Why Busse?

Turbo man

Turbo man

Joined
Apr 11, 2002
Messages
317
First things first... This post is not intended to hurt or insult Jerry, Mick, Duane, or any of the other Busse or Strider employees in any way. It is just for comparison. That being said...

Why did everyone here buy a Busse over a Strider? I will probably end up buying one knife from both makers, but I just want to understand your reasoning. Did you buy one because it chops better, cuts better, pry’s better, or is stronger then a Strider? Give me your opinions guys. No flaming please.:) Thanx alot.
 
Turbo,
I'm with you, NO flaming please.

Comparisons are fine, but lets keep it civil.

Now, here's why I've chosen to spend my money on Busse knives.

Is it the INFI, the type of Knives, the company, the warranty, the person?
Well, for me it is all of these plus some.

I bought my first one(Basic 9) to give these things a try and see what all the talk was about. I also wanted to get a look at what everyone was calling the best knife in the business. Once I received the Basic 9 I found that the knife was incredible, that M-INFI held up as well as I'd heard and that there was no doubt that this knife could handle anything I could throw at it. I later bought a BM and sold the 9(regrets) and have bought a few more since then .

I have owned many knives from many different manufacturers and have found nothing that even compares to INFI, nor the durability that I want in a knife. Unlike some of you, I don't particularly like to sharpen knives, because of this I've found INFI and I are the perfect pair (I don't like sharpening and it seldoms needs sharpening)

Beyond the steel, is a great company, just look what they have done for the armed services. Provided over $43,000 in knives to the front line troops, not including labor and shipping.

Then there is the warranty, never needed it, don't see any reason I ever will. If I do something that will break the knife it would've probably killed me. And I'm sure Jerry would replace it for my wife and kids It is a guarantee rather than a warranty.

And Jerry, I've talked to him on several occasions. He is just an honest, hard working, American who makes great knives. He is also a blast to talk to :D:D


Great Company, Great Knives, Great Person.

Eric
 
Both are great companies run by great people who make great knives that come with a great warranty. There's no denying that. But for me it's just personal preference. While I like Striders, I have a few more Busses, probably because I like their micarta handles.
 
I gradually heard about Busses over the last few
years and finally held one about a year ago.
I ended up aquiring that knife through a trade and
since then have become an INFIHOLIC. Yeah I know
the warranty and quality are outstanding, but for
me it's the feel of holding that cold dark
piece of INFI in my hands and experiencing that
adrenal dump coarsing through my veins as I
slash through that bag of Doritos that I just
bought. :D Seriously Jerry makes an outstanding
tool for the modern day warrior like myself.
And to think the Srider factory is only 15 miles
from where I live and I've never been there nor
do I own one. Although if I don't see that
Busse folder soon I might have to buy a Strider
AR, LOL :D
 
I never really thought much about getting a Strider. I'm sure that Striders are very good knives, but none of the designs really appeal to me. They all tend to look like fighters, and I'm just an outdoorsman with few illusions of ever being anything more than that. I'm not too big on the Strider grips either. I much prefer a solid handle grip. I also wanted to find out what all of the Infi hubub was about. So far, the Infi looks to live up to all of the fame. My Satin Jack is a work of art.
 
There are a number of reasons why I picked Busse knives over Strider. I'll list some now, and come back later to add the others.

The handles of Strider knives--every model, every option that I've seen--looked like they would be uncomfortable for me. Mick Strider has directly disparaged ergonomics and said that he cares little about ergonomics in his knife designs. I'm sure that he makes high performance knives, but I can't get that performance out of them if I can't use them. I have soft, pink hands, and years of outdoor living, weightlifting, and various rough-on-the-hands things, leads me to believe that my hands will probably never become calloused enough to comfortably use Strider knives. Mick Strider has argued--quite reasonably--that comfort is unimportant, not even noticed, in life-and-death situations. Grip is everything. Probably true, but 99% or more of the work I do with my knives will be outside of life-and-death situations, when I'm not surging with adrenaline. More like wilderness use, kitchen use, and garage use. (And it seems like I can grip my Busse knives quite solidly, without sacrificed comfort, anyway. I can enhance my grip even further, if necessary, by braiding a D-guard.)

[Mick Strider: "Ergonomics have only a very small place in my heart. Let me quantify that. Ergonomics on Tactical (Oops) WAR knives, have no place... Comfort is not a thought. Rock solid grip is everything. Who gives a **** about a hot spot on your hand...." http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=1231671#post1231671 ]

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Buzzbait said: "I'm sure that Striders are very good knives, but none of the designs really appeal to me. They all tend to look like fighters, and I'm just an outdoorsman with few illusions of ever being anything more than that."

Exactly.

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Before I make my next reason, I want to note that I mean nothing personal against Mick Strider. I have read enough of him on the forums to know that he is a man of integrity and honesty--experienced, wise, and generous with his knowledge. A good man all around.

He just seems rather gruff--too surly for my taste. If I am going to be a regular customer of a knifemaker, I want it to be someone I can speak to comfortably. I don't get the impression that I could with Mick Strider. One of the (many) reasons that I was drawn to Busse is that Jerry is warm, friendly, and good humored.

The knifemaker's personality is important to me in case I ever have a problem I need to iron out, and in case I ever want the knifemaker to help me design and bring my dream custom blade into creation. Besides, it makes it a little less painful to hand over lots of cash, when you can at least hand it over to a friend.

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I was also impressed by the praise Busse knives garnered by Mike Turber, Spark (Kevin), Cliff Stamp, Greg Davenport, and others whose words hold a lot of weight for me. While Striders have (deservedly, I am sure) earned very high praise, the very highest praise from those I respected most was consistently reserved for Busses.

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Busse knives appear to me to be the best combination of steel, geometry, and heat treatment that I've found.

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The Busse designs appeal to me a great deal, both functionally, and aesthetically: minimalist, with everything that doesn't add function removed; well balanced, with great control at every size; built sturdy enough to never fail, but not overbuilt to the point of losing cutting ability; a brilliant compromise (for me) between all the varied tasks a knife must perform; spare and elegant.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I'll edit more reasons into here, later.
 
I love my Busse knives
1.I like INFI/Carbon steel knives better than the ATS34 knives
2.Busse's warranty is unsurpassed by anyone in the industry
3.They flat out look cooler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D :D :D
 
Holy COW batman!:eek:

I have both, and while I like both makes, the styles do differ somewhat and I find I use the Busse more. I love the feel of Busse ergonomics and I love the thickness of the product. It's true what Buzz said, striders seem more like 'fighters' and no doubt thats what the boys had in mind when they designed them - to be just that.

I feel Busse designed his knives more for work than (dare I say it), play (fighting)......and they probably appeal more to the public and military as a whole.

But hey, what do I know, I'm a lonely Busse Down Under boy with no one to play with.......:(

ps - I hate sharpening too and I like how with Busse you only have to do one side. Still, both great products, as is:

EKI
BUCK
RANDALL
GRECO
SPYDERCO
etc, etc........if ya like em, use em........
 
As usual, Eric and others stole my thunder and said much of what I wanted to say. Rather than repeating, I will simply touch on some of the stronger points.

Jerry is a warm hearted good guy who is easy to talk with and deal with. That counts with me big time! The warranty; the INFI and the designs of Busse are great. I actually like the designs on some of Strider's Knives but would not go with ATS-34 in the same price range as INFI. The handles on Busse knives are great, especially the Basics (Jerry, you listening) and I am not a big fan of cord wrap as it gets dirty and stays dirty. I know that Strider will rewrap them, but it's a hassle to keep sending a knife back. Like Buzzbait, I am more of an outdoorsman than a warrior and the use of my knives will be a lot more tinder making and deer gutting than CQB. I am not suggesting that many who buy tactical knives are wannabes, but question whether some buy tactical knives, read SOF and think a lot about combat. I do not own a Strider knife, that may not be permanent (never say never), but see myself grabbing a Busse when I go on my "missions."

I do think that both companies make very high quality knives that one can depend on and much of this has more to do with personal preference and feelings than anything else.
 
Okay. Nimrod just mentioned something that I didn't know. All Strider knives are made of ATS-34? I'm not a knife genius or anything, but is ATS-34 an acceptable steel for a large outdoor fixed blade? I can’t imagine wanting to use ATS-34, or pretty much any stainless steel for any kind of chopping, whether it’s light or heavy duty work. I’ve always rolled or severely chipped the edges of stainless blades when chopping. I honestly don’t know the answer to this question. I thought I did, but Strider is held in very high regard.
 
I've owned a Strider, and it's possible that I will own another one of these days. For the most part, their knives don't fit my intended uses, though there are a few I really like. I like the fact that they are experimenting with better steel (S30V), and went to higher hollow grinds, and then to full flat grinds. I'm sure that they were selling plenty of knives as-is, yet they have continually worked to improve their products. I like that.
Like Busse, their warranty speaks for itself. I like that, too.
I was really surprised at how much I liked the cord-wrapped handle on the MFS I had, and have cordwrapped a few other knives because of it.

Busse knives are (in general, and in my opinion) more user-oriented. The designs are more practical for my personal uses. And they're INFI;)

As far as customer service goes, I had a problem with the Strider I bought, and have dealt with one of Strider's "premiere" dealers, and then with Strider Knives when the dealer decided his integrity had a pretty low price tag. Two thumbs down on both counts. I loved the knife, but it simply wasn't worth the hassle, and I told them to just send the replacement to one of our troops overseas (they said it would be matched with another, since that was their deal...you donate a knife we match it-pretty cool, all the other stuff aside).

As most people who read this forum know, I've also experienced Busse's level of customer service, and received a replacement for a twice-modified knife that I had no expectation of. No hassle, just unbelievable service. In less time than I spent screwing around with SK and their dealer, I had a replacement knife, and never even exchanged an email with Jerry. Sent it in, and made a phone call...no comparison there.
 
Buzz,
I can't answer your questions regarding Striders and ATS-34, however, Busse switched from using ATS-34 over 10 years ago. And just a little trivia, they switched to A2(INFI came along later). They stopped using ATS-34 because it didn't meet the standards that Busse Combat sets for its knives.


Here is an interesting thread with lots of good info regarding INFI and other steels http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=194579&highlight=ats34
 
Thanx guys. I still plan on buying a couple Busse's for my outdoor work, but I still lust over a smaller Strider combat blade to carry the small of my back. Keep those opinions coming
 
I think that Jerry is really into knives,this shows in his designs and friendly attitude,both of which I like.Not to mention warranty,patience,great steel,and outward attitude towards customers.I have no experience with Strider knives so I really can not speak for them.
 
Turbo Man,
I have knives from both Busse(5) and Strider(2) and I like them both. I have carried both on deployment. Both companies offer a great product and a great guarantee. I will buy both again in the future.
I have not dealt with Mick or Duane other than posting questions to their forum and them replying. But from what I have seen and read they have a loyal following of many people like my self, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen who find them selves in harms way. I think that alone says enough.
I have however dealt personnaly with Jerry Busse and have to agree with what others have said. You will not find a better guy in the business with a better product. Jerry is a great guy who I really enjoy dealing with.
I think the choice between the two brands is a matter of taste and intended use. I have absolute confidence in both brands, and use them fearlessly. The way I look at it is this: if I would have to stick my knife in someone I would rather use my Strider, if I have to destroy something I use my Busses. In fact I won't buy a fixed blade from another company than these two. I don't have alot of money but what I do have these gentlmen get.

Nick
 
I think it is said best that both are great companies with a style all their own. I've owned both and will most likely own both most of my knife life (god that is a cheesy term). My large quantities of Busse Battle Mistresses is nothing more than me making up for personal shortcomings in other areas of my life by buying large sexy knives (did I just type that? good lord)

I've owned a Strider AR folder previously and sold it. I am now awaiting another Strider AR folder...circles circles circles :) Selling the first one was a huge mistake on my part. I use folders daily for a variety of different chores, and for the past year that AR filled and surpassed my needs. Now that I've been without it in my daily routine for a few weeks I'm GOING CRAZY. Looking forward to seeing Busse's folder release in the future, but until that day actually honest to god arrives I WILL have a strider folder in my pocket.

It's also important to remember just how we measure steel. We always talk about how far a user can push steel before it fails. I've recently come to the realization that just about anything will serve me without problems. INFI is outstanding steel hands down, but can I ever push it to the point of failure?....no. The hardest I push my knives is a seven day hiking trip and the occasional landscaping work. For all intents and purposes ATS-34 & BG-42 will serve me 100% as well, because I can honestly never challenge the steel on my knives to failure. I know this and have accepted it. I'm not a soldier...LEO...or anything else, I'm just a person who loves knives and uses them as hard as my activities allow.

With all that being said I don't intend on seeking help to kick my INFI addition :D ;) I enjoy being sick :D
 
Well, almost everything's been said already, but I'll try to summarize my reasons:

Firstly, the Busse designs are foccused much more to my needs. I just don't stab much. Busse designs just fit my tasks (most of them outdoors) better. Also, I much prefer the Busse micarta handles.

Secondly, INFI (and don't forget the heat treat).

Thirdly, the man behind the company, past treatment of customers, and the generosity Busse has shown in the past (the military donations for example).
 
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