I don't see anything wrong with Jerry's marketing practices... his knives come at a premium, but they really are the best you'll ever get. I've only got 2 - but my BATAC is my "go to" knife out of the 20 or so high end knives that I've acquired.

A lot of people have a "big problem" with Scrapyard sales as well - but it all comes down to supply and demand. It'd take a whole lot of work for Dan to keep up w/ a supply to meet the demand.

I'd sure prefer that both Scrapyard and Busse would keep full inventory of all of their models... but it just isn't feasible! So there really isn't a great way to decide who does and doesn't get your knives that want them. One way it to sell them to the highest bidders... or the fastest buyers...

Diceman......when you get the RTAK...Let me know what you think, and if you don't like it......email me.

I'd sure prefer that both Scrapyard and Busse would keep full inventory of all of their models... but it just isn't feasible! So there really isn't a great way to decide who does and doesn't get your knives that want them. One way it to sell them to the highest bidders... or the fastest buyers...

I myself have wondered about Busse family marketing and sales practices. Maybe someone can help that knows more than me. It seems Busse has created a demand for their products that exceeds supply, creating a secondary market with skyrocketing prices.

I only own 2 Busse knives because they are so expensive and hard to get. I also don't plan on buying anymore anytime soon because of this. I own one Swamp Rat and several Scrapyard knives.

I have heard people on other forums say they have moved on from Busse family knives because of this. I wonder if alienating your customers and driving them to other brands is smart business practice. I guess if demand is high enough that it doesn't matter then.

Buying Busses is sure different than anything I have seen in over forty years of knife collecting. And they can be quite expensive. The SYKCO line is reasonably priced, though. Once you see what the DF can do, it seems like a bargain. I like my Rangers, Ontario/RATs, SOGs, Cold Steels, Beckers, and all. It is nice to know that I have the strongest knives in the world in the Busses (all 3 brands). It makes them special. They are better than they have to be. As far as I am concerned, all of the Busse-made knives are in a class by themselves. I am a Cold Steel fan from way back. Their Carbon V high performance knives raised the bar for mass produced knives. Then came Jerry Busse. Busse is the standard for high performance knives now. Does anyone seriously doubt that a Busse, Swamp Rat, or Scrap Yard can take the "Cold Steel Challenge" and beat them? The Dog Father and Battle Mistress are both tougher than the Trailmaster. I'm sure the Swamp Rat Mastiff is right up there, too.

Does anyone seriously doubt that a Busse, Swamp Rat, or Scrap Yard can take the "Cold Steel Challenge" and beat them?

I have had a few cold steels mostly the older versions. I have since sold them all except my SRK & machette. Since I found the (3)Busses' I dont seem to get much anything else. Scrap Yard is my favorite though.

I wouldn't prefer it that way. The only way I can afford these goodies is with the virtual guarantee that I can turn around and convert them directly back into my investment or or possibly more. This ease of this conversion allows me to spend what I feel is an exorbitant amount on things that are for my purposes largely a novelty. Obviously when I say "novelty" this has nothing to do with the quality and capability of Busse family products, but more so with my need for and actual usage of the products.