Lunde just posted this picture (more on the Busse forums). Beautiful handles!



Why did the SAR4 have to be so expensive or me so broke. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" />

Anyone interested needs to check Lunde's pictures.....this one sweet knife

Those are the most beautiful Tigerhide scales I have ever seen. Wow!

I sat this one out but pictures like that hurt.

It's nice but I didn't have a need for it.

That IS a sweet-looking knife! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Well, someone liked 'em. BCS shows no stock for now. Skunk may load some more, or he may not.

These pics gave me a pretty good sense of why it cost the same as the HG55. Looks to be similar amounts of steel in both.

It also seems to be back in stock at BCS. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Here's the take I posted over at BFC...

I was fortunate enough to be home today when USPS pulled in. Out came the knife, and I was surprised to get #5. Always wanted a number 5. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

First off, I like it. It's beefy and fills the hand. The SAR4 is a stout knife that begs for stout usage. It would do well for camp duties and for big game dressing in my estimation. Mine did not have the iridescent orange pictured in Ken's photos, and so I decided to oil the slabs. Wound up looking like the photos in one of Skunk's thread. Actually, this darker color is fine with me as I am going to get Dwayne to make a sheath for it with a darker shade leather. Here is the SAR4 before and after mineral oil.





Here's a shot of the knife in hand.



Mine came extremely sharp with a great convex edge. I tried a quick fuzz stick. The thumb notches do give good control over the blade and with the small choil, you can use the back edge of the blade for close work like this.



The rounded spine is nice for batoning. I whacked mine through a 3-4 inch log. The tip is not so fine that I worried about beating on it, and the knife made short work of some splitting.





After a quick wipe with a Mr. Clean pad, it was back looking as good as new, which is one reason I really like these satin blades and am willing to pay for them.



One thing I didn't try was to spark a fire steel using the thumb notches. Maybe someone else can report on that one. I usually carry a striker anyway, and I only use a steel if my Bic won't flick or my waterproof matches won't strike.

If you don't have one, you might want to find a way before they're gone. This is a very nice get-it-done blade with several remarkable features. Feels good in the hand and functions well in that Busse "bomb proof" sort of way.

Guyon, those are great looking pics. You know, the more I see the blade the more I like it. I am sure I will kick myself later for not getting one but the S5, actually a couple of them, and a couple pending AR-15 projects are looming right now.

Nice! I would have gotten one if I had the money.

I think they purposely gave Lunde the nicest looking one because he's like a free professional photographer for them, actually he pays them and takes the pictures. Win win for busse.


Oh, and does the oil every dry out and the scales return to normal? I personally like the non oiled look better.

Yes, they will fade some with use. I like tiger hide after it's been oiled and then handled a bit. The real dark coloring fades, leaving some nice texture in the scales.

I think it's just luck of the draw on the scales. Jaxx bought 4 of them, and all four vary slightly. If Busse had been trying to show preferential treatment, they might have made #27 (Jaxx's number) more like the clearly defined orangish/bluish scales. Instead, Jaxx's #42 looks this way.

That's a good example. Regardless, I think the new pattern they put on the tigerhide is gorgeous. If I had the money, I wouldn't have hesitated to pick one up.