"Busse Big Five"

I've got 5. Not all are BUSSE though.

KZIILE #35

SWAMPRAT MOUNTAINMANDU
*BIG FINISH FFG*

BOSS JACK
*NO CHOIL, FRONT TALON HOLE REMOVED*

SUS SCROFA

SCRAPPER 5
*SR101

these seem to me like they would cover many tasks

GREAT 5, TFHT!! :thumbsup::) Extra bonus points for working in my oddball fave, the Sus Scrofa! :thumbsup::cool:
 
My practical big five...if we're talking Zombie Apocalypse my list would be a much different. :)
  1. Nuked Foresaken Mistress
  2. ASH 2
  3. REK'ed TGLB
  4. HG55 (KC version with bombproof tip)
  5. REK'ed Park Ranger
Don't believe there's a task that can't be handled with this set. I use the FM for wood prep for my wood stove. I'll change this one out if I can find something a touch thicker but the same length. It's a just a bit too thin for what I use it for but still does the job. ASH 2 is my go to camping knife. Had a pile of surface rust on it when I took it out for the picture from being stored in the sheath in my truck since winter but it wiped right off, no pitting or anything. TGLB is my hiking knife. Easy to carry and I feel like I could take down a bear with it. HG55 is my hunting knife. Used it last year on a deer and it worked well. The PR was used to process the deer meat. Super sharp and slicey. Love it for meat processing.

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C1DB8186-982B-45F9-8B14-DCE9F558F8F9.jpeg 1. Hognose War Sword: Unstoppable power!
2. Huck: Kukri is one of the most versatile knives!
3. WTF: Paddle, spatula, shovel and chopping!
4. HogB8: Great midsize knife! Can do most everything!
5. Skeleton Warden: Carry anywhere, good cutter!
 
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My practical big five...if we're talking Zombie Apocalypse my list would be a much different. :)
  1. Nuked Foresaken Mistress
  2. ASH 2
  3. REK'ed TGLB
  4. HG55 (KC version with bombproof tip)
  5. REK'ed Park Ranger
Don't believe there's a task that can't be handled with this set. I use the FM for wood prep for my wood stove. I'll change this one out if I can find something a touch thicker but the same length. It's a just a bit too thin for what I use it for but still does the job. ASH 2 is my go to camping knife. Had a pile of surface rust on it when I took it out for the picture from being stored in the sheath in my truck since winter but it wiped right off, no pitting or anything. TGLB is my hiking knife. Easy to carry and I feel like I could take down a bear with it. HG55 is my hunting knife. Used it last year on a deer and it worked well. The PR was used to process the deer meat. Super sharp and slicey. Love it for meat processing.

View attachment 1194550

Great pic and a great Big Five! Yep, you got it. It is intended (by me, admittedly) as a practical set of 5 that will handle any task in any conditions, AND a set of 5 which represents what you see as the core Busse Icons. It struck me that the two coincided so much, if not perfectly - at least to me. On the practical side of the equation, you and I clearly think similarly. As for iconoclasts, a few of your choices seem more like personal faves, BUT they do represent a Busse Icon ideal in each size/task range, if not the exact most iconoclastic model. I like! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
And, yeah, my Zombie Apocalypse Busse Big 5 would be different than my listed Big Five, too. :) However, my listed Big 5 would likely still be my Big 5 for most "other apocalypses." :cool: Odd, but there it is!
 
View attachment 1194592 1. Hognose War Sword: Unstoppable power!
2. Huck: Kukri is one of the most versatile knives!
3. WTF: Paddle, spatula, shovel and chopping!
4. HogB8: Great midsize knife! Can do most everything!
5. Skeleton Key: Carry anywhere, good cutter!

Trending to the BIG of Busse, but cool! And I cannot argue that ya' can't do pretty much anything with those, too.
 
Will, yeah, it ain't EZ, but per the theory of The Big Five you've got two "duplicates" here in the small and medium size range, so you are all the way down to four if you pick. And then you have the luxury of adding another! Nice blades there! :thumbsup:

Thanks! Yeah, obviously our definitions of “duplicate” are at odds there. The two 5-inchers differ significantly in my book, as do the two 8’s. YMMV ;)
 
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Great pic and a great Big Five! Yep, you got it. It is intended (by me, admittedly) As for iconoclasts, a few of your choices seem more like personal faves, BUT they do represent a Busse Icon ideal in each size/task range, if not the exact most iconoclastic model. I like! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Yeah, I've owned, used, and sold so many Busse knives over the years it's crazy. The five shown are five of the six Busse left that I actually use.

I don't have anything bigger than the Nuked FM so that one stands for now for batoning through larger logs. I don't take that one anywhere, just sits by the wood stove through the winter waiting to make kindling.

I've camped with an ASHBM (loved that knife BTW) and NMFSH but they felt too big and cumbersome strapped to my leg so my ASH2 reigns supreme there and the SFNO and HOG 8 I had couldn't unseat it. As shown below my ASH2 with a Silky Gomboy folding saw (bottom right) are super efficient for wood processing. Minimal effort sectioning big logs and batoning into the perfect size you need.

Camping Pic 1.jpg

The TGLB is my "if one and only knife" so it has to be here. While it is iconic it certainly meets all my needs because I think if I had to I could process a deer with it (I'll try that this year actually), I could fight with it (hopefully not trying that this year), and I can wood prep with it. It's not the best chopper but I've taken down a few 3" saplings with ease with it clearing an area for my trail cameras since I forgot my saw. Plus it demands respect when unsheathed. It gives me a confidence that none of my other knives gives me. It's equivalent to taking my .45-70 into the woods. Can't explain it but it does.

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I have a user Ratmandu that I was thinking about putting in the place of my HG55, but in the end I think I'd take the HG55 every time. I've had INFImandu and SWATmandu too, but in the end I found myself not needing a knife in that size range that much and sold them off.

My Park Ranger is a great EDC (if I EDC'ed fixed blades - prefer folders there) and I think everyone should have a knife they can skin and process a chipmunk with...just in case. ;) I used to be in love with the Mean Steet Ergo but I like the feel of the PR better. This knife could be replaced by a Ergo Public Defender since it would add a hair more blade length, just haven't found the right handle combo on the exchange yet and honestly if I had an EPD it could replace the PR and HG55 since it's in the middle. The Syco 311 and SAR 3 I had were nice for this too, but the PR won.

I am tempted to try a Basic 11 because I think it has the potential to replace the FM and ASH 2 since it's right in the middle. But again, it might be too big for me to hike around with while camping unless strapped to my pack. Actually might be able to work this down to a Big 3 list now that I'm thinking about it. This has been a fun exercise and thought provoking. :)
 
So of the 5 lines the models would be

1. The original SHBM. Timeless classic and the first.
2. The original SHBM, great do it all knife.
3. The original SHBM, packable and light.
4. The original SHBM, does small jobs well
5. The original SHBM, great kitchen knife.

Those would be my picks. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
For my part:

NMFBM
FBM
Forsaken Mistress
AD
Forsaken Team Gemini

And yes, I love all my mistresses. Unfortunately I still miss ASHBM & SHBM. If I will sometimes grab em, they will be definitely on my “top five” list. :)
 
Thanks! Yeah, obviously our definitions of “duplicate” are at odds there. The two 5-inchers differ significantly in my book, as do the two 8’s. YMMV ;)

Oh, I agree with you there, Will. I mean we draw all kinds of distinctions - valid and otherwise - between knives in order to justify our purchases to ourselves and our SO's, right? :) Just a for instance there. Not saying yours are not valid here, though. Obvious differences there. I guess in my mind I was going for one knife in each basic size range, and basing size largely on length. Heck, gotta have parameters or it is a slippery slope :eek: But I am down for however y'all want to define it or see it. Just as long as you play! :thumbsup: Didn't mean to be judgmental or anything :confused:.
 
Yeah, I've owned, used, and sold so many Busse knives over the years it's crazy. The five shown are five of the six Busse left that I actually use.

I don't have anything bigger than the Nuked FM so that one stands for now for batoning through larger logs. I don't take that one anywhere, just sits by the wood stove through the winter waiting to make kindling.

I've camped with an ASHBM (loved that knife BTW) and NMFSH but they felt too big and cumbersome strapped to my leg so my ASH2 reigns supreme there and the SFNO and HOG 8 I had couldn't unseat it. As shown below my ASH2 with a Silky Gomboy folding saw (bottom right) are super efficient for wood processing. Minimal effort sectioning big logs and batoning into the perfect size you need.

View attachment 1194621

The TGLB is my "if one and only knife" so it has to be here. While it is iconic it certainly meets all my needs because I think if I had to I could process a deer with it (I'll try that this year actually), I could fight with it (hopefully not trying that this year), and I can wood prep with it. It's not the best chopper but I've taken down a few 3" saplings with ease with it clearing an area for my trail cameras since I forgot my saw. Plus it demands respect when unsheathed. It gives me a confidence that none of my other knives gives me. It's equivalent to taking my .45-70 into the woods. Can't explain it but it does.

View attachment 1194622

I have a user Ratmandu that I was thinking about putting in the place of my HG55, but in the end I think I'd take the HG55 every time. I've had INFImandu and SWATmandu too, but in the end I found myself not needing a knife in that size range that much and sold them off.

My Park Ranger is a great EDC (if I EDC'ed fixed blades - prefer folders there) and I think everyone should have a knife they can skin and process a chipmunk with...just in case. ;) I used to be in love with the Mean Steet Ergo but I like the feel of the PR better. This knife could be replaced by a Ergo Public Defender since it would add a hair more blade length, just haven't found the right handle combo on the exchange yet and honestly if I had an EPD it could replace the PR and HG55 since it's in the middle. The Syco 311 and SAR 3 I had were nice for this too, but the PR won.

I am tempted to try a Basic 11 because I think it has the potential to replace the FM and ASH 2 since it's right in the middle. But again, it might be too big for me to hike around with while camping unless strapped to my pack. Actually might be able to work this down to a Big 3 list now that I'm thinking about it. This has been a fun exercise and thought provoking. :)

Nice post and explan of your thought process on all of this. Thanks! A lot to comment on, but just a thought re "too cumbersome strapped to my leg." I carry my ASHBM and other such blades horizontally or "scout style" across the back of my waist when I carry them as I, too, can't deal with "another leg attached to my leg!" Works great for me unless I have a full pack with hip belt. Day pack works fine with it. I have an old custom Skystorm (now Patriot) rig that is perfect for this. But yeah, I often lash her to my pack if on the move, especially off trail.
 
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