Stupid Question

Buzzbait

Buzzbait

Joined
Feb 25, 2001
Messages
6,675
So I'm looking for a new fixed blade. The good news is that I want a Busse!!! :D The bad news is that I can't find the knife I want. :(

I'm shopping for something in the five-inch range. Not so big that I have to lug around a broadsword, but large enough for general camp chores and minor abuse. I'll be hiking with this knife, so weight is a definite concern. I looked on the Busse web site, but there was nothing between 4 and 6 inches.

I thought about compromising on what I consider to be too small a knife, but the handle on the Killer "B" does absolutely nothing for me. And the fact that it doesn't come with a sheath, just shot the idea all to heck.

So help me out there. Am I missing a second page of knives? I went through this once before, having had to go with a Marbles Fieldcraft when I really wanted a Busse of the same size? It just didn't seem to exist. I thought I remembered people talking about a Busse Basic 5 or something, and have been dreaming of the idea ever since.
 
Buzz,
I hope I can help answer your questions.
First off, current Busse production does not offer a blade in the size you are looking for except the Killer B.

However, new Busse Knives should soon be announced and there is hope amongst all of us, especially me, that there will be some new designs in this size range.

Not to worry though, if you don't want to wait there is the Basic 5, the Badger Attack-e and the Natural Outlaw(larger than you want) that might fill the bill. The problem is that you will need to check with the dealers to find the Basic 5 and the Badger as they have been discontinued.

I've attached a pic of the Basic 5, Badger and NO, hope this helps

Contact Andre DuMouchel(papathud) and see what he might have. He is usually able to track down some older models
 
Howdy Buzzbait! Glad to see you here on the Busse forum. I've enjoyed your posts on the Wilderness and other forums.

First the bad news:
The Basic series have been discontinued and are hence not listed on the Busse website. :( The Basics occasionally show up for sale on BFC and eBay, drawing pretty much their new price when they are available.

IIRC Jerry Busse posted that the Basic 5 was the most popular of the Basic series. So it apparently had the strongest general appeal. By extension it would be the least likely to be sold by those who have one and would be the quickest to be snatched up if/when it did go on the market. So it may prove to be an elusive quarry.

And now the good news:
The Basic 5 sounds like the exact knife you seek - 5" blade, straight handled which IMHO is best for a camping blade, super tough M-INFI steel, and Busse's "if this thing ever breaks, we'll replace it" warranty.

I've found the Basic 5 to be a very handy size, big enough to do most jobs (including light chopping) but small enough that it was convenient and comfortable for constant wear. Just right as a mid-sized camping blade.

Suggestion:
Post over on the "Knives, Wanted To Buy" forum to see if anyone would part with their Basic 5. You could also contact Andre DuMochel (papathud) or some of the other Busse dealers to see if any of them have a Basic 5 in stock.

Best of luck in your quest for a Basic 5,
Greg
 
Yep. That Basic 5 looks like the absolutely perfect knife for me. The blade profile is 100% what I was looking for. Talk about a sensational general purpose profile!!!! It may not be the chopper that the newer knives appear to be, but not all of us are attempting to deforest the world. ;) And they canceled the most successful knife in the lineup? Far be for me to make marketing judgements, but that's just toooooooooo strange.

You guys mentioend aftermarket possibilities, but I don't even know what the Basic 5 originally sold for. Could somebody give me a ballpark price guesstimate?
 
Buzzbait,

Check this out. I wonder how many know about this:

http://www.knifepro.com/details.asp?ProdID=1634

According to this site, they have all the Basic models.

If this doesn't work out, look into the Steel Heart-E. It may be a little heavier than what you want; but once you hold it, you will know you made the right choice.
 
It seems like I always forget to mention something in my first post ;)

At first glance the Satin Jack may appear to be larger than you would like, however you might want to take a closer look. It doesn't feel like a larger knife and it might just fit your needs.

Here's a pic of one and the Zero Tolerance Natural Outlaw
 
Buzz,
If you check the For sale forums you will see 2 just sold yesterday/today. One of them was mine and the other 1WhoBuys, both were NIB and sold for $175 shipped


It wasn't just the Basic 5 that was discontinued but the whole Basic line. The Basic series was made from Modified INFI and the supply Busse Combat had ran out. To order more would have cost as much as the regular INFI and this would have defeated the purpose of the Basic line which was a more affordable Busse blade.
 
komondor - Thanks for the link!!!! That puppy is ordered!!!! Now we'll see if they actually have them, or if they're just too lazy to update their web site.
 
Originally posted by Buzzbait
Now we'll see if they actually have them, or if they're just too lazy to update their web site.
Click to expand...

I was wondering the same thing. Good luck.
 
I sent them an e-mail this morning to see if they had any Basics in stock. The reply said they were not in stock, but if ordered, they should ship no later than Friday of this week. ????? I wonder who they are getting them from?
 
Good luck on the 5, I'll be impressed if they have one.
I just sent an email asking also.
I think retail on the 5 was $217.00, and the lowest price that Busse sold them at was $157.00

You might want to consider the Satin Jack at $227.00.
The weight on them has come down a little bit from the web specs also.
It has gone from 1/4" down to 3/16" on the steel that it is made from.

The Basic 5 is 10" OAL at 202 grams (7.21 oz)
Tha Satin Jack is 11 1/2" OAL at 274 grams. (9.78 oz)

Hope this helped.
 
My fears have been confirmed. KnifePro could not get any Basics.

So back to the old drawing board, although that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I've been doing some more thinking on my first Busse purchase, as well as looking at many comparison pictures, which you all have so kindly made available here and on web sites. I’m now trying to decide between the SJ and NO, unless Busse comes out with something new in the next couple weeks.

Could somebody tell me what the factory sheaths are like for these two knives? I have a feeling that the many of the sheaths I’ve seen in pics are custom jobs.
 
Hey Buzz...

Well.. To be honest I haven't read the entire thread,, but I'd honestly suggest looking more into the Badger or BB5....

Now as far as sheaths go..
don't let the fact that a knife doesn't have a sheath influence your purchase... Thats why myself as well as several other makers are here...

You can pretty much have a sheath made,,Custom made the way you want it...

With the advent of custom sheathmakers,, the old days of a Bad sheath or No sheath is a thing of the past..
Buy the knife,then pick the sheathmaker...

Just like getting tunes in your ride..You don't Not buy a car if it doesn't have a stereo do you..:)

I know in my case, it the first thing that gets tore out as soon as it pulls in the driveway..

89 Olds, Kenwood Head/EQ, Phoenix Gold Amp, Custom Box 2-12" Cervin Subs, 14 Quart speakers, and a half a mile of top end wire later,,and its almost the way I want it..:)

Go with the Badger....:)

BTW.. Any Busse knives you order direct from Busse Can come with one of my sheaths..Just ask for it by name, Jerry should have them all in stock...

ttyle

Eric....
 
Buzz
The factory sheaths for the NO and SJ are Kydex lined Cordura, the NO one has a small pocket on the front the SJ does not.

Here is a picture of the NO and its sheath. I hope this is helpful.
 
Normark - You know...... You could give some advice on a knife that is still being made!!!! ;) From what I see on Busse's site, both the Basic series and Badger are discontinued. After my vain attempts at acquiring a Basic 5, I think I’ll go the easy route and order something directly from Busse. It’s good to know that I can get some of your sheath work though. Your reputation far precedes you. :)



So I’ve been contemplating my purchase a bit more. My hands aren’t large by any measure, but I have these long skeletal fingers. Yes, I have outrageously hideous looking hands. And if you think those are bad, see my feet some day. My feet look like something off of an alien. But my feet are of no concern here. The hands are the biggie. I need a fairly large diameter grip for comfort. The Basic 5 may have actually had slightly too slim a handle. Do you think that both the SJ and NO have a large enough handle?

The wife likes the look of the NO for comfort. The more I look at the NO, the more I might be willing to carry the extra weight. Here’s a good question. The NO looks like it could be a little unwieldy for precision work. Will the cutout in the blade allow a person to effectively choke up on the grip?

The newly slimmed down blade on the SJ, as well as the light weight, is still a big draw for me though. Fuzz sticks and the like sound a lot easier with the SJ.
 
Hey Buzz....

Thanks very much for the nice compliments....
I Appreaciate them Greatly...:)

Hmm ....

If you've got big hands,,you'll definately be wanting an E-handle for sure...

The SJ is a very slim handle, with a long blade...

For up close and dirty work I feel much more comfortable with the NO-E..
Yes,,using the choil you can choke up on the knife,,but using a trick taught to me by Ron Hood,, if you use a lanyard on your NO,, put your hand trough it, and lay the spine in the palm of your hand,,you can create the knife as a natural extention of your hand,,almost...
The lanyard would be put further up your arm,, firmly holding the bottom half of the knife.. Your hand holding the spine does the rest...

I hope i explained that properly...

Don't get me wrong,, the SJ is an awesome blade (A Satin Jack Junior would be Frigging Wicked) but I think for general camp chores and the fact your hand is bigger,,the NO-E may be what you are looking for...

As far as weight is concerned.. I really can't tell you..Common Sense would tell you the NO is heavier than the SJ,, but I'm Never really worried about weight..I take what I need..Sometimes its the BM,,sometimes its the Badger..Weight doesn't bother me too much unless I'm humping somewhere deep..

It's a big toss up No Doubt..Take the time and do it right the first time,,that way there isn't any regrets...

:)

Good Luck Bro..:)

ttyle

Eric....

51 hours and Counting!!!
 
HI Buzz
The thing Eric was talking about on the lanyard is cool another idea is braiding a D-guard & putting your thumb through it & grabing the knife backwards for skinning or close work the choil thing scares me or scars me I have had a few Busse related accidents them things is sharp!:eek: & with either Erics or my sheaths on your hip you will not notice the differance in weight.Sheathing is a very important part of carring knives.To bad we can't get them Euros here the euro 4 would be perfect for a lot of us :mad: oh buy the way were are those new models any way?:rolleyes:
 
Buzz, I used to have a Basic 9, which has essentially the same handle as the Basic 5. I too have long fingers (when I close my hand, my fingertips almost touch my wrist), and I got rid of the B9 because the handle was simpy too small. Just picked up a Mojo LE with the E-series handle. it is a MUCH better fit. Get a REAL Busse! None of this "Modified steel, modified handle" stuff;)

Seriously, although I don't own a NO, I'm looking at getting a BM and NO (or possibly something a bit shorter than the NO if Jerry ever gets around to posting about his latest concoctions) as a Chopper/Knife combo. The E-series handles are what you need.

Tom
 
Thanks Tom. It's good to hear from a fellow long fingered freak. I think that clinches it. I'll do the NO and make good use of the e-series handle.

I was thinking that the NO would make me look more studly anyway. :D
 
Buzzbait, the Natural Outlaw should fill your needs nicely:)
Once you get to handle it and play around with choking up on the blade via the finger choil, you'll wonder how you ever got by with out one:D
 
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