I have to disagree here. I snapped a Green Beret trying to pry open a pelican case. I tried prying with a Kabar (the old school Marine Corps ones) and it just bent and stayed that way. The temper on them is terrible. I guess that is why you can sharpen them so easily.

The Marine Kabars alomost feel like raw iron to me.

let me demonstrate

Why?

That really doesn't surprise me that much. But I managed to snap some Camillus made combat knives opening ammo boxes. Different heat treat I guess.

Don't get me wrong. The Green Beret is on a higher, much higher, level than a Kabar. The same reason the Kabar bent and stayed that way without breaking, is the same reason its edge lasted only until I cut wind.

The bottom line is.....if it's a Bussekin..don't worry about it! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Thank you for all the input everybody. As I suspected, this knife would get the nod by the senior dogs. The 911 is offically on my "need" list. I will feel confident the next time I have to pry open a "zombie pitbull's jaws" open. What a relief. Thanks for the opinions and laughs.

Unklfranco

Man JJ! That's some seriously tough wind you must be cutting <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Marine tough!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

That's about right. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Ranger knives don't break easily either. Personally, I try not to use knives as prybars, but if that's all you have....

I made a decision a year or so ago: if I'm going to spend money on a blade, it needs to be one that will never fail me for the task for which it's designed.

What that means is that for all of my fixed non-hunting blades, I only have Busse-kin, two Justin-built Rangers (both off of Busse blanks), and 3-4 nicely made customs that fill particular niches. For hunting blades (aside from the RS, HCLE, Mud Puppy, and Muk) I've got a couple of Bucks (a Zipper in BG42, a Vanguard in CPM154), a Knives of Alaska Alpha Wolf in S30v, and a Gerber Freeman with S30V steel and stag grips (say what you want about Gerber, but that particular blade is FANTASTIC). I've sold off everything else. I've tried others--Ontario, BRKT, etc. While they are fine blades, too often they failed me for the specific chores for which they were intended (edge rolling and chipping batonning through one pine log, edge chipping chopping through another, etc).

Busse and kin are the only "hard use" blades I've had that have never failed to exceed my expectations. I'll be honest and say that not every design is for me--I've bought and sold more than my fair share of Busse and kin--but the ones I've settled on have fit me perfect and performed flawlessly. Given the loyal--if not rabid--following the company seems to have generated among many of it's customers, I'd say that probably applies to most of us on this forum as well.

I may buy 2-3 quality folders...someday...but Busse and kin will need to stop producing blades I can't live without before that happens <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> If you plan to spend your money, it's nice to spend it on something you know won't fail you.