What is the reason for sterile knives?

[BlackHills]

What if someone had to leave an MP5, magazine, CRK bowie, or even a spent shell casing? While the reason you site for not having a logo sounds cool at first blush, I can't see how it makes a difference.

The idea is you don't carry something that can pin down your country of origin. The MP5 is made in Germany, not the US. If the magazine and ammo are non-US as well it doesn't identify where the people carrying them came from. Some items are so ubiquitous that it's not that big of a deal, the AK-series or even M16 coming to mind.

Probably 99% of the time you're right that it really doesn't make any difference but there are cases where it's important, such as operating some place they aren't "supposed to be".

Personally I prefer sterile blades...I just think they look better.

 

[papathud]

Fast and easy answer, On a fully coated knife, the logo can rust.

Logo's for all shiny Busse knives.(they can all rust anyway so you might as well have the Good Looking Logo on them)

 

[dduangrat]

Sterile blade = no infections = no swine flu

 

[azshaman]

Sterile so they can't breed?

(Someone had to say it.) :foot:

 

[Bravado]

I could tell you but then I'd have to..........well you know the rest.

 

[LeftytwoGuns]

The example of an MP5 being made in Germany doesn't really fly because even Americans Carry Mp5's, French, Itallians, etc.

I could understand not carrying your knife that says 63rd Ranger batallion or Seal team 2 on it for the prior mentioned reasons.

but as far as it only saying Busse, or Sog I still don't understand the difference. Unless it's just a personal preference thing.

 

[skwurll]

Some companies knives slip through the logo/marking process by "mistake".

 

[rbmcmjr]

I ordered at least one directly from Busse. I used to have four that matched:

 

[dobywon]

At one point in time you could order you Busse's with or without logos. You could also get your LE's without #'s or logo's.

 

[Ken44]

There's very many reasons a Busse could be made sterile. The ones made for military is just one of many reasons.

 

[Bravado]

There's very many reasons a Busse could be made sterile. The ones made for military is just one of many reasons.

Actually awhile back the Man himself told me the reason why.

 

[Thalestin]

The idea is you don't carry something that can pin down your country of origin. The MP5 is made in Germany, not the US. If the magazine and ammo are non-US as well it doesn't identify where the people carrying them came from. Some items are so ubiquitous that it's not that big of a deal, the AK-series or even M16 coming to mind.

Probably 99% of the time you're right that it really doesn't make any difference but there are cases where it's important, such as operating some place they aren't "supposed to be".

Personally I prefer sterile blades...I just think they look better.

No offense, but if I were to find an item of interest and wanted to find the country of origin i could look it up on google and find out in 5 minutes. My guess is that intelligence in these countries have access to google and have brains too. In todays world that is just a non issue imo. Secondly, things move around a lot. Hell, 90% of stuff is made in china. We don't live in the 1920s anymore

 

[BlackHills]

The example of an MP5 being made in Germany doesn't really fly because even Americans Carry Mp5's, French, Itallians, etc.

Exactly. The MP5 is used by so many different countries that it's not a determining factor as to where the individual is from.

No offense, but if I were to find an item of interest and wanted to find the country of origin i could look it up on google and find out in 5 minutes. My guess is that intelligence in these countries have access to google and have brains too. In todays world that is just a non issue imo. Secondly, things move around a lot. Hell, 90% of stuff is made in china. We don't live in the 1920s anymore

I don't think you get what I'm saying. If a person is captured/killed while carrying a German SMG loaded with Polish ammo, wearing French made cammies, South African web gear and Italian boots and has a sterile knife on his hip it's a lot harder to positively identify what country he's from. It's not so much being able to identify where the items are from as it is not carrying something that directly points to the nationality of the soldier.

While in some cases it might be easy to figure out where something is from it's not always the case. We all know what a Busse looks like but most people, intel included, don't have a clue because they aren't knife people. Since you think it's so easy to google it up here's a little test for you, tell me where this knife is from....

 

[giant1]

Isn't it so they can't have babies ??

 

[LeftytwoGuns]

There's very many reasons a Busse could be made sterile. The ones made for military is just one of many reasons.

so of the many, many reasons whats about 4 or 5 more?

 

[Last Visible Canary]

Busse has trademarked the talon hole, so wether there is a logo on the knife or not it is identifiable as a busse combat knife.

the logo does tend to rust, and it breaks up the aesthetic of the knife. It also isn't there after thorough use, so why have it in the first place.

as cool as logo's are, I don't want to advertise with my knife. I have 2 busse baseball caps I had made with a basic "busse custom shop" script, but it's black stitching on a black cap. I like my knives the same way, tools rather then billboards.

 

[DowntownDM]

Busse has trademarked the talon hole, so wether there is a logo on the knife or not it is identifiable as a busse combat knife.

the logo does tend to rust, and it breaks up the aesthetic of the knife. It also isn't there after thorough use, so why have it in the first place.

as cool as logo's are, I don't want to advertise with my knife. I have 2 busse baseball caps I had made with a basic "busse custom shop" script, but it's black stitching on a black cap. I like my knives the same way, tools rather then billboards.

me too. and I agree, it's clearly a Busse with or without a logo. my trusted ASH1 no longer has one (after its recent re-beadblasting) and I like it better. but if I was to have a logo on it again I'd want the old school BUSSE lettering as I prefer the more utilitarian types (vs the fancy cursive custom shop one).

 

[ghillie]

Let's see...

You paint the thing black or sand color and raise the price $50.00 'cause you are cool...

You take the logo off and you are sterile, and raise the price another $50.00...

I have three Pumas that I carried in Vietnam (in a Signal unit), but to go out with an SF team for a couple of nights running a sensor operation, I had to file the numbers off the tangs or guards to make them "sterile" because they were perceived to be serial numbers. Bet that doesn't raise the prices should I decide to sell them (which I won't).

 

[Ikarus]

so of the many, many reasons whats about 4 or 5 more?

Rust prevention (the logo can rust on coated knives)
Some people might not want "combat" written on their knife for PC reasons
Some prefer the cleaner look of a sterile knife
Collectors might want to spice up their collection with some sterile knives
Maybe some people are worried that the laser-etched logo can somehow weaken the blade?

 

[Last Visible Canary]

so of the many, many reasons whats about 4 or 5 more?

so, lets combine whats in this thread to make a list of 6 reasons to fill out your (6) number requirement.

1. perception of the military personel is that sterile is better for the purpose of not being identified. wether that's actually true or not doesn't matter, perception is king.
2. laser etching does cause the knife to rust in that location. I've personally seen it on at least 4 of my busse knives where there is consistently a small patch of rust in that location.
3. sterile knives look cleaner. being that the talon hole identifies the knife as a busse another logo isn't necessary. It's nice to have the option - not a requirement.
4. I don't like logo's. on anything. I wear plain black t-shirts and plan black everything else. I tear the logo's off of every piece of apparel I get. The tags are still present inside of them to state what brand it came from if I ever need it. I don't want to advertise for anyone.
5. It gives a second version for collectors who want a particular type of knife. doesn't matter whether it's necessary - as a businesses giving your customers something they want is a good thing.
6. having "combat" on something that almost all sheeple call a "weapon" is a bad idea. It doesnt matter that your not a killer, that you use it for utilitarian purposes - perception is king, it's what people act on.
7. It wears away with use, so why have it in the first place? it would be different if it was etched into the back of the handle or stamp pressed, but it's not. it wears off with friction, making it a temporary marking. why have it in the first place if it's going to be a heavy user.
8. the military overruns are orders with specifications requested by the military. it doesn't matter why they ordered it that way, that's what they wanted, so that's what they were given. as a mil overrun, we get someone else's custom order done how they wanted, in this case sterile.


"because thats what they wanted" is an answer that doesn't necessitate a physical function based reason, human want can be intuitive rather then logical.

when ken said "many reasons" I'm pretty sure he meant a varied personal response, not 100 logical if-then statements.