- Joined
- Jan 21, 2000
- Messages
- 8,888
Ive owned and used several Busses over the past couple of years, including straight and e-handle versions of both the Battle Mistress and Steel Heart II, plus thick and thin Mean Streets, BM and SH variants, a Natural Outlaw, and a Basic #5. Recently, I started thinking about which is my favorite
The straight Battle Mistress absolutely comes alive in the hand, and is an awesome chopper. The new BM-E is a leaner version, and still very successful in the chopping department. The straight SHII is probably the most bull-strong knife Ive owned, but is something of a chunkjust doesnt have the grace and quickness in the hand of some of the others. The NO is trim by comparison to either SH model, but is still a lot of knife to carry, without the significant chopping power of the SHs. The Mean Streets are good utility knives, but its not hard to find excellent knives in this size range. I think for the money, the Basic #5 would be very hard to beat as a utility/huntermore lightweight and comfortable in my hand than the MSs, and with enough blade to do the chores of the Badger Attack, minus the bulk and weight.
But for me, the new SHII-E model comes close to perfection. First, its light and quick in the hand. If you put the front talon/guard between your index and middle fingers, with your index finger in the choil and your thumb atop the spine, the weight of the knife disappears. For slicing/fine bladework this hold is comfortable and sure, and feels great. Placing the index finger along the spine and the middle finger through the choil turns the blade into an extension of the index finger. In this hold, your fingertip is close enough to the point of the knife to do legitimately fine point-work. This is the largest Busse about which I can honestly say that, and makes the SH-E a good candidate for field dressing, skinning, and butchering chores. This is also the largest knife I own which I can honestly place in that category. With the edge up, and the knife cradled in the palm, you can tuck the round front guard comfortably back into the web between thumb and index finger. With this hold, you can get a couple of fingers under the rear spine of the blade to apply good, sure pressure in a pull-cut, such as you would use to sever a doubled rope grasped with your other hand. When held point down, in a stabbing hold, the knife is very comfortable and ready for any kind of digging or striking/chipping chore, such as cleaning out ice or any kind of debris. And then the ultimate achievementyou can back up on this handle and achieve a good 30 degree cant angle, grip-to-blade, for some seriously effective chopping power. I own no other blade that can efficiently handle utility/hunter chores, that comes close to this kind of strength and power.
The drop point/spear point shape of the nose on the SH-E is strong enough to stand up to just about anything, even though it may not have the cosmetic appeal of a clip. But this isnt a point youre ever likely to bend, much less break. The blade coating is attractive and durable, the quilted micarta handle offers security and strength, and the tube flange fasteners are both secure and useful for lashing.
In short, I cant think of a more durable, comfortable or useful candidate to reach for, when a big, strong knife is what I need, than the Steel Heart II-E. This baby has it all. Im not selling off my other Busses, you understandbut I can definitely see why my hand seems so rarely to stray far from the grip of this great knife.
Congratulations to Jerry Busse on producing a masterpiece. As I closed in a recent letter of commendation to the man himself:
Yours in an orgasmic fit of nuclear epiphany,
Will
The straight Battle Mistress absolutely comes alive in the hand, and is an awesome chopper. The new BM-E is a leaner version, and still very successful in the chopping department. The straight SHII is probably the most bull-strong knife Ive owned, but is something of a chunkjust doesnt have the grace and quickness in the hand of some of the others. The NO is trim by comparison to either SH model, but is still a lot of knife to carry, without the significant chopping power of the SHs. The Mean Streets are good utility knives, but its not hard to find excellent knives in this size range. I think for the money, the Basic #5 would be very hard to beat as a utility/huntermore lightweight and comfortable in my hand than the MSs, and with enough blade to do the chores of the Badger Attack, minus the bulk and weight.
But for me, the new SHII-E model comes close to perfection. First, its light and quick in the hand. If you put the front talon/guard between your index and middle fingers, with your index finger in the choil and your thumb atop the spine, the weight of the knife disappears. For slicing/fine bladework this hold is comfortable and sure, and feels great. Placing the index finger along the spine and the middle finger through the choil turns the blade into an extension of the index finger. In this hold, your fingertip is close enough to the point of the knife to do legitimately fine point-work. This is the largest Busse about which I can honestly say that, and makes the SH-E a good candidate for field dressing, skinning, and butchering chores. This is also the largest knife I own which I can honestly place in that category. With the edge up, and the knife cradled in the palm, you can tuck the round front guard comfortably back into the web between thumb and index finger. With this hold, you can get a couple of fingers under the rear spine of the blade to apply good, sure pressure in a pull-cut, such as you would use to sever a doubled rope grasped with your other hand. When held point down, in a stabbing hold, the knife is very comfortable and ready for any kind of digging or striking/chipping chore, such as cleaning out ice or any kind of debris. And then the ultimate achievementyou can back up on this handle and achieve a good 30 degree cant angle, grip-to-blade, for some seriously effective chopping power. I own no other blade that can efficiently handle utility/hunter chores, that comes close to this kind of strength and power.
The drop point/spear point shape of the nose on the SH-E is strong enough to stand up to just about anything, even though it may not have the cosmetic appeal of a clip. But this isnt a point youre ever likely to bend, much less break. The blade coating is attractive and durable, the quilted micarta handle offers security and strength, and the tube flange fasteners are both secure and useful for lashing.
In short, I cant think of a more durable, comfortable or useful candidate to reach for, when a big, strong knife is what I need, than the Steel Heart II-E. This baby has it all. Im not selling off my other Busses, you understandbut I can definitely see why my hand seems so rarely to stray far from the grip of this great knife.
Congratulations to Jerry Busse on producing a masterpiece. As I closed in a recent letter of commendation to the man himself:
Yours in an orgasmic fit of nuclear epiphany,
Will
