Wonderful.
Well, since Jacob decided to throw gas on the fire, I think it's time we cleared the air. I've read the other thread full of personal attacks from people that have never met me. That's fine. I've been at this for over 3 years, and if there is one thing I know for certain, not everyone is going to like you.
However, there seems to be a L-O-T of half-truths, filling in the blanks, and twisted words going around. I had someone comment on a video the other day stating some of this, so I know it ain't right. So I'll set the record straight. From what I have gathered, there are about 4 things that seem to be sticking points. So lets address those.
ISSUE #1: "CHRIS TANNER THINKS HE'S GOING TO 'IMPROVE' ETHAN BECKERS DESIGN, OR MAKE SOMETHING BETTER"
This is the first one because this one is the most maddening to me. Talk about twisting words. I wanted to give Ethan CREDIT for inspiring me. I didn't "take his design" or "change his design". The one, and only thing those two knives have in common is a 9" blade of roughly the same height. THAT'S IT. I didn't make a combat knife. But I wanted to come up with something that is totally new...something that takes a straight 9" blade but will do different things based on how to hold it. And it you add a 8" angled handle, it IS going to chop harder. But they are nowhere near the same...not even close. In fact, I went out of my way to make sure even the blade was much different. Thickness, grind height, angle of grind, 90 degree spine, no forward swedge. The differences go on and on. But the Becker BK9 was my inspiration, and I will continue to say that because it's true. And I do NOT see how that is wrong, when I made a completely different tool. Anyone that holds both knives at the same time and thinks that they are ANYTHING alike is reeeeeeeally reaching. There isn't a knife maker or designer alive that does not have influences and inspirations.
ISSUE #2: "CHRIS TANNER CALLED THOSE SCHRADE KNIVES 'BECKER KILLERS'"
OK, I did say that, and those were some incredibly stupid words. I later did other videos and said "No". But let me first explain what I meant by that. When you have a knife channel, you get 10 messages a day asking for help choosing a knife. And at the time, I was heavily pushing Ka-Bar/Becker. But I have a LARGE contingent of budget buys that say they just cannot afford a $75 knife. When those knives came out, They were 1095 and had sharp 90 degree spines. I got excited. FINALLY!! Something I can recommend to these budget guys. They were built for the WOODS, not for combat. I was BIG on the 90 degree spine thing at the time (I go back and forth). They only required stripping the horrid coating. But after much use, I just decided I still liked my Beckers more, even if I had to spend time modding them. So I apologize for that. I don't script, I just turn on the camera and start talking. But that WAS an understandable reason for people to be pissed at me. BTW though...I have done unspeakable things to the new Schrade knives. They aren't the cheap crap a lot of people say they are. But personal preference and opinions ARE everyones right.
Keep in mind one thing: When you are in the business of testing and reviewing and recommending knives, you can't be a one-brand show.
ISSUE #3: "CHRIS TANNER SAID MEAN THINGS ABOUT KABAR AND ETHAN BECKER"
First off....I NEVER said ANYTHING bad about Ethan Becker!! THAT pisses ME off. But I DID get mad at Ka-Bar. Real mad. Maybe I shouldn't have, and I certainly am not anymore, but let me tell you what was going on at the time.
I had just spent a significant amount of time pushing Ka-Bar Becker to my audience. (this will tie into Issue #4). And at the time, I wasn't exactly making bank. But I WAS converting a LOT of people. Multiple people a week were emailing and PMing me pictures of their new BK7 or BK9 they got because of watching me rave about them. I wanted to help sell even more. So when I was at SHOT Show 2 years ago, Ethan introduced me to the higher-ups at Ka-Bar which flat out told me to my face "Yes, We can definitely work with you on this". All I needed was a different Becker model every so often and I would do what I could to beef up sales. I even told them "Let's wait till I get a little bigger and then we'll do this". I had about 24,000 subscribers. I waited until I had over 50,000 subscribers before contacting them again. No Reply. Then Ethan got involved and HE contacted them. He gave he the head guys email I talked to, the one that said we could work together on this.
Finally I got an email from the guy. I was a badly written form-letter that was obviously written for ever Tom, Dick , and Harry that comes along. He couldn't even take the time to address me directly and say "No, we decided not to go ahead with the Youtube thing".
After all that time pushing a company on my own because I believed in them, to have the guy do that even after the DESIGNER of the series got involved...well that felt like someone shoving a middle finger right into your nose. And yeah...I snapped. I was pissed. That felt completely disrespectful, especially when companies I have helped even less can talk to me directly. So I went on a "F*** Ka-Bar" rampage. NOT a "F*** Ethan Becker" rampage. I did not blame Ethan at all. But that was out of his hands. So I decided to stop supporting them because instead of a simple "We appreciate your support, but We're not doing test samples anymore", I got a "F*** Off"
That sucked because I was such a HUGE Ka-Bar fan. But as with all things, over time I just got over it. But at the time, I took it very personally.
SIDE NOTE(ISSUE #4): People have said "He thinks he made the BK7 popular!". Well...I DID breathe life into it. I'm sorry, but it is what it is. When I was an active forum member here, everyone was into BK2s, BK9s, and BK5s. Very few BECKERHEADS were posting about the BK7. So I came up with an experiment. I had this crazy idea to see if I could make people want it again. That is where the "Jessica" thing started. I got the idea from watching the Full Metal Jacket scene about naming your rifle. I decided to name my BK7, and joke about it and treat it like a character in a show. AND IT WORKED. I got 5-7 emails a week at one point for a good 6-7 months from viewers who just got their "Jessica" and what a great knife it was, and Thank You for recommending it!
See...my methods might be unorthodox, and they might not always make sense...but there is always a plan behind it. Especially if it's something quirky like that.
Lets see...was there something else? I don't think so. I think ISSUE #4 was the "Taking credit for the BK7 thing", but I tied that into the last part.
I've always liked Ethan Becker and Becker knives, and I always will...regardless of whether or not you guys like ME. And I will continue to support Ethan. I just started pushing the BK21, and I've even considering finally giving the BK4 a try. The BK4 is to me what Jessica-X is to you...it doesn't make sense, but I suspect if I actually TRY it and give it a chance, it will.
A lot of member posted some pretty hateful things in that last thread. And congratulations! You won! Because that thread is the first google result when you google "SCHF43". I've been advised that it is actionable, since it's full of a lot of stuff that is in no way true, and I am a business entity. But I said screw it. Sometimes you just gotta walk away.
I'm not sure what all the personal attacks are about, or why people are SO bothered by me that "I make their blood boil". Really? If that's the case, WHY watch? There are all sorts of channels I can't stand. I don't watch them. But I don't troll them either. I don't slander them, call them names, or other stuff.
What I DO do, is share my platform. How many 100K plus channels can you name that REGULARLY helps out smaller channels by letting my audience see them on MY channel? There's one such channel in here. Had less than 10 videos, yet I shared his channel to my audience, asked them to sub, gave him my time at Blade Show, and offered to do anything else he needs. Youtube is a LOT better when channels work together and aren't at each other throats, clawing at each other to be at the top of the pile.
I've said my piece. If you want to continue hating me and believing that I'm stealing something from Ethan, I can't stop you. But at least now there IS another side to the story.
Carry on....
