Why were early SHBMs 60-62 Rc, but other early INFI models 58-60?

JohnTheTexican

JohnTheTexican

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While looking for information on the original Silent Knight, I ran across archived pages of the Busse Combat site from 1999-2000. In 1999, the Battle Mistress was the only knife offered in INFI, and it was hardened to 60-62 Rc. All the other models were A2. Fast-forward to 2000, and the Battle Mistress was still INFI at 60-62 Rc. By the middle of 2000, the other models had transitioned from A2 to INFI, but at 58-60 Rc. By 2001, the SHBM had been replaced by the BAe at 58-62 Rc. (So many things available at one time on the website in 2001!)

My questions:

Were all the original SHBMs 60-62 Rc?
And why were the other INFI models offered at the same time 58-60?
And why was it dropped down to 58-60 for the BMe?


Also - there's some odd Busse trivia here.
 
My wag is probably something to do with the various INFI blends, experience that showed slightly lower rc was better, and such.

I like high rc small knives and lower rc bigger knives.

But that's just me.
 
All original run SHBM's were 60-62. I have tested several to 61 ish.
The first SHBM's were coming out in late 97 early 98. the last SHBM's came out in 1999. By 2000-1 production had switched to BME at the lower 58-60 Rc.

At the same time as the SHBM was the Basics with Mod INFI offered at 58-60 Rc. The basics were the bridge between the Straight handles and the ergos. The Rc was lowered for the basics and kept that way from there on. I have tested several modern blades from 2001 to 2009 and all were in the 59 Rc. The carbon content of INFI is in the 0.55- 0.6%. The fact that Busse gets an Rc of 59 or more out of it is pretty impressive.
 
If you look at what Busse as offering on the WayBack Machine, a Steel Heart II as A-2 on April 29, 1999, but was INFI in 58-60 Rc by October 12, 1999. As of June 20, 2000, the SHBM was still being ofered at 60-62 Rc. So it looks like for at least about 8 months, Busse was offering the SHBM in INFI at 60-62Rc, and SHSH II (and other models) also in INFI, but at 58-60 Rc. Any insight into why the SHBM got he 60-62 Rc treatment when smaller INFI blades offered at the same time were 58-60?

I remember seeing the Basic line in the modified INFI in the Shomer-Tec catalog at around the same time period (I think), but that's not what was being offered on the Busse website.

Did they finish the production run on the SHBMs in 1999 before they started making other knives in INFI, and just continued to list the SHBMs until they sold off all that they'd made (and the meantime, for whatever reason, decided that 58-60 was better for INFI than 60-62)?

And are you saying the Busse used modified INFI from the ergos on? Or just tha they lowered the Rc for regular INFI at the same time they started using modified INFI for the basics?




More odd trivia: In 2003, Busse was offering knives with "SnakeSkin Canvas Nukarta."
 
Yes, INFI was originally used only in the SHBM's, and transgressed to the SHSHII, SHBA's and SHMS much later. As for Rc being lower in those models, I don't know for sure, but I doubt it. I would bet that the web page had changed from A2 to INFI, and they left all the other specs the same. So I do not believe that the smaller 1999 INFI was a lower Rc, I believe it was an advert typo. But I never Rc tested the smaller blades, so do not know. I do have on SHSHII in INFI left.

I can tell you that I purchased one SHBM in 1998 at a show and ordered another one that year from Busse. I did not get that second one till early 2000. Somehow, I would bet that if you ordered an SHBM in late 2000, you were likely getting served with a BME. Just my thought though, no proof.
 
I hadn't even considerd a typo on the website, but it makes sense. More sense than a different heat treat on blades made at the same time, anyway.

I ordered a SHBM from Busse back then too, along with a SHSH II and SHBA. Maybe 1999. When I placed the order, the SHSH II and SHBA were still listed as A-2. When I got them, they were INFI. It was a long "two weeks," but well worth it.
 
Dang, you fellas have been with Jerry for a long time. Really wish I would have gotten in much earlier...
 
There is another option also. It could be that the average Rc of INFI was closer to 60 ish and thus Busse may have lowered the stated Rc to under 60 so that they guaranty at least 58-60. But again, it is only a guess. Truth is, there is no way Jerry will remember it, after all the barges full of scotch he has had since then.
 
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