Some knive reviewsand thoughts of mine over the years (Busse and others)

Have a glock 21 myself as well. Big fan of Glocks, even though they have no soul, out of all the handguns I have used and carried, they IMHO are the most ruggedd. It is due, in my view to the magazine construction. Carried a SIG 226 overseas for along time, and also a Berretta and while the Sig and Beretta are nice guns, the Glock just keeps going and going and going. The Sigs come pretty darn close though, and they have a soul -what I mean is with some wooden grips they looks very nice! HAve a Sig 220 in SS with some rosewood grips and in Iraq carried a Sig 226 that I dressed up with some nice Nill custom walnut grips.

And the best way for you to defend your family in Los Angeles is to move out that communist state! LOL Just kidding!

Shotguns are great for SD. I would get just a good Remington 870, black park or Blued and Walnut. Easy to sway barrels out. That way you can have a long ribbed barrel for skeet/trap/bird hunting and a shorted barrel for slugs, Self Defense, etc.. And you can pick them up easily at Wal Mart for around $400 or so new. I have had a couple of 870s in the past. Had a really nice MArine Coat 870 that i regretted selling. Kind of more now into Over/unders. But will get another 870 in the near futire.

Tyr, I am going to be really pissed if the email does not go through! Wrote you a long email in answer to your question. Damn! Is there a way to recover it?
 
For those interested here are some more tests and uses by others:

sevenedges said:
Today a friend and I decided to test our new E Handled Battle Mistresses against the older straight handled one.

While we were out there we tested five other blades as well, just for fun.
The blades are of different size and type.
We tested the blades for their chopping ability only. And photographed all testing.
Knives tested were:

Cold Steel Bushman
Cold Steel Recon Scout
Cold Steel SRK
91/2" Ontario Bowie
7" Kabar
Busse Battle Mistress E Handle
Busse Battle Mistress Straight Handle

The knives were tested by the following method,
My friend would chop with each knife for 25 strokes, then I would do the same for a total of 50 strokes per blade.

The knife that chopped the best was the Straight Handled Battle Mistress.
Then the E handled Mistress. Followed by the Ontario Bowie.
Recon Scout, Bushman, SRK and Kabar.


The first attempt with the Straight Battle Mistress went through an eight inch sideways growing tree enough that it started splitting and we had to use a thicker 12" tree for the testing.

We also flexed our Battle Mistresses quite a bit, My friend was using his body to jump up and down on it while totally suspended in air.
No damage at all to either blade.

I will have pictures in a couple of weeks and will try to dig this one up to post them.

---Jeff
Click to expand...


sevenedges said:
Andrew,
I would estimate after thinking about this for a while, that the Straight Handle BM outchopped the BME by aproximately,
20%. +/- 5%

I do believe the reason for such a difference is that for one I have significantly thinned out the edge of my SH BM. And it now has a flat V grind on both sides of the edge.

The second reason for the added perfomance from the SH BM is that it has a little more heft to it. The blade a little longer and wider.

As for the handle difference, well in all honestly I think I still like my old one a little better.

When I did full power (throw your back out type swings) with the straight handle I get a little pinky bleeding after a while if I don't hold it firmly and it slips a dozen or so times and slams into my pinky finger. Also I get a little blistering between by thumb and index finger. However this handle fills out my hand better than the BME handle.

Now for the BME handle, at full power swings the knife doesn't hurt my pinky finger, but it does hurt my entire hand. infact for the 25 full power swings while testing it was quite uncomfortable. The handle is just to thin for my hand.
I still feel I need to do more testing with both knives for just the handle though.

Cliff,
When we chopped through the eight inch tree it only took 25 swings to make it split, as my friend didn't even get to follow up with his 25 swings before it let go. I too was very surprised that it only took 25 swings.

I contribute that to the edge.

I would guess that with the identical edge on each knife the difference would narrow to approximately 15% +/- 5%
with my true feeling of about 12 to 15% with the SH BM still in the lead. It just simply is more knife.

Like mentioned before I do have some very good pictures of all the knives lined up in their respective notches cut in the log, that I will post as soon as I can. My friend has the film and is away right now so it will be a couple weeks.

-Jeff
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sevenedges said:
O.K. I did some follow up testing today to make sure I was correct in everything I had stated in my earlier post.
I decided to do some chopping and I concentrated on handle impacts as well.
I started with the BME and chopped down a ten inch diameter tree with medium force impacts. By the time I was done my hand was a little red in the thumb and index finger area. Nothing serious. I then used the SHBM to chop down a ten inch diameter tree in the same area and of the same species. No comparison at all. The SHBM Ate the tree as if it were an ax and the the BME as if it were a large quality knife. Also the handle of the SHBM is much easier on my hand.
I am almost certain that the SHBM is so much better because of the much better suited edge than the BME. So I decided to thin the edge out quite a bit when I got home. When I started out I could not beleive how hard the crinkle coating is on the BME. It is the hardest material I have ever tried to cut with my DMT coarse stone. I still have work to do just to get through the coating. After I get the edge where I want it I will test them again and see how they compare. One thing is for certian, I like the thicker old style handles a little better than the new thinner ones.

Jeff
Click to expand...
 
I am a big fan of the Busse kin knives but there are a couple valid points in Leopardpoops
post. I agree that a lot f the Busse knives are to thick ,have edges that need work and the coating comes to close to the edge and needs to be thinned down near the edge or preferably removed all together. The biggest problem was in using the wrong knife for the job. A 3/16th thick Busse with a reprofiled edge and a LE or double cut blade is one of the best cutting tools ever. Instead of using knives that are meant as entry tools or for collectors you could have had much better luck with a meaner or satin Jack.

Big choppers like the FBM are not my favourite knives and are totally the wrong tool for jungle vegatation. A thick blade would just hang up ,you really needed a machete. Bowies like the Dogfather(res C is a much better handle for hard use) or the FBM work much better in boreal forests with a mix of hard and soft woods although a axe or hawk is usually better.

I would suggest trying one of the new Swamp Wardens for your next skinning job. They are an excellent 52100 steel and thin and sharp enough right out of the box. All mine needed was to remove a bit of coating from next to the edge.


Complaining about the sheaths and business practices is just whining though.
Most of the time if you want a sheath they are available but I and a lot of other people prefer to source custom sheaths because it is such a personal matter and would not appreciate paying for one we don't use. Scrapyard has come out with a first rate kydex sheath just recently for those who want one.

If you want a specific knife you can get one off the exchange Busse just offers the chance to get one at the wholesale price right from them. I can't believe people are ignorant enough to complain about that.

Thanks to that Busse cult that so many people disparage you can get 100% or more of your money back on pretty much any of their knives. Often a lot more.

If you are going to rely on a knife in a survival situation it would make sense to educate yourself on how they work ,what geometry and edges and even finishes work best in the conditions you expect rather than using the wrong tool for the job and getting mad at the company that made it.
 
First off no point in you using direct name calling and insults. My post must have really struck a nerve or you are just being very unproffesional. No where in my post I have ever directly insulted anyone as you have.

Usub, just to clarify, was Bamboo and limbs and trunks of wooden trees. Not thinner jungle vegetation. And you are right, for that type of vegetation a thin bladed machete would work better. That is what we used when I was in Panama and it worked great. In NW Cambodia, the Rain Forest, Jungle, or whatever you want to call it is much thicker and has many hard wood trees. For me I found the thinner bladed LTC Khuk and the Very thick bladed HI Khuk to work better. More to do with the angle of the blade, than the type of steel or type of edge. The Busse I was using, BTW, was ZT model BM that had a 3/16 polished blade. And I am not mad at Busse, that would be ridiculous. I just stated my opinions and expereinces. For the 100th time, no agenda here.
 
Yowza! Lots of stuff going on here. . . . Reviews of Busse knives we made several years ago are fairly moot since our designs are constantly evolving and the knives being reviewed are no longer made. When we only see one negative review for every few hundred positive reviews, I guess we're doing okay. :thumbup: . . . . If it were the other way around, we wouldn't have the huge following that we have and I would be getting tired of working the drive thru window and asking folks if they wanted "to supersize their order" . :eek: :D

The newer versions of our knives are MUCH different than the older versions. Every time I read something along the lines of "All Busse knives have edges that are too thick" I know that the poster hasn't been near any of our knives in many years. . . but that's the power of first impressions. . . It is true that we made many smaller knives in the past with much thicker edges than our current line. Also, the asymmetrical convex edge that we employed back then gave the impression that our edges were very thick since the edge grind was primarily on one side and thus twice as high as it would have been if it had been symmetrical.

As for our military orders and special runs, we do not currently discuss the specifics of these orders publicly. We have refused the right to have articles detailing these runs published in both military and private sector publications, many, many times in the past. Why? Sometimes it has been at the request of those who we have supplied. Mostly, however, it is because I'm a little quirky I suppose. There are many other makers and manufacturers who will literally take a financial loss on a mil. order just to get the publicity for civilian sales. Knives that cost the military $40.00 - $60.00 are then sold to the public for several hundred dollars with that kind of publicity. There is certainly nothing patriotic about their military discount, it is all about cashing in on the civilian market. I don't suppose that there is anything wrong with that in most folks eyes and if that's what some companies need to do to survive, then far be it from me to judge them. Capitalizing on mil. orders just isn't my thing. We do note when a particular model is a mil. overrun, but specifics are never given and we only note this to explain why there are such small numbers available and to note that the model will probably never be offered again.

In regards to the words "Cult" and "Clan" being used to describe a group, well, what can I say? Neither word, or any variation of that word, has positive connotations and nobody should be surprised if those being labeled as such take it as a negative jab. Using words like this is often done to illicit a response or rise out of those being targeted. If you blanket any group as a cult or clan in a negative manner, then you are either intentionally trying to goad them into a response or you don't have enough life experience to know that you are taking a verbal swing at someone. Either way it is uncalled for and should be avoided. Nearly every group that possesses a strong fraternal bond can be broadstroked with the same "Cultish" or "Clanish" terminology, including nearly every high speed military unit, SWAT team, etc. . . . Those who continue to use this terminology when "labeling" the Busse afficianados have most likely never been a member of such a group and might need to join the INFI HOGs for a drink, a cigar, and some great comraderie. :thumbup: :D

In the end, we all love knives. If Busse's don't float your boat, it's no big deal. I'm just glad that there are knives out there that do it for you and that you are part of the greater communtiy of folks who are inexplicably drawn to fine bladeware. :thumbup:

We are all brothers in our love for good steel. . . I'm sure that this makes us part of a "Cult" or "Clan" in the eyes of many others. . .

Let's Drink!!!

Jerry :D
 
leopardprey: no email so far. Not sure what happened there. Thanks for the feedback on the khuks. I'll have to grab one some time. Or hopefully Busse Combat puts one out.

Another reason my few knives are Busse is the warranty and customer service. How many knife companies have a "no exceptions" kind of policy? I am sure there are a few. It just makes me feel more secure when a maker/owner is willing to back his product to such lengths. Because of that I have done many tests, like seeing how far my AK will flex, to further assure myself that the knives I get do what they do. So the warranty on a knife, especially a mid-high priced one, is important to me. :D And Jerry and crew really go out of the way to make the customer happy.

Factory Edge: Like Jerry stated above, the edge geometry has changed on the Busse line. I have often reprofiled my medium-small users to be thinner. Mainly because I am not great at convex sharpening but I can put a wicked edge on a blade with my Edge Pro. ;) My current big chopper is a Busse FFBM. Very thick. But so far its factory edge has performed superbly at chopping. No records here but it easily chopped through a 2x4 in 9 chops. I think it was 9. And that is with the coating and factory edge. So I simply change the edge if I feel so inclined.

What originally brought me to Busse kives, via Swamp Rat Knives, was my past experiences with some other brands. I used a bolo to prune a guava tree in my back yard a couple of years ago. I was really impressed at how deep each bite was. But soon chunks of the blade began to blow out of it until it finally just broke in half. I know, not the right tool for the job.

I then tried a more heavy duty kopis type blade with the same results. Now my initial reasons for having a knife was SD due to many years of FMA training. But as time went on, and I traveled more, I began to desire a blade that would be strong enough to be a work horse while still beiing a functional back up SD blade. Swamp Rats fit the bill nicely. I used them on even heavier jobs with no ill results. I made the jump to Busse mainly because I prefer their handles and the variety.

So for me Busse knives, and the knives of its sister companies, have served me well. Great tools. I am sure there are plenty of other great brands out there but I found these and they work just fine. And since I do not collect I only have a few knives at any one time. Plus I like to support smaller companies who work hard in a competive industry.

Just my 2 cents. (again ;) )
 
leopardprey: I found your emails. It appears they were dumped into my spam folder. My setting are so low I usually never check it. Sorry about that. Lots to read there. I will get back at you later tonight. Thanks.
 
Look up the word 'cult' in the dictionary.

http://dictionary.reference.com/

Cult:
–noun
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols

Now ask yourself if this definition fits the words and actions of many Busse owners.
Just because a word has a negative connotation doesn't mean it's not true. Meanings of words don't change just because we do or don't like them. The word is true, it fits or it doesn't.

One more thing, has anyone else noticed that after Jerry speaks, it gets real quiet and the post's sort of stop? All the disciples seem to get this unwritten sign that the leader has spoken and they can stop defending the cult,{Oopsy!]
Seems like this happens a lot in Busse threads.

By the way, I never had a Chris Reeve, Becker, Ka-Bar, Benchmade, Tops, RAT, Mission, Fallkniven or Buck that I liked all that well. They weren't bad knives, I just didn't care for them. You all might have had great luck with them, I just didn't.

Now, let's see how many, Chris Reeve, Becker, Ka-Bar, Benchmade, Tops, RAT, Mission, Fallkniven and Buck owners flame me for saying something un-positive about THEIR knives.:)
 
bearcut said:
Look up the word 'cult' in the dictionary.

http://dictionary.reference.com/

Cult:
–noun
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols

Now ask yourself if this definition fits the words and actions of many Busse owners.
Just because a word has a negative connotation doesn't mean it's not true. Meanings of words don't change just because we do or don't like them. The word is true, it fits or it doesn't.

One more thing, has anyone else noticed that after Jerry speaks, it gets real quiet and the post's sort of stop? All the disciples seem to get this unwritten sign that the leader has spoken and they can stop defending the cult,{Oopsy!]
Seems like this happens a lot in Busse threads.

By the way, I never had a Chris Reeve, Becker, Ka-Bar, Benchmade, Tops, RAT, Mission, Fallkniven or Buck that I liked all that well. They weren't bad knives, I just didn't care for them. You all might have had great luck with them, I just didn't.

Now, let's see how many, Chris Reeve, Becker, Ka-Bar, Benchmade, Tops, RAT, Mission, Fallkniven and Buck owners flame me for saying something un-positive about THEIR knives.:)
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You nailed it bro. ;)
The busse Cult:

pren41l.jpg
 
At least YOU have a sense of humor!

I'm sure Busses are good knives.
I tried to get a smaller one for about two years so it's not like I just hate 'em!
In fact, were they readily available, I probably would have two by now. [A Badger and something smaller].

The insecure attitude of many, [not all], Busse owners on these forums was a real turn off though. That's what finally made me decide that I really didn't want one.

Reading a sane persons, i.e. Leopardpreys, evaluation of the Busse line convinced me that I wasn't missing out on the 'Holy Grail' of knives. He isn;t the only man I've read that gave a, 'they're OK knives', report, but his was very honest and really informative. {And very fair I might add}

I have been fortunate to know several Special Forces soldiers through the years. They were always very pragmatic, level headed, intelligent men. Never Rambos. As soon as I read Leopardprey, I knew he was the real deal because his attitude and mannerisms in speech exemplify a successfull Elite Force soldier. In other words, he reminded me of my other Special Forces friends.
You can't make up stuff like he talked about. These men are a different breed.

I appreciated an honest personal evaluation of the Busse product instead of the 'These are the greatest knives ever, and all others suck!' line I read all the time.
I keep waiting for 'My dad can beat up your Dad'.:grumpy:

C'mon, they're just knives!
 
Bearcut, thanks for the compliment. Glad if my review was useful to you.

If I was to read between the lines of Jerry's post, he even somewhat admits that some of the older designs (as I had from 2002) of several years ago needed to be approved upon. I am glad to see any evolutions or changes that correct past mistakes or make a product better.

My reviews was based on the Busse knives I had, and against other brands I had. Now, it of course might have been different if I would have had newer models or different models or compared them to other brands than I had. I do think Jerry is a very smart bussiness man with the way he has made a devout following of Busse owners. The object of any business is to make a profit and sell their products, and I am sure Jerry has used the Forums to this advantage and been very wise. As for Jerry Busse as a Bussinessman, my Hat is off to him! And Jerry is a very well skilled knifemaker who really knows the Knife manufacuring process extremely well and also, from his designs, a highly accomplished artist in my opinion. But I do not (and no offense Jerry) bow at every word he utters or think he is the supreme Knife guru as some do. I believe from Jerry's character, that he would not think that of himself either, but as a Knifemaker running a Bussiness just trying to make a mortgage payment like the rest of us.

Bearcut, the technical definition of Cult, definately applies to many Busse owners and the Busse Forum. I think if people read through my other post they would see me describing that as well. Not neccessarily a bad thing, but some of the members (not all) do get carried away and real defensive of their Busses and the community.

Now, as my post stated I still kept one of the Busses (Natrual Outlaw -Zero Tolerance, which is a fine looking rugged, 3/16 bladed Knife) that I enjoy and have used much in the past, but that part seems to be ignored.

But, there are several other manufactures I like better in their overall product lineup.

Best set up in my opinion to cover all wilderness travels (whether survival, hunting, trekking, military operations, etc..)

A good Multitool (I prefer a swiss Army Champion or Super tinker, don't know how many times the Tweezers and toothpick and scissors have come in handy)

A small blade 3.5 inch knife (prefer a folder cause you can carry it everywhere. Top choices: a Large Chris Reeve Sebenza or a custom Andre Deveillers Mako)

A small axe. ( if in a junlge I might take instead a 12" bladed machete or thinner bladed Khukuri)
 
My sentiments exactly.

My remark was not a sight against Jerry, just some of his fanatics.
Indeed, Jerry has developed a brilliant marketing strategy. Only offering one knife at a time can keep him going for decades.

I only wish he had a program where those who never had one of his knives could be first on the list so that they could have one too. Maybe that's part of the strategy, keep the loyal collectors buying them all since they are so enamored with them. No bad or 'take em' or leave 'em reviews then.

I was wondering if anyone else caught what he said about his older knives needing improvement.
Of course this is true, because nobody ever offers a 'worse' model than last years.

That said, does this mean that a Busse appreciates in value because it is state of the art, or because of the Busse mystique? A better product devalues an inferior one, unless the value is imaginary.
 
I think that your final comments are fair enough, except for the cult following part. I also think that Busses are not the be all end all, as there is no such thing. That being said, you have to go to a custom knife before you can get all the qualities that a Busse offers. You will not get all that in another production knife.

My intent with all the old tests is to show how heavily tested and used they are, to show, that your opinion of something is only that and there are so many more than you that have actually used them hard. Maybe you had bad luck with the ones you got, who knows.

So again here is another example:

Garrett Lucas said:
What a night last night was! Actually the whole day was something else. A couple of us went hiking into the Linville Gorge wildnerness area in North Carolina. The trails are not marked, and according to reports, more people are lost in this rugged area than in any other part of North Carolina. Well, count me in on this number too...

After traveling down into the gorge and walking for several miles, we couldn't find the next trail that would take us out of there. When they named this a "wilderness area" they weren't kidding. We climbed over two thousand feet three times and just tried to get to the top of the gorge and make it out that way. However, we kept running into rock cliffs we couldn't get past. We decided around 6 that we were going to have to go back to the bottom and find a place to camp out next to the river for water. The trails are too narrow, steep, and rocky to try and navigate in the dark.

We got back to the bottom and had to set up a makeshift camp because we hadn't intended on staying out all night. That's where the Battle Mistress came into play. It came in handy several different ways. It had just started to rain and we had to get a shelter up quick and get a fire going. The Battle Mistress made quick work of several small trees/saplings, and we were able to improvise a lean-to next to a small rock overhang. By leaning the saplings against the small cave, we were able to increase the square footage of our living area, with the leaves and pine boughs helping to keep the water from straight down next to our sleeping area. It was a good arrangments, and the Battle Mistress shined in helping me get this done quickly.

By this time, the rain had started to pick up and we had to collect wood to get the fire started. There were a lot of dead trees lying about that were soaked on the outside, but once I chopped into them and broke them apart, I found some usable wood to get the fire started. However...While chopping into one, I heard this sick "pinging" sound. When I looked at the blade of my BM, I saw that I had hit something that chipped the blade. Talk about a sick feeling in the gut. I know these knives are to be used, but you still get a little woozy when you do something like that to a knife you love. By this time, it was getting fairly dark and I couldn't make out what I had hit. But, I was able to continue using the blade to gather up enough wood for the night.

A lot of people "in the know" talk about needing only a small 3-4" blade when out camping, saying that's all you need to get the tasks done around camp. Well, I couldn't have done half the things last night with that kind of blade that I did with my Battle Mistress. No, it wasn't a night of luxury (as we hadn't planned on being out), but we were able to rest in relative comfort with the supplies we had and inside of our shelter that had been made.

I examined the blade today, and there is a small chip. Something that did surprise me was that the blade edge already started to pick up some rust overnight. It was extremely wet out last night in the rain while we were working, and the lack of drainholes in the sheath trapped some water and I'm sure contributed to the blade edge beginning to corrode.

I have to say that I am extremely pleased with the Battle Mistress. This was the first time that I had to use it in a situation that demanded fast and furious action. I had used it for similar things, but only to test it under controlled conditions. Last night was anything but controlled. The BM has a good heft to it, is well balanced, and did just about everything I needed, including helping to prepare dinner. The only modification I have made to my BM is with the handle. Previously, I had put some slightly padded rubber raquet tape around it. This protects the nice micarta slabs, and also gives me a better purchase on the thinner handle. This modification made using the knife extremely comfortable and I suffered no fatigue in my hands or wrists even with the extensive amount of chopping that I did.

Anyway, I just wanted to give a report on the performance of my Battle Mistress. I was extremely pleased with it, and I don't believe that I've ever had a knife that I have trusted as much as I do this one. That's important to me. I want something that won't fail, and will do what I need it to do when things get a little hairy.

Now, I've just got to figure out how to fix this chip in the blade so nobody thinks that I abuse my baby...
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bearcut: I see this a lot. Someone has difficulty obtaining a particular model form Busee combat and because of this seem to turn bitter. I agree that the secondary mark-ups have prevented me from getting a few models I wanted. So I have learned to check in regularly for what is being sold through Busse Combat and the company store so as to get what I want at the original prices. And I do wish that there were a ton of models offered all the time but BC is a small compay and Jerry's formula seems to be working for him.

As far as use: I guess I am still not getting how a knife suddenly performs differently for one person -vs- another at the same task. Well I guess that is because it doesn't work that way. If you are chopping the same type of wood or skinning the same type of animal it really doesn't matter if you are an SF Elite soldier or just Joe civilian who loves hunting season. I just have to shake my head and laugh when someone comes along and claims that they use their knife in "real world" situations and that the rest of us are somehow in this fantasy world when we use them. I do understand that a particular knife model may feel different from one person to another but the knife itself will still perform.

Cult: This part still seems like bitterness to me. Maybe it is not but it looks like it. But sure, if it helps you sleep at night then you can refer to all of us who use and discuss Busse knives as a cult. But you are still wrong. :D It'd be much easier if you just drink the cool aide ;) .

Performance: There are tests all over the forum of people who have done their own tests on one knife or another. I know I have done my fair share becuase I want to know that a knife that is supposed to do one thing or another can actually do it. I am sort of a "Doubting Thomas". I have found INFI to be an excellent all around steel. Not the best at any one thing perhaps. But a great all arouder. I would bet that many of the diffenences between quality steels and knives really only come out in strict testing. Either way, most of us do not bend our knives into a "u" shape or chop up cinder blocks but it's nice to know the range of performance of your knife and to know it is pretty darn good.

Note: I really am looking forward to the production of BK&T to start up again.
 
Ok, I lurk here more than I post and I did get my first busse a short while back. I dont participate in the forums much and don't think I am part of a cult. I do own custom from many makers, forged and stock removal. I own cpm3V custom knives, custom knives of 52100, O1, 1084, L6, Reeves out of A2, Missions knives out of A2 and several more. Do my busses chop better than these customs. No. Do the customs chop better, no. I have had the same type of edge on all of them and they all cut very close. I have noticed that Busses seem to hold an edge longer on hard materials and the edge rolls rather than chip. In fact I would say that out of all my steels, INFI and custom 3V are about the best all around steels. I still give INFI the edge as it seems to resist chipping better in my experience.

Both my Mission and Reeves knives are great knives and very high quality, with very sharp edges. However, I have chipped edges very frequently with them on knots and bone, something that INFI and 3V had no problem with. Since I can sharpen damage out none of this is a concern. If I carry my Reeves, it just means I have to do more maintenance, that is all. The other thing I don't like about my one piece Reeves is that the handles are too rough and feel like I am holding a broom instead of a knife. I guess it is hard to machine a nicely shaped handle out of a solid piece of steel. Still, they are way ahead of all other hollow handle knives.

Mr. leopardprey, maybe you need to learn how to sharpen your knives, because when you give them all the same type of edge I think you will realize that the Busses will outperform most of them by a wide margin except high quality customs made of quality steels and then the differences are not so great.

As for Beckers, well, I find it very interesting that small asian people would find them useable at all. I have owned many Beckers and I have found the handles to be the worst feeling handles I have ever held. In fact, not only are they too big but they are too smooth. Years ago, working in a heavily forested area, we had to clear a zone. One guy had a becker brute that he stabbed into a downed log and his hand slid right down the handle and onto the blade. Needless to say the blade was very sharp and he almost severed three fingers. I have heard other stories like this. The handles are way to big for many people from my experience in south america. Even machete handles are not as thick.

anyway, I guess my experiences differ than yours as well.
 
I bought a Hell Razor a few years ago and I really like it.It's my primary BIG knife for the hard woods work.I carry it when I don't want to carry a hawk and my primary knife (Fallkniven S1).I say to each his own and I'm fortunate to own a Busse knife in my collection.
 
Interesting post with interesting viewpoint. - I dont own any Busse knives, so can't (intelligently) comment on them. - - I took a wilderness survival/navigation course from retired USAF survival instructor Peter Kummerfeldt this last September. One of the points that he brought up is that there is a lot of (sometimes very expensive) gear out there that isn't practical, or just doesn't work when used in the wilderness. He doubted that the stuff had ever been tested under field conditions, much less survival conditions where you may be cold, tired, and freaked out. - - I find it amazing that people seem to jump in and defend (or attack) a particular brand of product as though it were their favorite football team(or rival). - - Its a tool. If it works, great. If it doesn't, or something else does the job better or for less money - - than dump it. - - -
 
This has been an interesting thread. I own Busses. I don't get out into the bush as much as I used to, but my property is a good testing ground. I have way too many knives. I am a collector, and one of those "backyard testers".
I have reprofiled a few Busses and they chopped oak, pine, and gum just fine. But when I'm slashing back the palmettos and wax myrtles, I don't use my CS Kukri, Battle Mistress, Ranger RD9, Becker, Dog Father, RTAK, or Ontario Bowie. I use a Tramontina machete. Nothing out machetes a machete.

In smaller knives, used for general utility and camp chores, there are lots of good ones. The Bark Rivers, Busses, Scrap Yards, Swamp Rats, Ontario RATs, Gerbers, SOGs, and yes, even Cold Steels work well, depending on the model. Most of them have decent steel. The most important thing for me is the edge. A knife that is the right size and shape for the job, made of a quality steel with a good sharp edge is all that is required. A Busse or a Mora will do.

I am a knife nut. I am a member of the knife-loving cult. I like tools and weapons. I enjoy using and occasionally abusing them to see how good they really are. Guilty as charged. And yes, I have patiently waited for the next offering from the Busse clan on several occasions.
 
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