Tell me why Busse is the best.

[mymindisamob]

+1, ya cant get much better than Amy-O! She so ROCKS!!!!!

I love Amy (not in the stalker way) and not to short her any, I enjoy each conversation and she takes the spotlight in dealing with many of us. More to the point, Kendra, Lexi and Garth are ones I've dealt with the most other than Amy, and they indeed ROCK! I am sure that anybody Jerry puts up front will treat you as well.:thumbup: Busse Customer Service is not just a person, it is a standard. A very high standard.:thumbup:

 

[Ken44]

He was just messin(see the wink), Jeff aint got it out for anyone besides the bad guys :thumbup:

I guess you and me saw that wink in a differant way. I've never used it that i know of.

If Jeff thinks he's a doper, I guess he is a bad guy to him

Jeff is a great guy, I meant no disrespect. Jeff and I are friends.



edit- whoops, double post. I'm bad on these things, but must have sent the last one early by mistake before I finished ??? Sorry, my bad!!!

 

[DowntownDM]

Ps what are you cultivating??? does it involve cheech or chong??? move along doper....this busse knives stuff is serious stuff Mr. Marley

easy killer... not everyone shares such opinions.

(looks like everyone was joking anyway)

 

[Coupchoux]

Busse knives are my favorite knives on the market. So, they are maybe the best... for me.

 

[dericdesmond]

I love Amy (not in the stalker way) and not to short her any, I enjoy each conversation and she takes the spotlight in dealing with many of us. More to the point, Kendra, Lexi and Garth are ones I've dealt with the most other than Amy, and they indeed ROCK! I am sure that anybody Jerry puts up front will treat you as well.:thumbup: Busse Customer Service is not just a person, it is a standard. A very high standard.:thumbup:

+1 again. Unfortunately, I have not had the pleasure (that I know of) with dealing with the others you mention. I take that back, Lexi ALWAYS sends out s&h notices and has answered a few of my questions in an above par fashion. Didnt mean to leave anyone out, Im aware it takes more than just 1, and for that Id bring the credit card in order to buy em all beers if I had the chance. The ENTIRE Busse crew ROCKS!!!!! :thumbup:

 

[Guyon]

First of all, Welcome to the Busse forum:thumbup:


There is really no "Best" knife on the market. It all comes down to what you like and want in a knife.

I do think Busse makes the best hard use knife, Period. INFI and the Busse designs are hard to beat if your looking for a knife you plan to use hard. IMO no one makes better medium to large knives than Busse.

On my small fixed Blades I tend to go with a custom maker, but still like a few of the smaller Busse's a great deal. I like my small knives thin, and can get a custom maker to make it just as I want it.

The INFI steel will hold an edge, rarely chips(usually just rolls/dents), and is also very easy to sharpen. This is something you don't see in any other near stainless steel blade.

Busse has the Best warranty bar none IMO.

If you plan to use a knife hard, or just want a great knife that will last you forever (even if you can break it they will fix/replace with no questions asked), I would suggest you try a Busse.


Thanks for posting, and please come back with pics if you get one:thumbup:

What he said. :thumbup:

 

[resinguy]

Is Busse the best knife on the market? Why?

If not what do they do well and who does it better.

Are they perfect or could they be improved in some way?

Some good questions.

And you already have some good answers, so we hope that you come back and continue this conversation.

The heart of the knife is the steel, and Busse uses a unique, proprietary alloy they have named INFI (don't ask what that means, we don't really know). You can read what Jerry Busse says about INFI here: http://www.bussecombat.com/infi/index.shtml

What they do well is to make the best hard-use fixed blade knives that can be had. That is not just fan-boy talk, it is a demonstrable fact. Go find knifetests.com and see how much abuse they dish out. It is damn near impossible to break a Busse, but if you do, they will replace it, without question. Very few companies offer such a warranty.

As to improvements; some of us find the edges to be on the thick side, and on some of the models the balance could be improved by taking weight out of the tang.

 

[cultivateitnow]

I like the looks of a few of the Busse models, and I've seen a couple test/reviews. I've read up on INFI and it reminds me of another companies product. It is a idea rather than a true material. It gives them room to make changes without changing the name of the blade steel. It is non-stainless, and it is heat treated to spec.

I read one knife was purchase and the owner tried to identify the blade and called Mr Busse. It appears that blade was made from a couple different types of steel while in production. Not a big deal. But is proves a point.

I would rather know what steel is being used so I know if it meets my needs. I always worry when people tell me the blade is easy to sharpen. I prefer a blade that is not easy to sharpen, but yet doesn't chip, so no high end super steel for me. D2, ATS 34, 440C, and even Bucks 420HC special heat treat works for me, most of the time.

I could buy a knife that uses high carbon steel and looks almost like a Busse from another company. They have a cult following too, with the ants and all. I'm told thier warranty is the best in the world.

I wonder if I should be concerned when everyone knows the customer service folks by first name.

I'm okay with a knife being great just because, I own a few of those. I just want to know if the cult following is justified and if people can explain why the product is special. Can I chop down more trees, cut more rope. Maybe I never have to sharping the blade as long as I own the knife. Maybe the knife can withstand saltwater baths for months on end, such as H1. Maybe the knife design is perfect for processing deer or other game.

Warranty is a good selling point, but others claim to be the best too. The knife blade resist stains, so does D2. Won't chip, 1085 can make that claim.

Are they, Busse knives, special or do they just look pretty? Why should I buy busse over say, ESEE? Why should I drink the koolaid?

 

[DowntownDM]

you lost me with that post, and not because I don't understand what you wrote - but because (to me) it reeks of pseudo-clever trollishness.

good luck in your quest, I'm out.

 

[cultivateitnow]

It is a simple question, really it is. So when we don't have answers rather than saying nothing we call people trolls and drugies?

 

[dericdesmond]

I wonder if I should be concerned when everyone knows the customer service folks by first name.

Why would you be concerned with that? As if its a bad thing to be on a first name basis with people you spend hundreds of dollars with?

 

[Tony G]

I like the looks of a few of the Busse models, and I've seen a couple test/reviews. I've read up on INFI and it reminds me of another companies product. It is a idea rather than a true material. It gives them room to make changes without changing the name of the blade steel. It is non-stainless, and it is heat treated to spec.

I read one knife was purchase and the owner tried to identify the blade and called Mr Busse. It appears that blade was made from a couple different types of steel while in production. Not a big deal. But is proves a point.

I would rather know what steel is being used so I know if it meets my needs. I always worry when people tell me the blade is easy to sharpen. I prefer a blade that is not easy to sharpen, but yet doesn't chip, so no high end super steel for me. D2, ATS 34, 440C, and even Bucks 420HC special heat treat works for me, most of the time.

I could buy a knife that uses high carbon steel and looks almost like a Busse from another company. They have a cult following too, with the ants and all. I'm told thier warranty is the best in the world.

I wonder if I should be concerned when everyone knows the customer service folks by first name.

I'm okay with a knife being great just because, I own a few of those. I just want to know if the cult following is justified and if people can explain why the product is special. Can I chop down more trees, cut more rope. Maybe I never have to sharping the blade as long as I own the knife. Maybe the knife can withstand saltwater baths for months on end, such as H1. Maybe the knife design is perfect for processing deer or other game.

Warranty is a good selling point, but others claim to be the best too. The knife blade resist stains, so does D2. Won't chip, 1085 can make that claim.

Are they, Busse knives, special or do they just look pretty? Why should I buy busse over say, ESEE? Why should I drink the koolaid?

About your comments about the steel not being a specific steel like D2.

As I get older and older and even older I have come to make room for things that are just better for no reason that I can prove or understand. For example for about 35 years I have been a fan of high-end audio. I use to read all the reviews and bought the most highly rate best-measured products I could afford. I was never happy with the sound in my house. So one day I decided to just go listen and buy equipment based on what I could hear myself. About 8 months later – for the first time – I was impressed with what I heard in my living room. Can I tell you why? No. Can it be measured? No. Does the music sound great? Yes. Are the tubes? Yes. Are transistors more accurate and clean? Yes. But for some reason nearly everyone that knows sound ends up with tubes!!!

There are other examples like certain kind of bicycle wheels that have better rides than others although an engineer will swear up down and sideways that after you put a relative pillow between the bike and the road … the tire.... That there is no way in hell the wheel makes any difference. Well my bones say different.

So also after may years buying knives of the branded super steels I go some Busses and no matter if they were A2, ATS-34 or INFI they have been unusually tough knives that are also easy to sharpen.

Jerry once said to me that any one can get the cake ingredients right but it will be a great cook that makes a great cake. Jerry knows how to cook steel – it is just that simple. And there are others… like every Benchmade I have had made from S30V has chipped; no Sebenza I have had ever chipped.

So why should a knife maker not call his steel “Great F-ing Steel” and be able to change it as he feels he found better solutions, better mixes, better heat treatment? Why should he explain to you and the world what he does so that he can be copied?

Get a Busse use it and make up your own mind. You might just find that you are finally happy with your knife… although you can’t explain it.

 

[Ken44]

We tried to help, and I don't remember anyone acting like they had drank to much kool aid in there replies.

I do not see the reason for your last post at all. If you already had these preconceived notions of Busse your last post feels kinda trollish.
Sorry we couldn't help ya any.

 

[thatmguy]

I think your most recent post confused a lot of folks.

Several of them were having some fun with replies, but many gave responses to your original questions.

THere were some changes in steel usage in early models (Steel Heart, Badger Attack, Mean Street), but everything Busse since the original line was discontinued has been INFI, so there is no crapshoot as to which steel is in a blade model/version.

Sister companies have used several metals, and they are marked on the blade.

Easy to sharpen can be an ambiguous statement. With most usage, realignment is all that is needed. Ceramics will address. Dents/rolls require a bit more work and tools, but normally the blade can be brought back. Chips/chunks can be a bit tougher, given the 58-60R hardness.

Guess it depends on ones definition of "sharpen".

Knowing the "customer service" people by name is pretty easy in a smaller company. People wear many hats there, and answering phones and talking with the customer base is one of them. Do not take it that it is only due a the frequency of calls related to performance issues.

Busse is not a sprawling manufacturing company with acres of factory, and banks of phone reps.

Not really sure what answer you are actually looking for, again, as many have related their reasoning and provided links to additional information on the steel.

If you could speak to what it is specifically that has not been addressed, I'm sure we will be able to get the answer for you.

Many of us got into the knives out of curiosity, but it was the community as well as the performance that brought us back.

Hope this helps.

 

[Mr. Clean]

He asks valid questions so lets not douche on him whilst we sip our koolaid .

cultivateitnow, INFI is Busse's propietary steel. If you're looking for something easy to sharpen, that holds and edge, and is stainless, this is your steel. Imagine well treated 1095, then make it stainless.

If I remember correctly, most of Busse's knives are either A2, or INFI. Not really that strange, some manufacturers go from CPM154 to S30V.

As far as being on a first name basis with customer service, this isn't specific to repair. It's ordering, custom ordering, and maybe having your knife pimped out. So don't be scared off because everyone knows Amy as it's not because their Busse broke. Plus, she's a mod here.

Why Busse vs. Esee? Well, first and foremost, there's a pretty big price difference. Secondly, Esee makes purpose made knives, they're not fancy. They are damn good knives though. On the other hand, Busse is more expensive, less available, and can be "prettier". Really your call, I've had both and both are great.

 

[Guyon]

I like the looks of a few of the Busse models, and I've seen a couple test/reviews. I've read up on INFI and it reminds me of another companies product. It is a idea rather than a true material. It gives them room to make changes without changing the name of the blade steel. It is non-stainless, and it is heat treated to spec.

INFI is a true product. It is the combination of good steel and a proprietary cryogenic heat treating process. The formula of the steel itself has been posted on BFC many times before.

I read one knife was purchase and the owner tried to identify the blade and called Mr Busse. It appears that blade was made from a couple different types of steel while in production. Not a big deal. But is proves a point.

Busse knives have gone through different steels as Jerry found better and better options for his knives. A2 and INFI are more common. Any Busse you get these days will be INFI.

I would rather know what steel is being used so I know if it meets my needs. I always worry when people tell me the blade is easy to sharpen. I prefer a blade that is not easy to sharpen, but yet doesn't chip, so no high end super steel for me. D2, ATS 34, 440C, and even Bucks 420HC special heat treat works for me, most of the time.

See above.

I could buy a knife that uses high carbon steel and looks almost like a Busse from another company. They have a cult following too, with the ants and all. I'm told thier warranty is the best in the world.

That's your choice. Your best option perhaps would be to get both, compare them, and sell the one that is the lesser knife in your opinion.

I wonder if I should be concerned when everyone knows the customer service folks by first name.

I'm okay with a knife being great just because, I own a few of those. I just want to know if the cult following is justified and if people can explain why the product is special. Can I chop down more trees, cut more rope. Maybe I never have to sharping the blade as long as I own the knife. Maybe the knife can withstand saltwater baths for months on end, such as H1. Maybe the knife design is perfect for processing deer or other game.

Your concerns about the cult and the Kool-Aid are unfounded. The knives speak for themselves. As Ken said, in the mid to large range, I think they're hard to beat. They keep an edge and have considerable durability, toughness, whatever you want to call it. I also find the designs ergonomic and useful. Some are good for game; Busse made a Game Warden knife with that idea in mind. They will not top H1 for corrosion resistance, but Busse never claimed that's the case. Knives, like anything else, involve different strokes for different folks.

Warranty is a good selling point, but others claim to be the best too. The knife blade resist stains, so does D2. Won't chip, 1085 can make that claim.

Again, my advice is: try different knives in different steels, including INFI, and make up your own mind.

Are they, Busse knives, special or do they just look pretty? Why should I buy busse over say, ESEE? Why should I drink the koolaid?

See above. IMO, they're special, and I own more knives than I should. Jerry is a good (perhaps great) marketer, but Busse's success has not been all smoke and mirrors.

Questions answered above. I sincerely hope I did not waste my time on a troll. Perhaps not.

 

[Jaxx]

I like the looks of a few of the Busse models, and I've seen a couple test/reviews. I've read up on INFI and it reminds me of another companies product. It is a idea rather than a true material. It gives them room to make changes without changing the name of the blade steel. It is non-stainless, and it is heat treated to spec.

This is a bit of speculation without any facts. Do you have any to back it up as it relates to Busse?

I read one knife was purchase and the owner tried to identify the blade and called Mr Busse. It appears that blade was made from a couple different types of steel while in production. Not a big deal. But is proves a point.

Please provide a link to this if you are referring to something more recent then Busse Combat's switch to INFI from A2, which happened many years ago...I'm curious.

I would rather know what steel is being used so I know if it meets my needs. I always worry when people tell me the blade is easy to sharpen. I prefer a blade that is not easy to sharpen, but yet doesn't chip, so no high end super steel for me. D2, ATS 34, 440C, and even Bucks 420HC special heat treat works for me, most of the time.

This steel is INFI steel. Feel free to use the search function to do a little research on it as well as find its chemical composition if you are interested. This information is public knowledge...it's the heat treat protocol that is proprietary, and therefor kept as a company secret.

I could buy a knife that uses high carbon steel and looks almost like a Busse from another company. They have a cult following too, with the ants and all. I'm told thier warranty is the best in the world.

...Ants and all? If you are referring to ESEE, they are another knife company with a very generous warranty. Both companies stand behind their products.

I wonder if I should be concerned when everyone knows the customer service folks by first name.

This I don't understand... Would you rather know a company's customer service by ill reputation??? The lovely ladies of Busse Customer Service are well known by their names because of the excellent service to the customers that they provide. When we receive customer service that consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty, many of us report this here as a way of thanks... They also post here, and have taken the time both here and at shows to get to know us. That's why we know their names. They earn our trust and respect every day. :thumbup: Best dang CS reps that I've ever interacted with, I might add.

I'm okay with a knife being great just because, I own a few of those. I just want to know if the cult following is justified and if people can explain why the product is special. Can I chop down more trees, cut more rope. Maybe I never have to sharping the blade as long as I own the knife. Maybe the knife can withstand saltwater baths for months on end, such as H1. Maybe the knife design is perfect for processing deer or other game.

Really, we aren't here to convince you to get one. We come here to share our experiences with the ones we own. Try one and I'm sure that you won't be disappointed... If you don't want to, then so be it.
In a sentence, I find that these knives take more hard use with less resulting damage than any other knife I've used. They are a joy to use. That's good enough for me.

Warranty is a good selling point, but others claim to be the best too. The knife blade resist stains, so does D2. Won't chip, 1085 can make that claim.

INFI is, IMO, the best all around knife steel. While others may be better at one of the following... resisting chips or stains or easier to sharpen/realign or to hold its edge, INFI is the best I've found to do all of these things well.

Are they, Busse knives, special or do they just look pretty? Why should I buy busse over say, ESEE? Why should I drink the koolaid?

Everybody has different tastes. Maybe ESEE is the better knife company for you to get a knife from. I don't know as I'm not you... Personally I like Busse. I own many. NONE have ever failed me.

 

[Mr. Clean]

... Personally I like Busse. I own many. NONE have ever failed me.

I don't even know how'd they'd fail on you Jaxx. Either they'd have to open the safe from the INSIDE and fall out and get damaged, or fall of your railing.

 

[Kirk_Ferentz]

Well you can always give your business to their arch enemy--Swamp Rat ;-)

In all seriousness, I wonder if Swamp Rat might have an edge on Busse. I can't say since I have never used a Busse, but it seems like there are at least some people who prefer the rats.

And if this sparks discussion or dissention, I'm all for it, since in the future I may be choosing between a busse and a swamp rat for a big chopper.

 

[manix J]

Jeff, you and I are friends, so please don't take this the wrong way.
But I feel that was not a proper thing to say to a new visitor to the room.
IMO, he does not need to "move along" and should be welcomed here just as anyone else. Just my 2 cents Jeff, please don't be mad at me for this post.

ken, that was my overtired sense of humor...I am always welcoming to newcomers....the wink was maybe a bit too subtle for a newcomer to tip the statement as being a "joke"
his questions are def valid and is welcome as far as I am concerned.

Ken we ARE Def friends which means def call me if my comments seem out of line or harsh:thumbup: in this case it was a poor attempt at humor



He was just messin(see the wink), Jeff aint got it out for anyone besides the bad guys

Eric, was correct on this one...:thumbup:


J Ps kool-aid is just plain old delicious!! but if you drink it outside it attracts bees...be wary of kool aid stealing bees