My single experience with Busse was an order a while back for a sizable model that appeared to fit my desire for a large & rugged backwoods blade for a multitude of large blade tasks. The order got lost at least twice, the knife was delayed for several months after the original delivery date passed, communication was spotty, the gal I talked to on the phone two or three times was very friendly but could never explain the order/production/delivery process (she literally had no idea) or exactly what stage of existence my knife was at during any conversation (and apparently could not find out), the extended order process tied up funds on that card without me knowing for sure until those several months had gone by that Busse was even going to deliver the knife, and once I emailed Jerry Busse himself & was told "It shouldn't work like this", the knife eventually showed up.
Was it a beefy knife? Yes. Would it stand up to severe use? Undoubtedly. Was it well made? Very much so. Is the steel superior? I believe it is, based on its reputation. Mine sits here in the office, it has never been used. Is it worth the $325 I paid for it? Probably. Should you buy a Busse product? Entirely up to you. Would I buy one again? Nope. It just isn't worth the effort to me to live on their website waiting for what I want to rotate around again, or do what it takes to track a used one down. While I quite likely have over 100 knives of various sorts here, I'm not a collector and most have been acquired in my younger days when I didn't know what was good & what wasn't, more recently for serious use now that I do, or for business purposes.
I bought the Busse intending to use it, but it turned out to be too big to wear with the seatbelt buckled in my Rhino for long excursions, too heavy to wear on foot (opposite a handgun), and the handle configuration is too thin to be comfortable in my hand. Note: That's just me, and it is not intended to be a criticism of either the company or those who do like Busse products. The handle configuration was designed the way it is to provide certain features & functions that the Busse people thought important, it seems to work for others, and it's hardly the first time something that the rest of the world likes doesn't fit me.
On the other hand, the big blade that does go along in a gear bag in the Rhino is a Swamp Rat knife. I liked the differentially hardened blade and the very ergonomic Resiprene grip. The price was less than half of what I paid for the Busse, and the Swamp Rat knife actually gets used. I would have bought a couple more, but those were dropped from their lineup shortly after. This is a matter of choosing to take the Swamp Rat out in the wilds and not by default, it's not the only large blade I own.
I was hoping for a similar knife as a backup when I heard about Scrap Yard's operation, but I've given up there, too.
There's no question about the quality, and obviously the Busse/Swamp Rat/Scrap Yard Group is selling to the level they want to sell at, but it's the damndest way to do business for the consumer. The potential buyer looking for one or two knives as users is not particularly well served by their business model. Establishing a basic line of five or so knife patterns maintained in continuous production and inventory would do a better job of selling to a more general market, with a rotating lineup of other models for collectors & special interest or semi-custom buyers to cover the more specialized market.
I'm not heavily into instant gratification, but on the other hand the best knife in the world does me no good if I can't get one, and I personally just don't need anything from that outfit enough to do what it takes to get any more of them. The two I have now will meet my extreme needs, smaller blades cover 90% of my regular blade demands, I'm too old to have enough time left in this world to wear them out, and I have other knives to fall back on if I lose these two.
There are many potential Busse customers who are frustrated with what it takes to buy a Busse Group knife, and many who feel that they're simply not superior enough to do what it takes to actually get one.
I don't doubt the quality, Jerry Busse has every right in the world to run his business/s any way he wants to, and there are many satisfied owners of Busse/SW/SY knives.
If you think they're worth the effort to get one, they are. If you think they're not, they're not.
Denis
Was it a beefy knife? Yes. Would it stand up to severe use? Undoubtedly. Was it well made? Very much so. Is the steel superior? I believe it is, based on its reputation. Mine sits here in the office, it has never been used. Is it worth the $325 I paid for it? Probably. Should you buy a Busse product? Entirely up to you. Would I buy one again? Nope. It just isn't worth the effort to me to live on their website waiting for what I want to rotate around again, or do what it takes to track a used one down. While I quite likely have over 100 knives of various sorts here, I'm not a collector and most have been acquired in my younger days when I didn't know what was good & what wasn't, more recently for serious use now that I do, or for business purposes.
I bought the Busse intending to use it, but it turned out to be too big to wear with the seatbelt buckled in my Rhino for long excursions, too heavy to wear on foot (opposite a handgun), and the handle configuration is too thin to be comfortable in my hand. Note: That's just me, and it is not intended to be a criticism of either the company or those who do like Busse products. The handle configuration was designed the way it is to provide certain features & functions that the Busse people thought important, it seems to work for others, and it's hardly the first time something that the rest of the world likes doesn't fit me.
On the other hand, the big blade that does go along in a gear bag in the Rhino is a Swamp Rat knife. I liked the differentially hardened blade and the very ergonomic Resiprene grip. The price was less than half of what I paid for the Busse, and the Swamp Rat knife actually gets used. I would have bought a couple more, but those were dropped from their lineup shortly after. This is a matter of choosing to take the Swamp Rat out in the wilds and not by default, it's not the only large blade I own.
I was hoping for a similar knife as a backup when I heard about Scrap Yard's operation, but I've given up there, too.
There's no question about the quality, and obviously the Busse/Swamp Rat/Scrap Yard Group is selling to the level they want to sell at, but it's the damndest way to do business for the consumer. The potential buyer looking for one or two knives as users is not particularly well served by their business model. Establishing a basic line of five or so knife patterns maintained in continuous production and inventory would do a better job of selling to a more general market, with a rotating lineup of other models for collectors & special interest or semi-custom buyers to cover the more specialized market.
I'm not heavily into instant gratification, but on the other hand the best knife in the world does me no good if I can't get one, and I personally just don't need anything from that outfit enough to do what it takes to get any more of them. The two I have now will meet my extreme needs, smaller blades cover 90% of my regular blade demands, I'm too old to have enough time left in this world to wear them out, and I have other knives to fall back on if I lose these two.
There are many potential Busse customers who are frustrated with what it takes to buy a Busse Group knife, and many who feel that they're simply not superior enough to do what it takes to actually get one.
I don't doubt the quality, Jerry Busse has every right in the world to run his business/s any way he wants to, and there are many satisfied owners of Busse/SW/SY knives.
If you think they're worth the effort to get one, they are. If you think they're not, they're not.
Denis
