Active Duty history

[Moloko Plus]

Can anyone help me out with the history of the Active Duty, and how many models exist? I really like these knives but can't find anything comprehensive online regarding the evolution of it.

Here's what I think I know...

There was an original AD, that I gather was made in the pre-INFI years. Then there was the satin and snakeskin nucarta AD, which to my knowledge was the initial release of the AD in its present incarnation. After this came the CGAD, along with the Heavy Duty and the Off Duty. I'm guessing after this came several limited runs, like the Muddy AD and the Sage AD. Then came the BAD, and that brings us to the present.

Does anyone know when each of these was publically issued and how many of each variation were made? Why is it that certain models, like the Muddy and Sage ADs, are all over the forum shop while others are almost impossible to find?

Certain models, like the Heavy Duty, are difficult to find any information on, so any and all information would help. I'd like to think of this thread as an informal history of the AD, and hopefully someone somewhere will pick all this up and put it on a site like Bad Mojo, so it can be preserved.

Thanks all!

 

[Moloko Plus]

The Busse Collector website references an AD-E that was made in 2004, but doesn't have a pic of it. Does anyone know about this model?

 

[jimmyjones]

AD was always INFI, first where .150 thick, came out of the Custom Shop.


Later the HD (.200) and the OD (.375 ?).


The Sage, Muddy and Black AD's (Milliganza era) mic in at .195 came last year.

Lot's of variants along the way.


HD

CS DC/Black Linen AD

AD, HD, Muddy, Sage

Tony will have to show you thr OD, he's got most of them

 

[Moloko Plus]

AD was always INFI, first where .150 thick, came out of the Custom Shop.


Later the HD (.200) and the OD (.375 ?).


The Sage, Muddy and Black AD's (Milliganza era) mic in at .195 came last year.

Lot's of variants along the way.


Tony will have to show you thr OD, he's got most of them

So the Custom Shop AD was the first release of the current design - do you know how many were made and when they were issued? And wasn't there an AD that predated the Custom Shop AD? I have seen several Active Duties for sale that don't look anything like the blade/handle design that is used on the CS, Muddies, Sages, BADs, and so forth.

 

[Moloko Plus]

Maybe I'm thinking of the original Mean Street. Sorry for my confusion...

Back to the AD E. Did it ever really exist? I have found two sites that reference it but there are no pics anywhere.

 

[jimmyjones]

Maybe I'm thinking of the original Mean Street. Sorry for my confusion...

Back to the AD E. Did it ever really exist? I have found two sites that reference it but there are no pics anywhere.

I was tinkin you might be tinkin the MS, they started in A2 and changed to INFI


No idea on an AD E

 

[Moloko Plus]

OK... here's what I have so far. Some of this is speculation so please correct me if I'm wrong.

Active Duty basic specs:
Steel: INFI
Blade length: 3 1/2 in
Overall length: 7 7/8 in

Custom Shop AD
Issued: November 2002
Grind: zero edge configuration
Thickness: .150 in
Finish: Satin
Handle material: Snakeskin nucarta
Number made: unknown

Heavy Duty (HD)
Issued: unknown
Grind: flat with spine ridge and v-ground edge
Thickness: .20 in
Finish: black or green crinkle coat
Handle: black canvas micarta
Number made: unknown

Off Duty (OD)
Issued: 2003
Grind: Unknown (the satin prototype appears to be full flat)
Thickness: .350 in
Finish: Satin (on prototype), unknown color coated on limited run
Handle: snakeskin micarta on prototype, unknown on limited run
Number made: unknown

Milliganza Active Duty (Not called MAD, but should be)
Issued: 2007
Grind: flat with spine ridge and v-ground edge
Thickness: .195 in
Finish: black crinkle, sage crinkle, and brown crinkle (on Muddy)
Handle: black canvas micarta and tan canvas micarta (on Muddy)
Number made: unknown

Boney Active Duty (BAD)
Issued: 2008
Grind: full flat with v-ground edge
Thickness: .125 in
Finish: satin
Handle: black canvas micarta, tan canvas micarta, black G10, and black and red G10
Number made: Unknown

An Active Duty variant with the acronym FAD appears on the Bad Mojo site, with urban camo coating and what appears to be black paper micarta. I have no info on what FAD stands for or when it was issued, or any other specs.

There is also an AD E (Active Duty Ergo) that is speculated to have existed, although I cannot find pics or data of any kind, other than an issue period (2004).

As you can see, I have no clue how many of any of these were made. Knowing that would be beneficial to the collector community, I think, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[voracious]

after the custom shop ad, the cg ad's came out in '04, iirc delivered @ blade '04, before hd's.

 

[Dennis in MA]

An original CS AD was my first piece of INFI that I HAD to have. That was. . . . almost 3 years ago? I owned a HR and a SH-E, but that was my have-to knife.

 

[jimmyjones]

here's from the company store

HEAVY DUTY
The Heavy Duty answers the call for those who prefer a thicker blade for every day carry. The .211" thick blade features a 2/3 height flat ground blade for excellent cutting geometry and exceptional strength in such a light blade.

The long blade design backed by the aggressively textured EDC handle and shorter tang makes it a perfect every day carry blade for utility and urban defensive applications.

BLADE STEEL
INFI
BLADE
3 1/2 INCHES
OVERALL
7 3/4 INCHES
HARDNESS
58-60 Rc
THICKNESS
.211
HANDLE
MICARTA


HD -> ~ Dec 2005, Randucci and I both had HD's at Fogo's Blade 06

http://web.archive.org/web/20051212134244/www.bussecompanystore.com/knives.htm

 

[TurnerIII]

Weren't there some desert HDs too? I think one of my first blades was a tan/black or tan/tan AD ... But that was a couple of years ago .......

 

[Progunner]

The original proto OD wasn't flat ground as I recal, it was hollow ground. There is no such thing as an AD-E. The Custom shop AD with nukarta slabs was the original, I still use the crap out of mine. Other wise it looks like most have the bases covered. In regards to number, none of us know and I doubt we ever will. Jerry does not normally release the quantities of knives made. I would say in sheer volume the Miliganza ones are more prevalent, followed by the Heavy Duty and then the original Custom Shop model. Follow that with Custom Shop variants and the model that has the least would probably be the OD. I would guess there are fewer than 2 dozen of them, likely less.

 

[jimmyjones]

The original proto OD wasn't flat ground as I recal, it was hollow ground. There is no such thing as an AD-E. The Custom shop AD with nukarta slabs was the original, I still use the crap out of mine. Other wise it looks like most have the bases covered. In regards to number, none of us know and I doubt we ever will. Jerry does not normally release the quantities of knives made. I would say in sheer volume the Miliganza ones are more prevalent, followed by the Heavy Duty and then the original Custom Shop model. Follow that with Custom Shop variants and the model that has the least would probably be the OD. I would guess there are fewer than 2 dozen of them, likely less.

I've always liked to believe the rumor that ther were < 100 HD's ever made. Number I heard was 84.

Here's the link to Busse Combat when Jerry was still selling the AD's, 2 versions, satin snake and DC black linen.


http://web.archive.org/web/20021207130436/www.bussecombat.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi

 

[Strabs]

after the custom shop ad, the cg ad's came out in '04, iirc delivered @ blade '04, before hd's.

Spot on mate! Here's the only good picture I have of my CGAD that came not too long after the first CS Snake Skin one arrived.

 

[Progunner]

There were some Jerry sold at Blade, 04. They were DC or maybe satin and sterile. I think my buddy I brought down bought one. Hmmm, maybe I'll see if he still wants it.