Why is your knife the best "Survival" knive??

Trace,

We'll be backing him up in case of emergencies with a 12 g. slug gun and a .357 magnum...
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So, no worries. Besides, I think Ron would enjoy wrestling a bear. He'd probably win...
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He'll be traveling light as you mentioned before.


Best,

Brian.

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Brian Jones
Co-moderator
Wilderness & Survival Skills Forum
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Les Robertson:

As for comparing steels. I know early on Infini had some problems, which created the back log. I believe some of the blades actually broke during use.</font>
Click to expand...
Yes, I'm sure this is true of most steels including D-2 and 3V. You can break anything if you try hard enough.


Don't know about Busse knives being the most field tested. I would think that probably Randall knives hold that distinction. Having been used in 3 Wars that Busse knives weren't around for.[/QUOTE]You are probably right about Randall being the most field tested.



But yes, I do feel that the average custom knife is superior to the average factory knife.[/QUOTE] I would agree in most cases. But the Busse is not your average production knife.


"Arguing with an Infantryman is like wrestling with a pig. Everyone gets dirty but the pig loves it".
[/QUOTE] And arguing with an Engineer is like punching a reinforced block wall with your bare fist.

 
Det, yes it was 1988 when I went through Sniper School. Of course back then we just threw pointy rocks as firearms and ammunition had not been invented yet. Sheesh, you trying to make me out to be some old geezer!

Bronco and Cobalt,

Yes, if you try hard enough you break any knife. However, I do have a client who has owned Busse's and many Brends. He has broke two Busses's (didn't bother to buy any more). However, he has never broken a Brend.

I have never heard of one breaking.

Just a side note here. Many are you are talking about how expensive Walter's knvies are. Back in the late 80's, guess who made the most expensive tactical knife I carried. That's right Jerry Busse and his steel of choice was D-2.

One other question, who besides me in this thread has used a Brend in the field?

Cobalt,

On the engineering quote. Is it that the engineer is so dense or is that it feels so good when you stop argueing with him!
biggrin.gif


Guys, I gotta tell you Im thinking hard about buying one of these Steel Hearts. I haven't bought a factory knife in over 10 years.

When Im at the Blade Show Ill have to stop by their booth. I haven't seen Jerry in several years. Last time I saw him was at my table at the Blade Show. Seems one of his customers headed to Africa got tired of waiting on his Busse factory knife, and bought a Brend instead. Jerry was giving him a hard time about it.

Jerry is a great guy and I know he puts his heart and soul into his knives. I just wish he would make custom knives again.

Some where in one of the knife annuals is a picture of a knuckle knife Jerry made. If you perchance run across that, it was my knife. He borrowed it and had Jim Weyer take a picture of it at the Blade Show....awesome knife.

One of the things I like best about custom knives, is that people can argue all day about who's is best and so on. Then go out and have dinner together! It's a great hobby!



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Les Robertson
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
 
Cobalt
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Les Robertson:

Bronco and Cobalt,

Yes, if you try hard enough you break any knife. However, I do have a client who has owned Busse's and many Brends. He has broke two Busses's (didn't bother to buy any more). However, he has never broken a Brend.</font>
Click to expand...
If he broke a Busse, he probably would have broke the Brend also. If you look at the utterly rediculous stunts Chriss Janowski, Ron Hood and Cliff S. have done with these knives, you'll see what everyone here is talking about.

I have never heard of one breaking.[/QUOTE]That's because I think there is only five people in the whole world actually using them
smile.gif
The rest have them behind a glass case.

Just a side note here. Many are you are talking about how expensive Walter's knvies are. Back in the late 80's, guess who made the most expensive tactical knife I carried. That's right Jerry Busse and his steel of choice was D-2.[/QUOTE] Yes D-2 is great steel, no doubt about it.

One other question, who besides me in this thread has used a Brend in the field?[/QUOTE] No one
smile.gif


Cobalt,

On the engineering quote. Is it that the engineer is so dense or is that it feels so good when you stop argueing with him!
biggrin.gif
[/QUOTE]Both
smile.gif


Guys, I gotta tell you Im thinking hard about buying one of these Steel Hearts. I haven't bought a factory knife in over 10 years. [/QUOTE] Do it... Do it...You won't be sorry. Besides you can sell it as fast as you bought it.

When Im at the Blade Show Ill have to stop by their booth. I haven't seen Jerry in several years. Last time I saw him was at my table at the Blade Show. Seems one of his customers headed to Africa got tired of waiting on his Busse factory knife, and bought a Brend instead. Jerry was giving him a hard time about it.

[/QUOTE]Yah, I heard that guy is still waiting for his brend
smile.gif


 
Les,
It is a fantastic factory knife.

Guys, it is not a Brend. Have to go with Les on this one. Have fun with it.

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" The real art of living is to keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post in memory of James Mattis
 
View


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Les, it sounds like this was your knife (as it appears in Knives 89).


[This message has been edited by not2sharp (edited 05-02-2001).]
 
Ok, so here is the question Les. What is it about the Brend knife that makes it so much better than other equivalent custom knives made from the same mateial?

My thinking here is that D-2 is D-2 no matter which custom maker uses it. Is there something special that Brend does to make it stand out?

What makes the Busse knives special is the steel used and it does work.
 
Against my better judgement, i'm posting here.

I have had a Busse save my life.

The story can be found here.

http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum39/HTML/000630.html

Now, i'm sure a Brend would have done the same, but a brend is beyond my (and i suspect, most peoples) reach. ESPECIALLY as a hard use, outdoor knife.

I'd higly recomend you check them out Les, and as stated, you'll lose almost nothing if you decide to sell it....

Does anyone have a link to some pic's of Brends? I looked at all my usual "check out customs" haunts, but only found one, at Bladeart.

James

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My Home Page (writings)

The beast we are, lest the beast we become.
 
First off which knives made by Busse Combat were broken and what was done to cause the failure? Without this information the statement is meaningless and just hype as it implies nothing about the durability of the blades. Second, the statements you are making about the durability of Brends knives are also nothing but hype as the knives are *not* supported under such actions. In your own words :

[in regards to the Brend #2]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">... can you pry with it, yes. Is this part of the design application for this knife, no. So if I broke Walter's knife broke is that the makers fault, no. It is mine because I used the knife for something it was not intended to be used for.</font>
Click to expand...

Any claims of greater durability and strength for the Brends over the Busses (or other blades with similar maker support, Strider, HI, Turner etc.) are meaningless as the Brends are not supported under such conditions *unlike* the blades made by Busse Combat.

As for the blade in regards to cutting and general use, it would certaintly not be my choice mainly because of the reasons that Will stated but there are many others. In addition to the top edge reducing splitting ability (which is not done to build a log cabin but to get to dry wood for tinder and kindling as well as insects in more extreme situations) but as well it prohibits the use of the blade as a draw knife - which is very valuable for carving which can be a benefit for long term viability by producing weapons, traps etc., see Hoods videos for lots of examples .

In addition the knife has a shallow sabre grind, two of them in fact, but neither help the other. You are using one of two very short grinds as compared to a full grind like on the Battle Mistress. You are not going to come close to the cutting ability of a full grind.

If you are going to do dual grind, then use a design like the smatchet which gives you two equal cutting surfaces. It still has all the disadvantages listed above, but now you have twice the edge retention, and besides you can sharpen on side at a more obtuse angle and the other ore acute *optomizing* the edges for different tasks. It is essential however that the handle be reversable, which the Brend's is not, if this is to be functional.

Also the knife has the "fighter" label, which means odds are the balance is not where I would want it for a heavy use knife. But instead is further back making the knife float easier in the grip.

If I was going to pick a Brend for hard utility use it would be the Bushhog. However I would not chose it over a full flat or convex ground knife for many reasons. Primarily for edge durability concerns as if you can fracture the edge of a deep hollow grind you can take quite a large piece out of the primary grind (you can't do this on a shallow hollow grind but they are *horrible* cutters).

There are many performance aspects as well. For chopping or deep cutting you will get excessive binding and a very high drag around the apex of the grind. And no I have not used a Bushog, but have used a blade a lot as of late which has a very similar profile, the PAB from Strider, plus other hollow ground blades. And again, I would choise the PAB over the Bushhog as it is supported even under the most extreme work, just as are those from Busse Combat, the HI blades from Bill Martino, those provided by P.J. Turner etc. .


-Cliff


[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 05-02-2001).]
 
Les,
Assuming you do pick up a Steel Heart at the Blade Show (which I highly recommend
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), can you give us a little insight as to exactly how you'll test the knife to determine its relative performance.

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Semper Fi

-Bill
 
Les,

I try to stay out of discussions of this nature. . . . Mad Dog vs. Busse etc. .. .However, when someone posts untruths that are this blatant, I feel that we must respond.

You "know" of a customer who’s broken two Busses? Who was this? As for this mystery customer never buying another Busse. . . well, if your fantastic story were true. . . you would actually be correct. . . he never would have had to "BUY" another Busse because we would have sent him two brand new Busses at no charge . . FREE. . . I can only assume that your mystery customer is either so wealthy that making a two minute phone call to our shop just wasn't worth the $400.00 - $700.00 he had spent on his knives . . . or, he's a complete idiot who is smart enough to have made the money required to buy two Busses but just too stupid to know how to dial a phone.. . . . . Perhaps, and this is the most likely scenario, he simply fed you a line and you believed him. . . Or, you made the whole thing up. . .

CONCLUSION: Either someone is “not too bright” or someone has a great imagination.

Les, please be specific about the "problems" that you “know” we had with INFI. What were they? Please note that too much demand due to proven performance is not really a “problem” with the steel.

If an authorized Busse dealer posted this kind of trash about another knife manufacturer . . . . he would no longer be an authorized Busse dealer. I have met Walter Brend a few times and he has always struck me as a gentleman. Does he know that this is how you represent him? I can not envision Walter, getting in here and stating any of the untruthful garbage that you have thrown around. He’s a gentleman and you my friend are nothing more than a dealer trying to drum up some sales. Feel free to drum them up, just not at our expense.

On a final note, let me say that I like Les Robertson. . . ..he’s a great guy. . .but, we have several customers who have purchased knives from Les Robertson and they said that the service and treatment that they received was so poor that they will never buy another knife from him again. . NEVER!. . . .Hey, Les. . . that is fun. . . no proof. . . just innuendo. . . just lies. . nice, very nice.

Jerry Busse

 
you mean to tell me that I am paying $1000 for a big hunk of steel, that explicitly comes with a use exception? If I break it to save my life, I guess I'm stuck with it.
frown.gif


Ah, So there is the killing point for the Brend. Like I said earlier it is a great glass case piece. But use it and if you break it, you will spend another $1000 for another one. If your smart you will spend that $1000 on Two Busses or Striders a Machette and a folder or two.
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Not to sharp,

Yes, the bottom knife was mine. I loved that knife. I had another one similar to the top one in the photo. It was larger though. About the same blade length as the knuckle knife.



------------------
Les Robertson
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
 
Les,

I'm curious -- can you enlighten us with more specifics about how you used your knives on all these adventures, and how it helped you survive and get back alive? What kind of punishment did the Brend actually see?

The knife content of your posts frankly got a little lost somewhere in between you listing all your vast experience, and the only activity you mentioned using your knife for was strapping it to your leg and waist...

There are cheaper ways to hold your pants up ya know...
wink.gif


Best,

Brian.

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Brian Jones
Co-moderator
Wilderness & Survival Skills Forum
 
Interestingly, the customer that Les has been referring to called me long before I had the chance to call him. This is the customer who, according to Les, “has owned Busse's and many Brends. He has broke two Busses's (didn't bother to buy any more).”

There definitely needs to be some clarification made as to the specific facts regarding these statements.

1.) Yes, This customer did break a very rare (Only 3 were made) Steel Heart prototype. It was made out of D-2 TOOL STEEL. . . .Not INFI. . . . The one that broke was made out of D-2.

2.) The second knife was an early A-2 model on which the HANDLE BOLT BROKE . . . .the handle bolt sheared off. We’re still not sure as to why this happened (possibly over tightened at the shop), however, NOTHING happened to the blade.

The first knife was replaced before the original D-2 prototype made it back to the shop. The second one was re-bolted and returned the same day. This all took place about 6 years ago. (95-96) This customer has purchased many, many knives since this took place. He is still a valued customer to this day and has assured me that he will continue to place orders as he always has, and that he was very displeased when he read this thread, as he felt that it misrepresented the facts.

It is also important to note that this customer had sent back, what at the time, had been only the second broken blade ever returned in our first 15 years of business. The other was a D-2 filet knife. Both were immediately replaced. No questions, no charge, just the greatest guarantee in the industry being honored. I had this same guarantee when I was a custom maker throughout the ‘80’s. It is still honored to this day and will continue to be honored in the future. . . even on my earliest knives.

Lastly, the facts of this story only reinforce what is already known. The Busse Combat Guarantee is there, no matter what the circumstances might be, to protect you and your investment from any unforeseen mishaps. We do not play with word choice and subjective limitations. We simply stand behind our knives, unconditionally.

Regards,

Jerry Busse
 
Hi Brian,

Yes, things do seem to get side tracked when you have to take time out to talk about things that don't apply to the topic of the thread.

As to what I have used my Brend for. Brian I have listed it numerous times. I have used it for everything you have done in your training and then some. I had unique opportunities that most civilians don't get. Such as breaking off the metal bands off of ammo crates, cutting open 55 gallon drums of fuel and even cutting aiming stakes. So the answer would be, to besides holding up my pants (which the knife did not)everything you have ever done with your knife and more.

Brian, my experiences will be a little more unique than most of the members of this forum. Not because I am better than them, but because I put myself in a position to receive opportunities and training that most would never get. As well as get a pay check for it!

When I bought my first Brend it was part of an on a search for the best field knife I could find. I bought many before and many after. Walter's knife just worked best for me. Due in large part to the fact it never failed. I had a very large degree of confidence in this knife.

Yes, the Army issued me a M-7 Bayonet. Why did I buy the Brend, because it worked better.

Yes, the Army issued me a poncho and wet weather gear. Have you ever used this crap?

When Gortex rain gear became commercially available in clothing sales I bought a set. This is before it became an issue item. Why?
Because it worked better.

When Danner introuduced the "Go Devil" boots I bought a pair, why because they worked better. But what about the Leather Army boots. Ever wear those in the winter and walk through a stream?

The Army issued long underwear, if you were in an environment that required it. I of course bought Poly Pro underwear, why because it was better.

Ever wear those leather gloves with green wool shell liners and have them get soaking wet, then watch the temperature go below freezing. I have. So I bought the black Gortex gloves with thinsulate lining. Why, because they were better.

When I rappeled out of the helicopters, did I use the standard Army issue snap link with a non-locking gate, No. I used a commercially avialable snap link with a locking gate. Why, because it worked better and it added a degree of saftey.

When I was at Ft. Campbell, I was with a unit with world wide deployability. I went through sniper school, not to be a sniper. But to become a very good shot. So that I could engage the oppositon (if need be) at well over 500 meters. With my M16A1, even better with a M16A2 and SS109 ammo. I went through armorer school, not to become an armorer, but to learn how to make my weapons work better. Also, to learn how to fix any small arms I would come in contact with. Same reason I went through Oposing Forces (OPFOR) weapons training. Not because I was going to carry a AK47 or a SVD, etc. But to learn how they work. As I may be in a situation where this would become my primary weapon.

After all, we all know that the US Govenment has a less than stellar reputation when it comes to getting our POW's back. Like the pilot who is still MIA from the GULF WAR.

What it comes down to, is that training is the most important thing. However, having gone through all the training, excellent equipment can give you an advantage over things like "Standard Military Issue".

Last but not least, I went through all this extra training because I felt I not only owed it to myself to prepare myself as best I could to enhance my survival chances. But the chances of the soldiers, NCO's and Officers who served within my Platoon's and Command.

Brian as you know, metal toughness and confidence is as important if not more so than any other single survival item (except for maybe water). You also know, survival situations do not hand out awards for second place.

So buy what you like, but use it and learn it's capabilities and limitations before you have need of the item.

So that is all for me here. See you in the next thread!



------------------
Les Robertson
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
 
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