A W&SS standardized knife test.

tonym said:
You sound kind of cranky for a Newly Wed, shouldn't you be locked up in a room with your new beautiful wife.:confused:

I think fuzz sticks actually do tell you something. Yes fuzz sticks can be made with any knife, but the user can definately tell a difference between knives. Some knives glide through with minimal pressure, and some get hung up and pop out of the grain. You can tell in pics when people are forcing their knife through wood to make a fuzzy..

I do hear you about the same old stuff in a review, but it does make sense to do the same old stuff, as long as the reviewer can be honest about which is better or worse..

As for showing what makes the knife special and stand out; I am all for that! But I think we shouldn't leave out the basics either.

Just my crappy oppinion:)
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Well said !;):thumbup:
 
A picture IS worth a thousand words.
Reviews need pics, pics and more pics.
Left side, right side, top down, bottom up.
Also a ruler in the shot helps, in hand shots, and if possible side by side shots with similar knives or knives from the same manufacturer or at least pics of it next to a few select familiar stand-bys (91 mm SAK/Buck 119/Kabar USMC etc).
Also with folders you need open AND closed pics.
And detailed technical specs, blade thickness (is the thickness uniform or distal tapered?), tang specs, steel type, handle material, type of grind.
Then finally all the actual testing/result type stuff,lol.
 
tonym said:
You sound kind of cranky for a Newly Wed, shouldn't you be locked up in a room with your new beautiful wife.:confused:

I think fuzz sticks actually do tell you something. Yes fuzz sticks can be made with any knife, but the user can definately tell a difference between knives. Some knives glide through with minimal pressure, and some get hung up and pop out of the grain. You can tell in pics when people are forcing their knife through wood to make a fuzzy..

I do hear you about the same old stuff in a review, but it does make sense to do the same old stuff, as long as the reviewer can be honest about which is better or worse..

As for showing what makes the knife special and stand out; I am all for that! But I think we shouldn't leave out the basics either.

Just my crappy oppinion:)
Click to expand...

They do tell something about the sharpness, especially if it is modified or if the user is using green wood. I'm not ruling the practice nor am I putting it down, I'm just saying I'm bored with it! Make a broom or a Christmas tree or a little bird on a stick. Whether it is a good test or not is not the point at all, it just gets repetitive. Get the woodcraft book, close your eyes, and pick a page to do something!
 
I think having a template of what constitutes a thorough knife test could be helpful for many. It could serve as a guideline of what to look for and put the knife through when testing and what to make sure to include when writing it up.

It isn't necessarry for anyone to strictly adhere to the format, but its presence could help us remember things we might otherwise miss.
 
Some cutting is not only the quality of the knife but also the skill of the user. I don't post reviews because there are so many guys here who know so much more than I do. It would be nice to have a standard procedure but different people expect different things from different knives. I read most reviews and have gotten ideas that were helpful or influenced a new knife. I agree with more pictures and the idea of trying something a bit different from time to time.
 
I think having a template of what constitutes a thorough knife test could be helpful for many. It could serve as a guideline of what to look for and put the knife through when testing and what to make sure to include when writing it up.

It isn't necessarry for anyone to strictly adhere to the format, but its presence could help us remember things we might otherwise miss.
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this is why i started this thread.

So... do we make one or not? i am hearing a lot of yes and a lot of "nah, not worth it."
 
Even if there was a standardized test, I doubt it would be followed for more than the first few reviews done after it. Reviews are subject to the reviewer. If one person doesn't ever need to chop/baton/make fuzz sticks, or just doesn't want to, why make them? I understand that it would be for everyone else, but the knife is his(hers) and it is for his(her) needs.
 
Bushman5 said:
more photos of the knives people are reviewing

pics

- of knife held in hand
- spine shot
- handle/frame shot
- knife next to a beer can (universal sizing device) for size comparision
- side shot
- knife in sheath shot


etc
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bushman brings up something very important, pictures really are worth a thousand words to me at least, a good amount of pictures will always give me a better feel of the knife than even the best word description
 
Pictures and good quality video tell more than you can imagine.

Larger knives lend to batoning and chopping, smaller knives lend themselves to whittling and small chores, and that's what most content will be.

I thoroughly enjoy the reviews I see here, spoons, batoning, chopping, etc.

I would like measuring tapes or rulers used in more pictures, rather than the "tip stuck in a stump" standard.
 
I like to put knives to certain tasks with my reviews, not just fuzz sticks.

From the reviewers side, I get a much better feel for knife when I set out to use it for bushcraft or woodcraft projects.
Fuzz sticks will be made when shaving down a handle too, not only when firemaking,
notching comes into play not only in fireboards but in carving or serrating hooks or points,
batoning not just with kindling but when creating useful tools or bowls or bullroarers, for example.

In this way a review is also a tutorial and source of ideas.

Extended use is also a big, big factor for me. Using a knife to carve something or for scraping a hide is a longer period than say,
10 minutes of fuzz sticks. A knife may function well short term, but be uncomfortable after an hour.
Edge retention is also better measured over extended use.
 
One of THE most important tasks that a knife should be able to do, is cutting up dead animals.
A knife that can perform the normal 'camp' chores, and then easily skin out an animal and process it, is the kind of knife that I appreciate.

It seems that most folks here are into chopping wood with their knives, but I do a lot of hunting, and I have to have a knife that performs well on game.
 
pitdog said:
Good idea but I have found that many on here don't want to upset the maker of their latest knife and so gloss over the truth a little !
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This is something I pride myself on - I don't gloss.

Here is the deal. Every time I have had some criticism for makers - they are HAPPY to hear it. I crushed Walt's first sheaths (his latest are looking awesome by the way) and Walt simply got better. I didn't like Stompers handles, he thanked me, and I knew that it was more style than function. and so on.

If you do a review - be honest, don't be an ass, but be honest. The maker wants it.

I know when I get an honest review, warts and all, on a product I made - I listen more than 'GREAT!'.


Although the GREATS are nice too.

TF
 
Talfuchre, Mannlicher both good points...

Although not all blades are capable of hunting or fishing chores, I feel they should be tested more in those areas.
 
What I would truly like to see is knife reviews on reflection a bit more often than knife reviews on opening [the package]. I'm as guilty as the next guy of getting a new blade and then posting a bunch on it with my initial impressions.

How many of us here are sitting on knives that we've been using for a year or two but don't feel inspired to review them, because they ain't the new glam of the week/month. If I were to encourage anything, it would be a series of 'real user reviews'. This would be like that tv show COPs, with all the nitty gritty. You pull a user from your collection and then talk about why you decided to keep this blade rather than trade it off like you did the half other dozen of blades that look very similar to this one. What makes it a special blade to you that you keep going back to it etc. etc.

As much as I like the eye candy of the latest glam and the bum rush to post the newest model of company X, I'd really like to see more user reviews that have genuine insights of what made that blade past the most rigorous test of them all - boredom of having it....That last test is a kicker man....How many times have you heard people screaming 'this is the one', only to post up a new glam blade 3 weeks later and tell you why the new glam was so great?
 
I agree KGD - I need to review my H&C knife and add to my other user knives. It has been a while and I can add to them with newer thoughts.

TF
 
Another thing to consider is that you're getting subjective opinions from a variety of testers. As I see it, the only reasonable thing for everyone to do is send their knives to me. I'll use them for a few years and let you know what I think.

What could be more consistent than that?
 
paleojoe said:
I like to put knives to certain tasks with my reviews, not just fuzz sticks.

From the reviewers side, I get a much better feel for knife when I set out to use it for bushcraft or woodcraft projects.
Fuzz sticks will be made when shaving down a handle too, not only when firemaking,
notching comes into play not only in fireboards but in carving or serrating hooks or points,
batoning not just with kindling but when creating useful tools or bowls or bullroarers, for example.

In this way a review is also a tutorial and source of ideas.

Extended use is also a big, big factor for me. Using a knife to carve something or for scraping a hide is a longer period than say,
10 minutes of fuzz sticks. A knife may function well short term, but be uncomfortable after an hour.
Edge retention is also better measured over extended use.
Click to expand...
I agree :thumbup: :thumbup:

I would also prefer to see a reviewer free to do the review the way they see fit.

This way I not only get an insight into the knife, but equally importantly I get an insight into the type of knife user the reviewer is :D




Kind regards
Mick
 
I'm not particularly keen on a standardized test - but I do think that talking about the sort of features that should go into a standardized test will make for a fruitful discussion.

A few things I would like to see in reviews:

  • sheath reviews! How does it carry? How does it draw? F&F? Retention? Nice and sturdy? These are huge considerations for me.
  • How does it sharpen? Yeah, I know - it came shaving sharp. But can you put the edge back on with a stone or strop? Does it hold an edge well?
  • Part II / looking back reviews! Initial impressions and tests are useful, but I like to see reviews that return to a knife after a period of use (a long trip, a few seasons, etc). You get different information from a "great new knife shaves decent fuzz sticks" review and a "just came back from a week in the mountains - used this blade to clean trout and prep fires" review

All the best,

- Mike
 
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