Disillusioned with bigger name “Reviewers”

It's interesting how different people can interpret something so differently.

My impression of the "We all know that the best use of a karambit knife is as a carpet knife, that's why they are shaped that way?" comment was as a humorous wink at the fact that some venues discourage the discussion of knives as weapons, rather than tools. The next part about how the mechanism allows one to quickly flick open the blade in case of a "carpet cutting emergency" continues the theme.

Oh well, I guess a joke doesn't "work" if it has to be "explained"...
Hey! You said in another post you didn't understand humor.
 
Just curious, what are Nick’s biases? I’ve never noticed anything consistent.

The bias in Nick’s reviews is 1. He no longer uploads reviews of knives he doesn’t like. If he gets a POS knife, a review of it won’t appear on his channel. IMHO this makes him an influencer - not a reviewer. 2. His priority is fashion over function. Cutting cardboard boxes and pocket jewelry are his bias because that’s how he uses a knife. Not that he doesn’t know knives, but he places a high priority on that over usability of the knife for its intended purpose.

He acknowledges these biases, so it’s not like he is being disingenuous.
 
The bias in Nick’s reviews is 1. He no longer uploads reviews of knives he doesn’t like. If he gets a POS knife, a review of it won’t appear on his channel. IMHO this makes him an influencer - not a reviewer. 2. His priority is fashion over function. Cutting cardboard boxes and pocket jewelry are his bias because that’s how he uses a knife. Not that he doesn’t know knives, but he places a high priority on that over usability of the knife for its intended purpose.

He acknowledges these biases, so it’s not like he is being disingenuous.

I’m not so sure about this

his favorite knives are a Spyderco Delica and an Ontario Rat

I’m no expert on Nick - but it doesn’t seem to me that he’s a pocket jewelry kinda guy.

I don’t fault the guy for not reviewing a POS knife. I mean, this is his hobby not his job. He’s not getting paid to review every knife that comes out. I don’t think he’d want to waste your/our time with a review of a POS.
 
I have to say though on the good side you can see the knife your possibly going to buy in its exact fit and finish ;you might spot something in a video that you might not like that you didnt see in pictures. thats my main reason for checking these videos.
 
don’t fault the guy for not reviewing a POS knife. I mean, this is his hobby not his job. He’s not getting paid to review every knife that comes out. I don’t think he’d want to waste your/our time with a review of a POS.

I should clarify, he put a video out where he states how his channel is changing in that (I’m paraphrasing) if he gets a knife, starts to review it, and it’s junk, he won’t publish a review. That is, he doesn’t publish reviews for knives that he doesn’t ultimately like.

that’s the bias
 
Well, credit to your due diligence on examining my post history. However, your assessment is incorrect. A lot of what he talks about are the things you can learn in a variety of training classes. They are things that I'd hope anyone who accepts the responsibility of carrying a firearm daily has already learned. That was the case for me.

There are a couple of reasons that I frequently steer people his way. First, he provides a unique, valuable, and free service with his YouTube channel. (You clearly see the value in aggregating those clips.) Second, lots of people have significant misconceptions about defensive encounters and self defense. The posting history you mentioned is me responding to people (often new and inexperienced people) who are looking to use a folding knife as a primary defensive tool. That discussion is my own. I don't know whether John specifically explores it but between general lessons and exposure to the spectrum of real defensive encounters; I'm hoping to both reinforce my point about folding knives and help people to find better options.
This is an excellent post.
I too regularly steer people to ASP for the same reasons you've outlined.

On another note, I feel that the RIGHT folding knife can have a valuable place in your SD EDC.
For me it's as a back up to my CCW carried on my non-dominate side. The only folders I will carry in this role are Cold Steel for the Tri-ad lock, but I still have to overcome the hurdle of getting it out and deployed quickly in a tight spot where for whatever reason my firearm is no longer viable, or compromised by a struggle for it. (I have trained so much on this that my non dominate hand is significantly better at deploying knives than my dominate one).
Anyway, this is off topic, maybe I will come join the conversation you have going on folders for SD.
Thanks for a well thought out, classy response!
 
I should clarify, he put a video out where he states how his channel is changing in that (I’m paraphrasing) if he gets a knife, starts to review it, and it’s junk, he won’t publish a review. That is, he doesn’t publish reviews for knives that he doesn’t ultimately like.

that’s the bias

Ah...understood. And I agree with you on that.
 
The bias in Nick’s reviews is 1. He no longer uploads reviews of knives he doesn’t like. If he gets a POS knife, a review of it won’t appear on his channel. IMHO this makes him an influencer - not a reviewer. 2. His priority is fashion over function. Cutting cardboard boxes and pocket jewelry are his bias because that’s how he uses a knife. Not that he doesn’t know knives, but he places a high priority on that over usability of the knife for its intended purpose.

He acknowledges these biases, so it’s not like he is being disingenuous.

Just curious, I am not sure what you are referring to by the intended purpose of a knife. You make it sound like cutting up cardboard boxes are not the purpose of a knife... But I am pretty sure that falls within the scope of what a knife is intended to do. Are you referring to the PROVOKE only? I guess that would make more sense.

As for only reviewing knives he likes, I think unintentionally most youtube knife people are this way. For instance, I usually make a video on any new knife I decide to purchase, but when I buy knives, I of course purposely buy what I am going to like - So in a way, I am only ever reviewing knives that I like. There are times that I am disappointed in a purchase in some way, so I try to be transparent and mention any flaws it has, but it can very much seem otherwise that online knife videos are too overwhelmingly positive.
 
Those that only talk or "believe" you need a sharpened prybar, or the knife is garbage if it can't be baton a concrete bock or brick, limb or fell a tree, or stab some poor innocent vehicle without sustaining damage I ignore.

Those like Vinnie of Vinnie's Day Off who review by building a shelter, whittlin' a bow, and making arrows and a string for it, etc. (he has skills and knows finesse and skill beats brute strength 101 out of 100 times. More than once he's built a sturdy shelter using a multi blade slipjoint, including a sub 2.5 inch bladed pen knife.) I'll watch.
Admittedly, in a couple of his comparison cutting tests, (Case True Sharp vs. Rough Ryder 440A trappers, or stockmans, for example) he does lose count of how many cuts he's made in the rope. :)
 
I should clarify, he put a video out where he states how his channel is changing in that (I’m paraphrasing) if he gets a knife, starts to review it, and it’s junk, he won’t publish a review. That is, he doesn’t publish reviews for knives that he doesn’t ultimately like.

that’s the bias


Given that logic anyone who doesn't use a random generator to choose which knife to review is bias.

That maybe technically true but it is also stupid.

Why on earth would anybody put their time into reviewing a knife they are not interested in reviewing.

If anyone wants him to review a POS knife then offer him a direct payment to do so.

He finds good, bad and ugly things in EVERY knife he reviews and yet internet folk still think that is bias...dealing with kind of irrational BS is why I am not a YT'er.
 
I'm new here, and new to the hobby/obsession with knifes and trying to learn. My needs are simple really, driven currently by a need to replace a stolen knife. As I look for information sources for reviews and commentary in general it seems to me that most are just like every other review for every other product type; mostly useless. They are all driven by trying to build followers and click-throughs no the ads. Once you hit 1,000 followers on YouTube for example you can start to monetize it. With 1k you might buy a cup of coffee but it easily leads to being driven by the wrong purpose in this age of instant info.

I'd like to have a better local source to see/hold different options. Buying without that...for me at least...makes it harder than it should be.

I am new to the hobby as well, although I have done tons of research for the past couple of months. Basically, I feel exactly the same and fully agree with your assessment.
 
I am new to the hobby as well, although I have done tons of research for the past couple of months. Basically, I feel exactly the same and fully agree with your assessment.


Soundsike your hobby is not off to a good start.

Fortunately there are many hobbies available in which we can indulge as we please.

I know a guy who owns thousands of different cigarette lighters. There is something for everyone, enjoy.
 
I am new to the hobby as well, although I have done tons of research for the past couple of months. Basically, I feel exactly the same and fully agree with your assessment.


Sounds like your hobby is not off to a good start.

Fortunately there are many hobbies available in which we can indulge as we please.

I know a guy who owns thousands of different cigarette lighters, there is something for everyone.

Other than finances limiting my purchases there are no external factors that affect my enjoyment of this hobby. If there was I would have a new hobby.
 
On the topic of YouTube reviewers, anybody remember The Fatman? I miss that dude, but he seems to have taken all his videos down. I didn't always love the knives he reviewed but he never failed to entertain. The EDC pocket dump vids he'd do where he'd keep unloading items onto the table, right down to the stuffed alligator head and John Wick DVD, just killed me :D.
 
Words matter.

It was "sarcastic" and sarcasm is a hostile and negative remark indicative of the speaker's actual belief that's a very of critical something in a passive-aggressive manner

I believe it was Nick's way of saying that he really thought the Provoke was a POS w/o actually saying that explicitly. He can thereby deny that he didn't actually dislike the knife by pointing out all of the "good things" he said about the design, but the underlying message was that he really didn't lije the knife bc it was NOT his kind of knife, wc is indicative of one of his biases.

I've always interpreted those jokes as being self-deprecating, not digs on the product. He's very open and honest about how "non-tactical" he is. In general, he's probably the reviewer who is the most cognizant of his own biases, and will often note when he's being biased. I'm pretty sure his Yojumbo review includes him saying he reviewed it precisely because it was outside of the norm for him. But, because he's honest about his lack of knife-fighting chops, he's still reviewing them as general cutting implements, not for self-defense. If you're looking at the Provoke as a practical (non-weapon) tool, carpet knife is probably its most practical use. He's certainly not going to say "I have no clue about using a knife as a weapon, but this is definitely great for that."
 
Given that logic anyone who doesn't use a random generator to choose which knife to review is bias.

That maybe technically true but it is also stupid.

Why on earth would anybody put their time into reviewing a knife they are not interested in reviewing.

If anyone wants him to review a POS knife then offer him a direct payment to do so.

He finds good, bad and ugly things in EVERY knife he reviews and yet internet folk still think that is bias...dealing with kind of irrational BS is why I am not a YT'er.


 

That confirms my post.

The word channel gives it away, remember the old days of television where there were different channels offering different content to capture different demographics and niches. If you didn't like the channel you changed it. People didn't complain about bias.....they put their fat finger on the remote and viola the channel changed just like magic.

The digital era is no different.
 
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