Swamp Rat vs. Busse

P

Pyro420

Joined
Nov 10, 2005
Messages
10
Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I'm just getting into the Rats and am considering which one to get first. I'm leaning toward the Ratweiler if I can find it at a decent price or maybe the M6 (thought it's a little small). Any advice?

Also, I know SRKW is an off-shoot of Busse, how are the knives different? I mean, is there any difference in the quality, or the steel, or the price? Or are they made the same, just different styles? The Basic 7s and 8s also look good.
 
Busse's are made of INFI which is a custom steel Jerry Busse cooked up and Swamp Rats are made of SR101 which is a modified 52100. The new Scrap Yard Knives line, another off shoot of sorts from Busse will be made of SR77 which is a modified version of S7.
 
One of INFI main advantages is the corrosion resistance it has, just like stainless, BUT has the strength of the best carbon steel out there.
So, if you're not paranoid about rust, Swamp Rat should do you fine!
And is probably the best deal for the $$$$$ anywhere.
BUT if you want the ABSOLUTE best, get a Busse!
P.S. Not a stupid question at all. We all had to learn sometime!
 
The owner of one company is prettier than the owner of the other one, but the other owner is better when it comes to drinking.:p Which is which is...well, a subjective thing.
 
Pyro420 said:
I've heard about the INFI and the SR101. Never heard of SR77 or S7.
Click to expand...

This gets its fair share of disdain, but warrants a bit of justification if you know what it's all about. It's been said many times that the heat treat is the soul of a steel, so it seems reasonable to think that if a steel is heat treated out of its conventional characteristics then it may be given a slightly modified name. Fehrman calls his 3v F3v for much the same reason... What it comes down to is the notion that the customer can expect more from the steel than the steel manufacturers are willing to warrant or even guarantee.

S7 is a superb shock-resistant steel, but was most likely not even considered for cutlery applications by its manufacturers. Then it made its way into tomahawk forgers' and makers' shops, and from there into large experimental knives, and finally into some conventionally useful knives. Currently it is being used mostly by custom makers making big choppers and Hawks, but SR77 may lead the way to normal sized blades that withstand abuse like low carbon steel while holding an edge like high carbon steel. I know from experience that even normally heat treated S7 with an obtuse edge bevel will hold up to heavy abuse like sheet steel and concrete with amazing results. It'll roll and bend and maybe dent, but it doesn't chip, and leaves a lot of undamaged edge steel, which after steeling out the rolls, can go a long time without needing resharpened.

I would very much like to see a side by side rope cutting test with similarly ground and edged .25" combat blades of BOS treated S30V, D2 and ATS-34, as well as O-1 and A-2, being compared with SR101, SR77. I think a lot of people may be surprised by the results, particularly those who think the SR heat treated steels are a hoax. Follow up the push-cut test with an abuse test like mild steel nails in 2x4s, or a few door/locker hasps, and the idea that a compromise steel doesn't really have to compromise much at all may make begin to make sense to a few of the skeptics.
 
Walking Man said:
One of INFI main advantages is the corrosion resistance it has, just like stainless, BUT has the strength of the best carbon steel out there.
So, if you're not paranoid about rust, Swamp Rat should do you fine!
And is probably the best deal for the $$$$$ anywhere.
BUT if you want the ABSOLUTE best, get a Busse!
P.S. Not a stupid question at all. We all had to learn sometime!
Click to expand...



Thanks man, that's exactly what I was wondering. I'm not looking to spend $400 (I'm guessing on this since the Busse site has been down). I'm mainly looking for a reliable knife that can take some serious abuse to use around the campsite. The heaviest work I can foresee at the moment is chopping down and prying apart scrub oak (but it's always good to have that extra strength for tose unforseen situations).
 
will infi hold its edge longer than the SR101 without chipping or rolling? I thought I read they are about the same but am curious. The Busse family is getting 100% of my knife money from now on after I got my first couple rats. They make my old knives seem so lame. Anyway debating finding a Busse for a chopper instead of trying to find a battle rat because of the markup I would rather get the Busse since I dont have one. I am praying to the knife gods they bring some cool stuff to sell at the INDY 1500 in the forms of big badass knives.
 
JWBirch said:
I would very much like to see a side by side rope cutting test with similarly ground and edged .25" combat blades of BOS treated S30V, D2 and ATS-34, as well as O-1 and A-2, being compared with SR101, SR77. I think a lot of people may be surprised by the results, particularly those who think the SR heat treated steels are a hoax. Follow up the push-cut test with an abuse test like mild steel nails in 2x4s, or a few door/locker hasps, and the idea that a compromise steel doesn't really have to compromise much at all may make begin to make sense to a few of the skeptics.
Click to expand...

No doubt. I'd like to see unmodified S7 in there too, though, along with 5160, L6, 440C, you know, some of the other more common cutlery steels. and you could end the abuse test with a good flexing. Hopefully Cliff Stamp is listening... He has already done a lot of these, more than anyone i have heard of, with others in progress...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top