 
67eaf433.jpg


f4873299.jpg
 
Pretty close to the same length of cutting surface and same thickness of blade. Basically, you're getting an extra four oz of weight in the fuller tang and heavier micarta slabs. Worth the tradeoff? For me, I prefer the lighter weight. I'd also be curious to compare the actual cutting length difference between the S5LE and the new Boss Street.
 
Since DriftDraft showed the SAR-5 and S5 LE so well together, here they are with a few other Bussekin Fivers +/- size alternatives. As the others noted, the SAR5 conveys a lot more heft & beefiness than the Scrapper 5 LE's neutral balance & quickness in hand -- sort of a gorilla vs ballerina comparison.

In the picture below, from top:
SAR-5
S5 LE (thumb ramp ground off)
Basic 5 (IMHO **The Ultimate** 5-incher from Busse)
Bog Dog
Boss Street

fivers_sar5_s5le_basic-5_bogdog_-1.jpg


HTH
 
Too bad the choil on the Boss Street ain't useful. I think I'd rather lose the talon hole if it means having a useful choil...or get rid of the choil entirely, in favor of more cutting edge.
 
I like the S5LE very much, but agree with losing the thumb ramp and a more rounded choil. The Boss Street would be perfect IMHO if it were a little less handle heavy (skeletonizing the handle would be cool, or maybe an anorexic version). Don't own a SAR5.
 
Agreed with skeletonizing the handle on the Boss. Wonder how hard it would be to do. An anorexic (3/16) would probably be PERFECT...with a useful choil or no choil. Oh, and satin finish, of course! :D
 
After both a google search and a forum search here, the only thing I could find was a thread entitled "Hey, I scored a Boss Jack". No pics, stats, or other info. I seem to recall a pic of what "may" have been the Boss Jack, but I think the blade height was kind of short if I recall correctly. Long and thin, right?
 
Wow Guys! older thread, Thanks so much for the info and the pics

I picked up a S5-se INFI at the Easten show in PA a while back and it immediately became my "go to" user for most everything. It really is so much blade for its size/weight.

I've seen the Boss Jack pics and it looks about the same size as a Ratmandu (sorry i forgot who posted pics, but thanks for them). If it becomes a general release I will get one as well.

Keep up the Awesome

Mike
 
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