What am I missing?

M

mthiker

Joined
Oct 6, 2008
Messages
3
I have been lurking here for quite awhile and have really enjoyed reading the posts. From what I can gather you are an intelligent and very loyal bunch of people.

After spending much time here I decided I needed a Busse, so I ordered a SAR-4 SE. I could not wait for it to arrive, which it did very quickly, awesome service! It is a great looking knife, but it is not very sharp and is super handle heavy!

I have been using and acquiring knives since I was a small boy and now am in my mid-forties, point is this just does not feel or act like a user to me.

What am I missing?
 
I think someone lied to you and shipped the wrong knife. Mine was scary sharp when it arrived and is nowhere near handle 'heavy' :) thats not to say it's balanced right at the ricasso but isn't 99 a** heavy in the rear, lol. Balance is just a little behind the first forward rivot.
 
I suggest posting what you intend on using the knife for and your size preference then watch the posts stack up with possible models that would work for you.
Ask for photos of the knife and if possible, of a Sar4 next to it if they have one. If they don't, a ruler next to the knife helps a great deal.
 
Sounds like it doesn't suit your needs. Nothing wrong with that. You can always sell it to someone who wants it. . .
 
I'm certainly not as knowledgeable as others here about the knives, but I got my first one a little over a month ago, and now I have 8 (well, some still in the mail ;)). Some are sharper than others and some have more handle weight, but they are all perfectly balanced for the task they were made for. Some are too pretty to use, and don't need to be razor sharp. If you want to use it, it's easy enough to strop it to as sharp as you want it, or get something like an EdgePro and put a wicked V on it. In the end, it is a Busse, and it's value is unparalleled. It will call to you, and it will taunt you, and you will find yourself falling madly in love, and you can't stop and then... well you get the idea. In a month too you'll be here with a half dozen more too - I promise you.
 
mthiker said:
I have been lurking here for quite awhile and have really enjoyed reading the posts. From what I can gather you are an intelligent and very loyal bunch of people.

After spending much time here I decided I needed a Busse, so I ordered a SAR-4 SE. I could not wait for it to arrive, which it did very quickly, awesome service! It is a great looking knife, but it is not very sharp and is super handle heavy!

I have been using and acquiring knives since I was a small boy and now am in my mid-forties, point is this just does not feel or act like a user to me.

What am I missing?
Click to expand...

when I first saw it compared to the shba I thought "ooooooooh ya. thats gonna be way handle heavy." cause it's got almost the same blade, but way more handle. I sold the shba because of that, way to handle heavy, and with that particular model the palm swell was too severe.

the basic 5 and 7 are excellent knives that are slightly blade heavy, i'm pretty sure the hg55 would fall into that catagory. if your used to thinner cutting blades, a lot of the busse's will feel over built. thats just part of the company, the knives are designed to defy any breakage by hand. the steel allows them to be pretty thin for what they can take, but they still have to be thick enough to handle sloppy use and intentional abuse.
 
Nothing wrong with that. You will have no problem selling it. As the other guys said, ask around, you will get so much info it will take you days to sift through it.
 
mthiker said:
What am I missing?
Click to expand...

You are missing your ration of Kool-aid! :p

:D

Welcome to the Busse Forum! As some folk have mentioned, Busses are generally built like tanks. Many here like them heavy, whereas I passed on the SAR4 for that very reason. So one suggestion would be to upgrade to a Gold membership, and then you could sell it here. Tell us where you live, there may be other Busse fans near you, so you could hook up with one and have a chance to handle other models.

The sharpness problem can be fixed. Sometimes the factory edges are not as sharp as we might like. If you are keeping the knife, but not comfortable sharpening it yourself, then contact Amy at Busse Combat (NOT the Store) and she will take care of you. Or you could just sharpen it up yourself, or even thin the edge a little.

Sorry that your first was not up to your expectations. Stick around, find the model that right for you, and have fun.
 
Welcome!
Oh, you received MY knife. Please forward it to me asap. I'll cover postage. :D
 
Factory edges are called factory edges for a reason. To many knife enthusiasts, they're nowhere near sharp enough no matter how sharp they are. ;) If the knife isn't sharp enough, then it's time to sharpen it. Sooner or later it's going to have to be done, because even if it comes from the factory sharp as a razor, in use it will eventually dull.

As for the handle heavy balance, expect that from any small to medium sized knife with a full tang and big G10 handle scales. G10 is tough, but also very heavy. Micarta is lighter.
 
Welcome to the trough...
I think it has a little too much handle, but would be perfect with gloves on.
Throw it back and find one that will make you say WOW....
 
Hey,

Its ok to not be "into" this particular model. No one model suits everyone (cept maybe the SHBM :p) and sometimes you get one your not fond of. I have had some that just dont feel right in my hand. Trade it for a different model or sell it. If you dont need the cash I'd say trade it for another model your interested in and see if that one suites your needs. With some knives you can work up multiple trades and get to handle more knives.

I dont have the SE but my LE came screaming sharp and the F&F was very nice.
 
Mthiker---You're getting great advice. You'll find YOUR Busse.:thumbup:
 
I agree with Elen's statement about 'factory edges' and even though I have never received a dull Busse product I have always liked to tweak it a bit for my purposes. I can't really address your 'handle heavy' problem but I don't see this knife as a chopper primarily and for cutting I find a neutral to slightly handle heavy weight distribution better for control. Like everyone else says, you can turn it over and try another model more to your liking.
 
I have been buying these things since 1994, and there are some (a very few) Busses that just don't do it for me, either. Before you give up on Busses, you owe it to yourself to obtain an Active Duty. Although it can be had in thick versions, try one of the Boney AD's or at least one no thicker than about 0.170 inches. Or a Leaner Meaner, or a Skinny ASH1.

I love the SAR4, though. I am hoping for a skinny one at Blade. In 3/16" or less, it could become my ultimate user Busse. I like my general use knives to have neutral balance or be ever so slightly handle heavy.
 
I guess I've lucked out with Busse sharpness---both my GW and PD could shave hair. We'll see how my in-coming Cultellus does.
 
FWIW...

My HG55s balance perfectly on my index finger just behind the guard.

The Busse Combat knives I have are all combat grade (CG), built like tanks, "pretty", tough, great fit and finish, and all that; but I'm NOT drinking the Kool-Aid yet either. Time will tell if they are really worth the $$$. Then again a $20 knife can be worth $1M in certain circumstances when a sharp instrument is absolutely necessary.

All my knives are purchased for use or are on standby to be used.
 
resinguy said:
Jerry, are you listening? Bring on the Skinny SARs!
Click to expand...

GREEN LINEN Skinny SARS???? :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:


I'm in the skinny camp as well - I like any blade under 8 inches or so to be anorexic. Some of those ridiculously thick Active Duty models are just plain confusing.
 
Welcome brother. Here is my take on this......

I bought around 18 Busse Combat knives in the first 2 months I was here, and sold or tradded most of them finding the ones that fit my hands and my needs. There are not many Busse knives here in Wyoming so thats the path I needed to take. I would ask if there are any HOG's in your AO and see if you can get together and see what fits you. There are some great people on this forum and most are willing to help.
 
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