Taping up your Busse???

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He guys I tried something really neet and was suprised at what I found. You know that sports tape you can buy at Wal-Mart. the kind you get to put on tennis racket handles. The kind that isn't adhesive but kinda bonds with itself so it doesn't get sticky. I tried some on my new Badger handle tonight and was suprised. It kept my hand from sweating cushioned the grip and may have even improved the handling a bit. Now I don't presume to think I can improve upon a Busse but some of you guys should try it. I mean what do you have to lose but 5 bucks and 10 minutes of your time. It is fairly durable because it's made to be used in an active manner, it's cheap, and it may improve the individuals use of the knife with out altering it. The stuff doesn't even leave residue that will have to be cleaned off later. and plus if you get it on there just right it doesn't look too bad either. Try it guys let me know what you think. I liked the grey. they also make black. and for you crazy folks they make hot pink... though that might come in handy for divers.

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Everything is negotiable!
 
Oh yeah... i also found that after using the knife for a while with the tape it begins to take the impression of your hand. that made it more comfortable and yielded more control. This stuff is really neet. I think I'm in love. Gonna have to do up the Battle Mistress. Try your different models and post the results. may not work on a large chopper.

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Everything is negotiable!
 
I use tape on the grip of my Battle Mistress. It is a high friction tape sold by Lee Valley that sticks to itself. The main problem with it is that over time it tends to get pretty filthy and cannot be cleaned. I just wrap it with another layer then and every once in awhile peel the whole thing off and clean up and recoat the grip with Marine Tuff-Cloth. The tang will tend to slightly rust under the tape. Nothing serious, comes off easily with a worn scotchbrite pad.

That particular brand of tape is very abrasive. The first time I used it I could not work with it for any length of time without tearing my hand up. After about 30+ minutes of light-medium chopping I would get multiple irritations developing. However recently I have returned to it and as a side effect of working with some blades with not the most ergonomic of handles, the tape doesn't bother me anymore and it is extremely secure.

-Cliff
 
Hey Cliff try the cheap stuff. It isn't abrasive at all. It also keeps your hand nice and dry. And besides it's cheap so you can put a new layer every month or so. Any way. Thanks for the input guys. For once I thought maybe I tried something Cliff hadn't thought of yet. That guy will try anything. (Laughing)

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Everything is negotiable!
 
I have used hockey and other cloth type tapes for grips in the past however they have a really strong disadvantage I do not like. If you are out and do not have a roll of the tape on you and the grip becomes very filthy you are in a bit of a bind. The tape is fairly hard to clean and does not block water from the tang. Of course if you are home you can just brush any of the large bits off and wrap another layer on.

The main reason I went with the tape from Lee Valley is that it is self adhesive, it does not stick to the knife, just to itself. It comes off easily once you cut it down one side and the handle is usable right away. Now it is abrasive, but the human body is an amazing machine and you can adapt to things like that fairly quickly. Once this happens you now have a very secure grip as the extreme friction locks your hand in place.

-Cliff
 
Ryu, great idea on the tennis tape. May also be a nice solution for folks with bigger hands who would like to slightly build up the grip diameter. Now, how do I get Anna Kournikova to swing by for some informal testing and evaluation?

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Semper Fi
 
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