Jerry's not gonna like this...

B

bloodnut

Joined
Mar 22, 2001
Messages
87
but after much looking and considering the matter, I still come to the conclusion that he got it right the first time with the Basic series. I know he's tired of hearing some of us whine about wanting another run of the Basics, but they are everything a utility blade should be.

We all like "bigger, better, faster, more" but simple is good. And the Basic series proves it!

Jerry, I am assuming you will be in attendance at the Blade Show in Atlanta. Please confirm so I can finalize plans to drive the six hours there for the privelege of forking over some cash to you. Will I be able to see some new designs there?
 
Tommy, I'm with you; the Basics are/were waaaay cool.:) :(
 
I'm with you too, I love the Basic handles and overall design. Maybe Jerry will bring them back?
 
Tommy: I asked Jerry the same question awhile back, and he said he'd be there. Where in L.A. are you? I'll be driving over from Birmingham.
 
The basic #9 and the series in general are one or my favorite knives. SOmeone else said it on this forum that they should make the basic series in INFI! I asked Andy Prisco a long time ago if Jerry would do it but he won't. To bad.

I'm telling you guys now. If you see them for sale and in stock, buy them up. Cause they are going fast and Jerry said it. Once they are gone they are gone. What ashame!:(
 
Hey Guys..

Yup the Basic #7 is my All time Favorite knife..
Perfect Size,,perfect fit,,perfect shape...

I should actually be looking for another Just In Case!!

Heck.. I'd take a Basic #7 in Any type of steel...

Hey,, they brought back the movie ET,,maybe in 20 some years Jerry will make Basics again...:)

ttyle

Eric....
 
I agree the Basics are great knives!:)

I suggested awhile ago that they be made from INFI, with an appropriate price increase to account for the difference in steel cost from M-INFI.

Here are some quotes from Jerry regarding the Basics:

"... While the BASICS have proven to be much more popular than we could have possibly hoped for, our cost of materials has risen dramatically. We were able to enjoy a significant discount on Modified INFI over regular INFI at the original time of order. However, the steel mill has informed us that any future runs of Modified INFI would be very comparable in price to regular INFI. This considerable price increase has made it impossible to continue the BASICS line. They were great while they lasted."

"The Basic 5 was by far the most popular of all of the Basics followed by the Basic 9, Basic 7, and far, far behind was the Basic 3."

So Jerry, if they were this popular, with maybe the exception of the Basic 3, why not bring back the Basic 5, 7 & 9 in INFI?:confused:

Gene
 
OK. I've heard enough. I've heard from just about every individual who has ever owned a Basic how great they are.

What made them so great? We all know the steel was better than anything else...besides INFI. The handles were thick, plastic looking forms. They weren't as good looking, IMO, as the micarta combat grade handles. The blunted tips were no way near as practical. These knives looked basically like short, thick machetes.

Why are they so great? Were they just good for the money? Would you really buy the same design, made with the more expensive INFI, at the combat grade prices?
 
MikeH: I'm in Mobile. Thanks for the info.

komondor: I beleive it's the design/lines of the Basic series which makes them so popular; along with a comfortable, grippy handle. The 5 is an all-around cowboy suitable for everything from whittling fuzz sticks to skinning and quartering an elk if needed.

It seems to me that a run of Basics in INFI, even with the required price increase, would be very successful. Maybe Jerry could call it the Tribute Series.

Yours in Nuclear Nostalgia,
TH
 
komondor:

Hi :) I do love my Basic 9, but would carry my Mistress-E any day. I'll try and answer a few of your questions about the Basic series.

One of the large factor's to their poplarity was the price. It allowed many people to get an unbelievable knife at a much lower price. Usually when companies make lower price range knife they end up lacking, but the Busse Basics were 100% as good as the standard combat line. The Basic series would take heavy beatings and stand

The respirine handles didn't exactly have a plastic feel not sure what word I would use to describe it honestly, lol :) but they were very comfortable.

Now it has been a little while since I've used the Basic 9 however I don't ever remember having problems with the tip. Infact I would probably say that for more precision tip work the Basic 9 would be a better choice than the Mistress-E. The Mistress-E has a serious drop point configuration where as the Basic 9 is somewhere in the middle of a clip point and drop point configuration so you get a little more point at the tip.

As for your last question, no I would not buy the a Basic 9 if I could get a Mistress-E at the same price. Now that is just due to my personal preference, many people may like the overall feel of the Basic 9 more than a Mistress-E. Which would make it certainly make it more attractive if they were at the same price. I just happen to love the feel of the Combat Line with the micarta grips.

Hope that helps a little/ It's early in the morning and I haven't had a Mountain Dew, just let me know if my thoughts didn't come through clearly in the post :D
 
komondor, besides the Basics being extremely comfortable, using an awesome steel, and being quite affordable, they still carried (still carry;)) a full unconditional warrantee for the life of the knife no matter who owns or will own it!
The Resperine-C handle feels great and is has a lot more cushion than cheaper Kraton like handles...and the best part... the handles carry the full lifetime warrantee also:cool:
 
Komondor,

Another "feature" of the Basic handles that the other guys didn't mention is that they are (very nearly) a straight-handled design. IIRC there was just a few degrees of included angle between the blade axis and the handle axis on the Basics. This bit of angle helped make the bigger ones decent choppers, but left the alignment close enough to linear for decent straight-line work.

The prices paid for straight-handled Battle Mistress and Steel Heart models attests to the popularity of that configuration among Busse afficianados. So the fact that ALL the Basic models were pretty much straight-handled keeps them within this realm of affection for non-Ergo handled knives that are still Busse Tough and backed with the bombproof Busse warranty. The single downside of the Basic handles that I see is that they will be more susceptible to chemical and impact failure than the micarta scales of the Ergo handles. However, they offer better electrical insulation than the exposed-tang config of the combat series.

I've noted in other posts on BFC how the Basic handles fit my hand size better than any other handles, while still offering very high retention from the grippy nature of the Resiprene-C material. Since so much of my affection for the Basics is based on the fit of the handle, I probably would buy a full-priced Basic in INFI just to get the handle if I had to do so. However, I've done my part to keep the secondary market in Basics depleted of supply, so I guess I won't have to do that. ;) :D As Martha Stewart would say (if she were into Busse knives), "Stocking up -- It's a GOOD THING!!!!" Personally, I think her kitchen could stand some Busse cutlery.
 
Here's why I think the basics were great knives:

1) great company
2) great steel
3) great prices
4) Gotta love the handle
5) Wide range of sizes, knives for every taste
6) Indestructible

Next time I think it would be easier for me to list the things I dislike ;):D
 
komondor,

I like the Basics primarily due to their Resiprene-C handles (feels like rubber, not plastic) and the blade tip profile (Dark Nemesis described the blade tip differences very well). I much prefer the feel of the Basic 9 handle to the current ergonomic handle of the Battle Mistress (BM). If I were choosing a handle solely on the basis of how it looks, then yes, I would go with the micarta, but for how it feels, I would choose the Resiprene-C handle every time.

Another difference between the BM and Basic 9 which I like (good choices for comparison because both have the same blade length) is the weight: 21 oz. for the current BM and 14 oz. for the Basic 9.

To answer your question, "Would you really buy the same design, made with the more expensive INFI, at the combat grade prices?" - no, I would not pay the same price for say an INFI Basic 9 as a BM, because the INFI Basic 9 should be cheaper to make than the BM due to the Basic 9 being 2/3 of the weight of the BM (less of the costly INFI steel), and I'm guessing the molded Resiprene-C handle is less costly than the micarta in both time and material costs.

Would I buy an INFI Basic for a reasonable price increase over an M-INFI Basic, yes!

Gene
 
Gene,
I found my straight handled Battle Mistress and Busse Basic 9 both did the job. The BM being a little heavier with wider blade was a better chopper, but the Basic 9 was easier to carry.

My straight handled Battle Mistress weighs 21.5 (1 lb. 5.5 oz).

My Busse Basic 9 weighs 15.7 ounces.

Since this was a digital postal scale the weights would be rounded up to the nearest tenth of an ounce.

I thought the BM-e felt a little lighter and your weights would confim this slight difference. I am not sure why my Basic 9 would be 1.7 ounces heavier???

In any event the Respirene-C is great and this should give komondor
something to consider.
 
Well... I guess I'm weighing in a little late, and I'm also sort of comparison-challenged because my ONLY Busse is a Basic 7. That changes tomorrow, though, according to the postman (Basic 5)... and will change again by the end of the week (Basic 3).

Komondor, all I can tell you is this: you gotta have one in your hand to understand it.

If you've ever picked up a fine firearm and felt it meld to your shoulder, you'd understand why the Basic is great. If you've ever driven a car with the proper torque to weight ratio, you'd understand why the Basic is great. If you've ever examined the product of someone's labor that evolved into the perfect blend of form and function, you'd understand why the Basic is great. But I wax poetic....

Goldilox said it best: "It's not too big, and it's not too small, and OhMyGod it's Sharper than Hell.... it must be JUST RIGHT."

Balance, size, quickness to hand - this is EASILY the most comfortable, and thus comfort-inspiring, knife I've ever picked up. But I'll tell you what: as my other two come in, if they don't live up to what you've read here I'll come back and post that fact. If you *don't* hear from me it's because I'm up in the hills playing with my Busse Basics.
 
 
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