what is the best small busse kin outdoor knife?

I haven't decided what the best busse kin knife is for me yet but I do have a favorite little knife.
the yard keeper combat grade. the wide blade shape with a full flat grind has the best edge of any busse I have. I would think it would be as sharp as the bd. it is 50% thicker but the blade width is a 100% wider allowing the full flat grind to get a very fine edge. it is strong enough to baton or pry. the edge retention will not be as nice as the mple howling rat but it will also be much stronger. I like the blade shape. on delicate tasks and slicing it works better than the dm or mple. this is my impression. what is your favorite small busse kin knife?

howling rat or sw sar

Since I haven't tried all of them, I don't know which is the best small knife. My favorites are the HRLM, SS4, and BDLE in that order.

I am at a toss up between my BAD and Muppy. I just can't get over how great that mudder handle is. I don't own an SS4, but suspect it would top my list if I did.

Umm. Tough one. Really depends on how you define "little".

The CGYK is sizewise quite similar to the older Howling Rat Gen 1s, 2s, and in blade size like the HRMLM. The CGYK provides huge performance per ounce of knife, that is for sure.

The BADs, ADs, Muppies, and Game Wardens are all great little knives in their own right but definitely smaller on the blade scale than a preferred outdoor knife for me.

The step up to the 4"/5" is where my personal sweet spot is. I love the original DM for it's indestructability. Yes, you have to do some work on the edge to get good cutting performance but this was no biggie for me. The DMDC/LEs are great too, though I think of them as more 'tweeners' between the CGYK class knife and the CGDM. Also in this size we need to consider the SS4 (I'm a heretic and not a big fan of the mudder handle) and the RMD, the RMD being a really outstanding knife. The Leaner Meaners are in this size range too and while I really like the cutting performance, I find the weight vs. blade length more than I prefer in a knife I want to hike with. I have one custom shop LM that may make a liar out of me though as soon as I get some pants for it.

i like my MUDDY ACTIVE DUTY. ALOT

The HCLE works very well for me.

im hearing alot of good things about this little Yard Keeper I got coming... and is the tan yard keeper a CG knife??? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

yes reconseed!
it is the Cg yardkeeper reconseed.
3/16" thick sr77.

lol
it's just tan thats all.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Well I love my Mud Puppy but I have not had a chance to abuse or use it yet, it is still sharp from the factory. The other vote of mine is the the Howling Rat (Gen 2) I have had mine for several years now and have chopped, pryed, and batoned that little thing a lot, it as fantastic little blade.
but those are the only ones I have any chance with.

I just finished stropping my HCLE. Maybe that is my favorite small Busse kin knife. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Dang this thing takes a wicked edge! I know I broke the tip on one, but that means little to me. I only did that in a test and I messed up. I don't routinely use my fine point knives in such a manner. This HCLE is a little jewel. The mudder handles might be a bit more comfortable, but the G10 is nice, too.

I'm getting an urge to see a busse badger atac...that looks like a great sized knife, tough and handy i bet

It's a pretty big knife, RN. It's bulkier than a Scrapper 6. Good knife, but not small at all. I had one and sold it to Jerrwhy. I prefer the Ratmandu in 5" Busse kin knives.

bruce, I was waiting for someone to say ratmandu. I wonder how it would compare to the falkniven forest knife? that may be my favorite 5 inch blade. I am supprised the ss4 has not been mentioned more. I may need to think about the hrlm. what is it that seperates it from the cgyk?

RMD = RatManDu

HRLM ~= CGYK with Micarta handles

Seeing very few SS4s for sale these days. I assume that many may have found their final "homes".

Can't help you comparison with Falkniven..don't own any.

kraz,
I am glad you mentioned the dm. I like the yk more but I remember when the dm came out it was everybodys favorite

dude,all CG means is that it is coated....period.it doesnt matter if the color of the coating is black,tan,green or gray.as long as it has a coating on it,it is considered CG.

their is CG {combat grade=coated}
LE {limited edition=satin finish}
DC {double cut=bead blasted}

i'm thinking the HACK is going to be a great small outdoors blade.i also like the MPLE,swampwarden & GW.

i think the YK is to big to be considered small

for me it's; SS4, GW, F1, MPLE (I don't travel too light <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> ).
kind of a mudder sandwich!

hahaha, recon I thought we answered your question in the other thread. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />


Hmmmm...I only have a DMCG and I wouldn't really say it's a small knife, but I have handled many smaller knives and I'd have to go with the GW or AD.

Define Small?

In the under 4 inch category my personal favorite is the HCLE. I have a SS4, but the mudder grip isn't as comfortable as the HCLE. Going up a notch to the 5-ish inch blades (my personal favorite size) and I'd have to go with the RatManDu. The DMDC comes in at a very, very close second.

Horn Dog, I think you just saved me $300+ and a fight with my wife! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

I'm so surprised it's bulkier than the S6...makes me appreciate my SR Sar even more!..as soon as it backs from rainwalker that is! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I guess as far as best, to be honest I'd have to say my Bad Warden, because it's the one I carry everyday. However, I really like the SS4, MPLE, HRLM, HCLE and the YKCG alot too. I won't include the RMD because I really consider it a mid sized knife.

I belive sr101 is a better steel for edge retention but the dmdc is full flat ground and the ratmandu is not. is the ratmandu 3/16 or 1/4?

For me: AD, HC, MPLE.

when I am outdoors I carry an rd9 and when I go midsized I carry a yard guard but to most I belive the yg is large and ratmandu is midsized

Also let's not forget the Swamp Warden.

The RMD looks to be 3/16" to my semi-calibrated eyeball, definitely thinner than the DMDC. Its a good cutter no doubt.

The RMD is bigger and much heavier than my Al Mar SERE Operator. It is a very rugged hard use type knife, suitable for the most demanding military or survival situations. It would take a tremendous amount of abuse to break one. Over the past year it has become my favorite mid-sized knife. Like the SY S6, it is one of those knives that just feels right to me. And the 52-100 steel takes and holds a very sharp edge.

HD, you are talking about the RMD right?

Yes, the Ratmandu. It is not a small knife at all. It is a very good knife, though.

My RatManDus measure .188" at the spine for almost the entire length. .188" = 3/16". I have owned a LOT of knives in my life time, but I've gotta say that the RatManDu feels better in the hand than just about all of them. A truly excellent knife!

As for the next size down I'll throw in a vote for the Rat Hunter. I have yet to be lucky enough to own one of them, but I have handled one and absolutely fell in love with it.

I agree with you. It is not a small knive, like I listed and what the thread should be about. The RMD is a very nice knive, I like mine alot. I put some oil on the knive and some mineral oil on the handle, it totally looks like a different knive when I bought it.

Well, excuuuuuuse me!

You guys break me up <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Based on the responses I'd say most folks think a small knife is <=4" blade size, which is an interesting result in itself. With many pocket knives having blades 3"-4" in length, it seems a fixed blade knife with a pocket knife blade length magically defines it as "small".

Kinda cool, eh? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'm a marketing guy, don't hate me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

anything under 6 inches is small to me. the dm is small, yard guard is medium, and df is large. my camp knfe is usually a big khuk or an rd9. the smallest I go is yard guard and I carry what to me is small with it like the dm or cgyk

The timing on this thread is perfect.
I just got a Comp SJTAC from the last ganzaa thinking I could use it as a hiking knife. It is very nice and it came very sharp from Busse. But, I think it is almost redundant with my S6 (which I am more likely to use)



I think anything over 5" on the trail is overkill for the kind of hiking I do.
So now I am thinking about selling it and getting a BATACLE to use as a hiker. Sounds like you guys like the RMD and HRLM better though? Is the BATACLE overkill for a hiking knife?

IMO the BATACLE falls into the indestructable hunk-o-INFI category. It has enough blade thickness and weight to chop with if you want. I find the BATACLE on the heavy side for hiking and think of it more as the indestructable camp knife.

For day hikes and overnight hike-in camping I prefer to carry a lighter weight knife like a Dumpster Mutt, Yard Keeper, HRLM, or RatManDu. If I was heading to a fairly remote area I would feel more comfortable carrying a bigger blade like the S6 or Skinny ASH.

As with anything else YMMV <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I've recieved my Muppies and Bird Dogs.
I suspect that the YK will top those and be my favorite once they get here.
The dog bowl has been my first score of Bussekin anything.

I bought extras from the dog bowl in hopes of trading into the blades I've missed before.
A heads-up trade seemed like the only chance of leveraging into past items at the offering price point.

Getting SS4's for myself and my father is starting to look like a pipe dream.
Even if I get one, after paying a premium and finding it to made of Unobtainium from the planet Irreplacia, I'd probably be reluctant to take it out.
Another run on the SS4 pattern would make me pretty happy because I'd be able to enjoy it like a commodity item instead of a tenth generation heirloom.

My favorite pocket knife (before I lost it) was a Spyderco Endura.
Not that it was the best, but because I always had it on me and got constant utility out of it.
In the same vein, I can't own a pampered Kimber.
I'm much more the raw, utilitarian, Glock kind of guy.

I have had both the Muppy and the SS4 as a hard used modded not worth half of what it would have been knife. The Muppy can do everything the SS4 can other than being easy to sharpen.Put a decent thinner edge on your muppy and have a sheath with a diamond EZ-LAP on the sheath instead of a firesteel to keep it touched up and you have a fantastic bushcraft knife. A Muppy will actually fit in a fitted kydex SS4 sheath it is so close.

My Ss4 has no coating and a very thin zero edge(no secondary edge like a skandi)
and the same thing would work very very well with the muppy. The 154 steel can be run very thin safely.

The BAD's look like decent bushcrat knives.

I bought a SAR5 as one but it was to heavy. A anorexic Sar5 would rule though.

I don't like the big choil but my Desert Jack would make a very capable knife.

Don't discount the DFLE and Steel heart. Both of mine make great hard use choppers. The DFLE is also very light for the amount of blade.

The obvious quote that this thread brings to mind is, "That's not a knife. This is a knife!"

Well I just recieved a MPLE and by weeks end should get the YK and the Bravo-1 I ordered. I lend my opinion after I play with them.

I love the MP for outdoors near civilization, but I've gone with the YKCG every time for outdoors where I might have to depend on it. Anything more doesn't seem worth the weight penalty and anything less seems to duplicate the folder that's always in the pocket anyway.

I hate you.

IMHO the Ratmandu is as perfect as you can get in a knife that size, once you have held one you will know what I mean !!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

I have not bought a small Bussekin knife....the finger choil on a DMDC or RMD enable you to choke up on the blade and do any fine work you want that a smaller knife could do. Therefore I would always carry this size....they are'nt heavy...and are more versatile/robust on general needs whilst hiking.

sorry northern1. i didnt know if the color of the blade determined if it was a CG run or not. Now I understand. tan/black = CG! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Any color for that matter, it's just that SY has only put tan and black, so far.

I have one Pit! This might sound stupid but I don't want to actually use it in case I can never get my hands on another. I don't have a safe, much less safe queens, but my RMD is the only knife I just don't want to get dirty. It is easily my favorite knife, that's my point...I'd rather have a BATACLE or SJTAC as a user.

On the Swamp Rat forum at BF someone suggested that Jerry make a satin Ratmandu LE... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

The 'tan' CG coating looks 'grey' to me, especially with that reddish G-10 scale on my Ratmandu. The coat on my CG Yard Keeper (that arrived today!) looks almost identical to the RMD coat.

That reminds me...I can't forget the urban grey coating on the Urban Mutt. So that's 3 colors SY has put out.