knife rags vs forums?

hardheart

hardheart

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I was just flipping through the Jan '12 (:confused:) issue of TK and saw the editorial "Web of Lies" where Dick complains about online posts. He said he got a message saying that the mag's review of the HEST folder did not reflect the negative points raised online. He then goes on about people breaking knives, pushing agendas, stating that online posters want $10 Moras to equal $500 customs, etc. He even alludes to Noss. Funny thing, the problems with the HEST weren't from breakages and batoning, but out of the box issues with the wrong parts and construction issues (ie wrong pin causing the tip to sit proud of the handle when closed). These also weren't fabricated issues for "street cred", as Lionsteel and HEST acknowledged and dealt with them (whether or not it was to the satisfaction of the buyers is something else) He didn't see a problem with the one, singular, lone example he took pictures of. OK. Kinda why multiple user reviews is much more helpful in identifying these issues.

Then he mentions how his mag somehow set the example by withholding a review of the Gerber BG fixed blade. The early ones reportedly had a problem with the metal pommel breaking off the plastic handle. They didn't alert their readership to this, but instead waited until the problem was "fixed", and I guess until after a lot of people bought the defective models (at least those who waited for a magazine review and did not educate themselves online) They waited and gave the knife a favorable review. Not sure what the point of a review is if it isn't to review the actual knife you used, but instead keep waiting until you don't have to mention the bad parts.

There is a lot of groupthink and hearsay online. Myths get perpetuated, one story gets retold a thousand times to make an issue seem more frequent than it is. A post is reworded over and over until the truth is lost to background noise. This is all true. But I don't see negative reviews in gun and knife magazines.

What is more honest and reliable in your opinion? I very rarely buy magazines because there is more, and more accurate, information available online with research, imo/e. I've been buying regularly this last year because I wanted something to read with all the flights around theater I have to take.
 
Online is more reliable. I don't buy that mag anymore because it's all fluff. You're hard pressed to find anything negative in that magazine(or any magazine) especially when the knife being "reviewed" was made by a company that has a full page add. :rolleyes:
 
I went all of 2007 without the internet and got a bunch of gun and knife magazines to fill the void, it's kind of like QVC in written form. I remember not so favorable reviews in 90's magazines and comparison tests with actual losers. It's understandable that they feel threatened and vulnerable.

With the internet usually there is a way for someone to call b.s. on bad information or blatantly false information, with magazines you have the authors/editor just preaching to the masses.
 
hardheart said:
But I don't see negative reviews in gun and knife magazines.
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I subscribed to several gun mags back in the 80's and most of them gave rave reviews to everything even a total POS.

IHMSHO many of those "journalists" were on the payroll or getting free guns or some kind of shwag.

On notable exception was Peter G. Kokalis who was SOF's Technical Editor back then (and later became Editor in Chief). Mr Kokalis always called a dogturd a dogturd.

Anyway, beware any review coming from a mag that also runs ads for the same knife. The so-called review could actually be part of the new product ad blitz.
 
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"Tactical" magazines depend heavily upon advertising dollars to support payroll.
How many advertisers do you think are going to continue their accounts if bad product reviews start rolling out?
 
I only use magazines to keep in touch with certain aspects of the industry I don't hear about as much online. The reviews are all bogus, as far as I'm concerned. When Blade gave the WASP knife (:barf:) a favorable review that sent up a huge red flag for me.
 
I cancelled my subscription to Tactical Knives a while ago. Too many reviews of bs knives "I would trust my life to," not enough substance.
 
They're fun to read, and often times I find out about knives that I might have missed otherwise. Does that mean I swallow everything that I read? Absolutely not. But I don't do that on the forums either. Many of the reviews you at least see some testing and get some detail that you don't get from the usual one liner review you get on the forums.

At the end of the day, all either format does for me is alert me to a product. It remains MY responsibility to do research and thoroughly educate myself about the knives I purchase. If I end up with a knife I don't like because I trusted everything I read in a magazine or on the forums, I have nobody to blame but myself.
 
Guyon said:
"Tactical" magazines depend heavily upon advertising dollars to support payroll.
How many advertisers do you think are going to continue their accounts if bad product reviews start rolling out?
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Bingo!

BTW, it applies to any magazine. You can't bite the hand that feeds ya.
 
I don't for knives. They are quite simple after all. It's not so hard to find a post or get an opinion from someone more knowledgeable than myself on a sharp things. But for other interest I most certainly do enjoy magazines.
 
Magazines get paid to advertise things, whether it's cologne, booze, video games, clothes, sunglasses, knives, guns, cigars, or whatever. Oftentimes articles in magazines are advertisements for products. Obviously if a magazine gives a lot of negative reviews, vendors won't want to advertise the junk they're trying to sell. Magazines that give favorable reviews to just about everything will have more vendors lining up to pay them for what amounts to ad space.

Forums, even with their faults, are better sources of information than magazines. There may be a lot of people restating things without firsthand knowledge, but I imagine there aren't many people secretly getting paid to sing praises for various products or bash other products. It may take a bit of digging and some patience, but there is a vast amount of information, good and bad reviews for products, and honest opinions to be found on a forum.
 
I'm not much on Magazines these days they due to the fact that they have seem to have become nothing more than glorified advertisments I mean I'd be willing to wager that some of our more dedicated and experienced forum members know more about fine cutlery than any of these "authors".
 
I get 100% of my info from internet.

I picked up a knife magazine while in a bookstore about 8-9 months ago, and was frustrated once I got it home and realized over half of the magazine was advertisements.

People tend to speak freely on the forums, and as long as I keep the filter on I find the info much more reliable and helpful.
 
As a former media member (Radio Program Director, Newspaper/ Magazine Advertising Sales). It's a scratch my back, I'll scratch yours world when it comes to it all (especially magazines). If you want a product review, you have to be an existing ad client, or getting ready to sign an advertising contract. No way a magazine will trash a product of one of their clients, they may side step problematic issues though. The bigger the money contract, the bigger the article/ review as well!
 
I think you can get far more relevant information from the internet. The only problem is sorting through it all and trying to determine what's accurate and what's BS. Which really isn't as easy as one might think.

I used to base a lot of my buying decisions on online reviews, until I learned that a lot of reviews are padded favorably either by the online seller, or the manufacturer. Now, for knives at least, I read what the good folks here on BF are saying. :)
 
Guyon said:
"Tactical" magazines depend heavily upon advertising dollars to support payroll.
How many advertisers do you think are going to continue their accounts if bad product reviews start rolling out?
Click to expand...

this.

many, many published reviews fit the category of 'Advertorial', eg: advertising dressed up as editorial content.
 
Forums are superior for real knowledge, information, and learning. That being said I do enjoy a knife rag every now and again.
 
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