Thoughts on price vs performance of Busse/Swamp Rat/Scrap Yard knives?? Other recommendations?

Corton93

Corton93

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So I have been looking into getting a semi higher end fixed blade just for general outdoor tasks. Bush work, light battoning, cutting twisted up oily rags off of the lawn mower blade shaft, etc. Lol

I already have fixed blades for any possible scenario from ESEE, Becker, Tops etc. But I was just wanting something a little bit nicer just to have/use.

I was originally going to get a Winkler Crusher Belt Knife just because I like the lines of them but then I started looking at the Busse family. I have always kind of wanted one but just never pulled the trigger. If I were to get one I would probably get it used just because of a larger variety/selection. So are they worth the price? I know point of diminishing return and everything, but what makes them so special? Would probably be getting one in the 400-500 price range.

Or are there any other upper tier manufacturers that you think I should look at while shopping? Looking for something roughly between a 4.5 to 6 inch blade.

Thanks!
 
I have several Busse's. And like you, I also have several ESEE's, Tops and Becker's.

While my Busses have been up to the task of whatever I throw at them, the same can also be said of the other aforementioned brands, for my requirements. Busse's hold an edge rather well, and require less sharpening between uses. However, I have also needed to reprofile all my Busse's to a thinner edge geometry to allow them to cut more efficiently for my requirements. I have not needed to do that with my other "hard use" fixed blades.

You hit the key words with "point of diminishing return". That is up to you to determine where the break point is. I have honestly not found anything that my Busses can do, that my other fixed blades cannot. In fact, the other blades sometimes do it better when you put out-of-the-box edge geometry into the equation.

Don't misinterpret what I have said. I am quite happy to own and use my Busse knives. But after the novelty of owning one wears off and you look at it as just another knife in your collection, I am just as likely to grab a Becker as I am a Busse for a week of camping, or a weekend of hiking.

I am far more likely to commission a custom fixed blade now if I have 4 or 5 hundred bucks to spend, rather than a Busse. Unless Jerry releases a really killer-looking design, which I cannot deny - I am a sucker for. :)
 
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shane45-1911 said:
I have several Busse's. And like you, I also have several ESEE's, Tops, and Becker's.

While my Busses have been up to the task of whatever I throw at them, the same can also be said of the other aforementioned brands, for my requirements. Busse's hold an edge rather well, and require less sharpening between uses. However, I have also needed to reprofile all my Busse's to a thinner edge geometry to allow them to cut more efficiently for my requirements. I have not needed to do that with my other "hard use" fixed blades.

You hit the key words with "point of diminishing return". That is up to you to determine where the break point is. I have honestly not found anything that my Busses can do, that my other fixed blades cannot. In fact, the other blades sometimes do it better when you put out-of-the-box edge geometry into the equation.

Don't misinterpret what I have said. I am quite happy to own and use my Busse knives. But after the novelty of owning one wears off and you look at it as just another knife in your collection, I am just as likely to grab a Becker as I am a Busse for a week of camping, or a weekend of hiking.

I am far more likely to commission a custom fixed blade now if I have 4 or 5 hundred bucks to spend, rather than a Busse. Unless Jerry releases a really killer-looking design, which I cannot deny - I am a sucker for. :)
Click to expand...
Hahaaaaa, I see what you did there. :thumbsup:
 
I have a lot of Busse blades, and used to have more. For my needs I have found that a stupid sharp convexed SJTAC, a slightly thinned out B11 chopper and a swamp rat tomahawk are what I use the most. A lot of the handles on Busse blades are hit or miss for me. But they are very tough knives, even when thinned out.

That being said, I've started buying Carothers Performance Knives now instead of more Busse blades. The handle ergonomics are on another level and they come with a great kydex sheath when you order them. They are also extremely tough and hold an edge a long time.20220222_142100.jpg20220222_142857.jpg

Ironically what's not pictured here are the 3 Busse blades I mentioned

Just pulled them out of the garage:
20220315_162121.jpg
 
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I have esee, beckers, busses, carothers. All good, can't go wrong with any of them. Beckers are good for 99% of tasks, along with esee. If you want an extra tough blade for that extra durability for that 1% carothers and busse are fantastic. My favorite blade currently is a busse p&l :Screenshot_20220315-161710_Gallery.jpg
Hands down my favorite for ergonomics.

Nathan is awesome, I say give cpk a shot.
 
The more fixed blades I own, the harder it is to recommend one, as there are a lot of great ones, and 4.5 to 6 inch blade is a large spectrum. :)

Busse Kin and CPK knives are definitely among the top .... then again, we have some great knife makers here, and for ~$300 you can get a high quality, perfect match to what you need. Check the Exchange for a few days to see if there is something that you like ....

If you do go either the Busse or the CPK route, here are some opinions on how the two brands compare: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/busse-and-or-cpk.1802192/. Price of Busse or CPK knives has a lot to do with availability. Knives get released and only weeks later resold for more money than new. So timing of purchase is important. That being said, I suggest to get a CPK UF2 in one of the next Fri sales, while Nathan is still making them. Check the CPK forum, there are more details how that works.

Good luck,

Roland.
 
I'm a fan of the res-c handles from the Yard and older Rat knives...especially the bigger knives.

Got a Carothers UF2 a couple months ago and it's a great knife too. I also like Winkler Knives with the field knife being a current fav.
 
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full

Next, I too want to check out Carothers. I’m very picky about fixed blades. This Rodent 4 was a must have. I’ll thin out the edge over time. The SR-101steel is awesome.

So yes, I believe swamp rats are worth it. I’ll probably have a Busse with a thinner edge eventually as well.
 
Credit to the person who once put it something like this:
If you want a tough knife dialed in for toughness, get a busse.
If you want a tough knife dialed in for cutting performance, get a carothers knife.

If you plan to pry open a tank door, i'd get a busse. But if you want a harduse knife that actually cuts very well, check out carothers knives.

For me personally, aside a gifted custom fixed blade from a friend, I only own carothers knives. They're that good
 
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XtianAus said:
Credit to the person who once put it something like this:
If you want a tough knife dialed in for toughness, get a busse.
If you want a tough knife dialed in for cutting performance, get a carothers knife.

If you plan to pry open a tank door, i'd get a busse. But if you want a harduse knife that actually cuts very well, check out carothers knives.
Click to expand...

As a CPK fan myself, I applaud your enthusiasm, but that’s just not true. Busse (and kins) is a larger company than CPK with - if you are open to buying used - a much larger selection of knives, some good for “opening tank doors”, some optimized for cutting, some with full vs. some with hidden tang, and some even used in Zombie movies. There is some overlap in the offerings of the two companies, but also unique and complementary products on either side.

For example, I own Axe Hammer, SJTAC and HDFK. From their sides, profiles, blade-length and height, the knives look rather similar, but the Hammer and SJTAC are better cutters, as they are thinner. Then again, you can get a similar sized Busse Fat ASH, which will be more of a pry-bar than the HDFK. My SOB is rather similar to my FK[2], and so is an Infidu when compared to a BFK. Then again, my DS[68] and UF[2] are unique. Etc.

Good to have the choice.

Roland.
 
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ferider said:
As a CPK fan myself, I applaud your enthusiasm, but that’s just not true. Busse (and kins) is a larger company than CPK with - if you are open to buying used - a much larger selection of knives, some good for “opening tank doors”, some optimized for cutting, some with full vs. some with hidden tang, and some even used in Zombie movies. There is some overlap in the offerings of the two companies, but also unique and complementary products on either side.

For example, I own Axe Hammer, SJTAC and HDFK. From their sides, profiles, blade-length and height, the knives look rather similar, but the Hammer and SJTAC are better cutters, as they are thinner. Then again, you can get a similar sized Busse Fat ASH, which will be more of a pry-bar than the HDFK. My SOB is rather similar to my FK[2], and so is an Infidu when compared to a BFK. Then again, my DS[68] and UF[2] are unique. Etc.

Good to have the choice.

Roland.
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Fair enough and fair call! And from your experience/collection, you'd know better than me :)
I have owned a coated axe hammer and a rmd and I wasn't impressed with either of their cutting ability so I moved them on. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Like you said, good to have choice and variety. Once one of them is brought up, almost always so is the other. Goes to show the reputation both companies have made and desire
 
I’ve tried Busse 3 or 4 times in the past 15 years and always wanted to love them but could never connect with them. They felt more of a destruction tool than a cutting tool. But that might be exactly what you’re after, I know most folks love them. I would like to give them a try again if I can find the harder thinner versions.

I got my first CPK knife 2 years ago and now own 6. Joy to cut with, amazing ergonomics and the designs are incredibly well thought out for the intended use. Can’t recommend enough if you’re looking for a primary cutting tool. FK2 would be my recommendation for that 4-6” category

I still have ESEE and some Bark Rivers but they sit in a safe. Can’t stop reaching for CPK. Lol I sound like a total fan boy but after you use one you’ll see why

You should still get a Busse and see if it fits the bill for you, they have great resale if it doesn’t
 
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