Reviewing Reviews

M

me2

Joined
Oct 11, 2003
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I hate to be overly critical, but I read a knife review that was some what disappointing. The knife in question was meant for military use with a 5" blade and went for $250.

My issue with the review was that it didnt really make sense to me. The author states he prefers knives like this one have at least 5" blades, which this meets. He also says that another common model used for similar purposes has trouble with broken tips. He then states that this new knife should have no trouble with that. However, I have to assume that the reviewer determined this just by looking at it, since no mention was made of any activities done to check tip strength. Also, the most extensive use of the knife was butchering a chicken. Some paracord and manilla rope was cut, though the author said the edge didnt cut the manilla rope very well. At the end of the review, the author pronounces that the maker/designer is once again ahead of the curve in knives for this type of use. My main criticism is that this pronouncement was made after performing tasks that any decent butcher knife can do. The knife looks good and seems fine based on the pictures in the review but the reviewer might as well have looked at pictures too.
 
I hate to say it, but you get what you pay for with these reviews.

Some are very helpful and detailed, some are just some guy who wants to talk about his new toy. You can always reply to the review with questions if something wasn't clear or wasn't addressed.

I wouldn't expect every review to be professionally written and fully detailed on an internet knife forum. We aren't all experts.
 
If a person who is reviewing a knife can't even use it for its intended purpose but can recommended the knife for the things he hasn't done why is that person reviewing knives at all? I wouldn't be surprised if that review was in a magazine either.
 
Allcaps321 said:
If a person who is reviewing a knife can't even use it for its intended purpose but can recommended the knife for the things he hasn't done why is that person reviewing knives at all? I wouldn't be surprised if that review was in a magazine either.
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Your intuition is astounding.
 
A lot of reviews are good just to get better/different views of a knife and the reviewers thoughts. I take them with a grain of salt and use what I can and ignore the rest. I think they are fun to watch and sometimes very entertaining.
 
I imagine that its kept mostly to opinions and a few quick and easy tasks rather then exhaustive use because exhaustive use would expose a real weakness in the design or craftsmanship of a knife if comparisons are made. Something they might want to avoid doing because they could alienate fans and loose viewers/readers/subscriptions.
 
I can't speak for others, but personally, when I review a knife (or gun, or boat, or 4x4, or anything else for that matter) I'm reviewing something I own and don't want to destroy. That really limits the torture tests I'm willing to do.
 
You dont have to torture it. But if you opine that it should have a certain blade length for use as a weapon, how about some stabbing tests or comment on the guards ability to keep your hand from sliding onto the blade. How about not contradicting the conclusions in the article. How can the designer/manufacturer be ahead of the curve with a knife that has trouble cutting rope? Is it too much to ask that something a little challenging be done to show the knife deserves the praise it got at the end of the review.
 
me2 said:
You dont have to torture it. But if you opine that it should have a certain blade length for use as a weapon, how about some stabbing tests or comment on the guards ability to keep your hand from sliding onto the blade. How about not contradicting the conclusions in the article. How can the designer/manufacturer be ahead of the curve with a knife that has trouble cutting rope? Is it too much to ask that something a little challenging be done to show the knife deserves the praise it got at the end of the review.
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Have you considered writing the reviewer? Maybe they could give a response to your criticism. At the very least we could be entertained by their response or they might even have something of substances to say for once.
 
I've never written a letter-to-the-editor before, but this was pretty bad. I'll get the address and see what happens.
 
b yond said:
I hate to say it, but you get what you pay for with these reviews.

Some are very helpful and detailed, some are just some guy who wants to talk about his new toy. You can always reply to the review with questions if something wasn't clear or wasn't addressed.

I wouldn't expect every review to be professionally written and fully detailed on an internet knife forum. We aren't all experts.
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+1 ,or english majors or paid for it so...
 
Just an FYI, this was a professional writer who got paid for the article, and was sent the knife for evaluation.
 
Few reviews are done for the primary purpose of informing the viewer, so we often do not see a lot of data developed. They are done because people love their knives, and "reviewing" them is an excuse to play with them, take pics and talk about them. While some are more in depth than others, it seems to me that most folks just love their toys and "reviewing" them is really just an excuse to play with them. Nothing wrong with that, but there just aren't a lot of Cliff Stamps in this world who really put a knife through its paces.
 
Nope. Not in this case. There are hobbiest reviews all over creation that do the same thing as this review. But I think its reasonable to expect a little more. I really didnt want to, but I suppose I should buy the source so I can compare the review to others published at the same time. If they're all like that we might be looking at a widespread issue. I'm also pretty biased as I think a $10 Old Hickory could do just as good, though Id be reluctant to do any hard stabs without adding a substantial guard. The reviewed blade would undoubtedly hold an edge longer, but that was not mentioned in the review.
 
not taking sides but I know what you mean. most reviews in magazines are about worthless. IMO.
 
There was a recent review of the Surefire tactical pen somewhere on BF after the owner had used it for a year or two. It was really fantastic to read, since the reviewer had a great sense of the pen's strong and weak points and clearly had enjoyed it enough to keep using it.
 
It's not on line. And I'd rather not name the source until I've had a chance to whine to them directly.
 
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