How did you discover Busse?

I know throughout my internet travels I'd heard the name Busse before, but officially it was while watching the walking dead and I saw Daryl's knife.. after a lot of reviewing I decided to buy one only to discover they had just stopped selling them the day before. Late 2015. I've gone through several since then and love the ones I've got. I did manage to finally score a TGLB from a member here last October. Omg finally. I freaking love that knife. It was exactly like what I had hoped it would be. I sometimes like to think i rediscover busse through comparing them to a few others in my collection. Like earlier today when i hammered an Ontario rd6 through the trunk of a cedar tree with my BGASH. Why? Why not. The BGASH had already out performed the Ontario why not drive the point home lol.
 
I was exposed to them many times but I guess the first time I remember thinking the brand was something other than just “cool” was when I was trying to research what steel was the toughest, yet had respectable edge retention for a large blade. I was convinced it was either 5160 or s7, then I read Cliff’s favorable comparison of infi with another steel—maybe it was 3v, I don’t remember.
 
For me it was this scene of TWD that got me interested. My first thought was "That is one badass looking knife. I wonder if it's a real knife yoi can buy or just a movie prop.". Off to Google I went.tumblr_mf1gg6vBf51rzk0mo.jpg Then I saw that the TGLB was pretty close to what he was carrying but when I saw what they cost and I was like "Pffffft! No way I'm spending that much for a knife!". Then I saw a Noss video where he pretty much wore himself out trying to break a Busse......and now I have a bunch of Busse's. Lol!
 
I needed a mega tough knife for work around my place. I'd gone through a few different brands and eventually came across Busse Combat. I lurked on the forums for a while, drooling over BMs of various denominations and eventaully jumped on the ASH1 when it was released back in 2007 I think it was.
 
Like many here I started by googling "toughest knife". Prob around 08/09. I wanted one really solid survival blade that I could leave in my gear and not ever worry about or worry about buying another one, ever. Eventually I found a Noss Scrapper6 video and that was the entrance to the rabbit hole.

The not worry about part was correct. The not buying another was a complete failure. Now I've been buying a couple a year for ten years.
 
Walking quickly through the Indy1500 gunshow back in the early 2000’s (2002-2004?) I spotted a beautiful knife on a table from afar. I was there for Firearms purchases, but I had to stop and move closer through the crowded show. The Vendor rep was a friend of the owner and we struck up a conversation about it. If I remember correctly the owner had bought it to take it to the Sandbox (Afghanistan?). Brand spanking new I bought it for $300 and it’s in my BOB to this day. I have over 50 Busses now. The knife is a Large no-Ring (Cali) BARF.
 
I was led here by a rapidly evolving obsession with knives through high school. I started out with cold steel and stuff that just looked cool before then, but in highschool I really got into the whole minimalist survival thing as a hobby, and wanted better knives. The best knives. I found ESEE, and was enamoured. I bought three that year and kept obsessing over them, wanting to own the whole lineup and I loved looking at what people had to say about their ESEE knives. On one particular google search, I found a review that said something along the lines of "ESEE is the best for the price, but if you can swing it get a Busse." And, being a very loyal ESEE nut(and not wanting my purchases to have been in vain), I was slightly offended at the notion that someone thought another company was better. But I looked into it, read their warranty and heard of their phenomenal customer service, then watched some destruction videos and found the Busse & Kin superiority thread. I was already sold, and then I saw a picture of this knife:
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And decided I need an original TG. So I started looking, and was him-hawing on a black/black micarta one that was for sale for $550. It was a lot to a high school senior. Anyways, Operation 2 weeks part 1 had been going on for a little bit at this time, and as I was going back and forth on dropping the cash for a TG, the SHe2 was released. I just knew, instantly, that it was exactly what I needed, even more than the TG. It fit my purposes to a T. I ordered one, and it arrived on the day of my graduation. No joke. So it's got a special place in my collection for that. I now own 9 Busse knives, but that one is still my favorite. If I ever have an opportunity to get my hands on an original Team Gemini, I probably will just because it played a part in leading me to Busse.
 
I saw an ad for an ATS34 Steel Heart (the original) in an ad in an outdoor magazine in 1993. It was the "You'll never have a broken heart" ad. I was sorely tempted, but my farm/cotton mill upbringing said that the price was just too much for any knife. I relented and ordered one in 1994, but by then it was the lengthened A2 version of the original (the lengthened bird beak version was called a Steel Heart II before what most people now call a SHII even existed, and I have the Tactical Knives cover and article to prove it.) I was able to pick up two of the original ATS34 Steel Hearts later, each at about twice what I could have ordered one for.

I was so impressed by the knife that I immediately ordered an original Badger Attack. I was content with those until the BA-E and my all time favorite intermediate sized Busse, the Natural Outlaw E came out, and I was off and running. The dam had burst.
 
About 20 some odd years ago I was on a trip on the Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories with my Carbon V Trailmaster, which I learned to dislike on that trip. Terrible kraton handle and no corrosion resistance. I saw a Busse ad I think in one of the knife magazines, ordered two, Battlemistress, Trailmaster, which never arrived;, Jerry replaced them and they've been two of my favourite hard use knives ever since. Great company too.
 
My neighbors Brian and Jenny back around 2005 used to come over and leave them in my kitchen and garage to convince me that they were the best knives/steel ever and it didn’t take me long to realize that they were right. Then shortly after, I bought my first two from his crazy friend in the parking lot of a shady bar. I’ve been hooked ever since.
 
I am not sure if it was before or after, but Cliff Stamp did this test of the SHBM way back like 20 years ago? I am a bit fuzzy on the memory of it. I may have already owned a Busse by then. Either way that test left an impression on me that Busse was a tool meant to be used. It was a serious testimonial to how hard you could work the SHBM.
 
My Dad would bring home Shomer-Tec catalogs from work and I'd drool at the Busses advertised in those pages. Then later, like Tom, I finally saw them in action in a few Hoods Woods videos. The rest is history.;)

Aaaaaaaand, now I feel OLD.
 
Right on Stumpy!;):thumbsup:

Years ago I had a disagreement with Eric Isaackson when he said that "the only place you can get a Busse knife is through Busse". I then pointed out the ads in the Shomer-Tec catalogs, somewhere around 2002, showing C.A.D. drawings of Busses. He then had to "adjust" his story by explaining that there WERE a few select dealers who were close friends of Jerry. This discrepancy made me a little suspicious of Busse for a while, as Eric was an integral part of the Busse team. I'm glad things have changed.
 
Round' 2010 I was doing a LOT of survival research and working to find a knife I'd be willing to bet my life on.

I found Busse, and never looked back... :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
The 2008 election just took place. I figured we may not have out firearms too much longer. I better look for a better knife. Actually googled “Best knife made in America” I found Busse. After emailing the shop for a few months asking if they would make me a ffbm and getting no reply. Lol. I found blade forums and the knife exchange. I bought my first fat ash1 with an awesome Rowes dangler sheath. I know it’s out there somewhere. I’ve been hooked since.
 
bullpin said:
The 2008 election just took place. I figured we may not have out firearms too much longer. I better look for a better knife. Actually googled “Best knife made in America” I found Busse. After emailing the shop for a few months asking if they would make me a ffbm and getting no reply. Lol. I found blade forums and the knife exchange. I bought my first fat ash1 with an awesome Rowes dangler sheath. I know it’s out there somewhere. I’ve been hooked since.
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Pretty relatable, except I bought more guns:D:D
 
In 2010 I had joined an Indiana based gun forum. I had been into knives my whole life and was quickly drawn to the active knife section of that forum.

A few of the regular guys started a thread talking about a get together they wanted to have but needed a place. They were calling it a Busse Chop-In.

I volunteered to host at my modest shelter house down in my woods. Thankfully I had a wood burning stove because it was pretty cold that day and snowed most of the day as well.

I was amazed at what they were doing with their knives. Batoning into frozen maple trees and twisting the blade with full body weight. After Paddling Man opened a tin can with one of his little Busse knives and could still shave I was hooked. Just a month or so later I traded him my Glock 36 for his HHFSH. :) best trade I ever made!

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