- Joined
- Jun 7, 2007
- Messages
- 14,462
Great review and nice pics.
Looked liked you chopped a lot of wood.
Looked liked you chopped a lot of wood.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Dogfather vs Killa Zilla review. Lots of pics.
- Thread starter 230grains
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2006
- Messages
- 6,710
Cool review! That Zilla is a BEAST! And the coating on the DF handled the abuse well too. Thanks for sharing mate 
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2008
- Messages
- 1,387
man you are so right, i have admired mine several times and showed it off, but have done no chopping with it, in fact all of my busse knives are in mint condition except for a used vex that i purchased on the exchange...
WOW thats a LOT of choppin'!!!
Great pics and great review too! :thumbup:
I probably won 'tever use my KZ cuz I think I'll chop my leg off with it.
Thanks for sharing!
.
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2009
- Messages
- 3,094
Ironically, I'm in the process of trading the zilla for a FBM LE.
I always wanted a FBM LE, and although the zilla is an absolute beast, I need something a little more versatile. I'm gonna buy a dogfather next.
What's everyone think of the FBM LE? Compared to a CG FFBM that is.
I always wanted a FBM LE, and although the zilla is an absolute beast, I need something a little more versatile. I'm gonna buy a dogfather next.
What's everyone think of the FBM LE? Compared to a CG FFBM that is.
Last Visible Canary
actively parsing hurf durf
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2006
- Messages
- 4,577
much lighter feeling in hand, the fbmle feels like a completely neutral balance when compared to the ffbm, heavy heart, and hogfsh. If you dislike the blade heaviness of the ffbm but still want the form and the spine thickness, the fbmle is a great choice. I haven't had a cgfbm but I assume that it's a mix of the two, lighter than both but more blade heavy than the fbmle. I sold my fbmle because I don't like blades that are that thick that have a neutral balance.
pictures to follow
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2009
- Messages
- 3,094
That sounds just like just what I was looking for actually, I liked my FFBM but it handled horribly for anything but chopping IMO, a slightly more neutral balance is what i'm after. I've owned A LOT of Busses in a short time, and I'm still looking for the "one", everytime I think I find it, I change my mind. I do realize however that in terms of what I want in a chopper, I want it in the form of a mistress, or for the most part, a straight, thicker blade. I thought the zilla was a beast, but honestly despite it being superior for chopping, I found I'm not a huge fan of Kukris. That said, if there is a CG release, I will most likely pick one up, but having that much $$ tied up in a design you're not all that fond of kind of sucks. Hopefully the FBM-LE is the one for me. Now that i've tried pretty much everything besides a MOAB and cgfbm, (I've bought and sold quite a bit), I'm thinking I'm going to narrow down the chopper catagory to the FBMLE, NMFBM (maybe LE) and the Dogfather. I may give the cgfbm a try, but I don't know how it'll fit in. I'm still pondering the Basic 9 and whether or not it has any real advantage over the DF and i'd love a SHBM but 1k is out of my price range for a knife that in all likelyhood i'm going to throw and beat to death.
Last Visible Canary
actively parsing hurf durf
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2006
- Messages
- 4,577
The basic 9 has a smaller handle than the DF, and it's considerably more blade heavy even though as a complete package I believe it's lighter. While the DF is an excellent chopper by virtue of a thick heavy blade, the basic 9 is an excellent chopper by virtue of it's design and balance. it's one of the best choppers I've ever handled, a perfect knife in nearly every way. The basic 9 and basic 5 was one of the best big/small sets in busse history.
The fbmle is the same thickness as the ffbm, but with a full flat grind and mag scales. the effect is a shifting of the lost blade weight into the handle.
Last Visible Canary
actively parsing hurf durf
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2006
- Messages
- 4,577
and completely unrelated to the fbmle
Last Visible Canary
actively parsing hurf durf
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2006
- Messages
- 4,577
I didn't sharpen either edge, so with the factory set up I'd say that the ffbm was a better chopper for being able to deliver force to the wood, but the fbmle was better at biting in.
If the edges were both brought down to be identical (save for the saber vs. full flat) I'd say that the ffbm would win out because of the blade heavy balance. My issue with the fbmle was the weight in hand, being neutral it didn't feel like I was "getting my monies worth" of chopping power out of something so heavy. If I could have shaved the handle down to 1/4" thick but kept the blade thickness or perhaps switched to standard scales it may have been a different story. in the factory form, it felt too heavy to be achieving sub-hogfsh chopping power.
it's definitely a YMMV knife though, my perspective on chopping blades is pretty skewed.
230, I've yet to do any chopping with my LE, but when comparing it in hand to the NMFBM and SHBM. It's in between the two in the two light two heavy catagory. I put a D-guard on mine and it feels like you could chop or fight with it. The FBMLE is very well finished and done, I think you'll be happy with your new mistress. :thumbup:
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2005
- Messages
- 2,984
My first "Mistress" was a FFBM and I found it "heavy" but also and this is the important thing for me .... it was'nt "lively in the hand" .... it felt a little strange on balance ... like it was "numb" to me in terms of "movement" ....
I have to say I sold it without using it .... which is'nt like me really .... but the feeling for me was'nt there.
In comparison my next mistress was a CG NMFBM and as you know the balance and weight and feel on these is "superb" ... I stripped mine and fully convexed it and took the Infi dimples etc out ... thinning it slightly but not much ... with the hand shaped magnum linen micarta handles and the fast blade heavy balance .... yet not too much depth on the blade so that for a choked grip there is still dexterity in using it for fine work .... if I was to trade out of a Zilla to a Mistress this would be a very strong candidate.
I have a FBM LE without the LE number ... it was called a Satin Military Overrun which I bought at the Fall 08 Knob Creek show. I sanded the black linen grips smooth and it handles fast and neutral compared to the definate blade heavy pull you notice with a NMFBM. It is a design which with a deep blade depth and thick spine lends itself to being a "competition cutter". I found it able to take a great edge and it could cut through phone directory's very well and is a great "slasher" .... almost you might say like a large fighter ... but it has'nt quite got the distinct blade heavy feel that makes for a great chopper. It is a knife I fancy for competition cutting .... water bottles ... cans .... free hanging rope ... it should be good at but at chopping wood it is a little neutral for me .... and at delicate work with your thumb on the spine the depth of the blade dilutes the "feel" you have with the NMFBM.
Then we come to what I would urge you to try before trading your KZ .... and that is the BWM LE .... it is like a shortened NMFBM or a SHBM to me in comparables ... very much a perfect blade heavy (slightly not too much ) feel to it .... excellent handle .... much better than the FBM series .... not too much depth in the blade .... well able to be a great delicate tool in a choked grip and VERY comfortable .... able to chop well .... like the Basic 9 it punches above it's overall weight entitlement .... very much similar infact to the DF you have just used but better balanced for me .... as has been said ... it is the nearest knife to be produced to the SHBM and that has had wide recognition as being "the one" for a great number of knowledgeable HOGS. The BWM LE may not quite chop as hard as a FBM LE but as an overall package and feel I rate it very highly. Now that I have one I could move my FBM Satin MO knife and not miss it in a line up of a Basic 9 to start and then the BWM LE and then the NMFBM ... I think the BWM CG slots in just before the LE and I like it very much as well but the BWMCG and the FBM Satin MO could go if need be.
My tupence worth therefore on an alternative "the one" buy would be the BWM LE .... the FBM LE is a cracking knife tho' .... and all of this is VERY subjective ....
If you need to sample the range one at a time go for it :thumbup: .... but the "leaders" in the mistress pack are for me the NMFBM and the BWM LE ....and obviously an ASM SHBM if I could get my chance at one would be there as well ... and then drop down to the Basic 9. Those Basic 9's are little beauty's .... very much an ideal belt knife .... the mistresses tend to go in or on a pack for me as would the KZ so I understand what you say about the versatility thing ....like you I have been looking for "the one" and have to say there are candidates in the Busse line up which are so good it is very hard to "get out the door" to "do it" because of the difficulty in making a choice.
None of the ones I have now ... including the FBM SMO ... would ever let you down or be unsuitable. It is just a case of "personal preferences"....
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2009
- Messages
- 3,094
Peter, I appreciate the insight!
Honestly, the main reason I traded off the Zilla is I have no practical use for it. It's great at chopping wood, but nothing else. It's partially because i'm not in love with the Kukri design (I recently found this out) and there is a good chance I'll end up maiming myself with it. It's already cut into my shin once, stabbing the bone.
The knife chops like a demon, but its awkward to baton. It's very heavy, but heavy in a way that an axe is, the front of the blade is in a constant state of wanting to fall forward to chop. That's what the design is meant to do, but it lacks absolutely any versatility. When making the decision to sell it I tried to figure out a place for it in my arsenal of camping/outdoor equipment realm, and it absolutely fit in nowhere. Too heavy to hike with, and the mountain trails are calling me with this whether. It's a good "car camping" knife, but honestly during the chop off, even having access to the zilla when the test was completed, I favored the DF, even though it took more swings to break through than the zilla.
At this point I've owned or own
ASH-1
FSH
FFBM
NMFBM
Zilla
NMSFNO
Boss Street
and now the FBMLE.
If the FBMLE suits my needs it's going to be
FBMLE
Dogfather
NMFBM
FSH
CG ASH-1
and go from there, I'm waiting to see what the next big and medium release is going to be. I'm straying away from small Busses a little bit, folders are just easier to carry at work and I have no issues carrying a midsized fixed blade while not at work.
I figure I'll just try one of everything until I find a design that's a keeper.
I will probably pick up a cg zilla though, I just didn't like having that much money tied up in a design I wasn't in love with.
Honestly, the main reason I traded off the Zilla is I have no practical use for it. It's great at chopping wood, but nothing else. It's partially because i'm not in love with the Kukri design (I recently found this out) and there is a good chance I'll end up maiming myself with it. It's already cut into my shin once, stabbing the bone.
The knife chops like a demon, but its awkward to baton. It's very heavy, but heavy in a way that an axe is, the front of the blade is in a constant state of wanting to fall forward to chop. That's what the design is meant to do, but it lacks absolutely any versatility. When making the decision to sell it I tried to figure out a place for it in my arsenal of camping/outdoor equipment realm, and it absolutely fit in nowhere. Too heavy to hike with, and the mountain trails are calling me with this whether. It's a good "car camping" knife, but honestly during the chop off, even having access to the zilla when the test was completed, I favored the DF, even though it took more swings to break through than the zilla.
At this point I've owned or own
ASH-1
FSH
FFBM
NMFBM
Zilla
NMSFNO
Boss Street
and now the FBMLE.
If the FBMLE suits my needs it's going to be
FBMLE
Dogfather
NMFBM
FSH
CG ASH-1
and go from there, I'm waiting to see what the next big and medium release is going to be. I'm straying away from small Busses a little bit, folders are just easier to carry at work and I have no issues carrying a midsized fixed blade while not at work.
I figure I'll just try one of everything until I find a design that's a keeper.
I will probably pick up a cg zilla though, I just didn't like having that much money tied up in a design I wasn't in love with.
Bigfattyt
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2007
- Messages
- 19,212
I have one with a convex edge, hand shaped handles and a top swedge added.
It is still a beast. Chops and bites deep. I did the convexing by hand, and it took a while. The hand shaped handle and the swedge were added by Bill Siegle.
It is my big chopper user for sure.
I would love a DF or Basic 9 for a lighter alternative if I was really doing a long hike. I have hiked with the FBMLE attached to the pack many times, thought and never noticed it.
It will take some big bites for sure.
Last edited: