I am my own expert.
No one knows better than I if a particular knife will suit my needs, or what I like in a knife. No one else can tell me how a knife will feel in my hand throughout a day of use. If I am interested in a particular knife, I buy it. Then I use it for it's intended purpose. And if it doesn't serve me well, then I have the option to sell it (or give it away). But if I let some "experts" opinion influence my knife buying decisions, I might miss out on a knife that would have served me perfectly. I prefer to test knives myself and base my opinions on personal experience.
It's a simple, non-scientific process, but it's worked well for me for several decades.
Good point but if your spending over $ 300 I like to have a second opinion before moving forward. Yea sure any knife under $ 50 pass it on to the next guy if you don't like it.