When I heard about Busse knives, they sounded so fantastic that I wanted one. So naturally I went over to Busse Combat page and spent a couple minutes trying to figure out how you actually buy one. Then I found the Busse Company "Store", which is so similar in style that it looks like it's the same outfit. Nothing had any "Send money here for your knife" links, nor any dates on when more product would be stocked, or even when the page was last updated.

I ended up emailing Busse Combat to try and figure out what was going on. I got an email back from somebody named Amy (now that I realize how tiny this community is, I see that signed emails aren't just a pointless customer service thing) who straightened me out.

I completely fail to grasp the business model that the entire Busse family seems to operate on. They appear to make a good product, but in ridiculously tiny quantity. Some evidence suggests that they are a contractor for supplying knives for military use, but if that were the case, why not offer the model they are actually making in bulk for sale to the public? Instead of offering very small runs of unique models.

Long story short, it seems like the Busse family isn't quite sure whether they are making limited-issue never-to-be-used collectibles, or making high quality working knives. I don't know them of course, maybe they're all excellent folk; and my comments probably aren't endearing; but that's the way it seems to a person just arriving on the scene and trying to figure out what's going on.

That said, the "secondary market" seems like the only traditional way to buy a Busse kin knife. You want one, you look it up, and you order it. It is annoying that people involved with the community and that can gobble these up in the hour after they are announced apparently pay quite a bit less. This sort of thing happens all the time in business, I recognize and support friend deals, but not when it's basically the only way the business operates. Because it's open to abuse. Buyers of these blades at release are pretty clearly divided into those who buy for use or fair resale, and those who buy them up in bulk just to create a shortage and sell them on at 50%, 100%, 150% profit. New customers who only want one Busse family knife are basically screwed because they aren't a part of the friend network.

All's fair in love, war, and capitalism they say. But that doesn't make it any less a pain in the backside. The only way I can see this being resolved is if the Busses sell limited numbers to each buyer to ensure that as many people who want one get one at the release price, but as I read earlier in the thread, this is already been asked for and refused. It would be interesting to know why but it's not really relevant.

Anyway. I've got a Dogfather in the mail, and it will be used rather than collected. I paid way too much for it, but I put down money and got prompt service, which is how I believe businesses should work when they've got eager customers.

Like I said above, my comments probably aren't endearing, especially from somebody just wandering in. Fortunately personal opinion has no effect on the performance of steel. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />