First and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone who participated in this survey. We received a STAGGERING 1,070 votes! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Without further ado, here are the results:



Again, the categories were:

EDC's -- blade lengths up to 4.0"
Utility Blades/Fighters -- blade lengths from 4.1" - 6.0"
Camp Knives -- blade lengths from 6.1" - 8.0"
Choppers -- blade lengths greater than 8.0"

High scores are highlighted in red in the percentages section. By reading across, you can determine our favorite alloy, blade thickness and handle material in each category. So our favorite EDC, for example, would be constructed of 154CM (41% of the votes) with a blade thickness less than 3/16" (69% of the vote) and a Micarta/G10/Natural handle (43% of the votes).

We had one tie. In Camp Knives, blade thickness scored equally between 3/16" to less than 1/4" and greater than 1/4". So a blade thickness of at least 3/16" thick would be acceptable for a Bussekin Camp Knife.

In Summary, here are our favorites in each category:

EDC: 154CM, less than 3/16" thick, Micarta/G10/Natural handle
Utility/Fighter: SR101, 3/16" to less than 1/4" thick, Mudder handle
Camp Knife: INFI, at least 3/16" thick, standard Res-C handle
Chopper: SR77, at least 1/4" thick, standard Res-C handle

Thanks again to everyone who participated! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Thanks, Dave. And thanks, Dan. We've had a lot of polls in the past that looked at various aspects of our wants and desires, but nothing that gave us a consolidated picture-at-a-glance. And I really wanted to see where we stood as a community. It took some time to set up the categories, determine the variables and design the spreadsheet. But to be perfectly honest, none of it was terribly difficult. I just had to think it through.

As others have pointed out, I missed a few aspects of our selection process and I made a few assumptions for the sake of simplicity. For example, a couple of people suggested that I should have taken price into consideration. And had I been in one of the other Busse forums, I might very well have done that. But the fact is, I've never heard anyone complain about the price Dan has set on a Scrap Yard knife. And I designed this survey primarily for The Yard. I figured that, whatever he decided to do with the data moving forward, Dan would never abandon his "superior performance to price ratio" motto. That's why I decided not to factor price into the survey.

This forum is my home away from home. And I know for a fact that I'm not the only one for whom that's true. Anything I do for The Yard I also do for myself. And while I'm glad that Dan feels the results of the survey are worth reviewing, I would have conducted it even if I knew at the outset that he wouldn't pay any attention to the results. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for keeping the gate open for us, Dan. And Long Live The Yard! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />