Some Thoughts on Youtuber Nick Shabazz

Status
Not open for further replies.
Agree with all the Nick praise. On top of all the info he shares, he seems like a very decent human being who cares about others and tries to help.

I don't agree with everything he says. I suspect few of us do. Regardless of agreeing on preferences, he's very educational and he's really done a lot for awareness of quality, value, and for calling out knives that don't cut well.
 
NickShabazz said:
'Pocket Pecker' originated in the ZT0452CF review, but has stuck around. I define it more directly here: http://knifenews.com/knife-gripes-episode-8-flipping-out/

Also, to Midnight Flyer's point: The average review, not counting the time of carrying and casual evaluation, takes about 1-1.5 hours to write, and 20-30 minutes to film, then 10 minutes to upload. Plus ~45 minutes to film and upload the disassembly. More complicated reviews, or ones which require a lot of thinking, can be much longer. And that's only because I've gotten much faster over time.

And thank you, all, for the kind words.
Click to expand...
Hey Nick, thanks for the content. I like your reviews of bad knives especially. The humor is appreciated.
 
Very long and rambling reviews that I skip through in order to glean the highlights.

He has clear biases that become apparent after watching/listening to just a few of his reviews -- like blade steels, overly "sharp" (unchamfered) non-blade edges and one hand operation, which aren't all that important to me. He often "beats a dead horse" by over-analyzing a specific aspect of a knife that he doesn't like. Doesn't make his opinion "right" but does make clear what he bases that opinion on.

Overall, I think his reviews are a positive contribution but I also think that he could pare them down substantially w/o reducing their value. What takes him 15 mins really should take only 5 at most.
 
Last edited:
The first youtube knife channel that i watched. so Ill give my thoughts:
The videos could be shorter, but then again a lot knife videos seem to go around the 30 minute mark, at least Nick is entertaining, I find his cartoonish voice to be very relaxing when its in the background and Im doing something. He's very opinionated, which I appreciate compared to other boring reviews that just show you the knife and give you specs. What I dislike is the "good, bad, and ugly" theme because most of the time decent quality knives don't have much bad or ugly, so he ends up picking on some small thing like a little sharp corner and blowing it out of proportion, as well as blowing size out of proportion by calling many medium size knives huge. A knife and its handle shape, materials, blade shape, components might be designed exactly as the maker wanted it to be because it serves a particular purpose for a given task. Nick, as well as other reviewers will be completely ignorant to the purpose of the tool and call a feature ugly when in fact its well though out for its purpose. Also disagree with his criticism of anything tactical. The category of products is popular for a reason, people like buying gear marketed as tactical because it usually means its durable and you don't have to baby it, and because the design serves a purpose. A good example of all of this is the hinderer investigator pen, its a "tactical" pen, obviously not for everyone, but to make a review of a tactical pen, and criticize the purpose of what it is, complain about the sharp tip , and rough texture , is a bit ridiculous if you ask me. That same mentality is used to evaluate a lot the knives.
At the end of the day though, its a guys opinion on a knife and we all make mistakes and cant know everything about every product. Overall very good content, says whats on his mind and is quite a character
 
I'm somewhat new to the hobby... I'm just now getting into the higher end knives...
I've watched a couple of his videos.... He's a pretty good reviewer, although I will admit, I thought he was just faking that voice to be unique...
I now realize that's his real accent ... And it sets him apart from the rest... Nothing wrong with being unique, that's for sure... Especially in a world full of "SHEEPLE"!
If he reads this, I want to thank you for taking time to do what you do... It really helps guys and gals who are new to the higher end offerings out there.
 
Nick has been putting out ALOT of content for a long time.

I appreciate the videos, it costs us basically nothing (WiFi/data), and has value.

I also appreciate his consistency and the simple qualities of his videos.

Thanks for all the hours of entertainment, opinions, and subject matter Nick!
 
I generally dislike video reviews but viewed his two on Mike Zieba's S1 Mini since I have one.

I thought his review was off base and decidedly unfair. He severely bitches about the lanyard hole, but it's a great design and very practical. I'm not a big fan of lanyards, but kept the one on this knife, because it makes the whole package more useful and cool. The knife is designed to be sold with a lanyard and bead as part of its many configurations.

He bitches about the blade thickness, which was an area of concern for me. Turns out it is a great cutter, the high hollow grind can slice well. I got the distinct impression he never really tested the knife by using it every day, all day, for a week or two. Maybe that's because it was "donated" for a later charity sale...WTF? But he does take it apart, which is wierd since he plans to sell it.

He bitches about Michael Zieba's warranty being "limited", but I couldn't find that on his site or in the paperwork with my knife. I've used his warranty and it's unconditional as far as what I needed. He doesn't contact Michael Zieba by phone or e-mail to discuss it, the most basic journalistic task. If you criticize a man's warranty, you owe it to him and your viewers to contact the maker.

He doesn't discuss that it's a custom knife, sole authorship including the box, by Mike Zieba. He talks about "Zieba Knives" as if it is a corporation. That's kind of insulting, since Mike Zieba is proud of what he puts into his knives and his price is reasonable. He doesn't discuss how Mike Zieba takes a basic knife design and uses different handle colorizations, different backspacers and different lanyard beads to produce models of the S1 mini knife that are unique, but still the same basic knife. It's not just the same thing cranked out like a one-man factory like some custom makers. Seems like he doesn't understand the artistic side of Mike Zieba's "craft."

All in all an inaccurate and unfair review of the knife and the custom maker. But hey, I could be wrong, I only watched it once :)

Per his takedown review of the S1 mini, why take apart a knife designed so that you don't need to take apart to clean? Per maker, wash it, clean it out with WD40 and that's the most maintenance it needs. This is not stated. Why take apart a knife you say is going to be sold for a charity? Last I checked Shabazz is not a cutler. It was obvious he was surprised by the screw placements, indicating he didn't understand the design.
 
Last edited:
Hi Brownshoe,

Sorry I didn't love a knife and brand that you clearly do, and I understand that our perspectives are quite different. Tastes differ, particularly when it comes to more ephemeral things like "craft". That said, you've got one thing in there that I wanted to address directly...

brownshoe said:
He bitches about Michael Zieba's warranty being "limited", but I couldn't find that on his site or in the paperwork with my knife. I've used his warranty and it's unconditional as far as what I needed. He doesn't contact Michael Zieba by phone or e-mail to discuss it, the most basic journalistic task. If you criticize a man's warranty, you owe it to him and your viewers to contact the maker.
Click to expand...

This is literally the very first page when you google "Zieba Warranty": http://www.ziebaknives.com/blog/2017/11/27/warranty

And it contains exactly what I paraphrased in the video:

ALL ZIEBA KNIVES ARE GUARANTEED FOR LIFE.
THEY ARE DESIGNED FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
SHOULD THE KNIFE FAIL AFTER PURCHASE BY THE ORIGINAL USER DUE TO FAULTY WORKMANSHIP OR MATERIALS, SUCH DEFECTS WILL BE MADE GOOD FREE OF COST.
THE RIGHT IS RESERVED TO MAKE GOOD SUCH DEFECTS BY REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT.
THIS GUARANTEE DOES NOT COVER NATURAL MATERIALS SUCH AS WOOD, INCORRECT APPLICATIONS, NEGLECT, OR ABUSE.
THIS GUARANTEE IS VOID IF THE KNIFE HAS BEEN MODIFIED IN ANY WAY OUTSIDE OF OUR SHOP.

This Warranty does not apply and is not limited
to consumable parts, such as screws, washers, or hardware, unless failure has occurred due to a defect in materials or workmanship;

lost parts, hardware or lose pivot is not part of warranty, owner is responsible to use knife in proper condition;

to cosmetic damage, including but not limited to scratches, dents, faded anodized parts, or protective coatings that will naturally diminish over time, unless failure has occurred due to a defect in materials or workmanship;

to damage caused by use with a third party component or product that does not meet the ZIEBA product’s specifications;

to damage caused by disassembly, accident, abuse, misuse, or other external cause, including damaged caused by excessive and/or aggressive blade flicking (rapid opening and closing of a folding knife);

cleaning knives in dishwasher, using them as screwdriver or crowbar tool

any knife should be returned with COA with hologram card and proof or original ownership; knife without card was sold/purchase without that warranty;

no warranty on knives/tool/products sold by unauthorized dealer // official dealer list - front page;

all knives sold by dealer are subject for free sharpening service.

all knives purchase on eBay auction use or new are not under any warranty.

private unauthorized sale are not under any warranty.

Any knife knife without COA card are considered as clone/ fake.

FOR ANY QUESTION PLEASE EMAIL: INFO@ZIEBAKNIVES.COM
We reserve the right to change our product at any time to keep competitive in the market place and/or improve production methods.

DO NOT USE YOUR PRODUCT UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE TERMS OF THE WARRANTY.
Click to expand...

I'm thrilled to hear that he's better about his warranties in person than in the writing on his own website. But at the end of the day, that's what his website says, which is from the maker directly, and it's pretty damned ugly. Like I said, it sounds like I'm not going to win you over, and you're welcome to ignore my future work, but I just wanted to make sure you didn't think I was making anything up, nor that I wasn't doing basic diligence. That part's straight from the horse's mouth.
 
Hey Nick nice to see you stop by the BF. That last guy obviously didn't read all the way thru the warranty because if he did it would be clear to him that it is indeed limited "No excessive flicking?:confused:." He also stated that he doesn't watch review videos and that's understandable and explains the fact that he was confused why you disassembled the knife. If he had watched more of your reviews he would have realized that you do a break down vid on most all the knives you review and "That's great". Those vids have saved me many times and stopped me from making stupid mistakes and "That Brings me much joy" Nick:thumbsup:. Haters are gonna hate anyway but keep on doing what you do so well and remember what the Dalai Lama said " Too many people in the world, you can't please them all"
 
Last edited:
NickShabazz said:
Hi Brownshoe,

Sorry I didn't love a knife and brand that you clearly do, and I understand that our perspectives are quite different. Tastes differ, particularly when it comes to more ephemeral things like "craft". That said, you've got one thing in there that I wanted to address directly...



This is literally the very first page when you google "Zieba Warranty": http://www.ziebaknives.com/blog/2017/11/27/warranty

And it contains exactly what I paraphrased in the video:



I'm thrilled to hear that he's better about his warranties in person than in the writing on his own website. But at the end of the day, that's what his website says, which is from the maker directly, and it's pretty damned ugly. Like I said, it sounds like I'm not going to win you over, and you're welcome to ignore my future work, but I just wanted to make sure you didn't think I was making anything up, nor that I wasn't doing basic diligence. That part's straight from the horse's mouth.
Click to expand...

Did you contact him at all about anything? You are a video journalist, if you don't contact your subject you do a diservice to your audience, subject and profession.
 
My lawyer told me "Word of mouth means Nothing get it in writing" It's all there in black and white writing. Just sayin
 
So focus on just the warranty. Fine with me.

It's not about the knife but the review.
 
brownshoe said:
Did you contact him at all about anything? You are a video journalist, if you don't contact your subject you do a diservice to your audience, subject and profession.
Click to expand...

Remember, this isn't my day job, and you're mistaking "random jackass with an opinion" for "journalist". But, for what it's worth, I had talked to him via Instagram. I didn't ask him about his warranty, as that had just been posted on his blog shortly before that was filmed (it's an older video). And frankly, that's the policy in writing, so there's nothing more to ask. But he seemed like a nice guy, passionate about his brand, and I'm not shocked to hear he'd go the extra mile for you. I even asked about a shop tour, when I thought I was going to be in the area, but he went silent after that. He's a busy guy though, and I don't take that personally.

Regardless, sorry my content wasn't for you, even when giving a largely-positive review of a brand you seem deeply committed to. Hopefully you find other content out there that's more in line with your view of the brand, the craft, and the world. That's the beauty (and the horror) of the internet: There's always another person talking who you might agree with more. Hope you find them!
 
Nick is one of my go to reviewers when considering a knife purchase. He definiltey is not the be all end all of anything and doesn’t try to be. His attention to detail is great and the way he breaks down his rating categories is easy to understand. I also, like others, have to mention how much frustration his disassembly videos have saved me. In the end he’s one person with an opinon and voicing it, and what a voice it is. To top it all off I’ve had a few interactions with him on Instagram. He is always helpful courteous and comes across as a real down to earth person. What more could you ask for?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top