Tank Buster vs NMSFNO vs Sarsquatch vs FBM

hero5211314

hero5211314

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Aug 22, 2009
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Hi guys currently I have a Busse Hellrazor and is looking to expand with

a second Busse knife. However, I'm having a hard time deciding which is a

better choice among these four blades: Tank Buster vs NMSFNO vs

Sarssquatch vs FBM. Please provide me with your opinions on which is blade

is more versatile and why? If I am going to use the blade for

survival/hunting/camping which is better? In addition, for the NMSFNO,

SFNO, FBM, Sarssquatch are there any model variances such as special

edition? competition edition? etc... Lastly, if any of these models is not suitable

for what I have talked about, please feel free to introduce me with new models.

Thank you all for replying. Have a good day.
 
Survival/hunting/camping doesn't really tell us much - I would much prefer an NMSFNO or FBM for a camp knife, because I like to be able to chop and split wood, but I wouldn't want to clean a deer with a battle mistress.

Ask yourself the specific tasks you want to accomplish with the blade - not what activities (ie camping), but what actual chores (ie making fuzz sticks or splitting wood) you will use the knife for. After you figure that out, it'll be pretty easy to figure out which blade fits your needs.
 
MustardMan said:
Survival/hunting/camping doesn't really tell us much - I would much prefer an NMSFNO or FBM for a camp knife, because I like to be able to chop and split wood, but I wouldn't want to clean a deer with a battle mistress.

Ask yourself the specific tasks you want to accomplish with the blade - not what activities (ie camping), but what actual chores (ie making fuzz sticks or splitting wood) you will use the knife for. After you figure that out, it'll be pretty easy to figure out which blade fits your needs.
Click to expand...

MustardMan hit the nail on the head.
That being said I am very partial to my SarSquatch for general camping/hiking/camp chores. While hunting I like to go with a small/Big setup. My current is a NMFBM with a BAD. I would like to find a nice Meaner because I think it would be ideal for field dressing game. Pick your poison. you can't go wrong because you will just wind up drinking the Kool-Aid and buying another Busse anyway.:D

A couple of mine with awesome leather by Chuddybear.
dscf0011.jpg
 
Yes the tank buster seems more similar in size to the one you have.

The Bm is much larger. I imagine that the NMSFNO would be a great choice. I love mine, it was my first Busse. It's also very popular, an excellent knife.

Battle mistresses are 10" blades or the NM ones are 11.5 " blades
The NMSFNO is more like 8 inches, and I can tell you it has plenty of chopping power, but it's not huge cumbersome knife. That one would have my vote.
-steve
 
The Hell Razor is a pretty good knife for all round use...you can carry it OK...do a bit of chopping and probably it's weakest use would be hunting as it is a bit big for use inside the carcass. It's a bit like MustardMan said...think about what tasks you do which you find the HR a bit awkward for...if it is chopping and camp chores go for a BM...if it is butchering and splitting the carcass...again the BM...but if you want to use a BM expect to carry it in a rucksack as on the belt it is a big heavy knife. Personally I would suggest selling the HR and have a smaller 4 inch Leaner Meaner for hunting and a BM for Camp/Butchering work.
 
I use my NMSFNO as my main camping knife. Big enough to chop, not to big for most other tasks.
 
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if weight is not an issue, nmfbm+BAD or other very-thin-bladed knife.

if weight is a factor, nmsfno. it's the slimmest package in it's size and you'll get the most out of it's sorta-compact form factor. holding it, I can't think of anything I would change other then the choil. the balance and size is as good of a compromise as you can get.

that said: I'm not keeping mine. the standard scaled nmfbm and customized sar5 are much closer to my own personal preferences. I've gone through lots and lots of knives and slimmed it down to like 5 out of 150. until you've experieced several designs, you probably won't know for sure wich one you'll like best in actual use. little things like the amount of metal directly behind the edge can mean the difference of loving a knife or absolutely hating it. Changing the scales from handshaped mags to machined standards on my nmfbm meant the difference of disliking it and loving it.

I suggest buying the one that sounds the best to you at the time, use it for a month on a lot of tasks you'd "like" to use it for, even if it's unnecessary (like making fuzz sticks for a fireplace fire). Chop food with it, split logs with it, try to carve a little captain ahab figurine with it. If you find it's just not sparking your fire like you want it to - try to find an even trade for another model in it's size and configuration. after 5 or 6 trades you'll have a very good idea about exactly what your looking for.
 
trldad said:
MustardMan hit the nail on the head.
That being said I am very partial to my SarSquatch for general camping/hiking/camp chores. While hunting I like to go with a small/Big setup. My current is a NMFBM with a BAD. I would like to find a nice Meaner because I think it would be ideal for field dressing game. Pick your poison. you can't go wrong because you will just wind up drinking the Kool-Aid and buying another Busse anyway.:D

A couple of mine with awesome leather by Chuddybear.
dscf0011.jpg
Click to expand...

Favorite BM of all time. I have one like it and I think your's is the only other I've seen posted, though I know there are more.
 
I'd recommend bagging the Tank Buster while it's being offered and cheap. I'm sure with all the configurations, you could figure out a version you'd like.
 
The Sarsquatch is always a good choice, it's very well rounded.
 
I'll add a vote to the NMSFNO. It's also my main camp/utility knife. It can do about anything, but I would hate to clean a slippery fish with it.

I teach scouts from time to time, and I love showing them (and their leaders) why a large knife is far safer and often more efficient than a hatchet for camp tasks.

My hatchet does do a better job with tent stakes!
 
fbm is one of the top 20 modern knife designs. if you got the cash, get one.
 
I say get your hands on what you can and see how they feel. I had one NMSFNO with Magnum machined handles and one with Magnum hand-shaped and neither fit my hand as well as an FSH. I wish the NMSFNO did fit because I paid a lot more for the FSH. I also have a HR and it fits my hand very well. The FSH is standard handle while the HR is Magnum, but the HR blade is thinner than the NMSFNO and that seemed to make the difference for me. Any blade may potentially be the "best" blade but if its not comfortable to use, you won't use it for long.

If you can carry two, I say go one large 8"+ and one smaller 4-5" blade. If you are only going to carry one I think a 6" +/- blade is a good compromise choice.
 
Your problem is the HR is a great do-it-all knife, right in the middle of the spectrum.

If you pick something small to do the jobs the HR isn't good at, that other knife is also going to suck at the jobs the HR is too small for.

If you get a big knife, it's do heavy work better than the HR, but suck at fine work.

So, if you really want to do everything, you'll need two knives.

A BAD and FBM are great choices.

You seem to be looking for the big knife right now, so go for the gusto, and get the Mistress. You know you want one. :D
 
I've had both a Mistress and a NMSFNO. The Mistress is a beast. Beautiful, but heavy and really long. The NMSFNO was perfect....perfect balance, perfect length, just an elegant design.
 
plus one on trying Tank Buster. I am getting it for doing relatively fine stuff on outdoors adventures and urban expeditions. If I had experience with Busse I could advise you more, but I say jump in with both feet like i did tonight and give it a whirl! :thumbup: ---Joe
 
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