TBS Bushtool

[Kadushu]

I see the TBS Bushtool is available for preorder. The larger "Grizzly" version looks to be close to Esee 5 dimensions and price. It's also similar in size to the Fox Bushman which I own and enjoy using. The Bushman has rather specific uses since it's not small enough for fine carving nor long enough for slashing or heavy chopping. What it excels at is lighter chopping/limbing, splitting with a baton and also kitchen work. I find carrying longer knives or hatchets on a belt is pretty annoying so this size is a reasonable compromise.
Any thoughts? Interest? TBS sound pretty excited about this knife and it's quite a departure from their usual range.



N690co Stainless Steel - 5mm Thick
6" (150mm) length blade
5" (125mm) length handle
11" (275mm) Overall
Black G10 Handle with thong tube and Orange Liners
Multi Carry Kydex Sheath
Front pouch option
High Scandi/Sabre Grind
Firesteel cutout on the spine of the blade
Black Traction coated
Lifetime Guarantee against any defect in manufacturing, material and workmanship.

 

[CLEM]

Too big, too heavy, too thick, I’ll have two please

 

[Nice65]

Has more than a touch of the ESEE/ Randall’s Adventure Training look about it. It’s too thick, and well overpriced despite being a decent steel. It won’t chop well as there’s not much forward weight, so it’s a batoning/prying tool. Be good to find out how much it weighs. And why the coating on a corrosion resistant steel? I can understand it on the 1095 steel ESEE use, but can’t see why it’s being used here apart from the tactical look of it.

The knife with no sheath is £229.95, with fire steel and pouch is £249.95, and with the kit (dunno what this is, can’t find info), it’s a massive £279.95.

I‘d have an ESEE 6 over it any day, and I sold my one of them.

 

[Erbswurst]

I think such a robust cake shovel might serve very well in a hot battle at the cold buffet.

Fortunately they interdicted such stuff in Germany unless you have a good reason to carry it, and because there is absolutely no reason to carry such a knife, it's always interdicted.

France limited the blade thickness to 4 mm and Germany the blade length to 12 cm.
So, everybody who tries to sell such stuff to civil clients will have a bombastic financial result in Europe.

 

[Kadushu]

Has more than a touch of the ESEE/ Randall’s Adventure Training look about it. It’s too thick, and well overpriced despite being a decent steel. It won’t chop well as there’s not much forward weight, so it’s a batoning/prying tool. Be good to find out how much it weighs. And why the coating on a corrosion resistant steel? I can understand it on the 1095 steel ESEE use, but can’t see why it’s being used here apart from the tactical look of it.

The knife with no sheath is £229.95, with fire steel and pouch is £249.95, and with the kit (dunno what this is, can’t find info), it’s a massive £279.95.

I‘d have an ESEE 6 over it any day, and I sold my one of them.

Yeah my main thought was that the traction coating will have to go. It's a bizarre design choice given the steel and might well work against its sliciness.

 

[Erbswurst]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but does anybody have a explanation why they became insane in The Bushcraft Store?

Was it the lockdown? Lack of oxygen due to the medical masks? Or did something else happen in London that did cause such severe results?

 

[JonathanD]

I handled one a few weeks back. The ferro rod striker is in a place which makes choking up and a reinforced thumb grip on the spine impossible. Such a thing is a gimmick and not needed on a knife, and if it was, a flat section like Gerber do would have been more practical. It’s heavy which you’d think would make a good chopper, but it’s too short for that. As already mentioned, why coat it? The other problem was the grip screw holes which seemed really prominent and highly likely to cause major hot spots with use.

Seems to have been designed by a committee in a board room rather than people who actually use knives.

 

[TLM]

That is a marketing approach to selling something to somebody.

 

[MikeeMiracle]

I think TBS is just generally trying to expand it's range as their products sell due to their reputation. I was at the Great Outdoors Festival where I saw they now also do a Boreal 21 saw equivalent. Thing is, it's the same price as the Boreal 21 and I would much rather get the original Boreal.

 

[Erbswurst]

They better should have invested the effort into a British made 1,8 litres Bushpot instead of spoiling the good reputation with nonsense knives.

 

[JonathanD]

They better should have invested the effort into a British made 1,8 litres Bushpot instead of spoiling the good reputation with nonsense knives.

Or an all steel 58 pattern water bottle.