The Busse Combat Folder Has Become A Reality . . . And It Only Took 30 Years!!! . . . It Is Coming Friday, September 19, 2025 At 9:00 PM Eastern!!!

After reading the posts, how on earth could anyone be on the fence with this after a 30 year wait? It's either a Firm yes or no.
As for me, it is a firm YES!!!!!!

I totally trust Jerry's design is the best possible after 30 years!!!
 
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I think it would be super cool to have a solid, high quality US production folder in well-treated AEB-L. Was hoping that Spyderco would run the PM2 in AEB-L, and they still may. I have PM2's thinned out to 0.010 BTE in a variety of the available steels, and that's become my idea of a good general EDC knife.

Busse's tradition is to develop a specialized heat treat for a simple steel vs. using a standard treat for a fancy steel, so this in keeping with that idea.
 
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I would also real Love to have it in INFI...
But the Most important Thing: it needs to have the four way Clip mount possibility like my PM2.
Being left handed thats a must for me. The PM2 is nearly perfect and it would be crazy to spend this amount on a folder and then needing to modify it Just for basic carry...
 
Here is a pic of the ambidextrous clip. It is tip-up carry only.

Tip-down carry is not possible with this lock mechanism as the clip will cover the thumb button.

Spine release or liner locks are the only designs where a tip-down carry will work.

The location of the clip in this pic is slightly more forward than we currently plan to have it located.

Let's Drink!

Jerry

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Folder with clip 4.jpg
 
Jerry Busse said:
Here is a pic of the ambidextrous clip. It is tip-up carry only.

Tip-down carry is not possible with this lock mechanism as the clip will cover the thumb button.

Spine release or liner locks are the only designs where a tip-down carry will work.

The location of the clip in this pic is slightly more forward than we currently plan to have it located.

Let's Drink!

Jerry

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View attachment 2980345
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Interesting. So is that screw exclusively used for the pocket clip or is it dual-purpose? Also curious where the second point of contact is to keep the clip from rotating. Will it have a machined channel like a Sebenza, or a secondary hole and tab like a Strider? Or something uniquely hog-like that surpasses my imagination?
 
Couple of thoughts.
TLDR? DRJB. (don't read, just buy)

The GT 35 is the foundation on which the Busse brand decided to build its reputation for making folders.
Analysis of the design, components, customer base, and brand position in the market illuminates several assessments.
First and foremost, I assess that Jerry and the design team were intentional about every decision involved.

Why AEB-L? Why not INFI?
SeALs and Marines will carry the GT35 in salt water. Rangers and southern-state LEOs will bathe this thing in acidic, salty sweat. AEB-L is the toughest affordable stainless steel that can still hold an edge fairly well. INFI remains one of the best and greatest steels in the market... but is simply not as maintenance free for this specific application. Then, there's also a cost component involved, explored below.

Why AEB-L? Why not Magnacut?
MC probably would have dramatically increased the price point for an item that Jerry wants to get into hard-use users hands, not keep out of hands.
AEB-L cannot hold an edge as well as Magnacut, ok, roger that... but is easier to keep an AEB-L blade in a sharper state more consistently than if the blade was Magnacut. Let's face it, regular users can get super steels screaming sharp, after which they quickly degrade to working sharp (able to shave but not pop arm hair). At this point, super steels need regular care (ceramic or loaded strop) to stay there. AEB-L will likely need that same level of care more often... but the ceramic or strop does more work more quickly on the AEB-L, leaving you with a sharper edge more often than you would have with a super steel. Lots of people with more than a few years of experience are backtracking away from super steels and going to tougher, more easily sharpened steels for this specific convenience. That said... Magnacut would be an outstanding choice for this application... just not for the Prototype that Jerry is trying to make more available than exclusive.

Why AEB-L? Why not my favorite steel?
My Tetrad for combat blade steels is:
1. Impact resistant steel that can hold an edge fairly well: 5160/6150. Runner up: S7, if you don't need edge holding. Second runner up: INFI, if you can afford it. This category is mainly for tomahawks, breaching tools, very large blades that double as breaching tools, and doesn't very well apply to the GT 35.
2. Most stainless tough steel: AEB-L. Runner up: Magnacut if you need better edge holding.
3. Most edgeholding tough steel: CPM-M4. Runner up: maybe CPM 9V.
4: Toughest edge holding steel: INFI. Runner up: 3V. Second runner up: 5160/6150.
5. There's no 5 in a tetrad. High edge holding with low toughness doesn't belong on the combat blade tetrad.
Don't trust me, do the research. If your favorite steel isn't on this list it's most likely because a listed steel either holds an edge better, is tougher, or is more stainless where other factors are equivalent. Or... I just missed it. Such steels include S45VN, Cru Wear, XHP, K390/398, M390/204P/20CV, PSF27/CPMD2... and several others for which I have a deep respect and very high affinity. And this isn't a flame or slight to any steel or manufacturer. Manufacturers make their own Triad and Tetrad matrices based on their customers and needs, which are often different than Busse's. Those steels are heavily used and highly popular because they are extraordinarily good. Meanwhile, Busse maintains a laser focus on the smallest subset of its customer base (Protectors and Defenders), and rakes in profits when the remaining customer base follows along.

Wouldn't INFI or Magnacut be better than AEB-L?
Hold an edge longer? Yes. Only marginally more difficult to keep sharp once it finally does need touchup? For Magnacut, yes, and maybe even worth the tradeoff in effort. Will AEB-L have better edge stability at a given edge thinness? Yep. Isn't it easier to keep sharp? Easier than Magnacut at least. Stainless? More than INFI, probably not as stainless as Magnacut. Affordable for a Marine Lance Corporal? Nope: AEB-L wins here and it's an existential win: I assess that Busse is taking pains to to price in users who will derive the reputation that will underpin an enduring platform.

Several points on Price versus INFI versus Magnacut:
Jerry does make knives for collectors, but the Busse brand mainly focuses on users. It's the users' vote of confidence that brings in the collectors. Users have to be the priority.
Warfighters rarely make as much $$$ as collectors, so factoring in cost, stainless properties, and toughness, AEB-L is a great choice for something that is going to form the cornerstone of the Busse Folder Enterprise.
Don't hold me to this... but the current price is for a Prototype, which suggests post-Prototype production prices could vary, maybe even in a way that pleases us.
Now for a positive assessment (but it's just an assessment): While Jerry makes knives for users first and foremost, he doesn't neglect collectors. I would not be at all surprised if future, post-Prototype offerings do offer INFI and/or Magnacut. INFI might be a bit of a stretch since it is less stainless than AEB-L and an INFI folder will need regular maintenance. Cerakote would largely resolve this issue for folders intended for considerable time under combat or sea conditions. Still, offering INFI to collectors who are less likely to carry their folders on Draeger dives seems like a reasonable possibility at some point.

Truth or Consequences.
People asking for INFI or Magnacut will need to put the request into context of Busse offerings. Models don't last long. That's always been a major component of Busse marketing strategy. So we also need to ask for continuity.
I would hope to see INFI and Magnacut blades offered as optional upgrades within a pricing scheme, not as one-off limited runs that are unlikely to be seen again. It would be tragic if the GT series was here and gone (I assess it will not be). It would be much, much better if people with the cash could lay out for INFI or Magnacut while people trying to feed kids on Sergeant pay could still afford the base, post-Prototype AEB-L model.

GT 35: New Application of Paradigm, not Paradigm Shift (new business model) or Paradigm Movement (new model in line-up).
I'm confident we won't lose access to Busse Folders the way we lost access to the Badger Attack III and Badger Attack Ergo. Compared to temporarily-available Models, I assess the GT series will not go away like you'd associate with movement along the existing paradigm. Nor is this a paradigm shift: I assess that Busse will apply the exact same marketing paradigm to its folder that it uses for its fixed blades. In that sense, the Folder is merely new platform that the Busse brand will exploit for continued design innovation and profits. I expect that the team will do with the Folder exactly what they've done with fixed blades for 30 years: blade shapes and features will change from run to run, and perhaps we'll see new handle shapes and micarta inserts. However, regardless of how the platform changes from run to run, the platform itself will most likely not go away.

These are my personal assessments, objectively made but not fault-proof. I do not speak for Jerry or the Busse brand. Any mistakes or poor assessments are mine alone. These thoughts are provided for entertainment, information where they may be informative, and a broader reflection on the GT 35. They are not intended to criticise any competitor.
 
Clips.

That little guy? I wouldn't about that little guy.

You generally want the clip either centered or closer to the belly than the spine on a tip-up folder though, so this one is concerning. For example, Toor Knives very quickly made this correction to the Merchant 1.0, putting the clip near the belly of the Merchant 2.0.

But I'm not too worried about the clip: the aftermarket will probably jump at the opportunity to provide custom bent and milled clips to suit various carry options.

Alternatively, with a 4.7" handle, this is going to energize the folding-knife slip-sheath and belt-sheath market. Kydex too. I bet Dave Brown can do something that integrates a molded kydex keeper for the lanyard hole.
You think $597 is bad? Buck up: you've still gotta tell your wife you're gonna Paypal another hundred bucks to Chad Pirtle.*

* Speaking of regularly emptying your Concealed Carry, High-Cap, Rapid-Fire wallet into INFI & Co., how many of you has Jerry got saying "Yowza!" in daily conversation now? Yowza!
 
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