GI Tanto or Bushman?

[FOBOS]

Ok after watching Noss go to it with the Cold Steel Bushman, I have to ask: which one should I buy, the GI Tanto or the Bushman, or should I buy both, or two of each. Man this is a beutiful sickness (love of the blade that is.) At least it's mostly cheaper than buying new guns (my wife likes that part I'm sure.) Take care

[Gman1128]

When in doubt, buy both!!! :D

They are so cheap that you might as well get one of each. That way you can keep the one that you don't like as much as a backup in your survival kit and still have one to carry normally.

[FOBOS]

I'm just OCD enough to get two of each. I seem to always buy in 2's for some reason.

[Noss]

If you going to use it as a woods survival knife then I say get the Bushman. The blade shape is better suited for skinning,carving, slicing. It is super tough also.

[FOBOS]

What about chopping? And I wonder if I could wrap the handle with some para cord, just to get a better grip. Must lean how to wrap with para cord first. Oh well, I did in fact order a Bushman this morning, gonna give it my own workout while camping here in Montana. thanks for the replies and can't wait for the Cold Steel Kukri machette review.

[Gman1128]

For its size and weight, the GI tanto is not a bad chopper but the bushman definitely has a better design for survival.

[Noss]

I don't know about the new Bushman's ? I guy on blade forums said he just broke one chopping. I'm disappointed with new the Bushman Bowie. The edge rolled on it chopping a 2x4. The new ones seem to be suspect. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=558840 . I don't have a new original model so I personally don't know how they are ?

See if you can find the original one made in Taiwan. The new ones are made in china. The original did not have a welded handle. The seam is visible at the fold.

Honestly the GI Tanto and the Bushman do about the same when it comes to chopping.

[Tac45]

I am lucky in that mine is an older one and it and my two mini bushmans are good cheap knives. I guess when some things start getting made in China the quality control can be an issue. I also collect binoculars. While not owning a pair of Nikons myself. (I like the German ones) There have been reports of some of their cheaper binoculars such as the Monarch series leaking moisture internally or coming with only one set of lenses coated. This is obviously a quality control issue. Who oversees the manufacture of the goods once out sourced? With large volumes being imported does every item get inspected? With a binocular it's easy to see something like one set of lenses missing a coating. But what about a knife. Once it's made and coated how do you know without testing if it was heat treated properly? How do you know what the steel is? Sure things are supposed to be made to specifications. I'm sure most are but.........The Nikon Monarchs are by all accounts good binos. Obviously some not so good ones slip through. But you never hear of anything bad with the pricier Nikons made in Japan.
'Me thinks' there may be a lesson there!

[lafayette]

Hello FOBOS, I think you should buy both.
However, if you want to buy only one, depends on what you want to do with it : the former bushman is more suitable for bushcraft and is perhaps more polyvalent. About the new bushman made in TAIWAN, I agree wih NOSS : they are not as good as they use to be, whereas you won't be disapoined by the GI TANTO in terms of reliability.
Don' t buy the new bushman (the bowie model) : it is a really dispointing model.

[FOBOS]

thanks lafayette. I did go ahead and get the bushman and it seem flimsy. I am going to get the GI tanto and a CS Kukri Machette, just in case of a Zombie outbreak.

[Noss]

lafayette: Welcome to the New forum.

FOBOS: The GI Tanto is much stiffer and stronger laterally than the Bushman. Let us know how you like it.

The Bushman is on of my favorite knives. I'm not happy with the new bowie but the original, well it is an original.

[xxo]

I don't like tantos and cord wrap handles, so GI tanto is not something I would be interested in myself. I have an old made in Tiawan Bushman and for a $20 knife you can't beat it. Sucks that he new made in China ones are not as good.