Collecting Busses

nick681

Gold Member
Joined
Nov 22, 1999
Messages
1,918
Lately I have been giving some thought to my small collection of Busses and where to go with it from here.
The whole thing started with just one. I began with the search for a single high quality knife. I looked in all the knife magazines for several months and was really only impressed with three knives, The Busse Combat Steel Heart, The Chris Reeves Project I, one of the Entrek knives. The thing that swung the decision was the ad I saw in one of the knife magazines where Jerry said "If they dont gaurantee their knives why buy them? I guarantee my knives against all damage" or words to that effect. That really impressed me that this guy was willing to do that. There was no pussyfooting around with this guy I thought, he means business. Anyway a couple of years went by and I had went through a couple of different knives, one of them I still have. I enjoyed them but they just weren't what I really wanted. Then I decided to take the plunge and spend the money on one really good knife. I began to look around on the forums and decided to go with the Busse Steel Heart. I remembered that ad from so long ago and bought a nice SH Steel Heart from one of the forumites. I never used the damn thing, it was too big to carry on my web gear so I traded it for a new Natural Outlaw, ( I know, I know, the damn thing was mint too). I thought that was it, I would enjoy this one knife and tune in to the other forumites adventures. This however was not to be.
Next thing I know a dealer was getting rid of the last remaining Basic 3's, then another dealer was getting rid of his remaining Assault shakers, then the ZT's came out, it has been downhill from there as the rest of you know from experience. And the thing is I have never handled one of these knives before buying, as I have never met anyone in person who owns one.
Suddenly I have found myself with a collection, small by INFI HOG standrds but a collection none the less. My question now is what do I want to concentrate on. I have seen some people who focus on one aspect of the Busse experience, be it BM's, SH's, or in the instance of Eric the Variant HOG :p, variants. I have the NO's covered except for the Combat Grade Zero Tolerance NO. I am now trying to obtain a collection of 5/16" "Fatty " Busses. I'm halfway there, I just need a SH Battle Mistress smooth handle w/ slotted bolts and a SH Badger with smooth handle and smooth bolts (hint hint :D) . Now I have to decide where to go from here. The remaining Basics hold some charm.... Who knows?
My question is do any of the rest of you have a specific focus, or do you just buy whatever you like at the time. I would be interested to know the thought process that has gone into your Busse Collection. Lets hear your story. :)

Nick

~Nuclear INFIdel and Aspiring INFI Hog~
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I have an "eclectic" collection - a little of this and a little of that. I too love those "fat boys" (5/16" guys) as well as the straight handles, as well as the variants, as well as the basics and the - well I guess you get the point.

I buy what I like - and I like most of it !:D

marc
marc@bussecombat.com
 
I'm exactly like you, just a small piglet. I also bought one Busse after I read about them. After that, it was all over! I've always thought that to be a real hog, you've got to have two knives among yours:

The SHSH and the SHBM. Those two just seem like the Godfathers of Busses.....Then I guess, come the variants, which I don't have any of! :(

sooner or later I will become a hog!

Sounds like you are on your way!
 
there's the pot calling the kettle black! Of course, coming from one of the master porkers, that's an honor!:D
 
I too did my homework, reading all I could with the "if you only had one knife" thought in the back of my mind.
The bulk of the articles I read pointed to Busse. I ran into Dave Roberson at a local gun show. He sold me on a MS apprentice, and took my order for a SH-SH. I got it, and fell in love. He also pointed me to a bunch-o'-INFI nuts here, and it was downhill from there...
Next came the Lean MS's, then PR's, then a SH-BA, MS, SH-BM and a "few" others (esp the Bird and Trout).
I don't get out to use them as much as I'd like, but everytime I do, I know that it will not fail in my intended use.
I've got a few buddies to buy, and they are amazed at the durability and functionality.
 
Nick,
I know exactly where you are coming from. When I first started it was only one or two, then I started buying up everything that was for sale. Then I decided I needed one each of the current line (e series at that time) since then I've decided I don't have enough money to buy them all so I've focused a bit. Currently I'm mostly interested in Variants( I think you've noticed ;) )and other rare Busses. I've got a few of the Fatties (SH BM, SH SH, SH BA) but everything is negotiable if there are variants on the line ;):D:D

It might not be the most economical(probably more chance of the regular line having a greater percentage increase in price), but I think it is the most fun :D:D

I keep telling myself "focus, keep your focus" ;)
 
I go through INFI phases...I buy when ever I can...I told my wife I was going to get a seperate c/c just for the Busse girls to have on hand with the comment - "whatever happens, charge the bastid to the card"..., thing is, she said okay....somethings up...:eek:

52 and counting...:(

Only mistake I ever made was accidently giving that ProPorky bastid my TAN handled Mojo instead of a lane jane....I KNOW YOU ARE LISTENING YOU LITTLE BUGGER! ITS IN YA SAFE, ISNT IT!!!!

HORDING BASTID...:grumpy:
 
I too was looking for a single ultimate fixed blade and had my eye on the Busses. So I called about 20 times before anyone picked up the phone. (this was years ago) finally someone answered, and asked which model I wanted. I didn't even know so I just said uhhh let me get one of your Battle Mistresses. Eight or nine months later it arrived. I still have it and beat it every chance I get.

I've only owned 11 Busses, ever.
I sold off the Basic 5, Mean Street, (way too thick for such a small blade) E-handled BM, E-handled SH, and a couple of ZT E-handled BM'S.
The E-handles never fit my hand right.

Now all I have is two SHBM'S a SHSH a CGSJ and a Basic #9
One if the SHBM'S has the clip point all others are rivots.
So yes, I only have Straight Handles and only a few. No hog here:D
 
I too started off just looking for one great knife for backcountry survival... I got online and did a lot of research, having already known about almost every other maker... I came across Busse. I was impressed with all the positive and almost unbelievable comments about the knives and decided to get the AS just to check them out. Needless to say I was blown away by the quality and feel of the steel. I then found out that I could sell off and trade a collection of knives I decided were no longer up to my standards of having the best tool for the job...

My collection has no direction, but I really love the big knives like the BM's. I can't afford the older more collectible models, and really love the ergo models. I figure I will just get the blades I like most and not worry about how much they are going to be worth.

I now have a couple of BM-E's, one used hard and one new, a Basic9, SH-E, NO, PB6, PB8, KB, and of course the AS.

The next knife??? let's see what the new models will look like!
 
52 Gundy? You immediately need to get on for the ballot at the Hog Hall of Fame!


Aussie Pig!
 
Originally posted by Wilco
52 Gundy? You immediately need to get on for the ballot at the Hog Hall of Fame!


Aussie Pig!
Yeah, I noticed that too...:grumpy: Oinker!:p
 
Nah, not interested in being an INFIhog. Those guys sit in dark, damp lil rooms with 3 computers overheating wading through Ebay and all of the other 'pickup' places searching for the elusive BB-SH.

Besides, my office will not fit 3 computers in it. I am finding it hard running from room to room...:)

Put me down as a RAThog!
 
I started off with Rats. Never even heard of Busse or Rats for that matter but was looking for a good fixed blade. Mac on the 1911 forum steered me to the Rat site. RATS ARE A GATEWAY DRUG!!!!! Got all the Rats,but looking at the Busse site it was "I can't afford those" Then in one of those perverse little jokes InFi gods like to play a little chunk of change came my way. It started with an apprentice PR type of blade on eBay now it's
SH BM smooth coat
Entire Basic line
SHSH 5/16 (enroute)
DWMS 5/16
LMS prototype
MS apprentice
Satin Mr.Mefo #54
PBF 2 sets of all
assult shaker (on order) and a couple of others I'm negotiating.

Really like the fattys the best. Would like to find a fatty MS or BA thats been 'loved' so I can actually carry it. I carry the apprentice PR all the time. If thats what it is. I just saw a knife on eBay that looks just like it down to the ironwood slabs that was called something else. (a Lean Mean,but mine is 1/4...not that lean) Whatever...I like it,MtMike made me 2 really neat sheaths for it and I'll keep carrying it.

Wet
 
Originally posted by gundy
Those guys sit in dark, damp lil rooms with 3 computers
Put me down as a RAThog!

WANTED INFI HOG TO RUN SECOND COMPUTER BANK, MUST BE ABLE TO RUN 3 SYSTEMS AND DRINK AT SAME TIME. ACCENT A PLUS.
 
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