yes,their are other great makers out their who make very HIGH quality knives and such.the difference is busse invented their very own steel that is in a lot of peoples minds the best all around cutlery steel ever created.add to that GREAT designs and craftsmanship and with an unbeatable warranty and i imo i think busse charges a very fair price and to top it off they have two subsidiaries with more affordable products.

their are much more expensive knives out their that i dont think are nearly as good.

even though they are expensive for MY budget,i dont think for one second they are ridiculously expensive.just because i cant afford them the as easily as i'd like to doeasnt mean the prices are ridiculously high.

best bang for the high buck imo......again,imo.