I don't know of course, but this MIGHT be Dan's pick, his FIRST for his once fledgling company, and many say his best.

The S6:

S6CG(Scrapper6 Combat Grade)
Blade Length: 6.5
Blade thickness: .275
Blade height: 1.5
Overall Length: 11.5
Blade Grind: Full flat Grind
Steel type: SR77
Handle type: Black Res-c
Finish: Black Powder Coat
Weight: 12.3oz
Issue Price: $99.95 (Introduced for $89.95)
Issue date: 2006

The FIRST brain child of Dan's Design Acumen, and MANY say his greatest IS a knife to be reckoned with. By the above specs you can see her "Measurements" and drool over all those beautiful numbers.

But that isn't the end, or the whole story.

Mine does measure out right at 11.5 inches. The thickness on my highly accurate plastic ruler measures out at 1/4 inch, NOT the .275 as it's listed everywhere. Now whether this is an aberration or just my shoddy ruler I don't know. Also She only measures out at 6.25 inches from the handle to the point. Additionally she has a VERY slight recurve shape to her cutting edge, and she has a pleasurably rounded spine.

You can tell that she has some weight to her, fostering confidence in her abilities. No she isn't a detail carver, but she will handle most any task you require of her and you DO NOT have to worry about her suffering from fatigue just when you need her most.

Despite this confidence building heft she doesn't feel as heavy in the hand as her numbers would make you think. She is amazingly agile and no, she isn't as swift or agile as say an SS4 or 411, but she was not designed to be. She was designed as a blade you could take to war, confident that she would bring you safely through the gauntlet and still have a smile on her face, perhaps a smirk that says "Is that all you got, BOY"

Now THIS is a Wilderness Survival blade, One that you do not need to design, one where all the work has been done for you. A knife that WILL NOT fail you "When there can be only one".

Hummmm... I wonder if Dan would be willing to make this again, but this time at .220 spine thickness and of course the famous INFI steel! Now THAT would be a Wilderness Survival Blade.

OR just make the knife Architect outlined a couple pages back. I mean he IS a designer!

I haven't posted in this thread, but thought a lot about it. Some thoughts I have are...

Depends on the season. For the Northeast, gotta think about the rule of 3's, so in winter I would be mostly concerned with exposure and have to go with a chopper like my Battle Rat to get me out of the elements as rapidly as possible.

For years I felt like the 7" range was the best compromise and in some ways I still do. I let my Camp Tramp go when I got an awesome sheath for the BR and it became to easy to carry. I have decided that I will get another knife in the 7" range though and will score one of those Survive GS0 7/7's when they are produced again.

Push comes to shove though, I can do a lot with a 4" blade. My gen 2 Howler is the only 4" blade I did a full on shelter to practice. After getting my Gen 1 Howler, I do think the gen 2 chopped a bit better...think the weight distribution was different with the monster choil.

As I started funding my firearms/shooting from my knife collection, I decided to try and stop my eternal search for something better...although it's hard. I love checking out knives so much and am uber curious about the SOB, Survive 4 and some others.

As my experience grows and my lack of interest in maintaining / carrying extra gear / weight my interest in carrying a knife over 7" decreases. I still think the NMSFNO is a fantastic knife, but its big and heavy.

I'm starting to look more favorably on small knives.

I started my Bussekin collection with a 5" Scrapper 5, and then progressed through countless SR77, SR101 until I finally landed at INFI. Since small INFI doesn't seem to cost much less than big INFI I started going larger. Plus, I always believed in the Trifecta (3-4" detail, 5-6" General, 8-10" Chopper). Now, I'm heading the other direction. I'm selling INFI and looking at traditional carbon steels again.

Its not that I don't like INFI, because I do. I think its a great knife steel (with Busse heat treat). I've been selling it because it makes the most sense in knives over 6" and I'm starting to think knives UNDER 6" are better survival / bushcraft / life happens knives.

This cyclical mental loop has been expensive, time consuming, frustrating and exhausting. However, in the end I think I'm going land were I intellectually started: the trifecta.

I'll probably end up with a SR101 or 1095 4" for 99% of my knife uses, an INFI 5-7" for my general purpose, and an INFI chopper because it makes me feel good.

If I had to leave the house never to return and could only grab one knife?

7" INFI.

If I was going camping or hiking?

4" SR101 or 1095

Maybe the ideal compromise "only one knife" is the Busse SAR5 with 5" x 3/16" of INFI....

...and thus the cycle begins again

Here ya go Gary (You can thank me later)

The Trifecta Grail:

Sar 8
Sar 5
Meaner



And here I am stuck with this old S6.

I may be repeating myself...but....



....

Andy, I think you have cornered the market on the ASH series. Are the two Gray/Black handled ones different thicknesses?

Well since the originator of this thread has changed the rules, I'll go with my:

1. 911 Just because it's easier to carry than the 1311. BUT if if was strapped to a pack quite possibly the 1311. I would need to think more on it.

2. 511. MAYBE the 411. Again I would have to do some serious thinking on this. The 411 feels more balanced in my hand but the 511 I THINK might prove to be the more versatile blade.

3. Mud Puppy. My hands down favorite smaller Busse/kin blade. Now if it HAD to be small overall, it would be he Swamp Warden W/out scales, probably worn as a necker.

Oh and My reasoning for picking these blades is that they are ones I already own.