Value of a SHMS

Steel-Junky

Steel-Junky

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Hi, all. Long time lurker and just joined. I'm a big fan of Busse Combat knives and was wondering if someone could tell me the approximate value of an older Mean Street. It's got brass tube fasteners, tan micarta and smooth coat. I think it's a Desert Warfare MS. Coating is a little beat up and there is some discoloration (just surface... no pits) on the bare INFI. But I am gonna clean it up and maybe even send it in for a refurb at Busse. I got it for $200.00 from a friend. Just wondering if I got a good deal. It's .25" thick INFI so I'm thinking I did good. The blade and edge are fine... just cosmetic concerns and on a hard use knife like a Busse that just adds character.
 
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Welcome. My uneducated guess is that it's worth perhaps up-to double what you paid.

Take a "before" pic before you send it in for the refurb, and and "after" pic when you get it back.

A pic here would help all of us. :D
 
I'll try to get one up for you guys. There is some tan paint on the micarta I'm gonna clean off tonight before I snap pictures though. The previous owner paint the sheath tan with the knife in it LOL. So a little overspray got on the handle.
 
Welcome to the forums S-J. Glad you stepped into the participation ring. :thumbup::cool:

I'd think you got a steal of a deal, given the value of the Desert Warfare Mean Streets (a.k.a. DWMS)

Standard Mean Streets are well north of $400 (haven't checked prices lately), and the "short" run of the DWMS (they are INFI) makes them worth an additional premium.

I believe these came with a simple kydex sheath, as they were made after the years of Eagle sheaths.

The DWMS came with a redder looking tan micarta.

Please be sure to post pics.
 
I bet double what you paid in used/fair condition and three times as much in mint condition.
 
Nice grab there and at that price what a steal 4 steel! I have always wanted to get one of those but they are few an far between and pricey to boot.
 
Yeah it's a neat little knife. I actually think I'd prefer something like a straight handled badger or Badger III over it... but I might make this little guy my EDC. Get like a kydex sheath made for it with a pocket clip.
 
Steel-Junky said:
LOL... it's a really good fake if it is.
Click to expand...


excellent score SJ :thumbup:
just to be absolutely sure send it along to me for proper inspection and/or disposal :D

Picture001.jpg
 
Well I cleaned it up and found a perfectly good condition Mean Street under all the crap. The handles are black micarta now that I can seem them with all the tan paint removed. Buckman#10... It's pretty much like the MSs in your picture... the one next to the top... Quilted micarta handles with smooth coat and brass tubes. I would guess that puts it before the DWMS in lineage. Coating has had it on this one but the blade itself is in wonderful condition. It's VERY thick... I don't have a very accurate caliper on me but it might be .27" thick. Not sure though... it's at its thickest under the handle scales... looks like Jerry thinned it out just a hair past that point. Here are some pics...

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If you look real close in this picture there seems to be some little piece of brass between the handle and the steel... not sure what it is... but it looks like it came from Busse that way.
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Strange vertical marks in the blade spine... I guess from tooling or something
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A sharpening and a stropping will get rid of the spots on the edge
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I may dunk it and strip it this weekend... doesn't look like the coating is holding on very good anyway. That way I can rough polish the blade and give it some character. Overall... I am so excited to have at least one old straight handled model. I've always loved the SHBA... and even had one years ago... but now they are nearly impossible to find.
 
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