Rick Hinderer sent Cease and Desist to Youtuber for saying the steel was soft in his knife?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Insipid Moniker said:
And does he have any professional qualifications at testing or interpreting data? Because if the lawsuit has correctly cited his alleged statements he vastly overstated what he could possibly have learned from the testing he did, which is something only an amateur would do.
Click to expand...
That’s why the correct response would be a properly executed counter argument. Sending the lawyers out will only appear as an attempt to silence contrarian views. It adds credibility to the media personality and does nothing for the brand. It just leaves everyone thinking that Hinderer must have something to hide.

How different had he invited the clown over to his shop and invited him to rerun his tests correctly. It would have been a teaching moment for everyone and it would have debunked the misinformation and been a net positive for the brand. There is no negative exposure, just a nice opportunity to properly present the brand to a new audience.

n2s
 
not2sharp said:
That’s why the correct response would be a properly executed counter argument. Sending the lawyers out will only appear as an attempt to silence contrarian views. It adds credibility to the media personality and does nothing for the brand. It just leaves everyone thinking that Hinderer must have something to hide.

How different had he invited the clown over to his shop and invited him to rerun his tests correctly. It would have been a teaching moment for everyone and it would have debunked the misinformation.

n2s
Click to expand...
If you think for one moment TK would’ve accepted an invite to Rick’s shop, I have a bridge to sell you.
 
not2sharp said:
That’s why the correct response would be a properly executed counter argument. Sending the lawyers out will only appear as an attempt to silence contrarian views. It adds credibility to the media personality and does nothing for the brand. It just leaves everyone thinking that Hinderer must have something to hide.

How different had he invited the clown over to his shop and invited him to rerun his tests correctly. It would have been a teaching moment for everyone and it would have debunked the misinformation and been a net positive for the brand. There is no negative exposure, just a nice opportunity to properly present the brand to a new audience.

n2s
Click to expand...
That doesn't follow at all from the statement you're quoting. And in the letter RHK claims to have reached out to TK on a couple of occasions and not received a response. TK has disputed this, so it's hard to say where the truth lies in that, but if true it certainly means that Hinderer attempted to resolve this without getting lawyers involved and got no response. How long do you suggest he continue to do so before sending a response like this?
 
Insipid Moniker said:
That doesn't follow at all from the statement you're quoting. And in the letter RHK claims to have reached out to TK on a couple of occasions and not received a response. TK has disputed this, so it's hard to say where the truth lies in that, but if true it certainly means that Hinderer attempted to resolve this without getting lawyers involved and got no response. How long do you suggest he continue to do so before sending a response like this?
Click to expand...
You invite him once to go over his experience with you and if that fails you invite Nick Shabazz and go over the issues raised by TK. You mention that TK was invited to join you but he refused to show up, and then work with Nick to test and demonstrate why you disagree with TK’s assumptions.

n2s
 
not2sharp said:
You invite him once to go over his experience with you and if that fails you invite Nick Shabazz and go over the issues raised by TK. You mention that TK was invited to join you but he refused to show up, and then work with Nick to test and demonstrate why you disagree with TK’s assumptions.

n2s
Click to expand...
So you give every guy living in their parents basement that challenges your business your undivided attention?

….Why?
 
not2sharp said:
That’s why the correct response would be a properly executed counter argument. Sending the lawyers out will only appear as an attempt to silence contrarian views. It adds credibility to the media personality and does nothing for the brand. It just leaves everyone thinking that Hinderer must have something to hide.

How different had he invited the clown over to his shop and invited him to rerun his tests correctly. It would have been a teaching moment for everyone and it would have debunked the misinformation and been a net positive for the brand. There is no negative exposure, just a nice opportunity to properly present the brand to a new audience.

n2s
Click to expand...

The people who think Hinderer has something to hide almost certainly do not have a business, or if they do then they've never had some IG amateur-hour clout-chaser rustle up a cancel mob against them and seen the impact it can have on the bottom line of that small business.
 
not2sharp said:
You invite him once to go over his experience with you and if that fails you invite Nick Shabazz and go over the issues raised by TK. You mention that TK was invited to join you but he refused to show up, and then work with Nick to test and demonstrate why you disagree with TK’s assumptions.

n2s
Click to expand...
So do you fly Nick Shabazz out to do that and provide lodging or is he paying his own way for this trip? I don't get the impression that Nick lives on the outskirts of Shreve, OH.
 
Quiet said:
The people who think Hinderer has something to hide almost certainly do not have a business, or if they do then they've never had some IG amateur-hour clout-chaser rustle up a cancel mob against them and seen the impact it can have on the bottom line of that small business.
Click to expand...
It not that I think he has something to hide, but I believe it could be better handled.

n2s
 
DayofReckoning said:
One of the highest regarded knife makers in the business goes with the nuclear option and has a set of lawyers type up a 30 page temper tamp trum, all because a tiny little Instagram account with less than 7,000 subscribers made a negative comment about their steel.

If that's the case, then how many dozens, hundreds of people right here on Bladeforums could be open to a similar lawsuit for results of blade testing that's been posted here that might not exactly fall in line with the manufacturers specs?

Maybe Hinderer is in the right here. Or then again, maybe there is some truth to transparentknives claims and it stuck a nerve. I don't know.

But the situation reminds me of when Tony Marfione snapped and threatened to sue someone over a random comment suggesting he copied the Natrix. The child like "I'll sue you" type reactions seem to suggest there could be some truth to it.

I believe cases like these can easily become a slippery slope.
Click to expand...
I don't know if you follow any of the Facebook knife groups but this is all over one of the biggest and is definitely doing damage to Hinderer's reputation. I have not problem with the c and d letter. He has to protect his good name.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
So do you fly Nick Shabazz out to do that and provide lodging or is he paying his own way for this trip? I don't get the impression that Nick lives on the outskirts of Shreve, OH.
Click to expand...
The legal solution also has a cost. And, it doesn’t have to be Nick, it can be any blogger with standing in the community who can help you to get your message out.

n2s
 
  • Like
Reactions: 353
not2sharp said:
It not that I think he has something to hide, but I believe it could be better handled.

n2s
Click to expand...

At this point, we have two mismatching stories, and I'm just inclined to believe RHK at this point. I have seen Rick be a dbag to people in comments on the Hinderer page, and on IG, but that doesn't sway me against him. I've owned several Hinderers, and now own only two, but the huge "I'm the REAL victim here!" tone of all of Kim's posts and livestreams make my teeth itch. "I mean, all I did is call his entire process and procedure set into question, NOW HE'S AFTER ME!!! I can't afford to pay a lawyer, HELP!"

It's pathetic, if I'm being honest. Seriously, this whole thing is like me going to a local bakery, not liking their bread because it doesn't taste great to me personally then running home and blowing that place up on my local area food blog where I throw out some credentials about how I'm a huge bread nerd who just "wants it done right*" and this bakery is doing it wrong, where all my bum-ass followers immediately jump in the comments like "I NEVER liked that place, I'm sure not going there now!!!" Then I get a letter from the Bakery's legal representative calling me out for calling them out, and I run back to my followers like "Why is this bakery after me??!??!? I JUST CARE ABOUT IT BEING DONE RIGHT!!!!"

See how ridiculous this all is?






* Because yes, that's me, the arbiter of bread. I'm awesome. :rolleyes:
 
not2sharp said:
The legal solution also has a cost. And, it doesn’t have to be Nick, it can be any blogger with standing in the community who can help you to get your message out.

n2s
Click to expand...
And what that would end up being is an advertisement for your business and, as such, it would probably make absolutely no difference to the opinions of the community. Even worse, anyone with any sense and a platform large enough to help would, very appropriately, want to be paid and, IMO, paying another 'influencer' to pitch your product and counteract TKs message makes you look MUCH worse than shooting off a C&D.
 
TK could also could put together one of his “super blade” knives and send to RHK for evaluation with a bottle of Buffalo Trace.

Neither party is covered in glory here, they really should have no problem meeting and talking or speaking by phone and burying the hatchet in a professional and courteous manner.

RHK has a successful company, well respected, innovative, etc. and TK is brash young upstart who says “you’re doing it all wrong old timer” and the “old timer“ thinks about how clueless he used to be just like the brash young upstart. Maybe a mentoring opportunity, not a lawsuit.

Quiet Quiet your bread bakery analogy is funny! “bread nerd” ! Hahaha
 
I honestly hope a positive outcome of this very BF thread, which is still going strong, is that Rick Hinderer sees that many people on BF still care about and love his knives so that a Hinderer subforum will be restarted. Despite a bit disappointed with his 59-61 hrc range of 20cv steel, RHK is actually the only brand of $400+ price that I still have knives of.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top