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SAR 4- isn't it too much of a handle? - trying to convince myself NOT to buy.
- Thread starter ikkyo
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2005
- Messages
- 2,638
SAR4...too much of a handle, talon hole and choil taking out of usable edge....blabla bla...:foot:
honest opinions, please.
NO
Seriously get one :thumbup:
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2005
- Messages
- 2,984
The design of the handle enables a rear grip using the first three fingers for chopping and lets the knife "rock" like a chopweiler or ratweiler handle. This makes the knife comparable to a 7 inch blade weight wise in terms of a normal grip on such a knife....so the handle is a great design IMO....it also has sufficient depth at the rear to enable pommeling to be done safely as on a vertical grip your fingers are shrouded by the rear depth of the handle should you miss the target...it sort of saves having to use a birds beak pommel design which prevents the rear chopping grip advantage above.
You can perhaps envisage what I mean by best seeing the knife....
The knife is also well designed for using a ferro rod by way of making use of the dimpled area of the spine. I added a ferro rod accessory to my sheath and a drop leg hard kydex loop for a lower carrying position and that vastly improves the knife's versatility and comfort. It is the closest thing to an Infi Bushcrafter type knife I have...or have seen. The rounded spine works well for batoning and the chopping power of the knife using the above grip is quite impressive for it's size. It is probably on the bottom rung of the ladder as a useable "chopper" which is not bad for a 5 inch knife.
The design of the full convex blade makes it a very good slicer...
For food prep work I like the satin finish as you know when the knife is fully clean and it is at the top end of the weight category for me in being described as being able to be used with dexterity in small knife tasks...
Fuzz sticks, notching, carving, are all doable. The only thing for me is that this knife is begging to be "all" blade up to the handle...the small choil is not really big enough to use as a finger choil depending on your finger size...you can choke up on the blade but your forefinger is wrapped around the talon hole...and is best left loose...using your second finger for grip...
Alternatively it could have been made a little longer and had a Ratmandu size choil....then a full choke grip would be possible...although personally in knives of this size I think taking the blade that bit closer to the handle so you have more control and comfort is the best option when wanting to use the knife for carving....you can do this much more comfortably using the handle than using a choked up grip on the spine...especially for extended periods of time.
On this point it is'nt quite a "Bushcrafter" but it is as close as you can get with perhaps the exception of the SAR5...but that knife probably has not got the chopping ability of this one....which is a very good point if you want a small compact "one knife" option which this knife can deliver.
If you look at the picture above and imagine the knife without the talon hole but using the gap in the grip for a full choil...leaving the blade as is...it would be perfect. I might well be asking a good mate of mine to see if this can be done by way of a modification....what do you think Jeremy??
You can perhaps envisage what I mean by best seeing the knife....
The knife is also well designed for using a ferro rod by way of making use of the dimpled area of the spine. I added a ferro rod accessory to my sheath and a drop leg hard kydex loop for a lower carrying position and that vastly improves the knife's versatility and comfort. It is the closest thing to an Infi Bushcrafter type knife I have...or have seen. The rounded spine works well for batoning and the chopping power of the knife using the above grip is quite impressive for it's size. It is probably on the bottom rung of the ladder as a useable "chopper" which is not bad for a 5 inch knife.
The design of the full convex blade makes it a very good slicer...
For food prep work I like the satin finish as you know when the knife is fully clean and it is at the top end of the weight category for me in being described as being able to be used with dexterity in small knife tasks...
Fuzz sticks, notching, carving, are all doable. The only thing for me is that this knife is begging to be "all" blade up to the handle...the small choil is not really big enough to use as a finger choil depending on your finger size...you can choke up on the blade but your forefinger is wrapped around the talon hole...and is best left loose...using your second finger for grip...
Alternatively it could have been made a little longer and had a Ratmandu size choil....then a full choke grip would be possible...although personally in knives of this size I think taking the blade that bit closer to the handle so you have more control and comfort is the best option when wanting to use the knife for carving....you can do this much more comfortably using the handle than using a choked up grip on the spine...especially for extended periods of time.
On this point it is'nt quite a "Bushcrafter" but it is as close as you can get with perhaps the exception of the SAR5...but that knife probably has not got the chopping ability of this one....which is a very good point if you want a small compact "one knife" option which this knife can deliver.
If you look at the picture above and imagine the knife without the talon hole but using the gap in the grip for a full choil...leaving the blade as is...it would be perfect. I might well be asking a good mate of mine to see if this can be done by way of a modification....what do you think Jeremy??
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2005
- Messages
- 8,169
It does lock around the handle but more toward the middle. I have found it not as comfortable to do work while chocking up. I actually prefer the HG-55 (of the two blades available) for choking up on. I really like the zero edge though and the rounded spine.
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2008
- Messages
- 76
Good luck with convincing yourself! This knife really surprised me. I too had some reservations about the handle length relative to the blade. Then my LE arrived. It is a stunner. "Just right" best describes it. I do agree with the above comments about the choil, however. It should be bigger or gone. This is a very minor issue for me, however. I liked the design so much I immediately bought an SE.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2009
- Messages
- 1,347
Wish I could find a satin with black G-10 so I could get one!!!!!!!!
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2007
- Messages
- 808
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...did it.:foot:
the last one. in the last moment.
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...did it.:foot:
the last one. in the last moment.
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2008
- Messages
- 1,223
Congrats on grabbing an LE- you're going to love it! I wouldn't have minded an inch shorter handle and a choil big enough to get your finger into, but overall it's a great blade. When we see a pumpkin version or green linen, I'll grab another for sure.
Or you could do this to it:
(thanks to someone else's image which I photoshopped)
Shouldn't be TOO much of a mod...but loses 7/8in off the handle, which is just about right!
My SE just arrived yesterday and I LOVE it, but can't help thinking how it would be with the above mod. I could see it being a popular adjustment from SAR-4 buyers.
(thanks to someone else's image which I photoshopped)
Shouldn't be TOO much of a mod...but loses 7/8in off the handle, which is just about right!
My SE just arrived yesterday and I LOVE it, but can't help thinking how it would be with the above mod. I could see it being a popular adjustment from SAR-4 buyers.
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2008
- Messages
- 1,724
I own the LE ,,,,,,,,,,,, the only complaint I have about the handle is I'd prefer it with MAGS. In other words, I have no complaint at all about the handle being too big. The handle looks and feels excellent.The butt makes an excellent skull crusher. Of course my favorite Busse handle is my HOGFSH with mags.....massive grip.The SAR4 lives up to exactly what it was designed for...... a great midsize all around camp blade.If you have the opportunity to aquirre one,,,,grab it , you won't be sorry you did !!!!!
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- Joined
- Feb 18, 2003
- Messages
- 496
In reality what makes the Sar 4 stand out is the fantastic design. I consider the evolution of the Busse design to be really sophisticated. The Fusion models are very attractive and the Nuclear Meltdown made them even better. There is a German saying : "Success is in the details." I would say that the Busse design people (I don't know if it is just Jerry himself or if he has other designers working for him) are, like fine wines, getting better with time. I don't want to make Jerry look too Artsy/Fartsy but he is a top notch designer. We could even call him a design artist. Getting back on topic, the Sar4 represents one of his latest design triumphs and I believe it will go down in history as a great knife design. On the LE the multi-layered patterns have brought micarta design to the highest level EVER. On the practical side, although a little large, the Sar4 seems to be an almost perfect knife for light expeditions, boating, hiking in the wilderness, etc. Due to all of these factors, the bottom line would be: Just buy it.My 2 sense.