What should I know about Busse/Swamp Rat knives?

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Benbo

Joined
Nov 10, 2010
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I'm new to fixed blades and really knives in general. I have been looking for a good tough survival/camp/bushcraft knife from 5" - 6", and after perusing the forums and reading/watching reviews for the past few weeks, I have narrowed it down to a few Busse and Swamp Rat knives.

Still, there's a lot that I don't know. Neither site has many currently produced knives for sale, and I haven't been able to find a good legacy blade information resource that has prices, dates of production, and blade specs. Before I go for a purchase on the secondary market, I want to know what the past offerings were so I know exactly what my options are.

How often does Busse/Swamp Rat change their lineup? What will and have they offered? I'm leaning toward a RatManDu, but I don't want buyer's regret if I find out next month that a similar INFI knife is coming out or that there was a prior production design that is even more to my liking.

Can anyone shed some light on this for me? Thanks.
 
Welcome!

Whew, there's a lot of ground to cover. You can start by reading all the stickies at the top of this forum and the Swamp Rat forum.

Then do some searching:

'bad mojo busse'

'busse collector'

'hog cult'

Hard to know what Jerry is going to offer next. The RMD is a great knife, many wish that it would come out again in INFI, but don't hold your breath.
 
My best advice, is to first thoroughly search the Hog Cult website and generally look for pics around the web. Finding your favorites can take some digging.
As for actually acquiring one of these mysterious pieces of INFI, patience is a virtue. Wait long enough and the model you want, or something like it, will be produced eventually.
While I don't personally follow the secondary market, apparently the selection available is pretty good now days.
The classic models that people are usually after seem to be most readily available at the shows. If one happens to be within a few hundred miles of where you live I would say that going is a no-braner. If the shows are a few thousand miles out, as is my case, then it's probably more of a once in a lifetime thing.

Remember that these are, for the most part, factory made knives. It is a small factory, with only a few passionate workers, but the knives are made in large numbers. Don't expect flawless fit and finish on a CG knife. Expect it to be really good, but the Custom Shop is still in operation for a reason.
Speaking of which, if you're flush with cash, that's probably the best way to get the knife you want. As far as I know your imagination is the limit as long as you can pay for it.

Most importantly though.
Once you have your favorite Busse model, use it! The best knife in the world is no better than a plastic spoon if it never cuts anything.
 
Benbo said:
I'm new to fixed blades and really knives in general. I have been looking for a good tough survival/camp/bushcraft knife from 5" - 6", and after perusing the forums and reading/watching reviews for the past few weeks, I have narrowed it down to a few Busse and Swamp Rat knives.

Still, there's a lot that I don't know. Neither site has many currently produced knives for sale, and I haven't been able to find a good legacy blade information resource that has prices, dates of production, and blade specs. Before I go for a purchase on the secondary market, I want to know what the past offerings were so I know exactly what my options are.

How often does Busse/Swamp Rat change their lineup? What will and have they offered? I'm leaning toward a RatManDu, but I don't want buyer's regret if I find out next month that a similar INFI knife is coming out or that there was a prior production design that is even more to my liking.

Can anyone shed some light on this for me? Thanks.
Click to expand...


There are many many knives released one by one. Prob 10 or 15 atleast in the 5 or 6 inch range.

The lineup seems to change every 6-8 months or so...nothing specific but special offerings are done in between. you never know whats next.

here are some in the 5 or 6 range...a 5 or 6 inch knife is usually priced at 300-400 dollars but more on the secondary market

Tankbuster (TB)
Hell Razor
Satin Jack
Boss Jack
Satin Jack tactical (SJTAC)
BAdger Attack (BATAC)
Ratmandu
ASH
Jack Hammer
HG55
Basic 5
ST Ripper
Force One
 
Their customer service whether it be for Hog, Rat, or Dog is top notch! Also don't plan on getting just one knife, it never works out that way around here :)
 
You can't go wrong for the price with any of the three family knives.

ScrapYard, Swamprat and Busse are all top notch. The other two are simply less expensive steel, and still have the best warranty!

By cheaper, I do not mean inferior. Any steel used by Scrapyard, or Swamprat will be several things:
Well chosen for the application, Heat treated to the absolute top performance capable by the steel in question, and backed by an unbeatable warranty.

Infi is more corrosion resistant that most of the choices from Scrapyard and Swamprat.
 
They are great knives with quite a following for a reason. A great warranty great steel and customers service does'nt get any better. Enough said! :thumbup:
 
For your stated preference which is also where I like my belt knives to be the RMD is a great choice .... others which work as well or better are the Basic 5 and the Scrapyard S5LE .... both are Infi .... well the Basic 5 is M-Infi but it is the same for all practical purposes ....

The only other blade which has sparked any interest for me since getting the above choices is a modified SAR4 that Lil Foo had done from the custom shop where the handle was chopped back and the choil talon hole removed and that looks to be a very interesting knife ....

Ofcourse there are the Anorexic Boss Streets too which are still up at the shop .... they are slightly smaller but would make a great choice too ....
 
Welcome to the madness.

Like Peter mentioned, I was going to suggest grabbing a Ratmandu while they are around - there are some in the Exchange pretty much at cost. For $150ish it's the best value i think in the entire Busse/Bussekin family and also one of my all-time favorite knives. Every piglet or hog needs one.

Good luck and have fun!
 
Welcome to the trough.

A lot of good advice and historical sources have been already mentioned.

The Ratmandu is a good entry, esp since they can be had still on a direct basis. Along that size, maybe a bit larger, is the Boss Jack, the recent Busse offering.

Be sure to ask any more questions here too. A lot of helpful and knowledgeable people (except maybe, well, he knows who he is..LOL just kidding, he doesn't know).

But seriously, ask away and someone here will be able to help out man.

Good luck, and keep us scooped in on your decision(s)....:thumbup:
 
Don't do it..... buy one and you will be addicted... the only thing that is saving me from buying a whole lot of infi is my BRD.. (Black Rifle Disease). Now of course I am looking into a shapenning system.... roads lead to others... hope my wallet can handle it
 
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