What do you guys think of brous blades?

[rschuch]

Yes, but then did you call yourself a "professional artist," give your "studio" and work a name, and try to sell them? Then call anyone who critiqued that work a "keyboard commando"?

More power to the guy, but I have yet to be convinced that the emperor has any clothes...and this thread doesn't help.

A professional is anyone who gets paid to do what they do. I started off in print shops and, yeah, I did some terrible logos and t-shirt designs for people and got paid for it. Trouble is, when you're inexperienced, you think you're pretty good, even though you suck, and most casual buyers don't know the difference between good art and bad art. The customers I had were generally happy with my designs, though I'd be embarrassed to show them to anyone now. But that was back in the 1980's, so the only people who saw your work were those you specifically showed it to. In this internet age, you post your newest piece and suddenly anyone in the world can see it. It's a blessing if you're good (and have the knowledge to be able to market it), but if you're green and you stink, it's hard to come back from earlier mistakes. Not making excuses for the guy, but does he have any of those abortion pieces on his website saying "Lookee what I can do! Want a custom knife made, hyuck, hyuck?!?" No. I'm sure he'd like to forget and take back a few things he's done. Is his product perfect now? No. He's still young and learning and I think some of his designs and QC reflect that, but his customer service seems good and I think he stands behind his work. Yeah, the "keyboard commando" comment seems a defensive remark and he should probably try to be the bigger man and take it down, but I understand why he said it.

 

[marcinek]

A professional is anyone who gets paid to do what they do. I started off in print shops and, yeah, I did some terrible logos and t-shirt designs for people and got paid for it. Trouble is, when you're inexperienced, you think you're pretty good, even though you suck, and most casual buyers don't know the difference between good art and bad art.

And he has built a pretty successful business on those "terrible" designs.

Not making excuses for the guy, but does he have any of those abortion pieces on his website saying "Lookee what I can do! Want a custom knife made, hyuck, hyuck?!?" No.

Yes. His production "The Coroner" fixed blade keeps those "fantasy" serrations, and he is also showing his one off zombie green/blood splatter kerambit. So he clearly is holding on o them.

Yeah, the "keyboard commando" comment seems a defensive remark and he should probably try to be the bigger man and take it down, but I understand why he said it.

He should. I was there when it happened. Among those "keyboard commandos" were many well-established normally helpful manufacturers/designers/makers who took him to task for things other than aesthetics, like his heat treat (or lack thereof) and grinds. His "defensive remarks" at the time didn't serve him well (and taking advice from those folks could have served him well), and again, he seems to be holding on to them.

Clearly the guy has carved out a business for himself. I just have no idea how, other then realizing that creating an "us vs them" atmosphere sells knives. He did do that well.

 

[Velitrius]

He should. I was there when it happened. Among those "keyboard commandos" were many well-established normally helpful manufacturers/designers/makers who took him to task for things other than aesthetics, like his heat treat (or lack thereof) and grinds. His "defensive remarks" at the time didn't serve him well (and taking advice from those folks could have served him well), and again, he seems to be holding on to them.

Clearly the guy has carved out a business for himself. I just have no idea how, other then realizing that creating an "us vs them" atmosphere sells knives. He did do that well.

I remember that too. Those threads are probably still around. They made for an entertaining read, at any rate. And you're right, Marci... there were plenty of legitimate folk being ignored, with sound advice that was going unheeded as well. I'd have paid money for the advice from some of those Keyboard Commandoes at the time.

I had no doubt that if he was willing to go market himself, he'd sell something... simply because every gun show I've attended has at least one table of Pakistani mall ninja crap that used to be Buick bumpers... and they practically sell out. Hell, there's a TV show on damn near every night on the home shopping channel foisting crap that I'm sure sells like hotcakes.

I have actually received a knife as a gift from the Franklin Mint. Called the "Eye of the Dragon". If you showed me a picture of it, I'd swear no fool outfit would ever try to produce it... and if they produced it, no idiot would buy it... and if by some miracle some idiot ever bought it, they CERTAINLY wouldn't try to gift it to a guy who knew the first thing about knives. Suffice it to say, opening that present that year cemented it in my brain that any fool can bang out ANYTHING with a handle end and a pointy end, and sell a buttload of them to somebody.

I'm happy for the guy, as I'm happy for anyone who can make it in the biz. I'm just not going to be one of his customers is all.

 

[lieferung]

Speaking of dragon eyes and knives, what's with those Hinderer Jurassics with a badly painted "raptor eye" inlay?

 

[Sour27]

The only knives I’ve ever handled of his was the silent soldier with the finger hole. I have allot of knives and I sharpen knives for some ppl. That knife was suck a wedge, I free hand so I don’t know the exact angle I sharpened it at. But I’d say somewhere in the 25 per side rage, It would be a terrible edc knife. I’m his defense that’s not meant to be an edc more of a defensive blade. But I will say it had horrible action and red lock tight that I couldbt get off even with heat.

Thanks for all the comments guys! More positive then I thought it would be.

 

[rschuch]

I remember that too. Those threads are probably still around. They made for an entertaining read, at any rate. And you're right, Marci... there were plenty of legitimate folk being ignored, with sound advice that was going unheeded as well. I'd have paid money for the advice from some of those Keyboard Commandoes at the time.

I had no doubt that if he was willing to go market himself, he'd sell something... simply because every gun show I've attended has at least one table of Pakistani mall ninja crap that used to be Buick bumpers... and they practically sell out. Hell, there's a TV show on damn near every night on the home shopping channel foisting crap that I'm sure sells like hotcakes.

I have actually received a knife as a gift from the Franklin Mint. Called the "Eye of the Dragon". If you showed me a picture of it, I'd swear no fool outfit would ever try to produce it... and if they produced it, no idiot would buy it... and if by some miracle some idiot ever bought it, they CERTAINLY wouldn't try to gift it to a guy who knew the first thing about knives. Suffice it to say, opening that present that year cemented it in my brain that any fool can bang out ANYTHING with a handle end and a pointy end, and sell a buttload of them to somebody.

I'm happy for the guy, as I'm happy for anyone who can make it in the biz. I'm just not going to be one of his customers is all.

There's certainly a difference between being confident and having vision and being egotistical and ignoring good advice. You'd think maturity and common sense (and handling other quality products and comparing) would be a normal process, but some people never grow up and hang onto bad habits and ideas as long as there are those that keep telling them they're great. I'm not a knife maker or expert by any means, so my opinions are just that.

That said, taste is a questionable thing, and I reference the above mentioned Franklin Mint knife series. I went looking for the Eye of the Dragon to see how bad it was, and instead was inundated with all sorts really REALLY over the top junk knives people are paying top dollar for. The phrase, "Man! I can't WAIT to EDC this and pull this out next time a box needs cut down!" doesn't exactly spring to mind when looking at these and, while I know they are for display, I can't help but wonder WHO would display them and why? I mean, if you're a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings and want a copy of Sting on your wall (or Anduril or whatever), hey, go for it and cosplay the heck out of it! You can't go to the Comic-Con naked! But these things? Yikes! And I only bring this up because a lot of people harp on Brous' fantasy driven design motif, but there's a big difference between the Parallax and one of these babies!

 

[marcinek]

There's certainly a difference between being confident and having vision and being egotistical and ignoring good advice. You'd think maturity and common sense (and handling other quality products and comparing) would be a normal process, but some people never grow up and hang onto bad habits and ideas as long as there are those that keep telling them they're great. I'm not a knife maker or expert by any means, so my opinions are just that.

It was much more than just matters of taste we was getting advice about, like I mentioned earlier.

It was knives snapping, wrong heat treats, stress risers, nonfunctional grinds, wrong balance points, etc. He, at the time, was being offered advice from knifemakers on how to make a functioning knife, not a good looking knife.

It was invaluable stuff.

Are his knives still snapping and rolling? I don't know.

Even at the time people loved his look despite the lack of functionality. They didn't want to hear about it. Good for them and him. Everyone should buy what they like.

Like I said earlier, we were asked what we thought, and I just happen to to think the emperor still has no clothes.

 

[OzarkJoe]

I REALLY like the look of the Brous Bionic but I’ve heard enough stories that I won’t buy one unless I could handle it beforehand.

 

[jstn]

His insistence on using only D2 baffles me.

 

[marcinek]

Perrin holes make everything better I'm a sucker for them. Plus, those two hawkbills you have are sick, you basically become a human velociraptor with them!

You know who does a great job with Perrin holes?

Fred Perrin.

 

[Mo2]

Is his main marketing targeted at the fire arms market? That market is primarily Tactical knives and his style of knives too.

 

[Reignman]

So I just ordered my first brous blade didn’t get it yet, but after ordering the knife I’ve herd some really bad things. I’ve herd his cheaper knives are made in China and his more expensive made in the us. But I’ve seen some videos of the knives with really bad fit and finish. And that it takes a long time for brous to make it right for them. So my question is has anyone had more recent experience with brous blades? Has the fit and finish gone up?

I can't speak for recently but my only dealings have been 3 Brous Reloaders, as well as a division and a silent soldier... Personally having spoke to Jason, followed up with him etc he was cordial, knew his shit and quick to answer questions and or the phone... Knives were solid and my reloader is one blade I wish I kept.

 

[Chadtheimpaler]

I own four of his folders. All are very well done and function properly. I had one develop lock stick after I got some oil on the blade tang, easily fixed. Other than that the only issue I have is an overly tight pocket clip on my vr71. I personally like his design style and decision to specialize in D2. True his designs are not the most practical straight forward knives, but as functional art, I dig them!

 

[HowAmI]

I'd like to buy one but the combination of mediocre QC, F&F, D2 Blades, Along with their prices and flipping action, I refuse to buy anything from him.

Also why support an maker who makes production knives but calls them Limited Mid-Techs. CKF does it but they're known for doing it and actually have reasonable knives for their prices along with having new models constantly. Hell a new CKF just dropped.

 

[zootsuit]

One knife that's been calling me for awhile was the Caliber. Read enough to know of the mixed reviews but thought I'd give it shot. Arrived earlier this week and wished I resisted the urge. I really wanted to like this but it has terrible flipping action and lock stick. It does look great (in my opinion), but otherwise miserable. He should have named this thing "the ex."

 

[RLDubbya]

I had one of the futuristic tactical models in for review earlier this year. It was, overall, solidly built but I thought it was man-jewelry and wouldn't have carried it, let alone used it. I only did a visual exam, and flipped it a few times, but what I noted: the factory "mirror" finish blade - that was not a mirror finish. A lot of blemishes on both edges; the blemishes that are indicative of scratch patterns from some step in the honing progression used. I definitely would not charge anybody for such work, and would not be proud to call such work mine: mirror edges are a measure of the sharpener's eye, his/her attention to detail, the ability to develop good working processes; the inclination to adhere to such practices, no matter what. Mirrored edges gauge the ability of the sharpener to "stick with it": you can do a mirror edge using the same technique and tricks you use for any edge.

However, if you have sloppy work habits, or something else goes wrong, you can easily spend 9 hours, even 15 or 20 hours on a single knife correcting the ramifications. Not everybody can do this. There are times it definitely sucks; spending all that time on one knife? Man, there are times when I just want to take a sledgehammer to the knife and a razor-sharpened blade to my throat, anything so I don't have to see the same knife edge again for hour 15 of work.

I also think that if a maker does not have the patience to provide the mirror edge that was ordered, he might also not have the patience to properly build the knife. Just how well do those bearings fit?

You mention Emerson. I have a couple of Emerson knives, and I think the difference between Brous and Emerson methodology is knowledge. Ernie knows that he is cutting corners, he doesn't take himself seriously. He knows that by using steel for one of the liners he is saving money; he knows that by using rough cuts for the detent mechanism he saves time (money); he figures that a little bit of internal rusting won't hurt anything, but it will save money. Ernie knows that one of the big reasons people turn to him for a new knife design is because of turnaround time; for example, he turned out the first prototype for the Sheepdog in 24 hours (Source: AmmoLand). Emerson does what is necessary to meet quick deadlines to make cash.

I think Brous, OTOH, takes himself quite seriously as a designer and maker of "tactical" knives. A "tactifool" in other words...he takes himself and his knives way too seriously. He thinks he is shaping the future of the tactical fighting blade with his knives. If he is an accurate soothsayer of the future, the knife industry is going to look pretty gloomy with low standards of quality and sub-standard work being sold at a premium.

All that is my opinion. If you enjoy the Brous blade, just call me an ignorant $$$####.

 

[JDRanger]

I have a Brous Mini Division and really like it.

It’s actually one of my most favorite knives.

I view the Brous as an equal to my Hinderer Jurassic, Olamic Wayfarer Compact, Guardian Helix, Tighe Fighter (small), Bastinelli Safe, or Protech TR-4 folders.

I’m super happy with all of them but the Brous may be my choice as the one with the nicest action. Although, the Olamic is pretty tough to beat.

I can’t vouche for other Brous models but my Mini Division (3.25”) is a great knife.

 

[Comeuppance]

My only real experience with Brous was back in 2013 or so, when bearing flippers were more of a premium offering and the Brous Bionic wasn't a bad deal. Nowadays, an aluminum-scale folder with plain brass-caged bearings (not ceramic or KVT) with D2 steel doesn't really stand out. Also, the quality of said knife was pretty lackluster, with a gritty pivot and an edge that wasn't anything to write home about. I had a Reloader for a bit as well, but that one had centering issues, flipped poorly, and had play in all directions unless you cranked the pivot down to the point where it didn't flip at all.

I sort of mentally categorize Brous in the same group as Quartermaster - overpriced, impractical, usually ugly, and too focused on being "edgy". I kinda want to pick up one of the newer Echelon folders, but the $200 price tag coupled with the materials (D2 and G10, shock and surprise) makes it a hard purchase to justify given that I basically just want to play with it and would be moving it at a loss shortly thereafter.

 

[Chefget]

Always laughed out loud at Brous (nee Cut-throat) blades....never, ever thought I'd purchase one.

But the design by Elijam Isham intrigued me, and after seeing some positive reviews on the Tube decided to order one.

At $100 off retail it's still not inexpensive, but this is a surprisingly nice knife! Flips great (with a very differently positioned tab), nice edge out of the box, grinds are interesting, well done and even; really slick and well thought out design, steel insert lock bar, gently falls closed, perfectly centered. My only feedback would be to cut a detent ramp to facilitate closing, and lose the writing on the pocket clip. Rock solid lock up and tight when closed. 4.1 inch cutting edge @ 4.75 ounces. Well functioning pocket clip. Numbered 064/250.

Never thought I'd own (and certainly not carry) a Brous, but this one is going in rotation.

It's a really nice knife.

-Michael

 

[Lapedog]

The only knives I’ve ever handled of his was the silent soldier with the finger hole. I have allot of knives and I sharpen knives for some ppl. That knife was suck a wedge, I free hand so I don’t know the exact angle I sharpened it at. But I’d say somewhere in the 25 per side rage, It would be a terrible edc knife. I’m his defense that’s not meant to be an edc more of a defensive blade. But I will say it had horrible action and red lock tight that I couldbt get off even with heat.

Thanks for all the comments guys! More positive then I thought it would be.

Sounds like there might have been a bad grind on the example you saw. I have owned a total of 5 Silent Soldier neck knives and they were all very well ground and sharp.