THE BUSSE CHAT THREAD!

So THIS is the "questions that don't deserve a separate topic", topic, right?

I'm looking at a Busse Hack Wardog (large model, 5" blade, 9.875" overall, double cut bead blasted INFI) which coincidentally was mentioned a few pages back – seems to be a limited run at the 2011 Blade Show? There's not a single review I can find on these online... (no YouTube videos either) so need a little help.

Are these really Busse knives? The blades are only marked with "HACK" and I don't see it listed on the BusseCollector site either. Scrapyard (I know that's Busse kin, but not Busse proper) seems to make a near identical "WAR Dog" (no "Hack") version, same length and all (I think there's a slightly shorter version as well). What is the difference on the Busse version (if it's really a Busse)? I read the grind is different on the Busse... I am worried about using such a thick knife for camp/bushcraft type chores... **EDIT, I've now seen MULTIPLE people referencing there being "Hack" versions of Scrapyard knives too... so I'm confused.

Can somebody explain to me what the "#1 of 12" on these means? Normally that means there's only ONE knife (in a certain color/finish/handle-color combo)... But it seems like every single one is #1 out of 12 - and I'm talking IDENTICAL knives – same exact finish, handle color, grind, etc. Seen at least 4 of them (totally separate people) ALL have the same "#1 of 12" of the SAME EXACT knife! That kinda goes against the entire principle of a limited run, right? (and I've never seen the #2-12 either!).

How can I make sure this is INFI if the blade doesn't say it? You're all POSITIVE there isn't non-INFI versions out there (I'm a sucker for INFI having destroyed many different knife steels, but never INFI to date)? The weird numbering already has me worried a bit... And stupid question, but these are full tang knives, right? Like full height too (i.e. nearly the same width as the handles, i.e. not like a crappy rat tang a ka-bar has)?

Sorry for so many questions, I've only owned four or five 'regular' Busse's, complete with Busse stamps and micarta handles... this res-c handled type which looks near identical to a Scrapyard knife is a new type of Busse for me. Thanks.
 
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HACK you say? I don't know anything about a "HACK Warthog" in particular, but I can tell you this about HACKs in general:

Jerry Busse said:
"HACK" stands for "HOG Apprentice Custom Knives". . . . Yes, it's the return of the Busse apprentice series. . . . There should be quite a few different "One-Time-Only" models offered and not all of them will be made of INFI. . . This particular model is INFI however.
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1 of 12?

It means that there were 12 of that particular configuration made. For instance, I have a 1 of 14 BB13. I thought I got #1, but Jerry explained:

Jerry Busse said:
These are not marked with the # sign in sequential order.

They are, instead, all marked "1 of 14" :cool:

Let's Drink!:thumbsup::cool:

Jerry:D
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On the other hand, there was a limited run of 45 Muddy Mojos:

Jerry Busse said:
Only 45 available. . . Serial numbered. . . . One time offer. . . .
Coming Soon. . . . Probably this weekend. . . . . . Stay tuned. . . .

Serial numbers will be assigned in the order in which they are received. . .

Let's drink!!! :thumbup:


Jerry :D

MojoVariant.jpg
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I got #9. It says "#9" on the blade; not "9 of 45." Same with the SFNO LE, where there was a limited edition of 300. I have "#42," and it just says "#42" on the blade. Not "42 0f 300" or "1 of 300."

So I think the lesson is that if it's a "1 of XX" there's a limited number of XX, but all marked the same.

On the other hand, there are serial numbered "limited editions" that were limited to the number ordered during the offer period, like the FBM LE, where I think I've seen numbers into the 900s.

So if it just has a number, it may or may not be part of a limited run with a disclosed number made.


How do you know it's INFI?

If its a Busse made within the past 20 years, it's INFI unless it says otherwise. If it says "Battle Grade," it's not INFI. With Swamp Rat or Scrap Yard, if it's INFI, it'll say so on the blade. I don't know if there's a rule for HACK blades, but I think they follow the Busse rules.



ETA:

The 1 of 12 HACK War Dog was from a special offer in 2011 (click on the "↑" after "Jerry Busse said:" to go to the original post/thread) :

Jerry Busse said:
From The HACK Shack (Hog Apprentice Custom Knives) comes some killer cool blades!!!!!

[ ] The Brew Crew from the HACK Shack took some stolen INFI War Dogs and gave them a full height deep dish hollow grind in both Satin and Double Cut finish.. Couple these with a 1” shorter version with an approximately 3 3/4” blade and you've got an easily transportable slicing machine!!! . . . .Each unique batch is marked as 1 of 12!!!!!!!!


.
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TriChrome said:
And stupid question, but these are full tang knives, right? Like full height too (i.e. nearly the same width as the handles, i.e. not like a crappy rat tang a ka-bar has)?
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And regarding the tang on Busse and Scrap Yard Res-C knives (from the Scrap Yard website):

Handle Tang Design and Construction

Scrap Yard knives feature the strongest tang design possible. It is nearly the full length of the handle and comes within 1/4" of the butt of the handle (see photo). When designing the tang for these blades we had considered having it protrude through the end of the handle, but our testing proved that this feature, when used as designed, for hammering, allowed dirt, debris, and excessive moisture to gather under the handle. This in turn leads to a much greater possibility for handle and/or tang failure. At Scrap Yard Knife Co. we don't take chances when it comes to long term durability and performance.

You'll also note the radiused curves leading to the tang from the blade (see photo). Not only do these eliminate the possibility of stress fractures and microscopic fissures that can cause catastrophic failure in the field but the large lower radius ensures that the handles will not rotate on the tang like many competitors' handles will when used in hot climates.

Noting that our knives are designed to be used in the most extreme conditions, we must anticipate the worst possible scenarios possible. With this in mind, we designed our handle tangs to be used effectively even if the handles are removed. Of course this is an almost impossible scenario as it would most likely require burning the handle off, but it is better to be prepared than not.

handle.png

​
 
JohnTheTexican said:
How do you know it's INFI?

If its a Busse made within the past 20 years, it's INFI unless it says otherwise. If it says "Battle Grade," it's not INFI. With Swamp Rat or Scrap Yard, if it's INFI, it'll say so on the blade. I don't know if there's a rule for HACK blades, but I think they follow the Busse rules.
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Thanks for all the info - TRULY appreciated. #'s make total sense now.

So, the question here is if these Hack Wardogs are considered Busse's or not. KnifeHunter.com lists them as such, but the forums seem to be a bit lax on what company makes these. Even on that topic you linked, Jerry seems to specifically list the knives in categories per company: he lists "Busse company" then lists what knives they have, then "The HACK Shack", then "Swamp Rat", and finally "Scrap Yard"...

So is "The HACK Shack" part of Busse proper and NOT part of the two other sister companies? I know HACK stands for "Hog Apprentice Custom Knives", but WHO is the "Hog" in that? Do the apprentices do work for all three divisions so these wouldn't exactly be Busse's (I know they've using Scrapyard INFI blanks)? OR are the apprentices directly under Jerry Busse himself? I know it's a moot point... it's still INFI (which I hope is heat treated the exact same as the Busse company does), it's made somewhere in some shop that Jerry Busse has control over... but still matters to me for some stupid reason as I'm a Busse fan lol (and not so much a Busse kin fan...like never wanted to buy any of those). Also having knives made by an apprentice and not the masters worries me a bit (no offense, but several of the proper Busse's I've owned -and I haven't owned a ton- had some defect somewhere... so dropping it down a level to apprentice work worries me). Already seen one of these were the logo was done incorrectly (or different than all the others for some reason), somebody else mentioned something wrong with the blade (can't find that post again), so makes me worry a bit.
 
I think HACKs would be considered a sub-brand of Busse, while Scrap Yard and Swamp Rat are sister companies. That's not based on anything other than the impression I got over the years. Even if they do occasionally steal back blanks from Scrap Yard. Oh yeah, and because the "H" is for "Hog" and not "Rat" or "Dog."
 
JohnTheTexican said:
I think HACKs would be considered a sub-brand of Busse, while Scrap Yard and Swamp Rat are sister companies. That's not based on anything other than the impression I got over the years. Even if they do occasionally steal back blanks from Scrap Yard. Oh yeah, and because the "H" is for "Hog" and not "Rat" or "Dog."
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That makes beautiful sense... I'm going with that rational! Hog/Busse all the way! lol. Thanks.
 
TriChrome said:
That makes beautiful sense... I'm going with that rational! Hog/Busse all the way! lol. Thanks.
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Hey TriChrome,,those and all hacks are definitely considered Busse. Understandable why those particular models confuse you as Busse to my knowledge anyway has never done anything quite like them #wise particularly in combination with the Hack marking.

If memory serves the SY INFI Wardog with its glorious zero/convex edge sold out pretty quickly. Shortly after that Blade show came around and the crew brought a shit load of these 1 of 12 “Hack” war dogs with deep dish hollow ground edges.
12 Lg and small satin black res c
12 Lg and small dcbb black res c
12 Lg and small satin tan res c
12 Lg and small dcbb tan res c

So in total 96 Im pretty sure. After tax nearly ten years ago if you were fortunate to make blade show they were apx $225+ i think. Wouldnt be many reviews as it wasnt a standard offering, only got one in Atlanta or secondary. That and youtube wasnt as hip back then.
 
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Its a cutaway pic from a thread by the big honcho. But all you need to do is drill out rivet and pull away
 
First post in this thread. I liked the brief discussion on FALs that was going on for a while. In fact the OPs name is what made me open this thread. Surprised there have been no Busses and FAL pics posted here. I'll have to post a couple when I get a chance (Are we allowed to post pics of semiautomatic hole punchers here?).

Anyway, curios about the question above about taking the handles off. Does anybody know what size drill bit to use? It looks like the Busse original pins are hollow tubes that are swaged in. Or are they compressed with flared dies somehow?

I got an HR2 from Busse and frikin LOVE it!. Not willing to trade off any kids though. The edges on the pommel and rear talon are damn near as sharp as the blade. I don't really want to take the handles off and bevel the edges myself manually and it seems the Busse CS is not taking orders right now. I would much rather have a pro do it because I know doing it by hand in the garage will just make the beveling uneven and crappy looking. It's a great knife and deserves better treatment than that.
 
Cheers from Norway

I bought a new small wardog HACK last year, and put a bigger edge on it. Its a nice knife. Its thick, more than 5mm, and it is not a slicer in any way as far as thickness behind the edge goes, but its actually great for cutting chicken. Original edge was probably 40 or 45 degrees from from the tip and some way down the blade, then thinner and sharper close to the ricasso. The bead blast is very nice. The spine thickness is uneven but symmetrical.

The handle is thicker and longer than your SYCKO 311 and 511 and it bulges a lot on the sides, but is straght in the front and the back. Its he same handle as every other Bussekin with this handle.

I payed 200 usd for it new in custom leather sheath, but I think that was a steal.

Its a neat size, but I really do prefer handles and knives like the busse Basics and SYCKO 311 511, 711, 911 etc series.

Probably a fine busse for hunting and such, not slicy but at least hollow ground. and 5-6 mm spine thickhness.

I guess that when there are 24 knives there will not be many reviews, but is very close to a busse wardog
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TriChrome said:
So THIS is the "questions that don't deserve a separate topic", topic, right?

I'm looking at a Busse Hack Wardog (large model, 5" blade, 9.875" overall, double cut bead blasted INFI) which coincidentally was mentioned a few pages back – seems to be a limited run at the 2011 Blade Show? There's not a single review I can find on these online... (no YouTube videos either) so need a little help.
Click to expand...
 
The 511 is my favorite to beat on.
I would like some similar old basic infi, but I could never get a response from the sellers here, except for a b11.
And I cant, and don´t really want to swing a new one. The 511 retailed at 90 dollars and was 135 with the azwelke, then I wore of the new paint coat beforeI stripped it, and put some pull the dot snaps on the lovely, or rather amazing sheath.
All in all its less than 9 onces and yet a power house of a camp knife splitting all kinds of wood. All that wear visible and yet the first egde I put on it before using it has still held up to this date.

linked pictures:

 
BE
oatmeal said:
The 511 is my favorite to beat on.
I would like some similar old basic infi, but I could never get a response from the sellers here, except for a b11.
And I cant, and don´t really want to swing a new one. The 511 retailed at 90 dollars and was 135 with the azwelke, then I wore of the new paint coat beforeI stripped it, and put some pull the dot snaps on the lovely, or rather amazing sheath.
All in all its less than 9 onces and yet a power house of a camp knife splitting all kinds of wood. All that wear visible and yet the first egde I put on it before using it has still held up to this date.

linked pictures:

Click to expand...
BEAUTY !!!
 
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