I'll describe what I like to see in a good review.
First off, no intros, or music, or titles... just get on with it.
Project your voice loudly and clearly and have a well lit surface, film on a sunny day with your windows open to let the light in.
The first thing you should show is the knife. Give it a flip, show it in hand, show all the sides of it. Often times all I want to see is what it looks like in hand, how it flips or opens, what it sounds like (if you have a good mic). As you're doing this, introduce the knife. That gives the audience something to look at as you're making any introductory statements ect.
Then show how it compares next to other commonly owned production knives. Show them side by side.
The briefly go over all the specs. Don't spend too much time doing this though. I can look up the specs anywhere, so for the sake of keeping the video short you can breeze through this.
Then give me your opinions. After all, this is your review. Discuss intrinsic qualities specific to the knife, the overall build quality, quality of materials used, fit and finish, blade steel, price you paid, where you bought it, how long have you been carrying it, factory sharpness, any blade play, most appropriate uses, ease of maintenance (how hard is it to disassemble/re-assemble), how it feels in hand, any hot spots, pocket clip retention... ect. Anything you can think of really. If you find any criticisms show an example of how you would like to see it. For example, if the flipper has no jimping and you find it to be slippery, show a knife with a flipper that you prefer and discuss why that knife is better. Others may not agree, and maybe they prefer a flipper to be smooth. Doesn't matter, this is your review and you should talk about what you like.
Then discuss any extrinsic qualities about the knife. Those are things like rarity or reputation. Where the knife is made and whats your opinion about that. For example, some guys get a kick out of limited edition knives and are wiling to pay more for that. It's a neat feeling knowing only 49 other people in the world have a knife like yours. Emerson knives have a reputation for being tough and true to their name, and (in my opinion) some use that as crutch to overlook any build quality issues. Chris Reeve knives have a reputation for having the tightest tolerances of any production brand. Why would such tight tolerances facilitate a better knife? Some Americans only like to see USA made knives, what are your views on that? What if the knife maker is a lying jackass? Does that matter? Would you support his company with your business? Basically it's any reason to like or dislike the knife for reasons that have nothing to do with the physical knife itself.
As for cutting or performance tests, personally I'd just take your word for it. Or I'd prefer it to be in a separate video, but cardboard and manilla rope seem to be popular choices. Then zip through some phonebook paper to see if you notice any differences in the edge after cutting.
Lastly, sum it up. Is the knife worth the money, would you recommend it, overall impressions, future expectations.... ect.
