Tips for good knife reviews.

[Steel130]

Thanks guys for all the responses. I have basicaly tried to incorporate all these things into my videos.

 

[boki_zca]

Most pple cut with their knives are few sheets of paper and then they review the knife! Some table top reviews are ok.....as they show fit and finish of certain knives, but never show use of knife in any other hard use tasks! Bunch of reviews are bs.....and there is few good ones!ps.cutting paper with knives basically dont show nothing........

 

[Dagon]

My recommendations from making several clips:
- first and foremost, do a bit of research about the knife, especially if it is a traditional design, then you can talk about the knife's history and perhaps revisions to the base design throughout its life - this is usually interesting.
- the above being said, open your knife early in the clip. I made that mistake in the beginning as I was telling interesting history tidbits, meanwhile viewers simply wanted to see the knife open.
- write down all your key points and specs on a sneak peek paper, so you don't forget important things and so you don't say "ummmm" too much.
- have a few other knives at hand with which it is interesting to do a quick comparison.
- a personal irritation is with reviews that are overly obsessed with self defense. In practice, utility usage is much more important.
- it may be good to have a big magnifying glass at hand
- put your camera on a tripod
- film in bright conditions, nothing is as awful as dark grainy low contrast video. Film in the highest resolution that your camera allows.
- Don't be afraid to edit your clip before uploading. Watch and listen to the whole clip before uploading!
- Try to keep it short and to the point. I sometimes sin against that, but mainly when it's a knife or maker with rich history.
- Have a look at the video reviews by Stefan Schmalhaus. We share similar non-tactical interest and attitude; and he puts serious preparation and energy in his video review production, the result being that they are probably the best ones on the planet.

If your knives get heavy usage, then it may be interesting to show. My own general usage is regular but rather light/gentlemenlike, I am not going to baton with my knives, hence I do not add cutting demos myself except for the occasional baguette and french cheese I've never cut a piece of paper on screen, I find that very boring to watch. But if you'd typically be carving wood, then people will want to see it. Please don't try to impress by doing things like trying to cut through a refrigerator door etc, leave that to beavis & butthead lookalikes.

 

[JNieporte]

Note that I don't do video reviews (why below) but I've left a good amount of photo reviews here.
I divide mine into a few parts: the blade, the handle, and if applicable, the sheath.
The blade talks about blade steel, Rockwell hardness (I can test mine), length, thickness, grind, shape, how it opens if it's a folder, etc.
The handle describes handle material, thickness, length, liners if it's a folder, tang length if it's a fixed blade, lanyard hole, pocket clip, etc.
Sheath just describes the carrying system. Is it leather, nylon, Kydex? How well does it hold the knife? Does it rattle? Can I attach it to my belt, MOLLE gear, turnout gear, etc.?
The above are things you can find on-line without ever seeing the knife, but I provide them anyway. I try to compare the knife against well-known knives in terms of length and thickness (the Kabar Dozier line is thin, just a little thicker than a Victorinox Classic).

Things like handle traction (the Kershaw Chill has about the same level of grip as the Spyderco Tenacious), lock-up, ease of opening, and pocket clip placement usually get a photo or two. When I snap a photo, of say, lock-up on a linerlock, I take three photos and choose the best one. It's a pain to go through what you'll talk about, find the right lighting, lay everything out the right way, take a photo, and then have it come back blurry or distorted when it comes on the screen. Also, show the knife in a few different grips.

I also consider price in my reviews. A Kershaw Crown (at $15) isn't going to be as great as an Al Mar Eagle (at $120) so I can't base my comparisons fairly that way. Try to be concise; full of useful information, yet not overly technical. Don't use hyperbole too much. By that, don't say "this is the worst knife ever made" but compare it to something. Is it worse than a Gerber EZ Out? A non-locking utility knife? Is it the worst knife made in that price range? Is it the worst knife that specific manufacturer has made? Try to quantify your reasoning. I'm sure I'll think of more, but that's all I have for now.

I don't do video reviews. I have a YouTube account, and some of my reviews are still up, but I quickly learned that video reviews aren't for me. I annunciate well, but I have a southern twang. For some reason, a southern accent makes people not take you seriously. I also hate showing my face; every photo you see of me on the web has my face blacked-out. This is for personal security, and I do have legitimate reasons for doing it. Also, my hand are covered in tattoos. Right hand, I see eight tattoos. Left hand, I see nine. These are very distracting when I'm trying to show something in my hands. I could wear gloves, but I choose not to. The last reason I don't do video reviews any more is because I keep getting asked "why don't you do a nutnfancy-style review?"
L O fricking L. My point is, I quickly learned that it wasn't for me. If you can do video reviews, super. If you have to stick to typed or photo reviews, then there's no problem with that either. Just make sure it's a review and not a regurgitation of the catalog description.

 

[Pete1977]

I agree with singularity's quote of Mike Stewart. Opening a box and cutting some paper isn't a review of a knife. Opening the knife and slicing some paper isn't a review.

I am not going to get into pics and videos because I'm not one to talk. I review knives after using them for a decent amount of time at work, and when I am working I really can't stop and take (good) pics. The ones I do take are crappy cell phone pics. But by the time I have started writing a review I have carried and used the knife for a few weeks to almost a year. The review should be your take on the knife, don't be afraid to tell the bad along with the good.

My last review I think was a Byrd Cara Cara Rescue that lasted over a year with updates. It only ended when I lost the knife overboard. I began another with a second Cara Cara Rescue that I haven't completed, and lately I have been carrying a Queen Mountain Man slipjoint and using it. It is my first long term use of D2 and a slipjoint for commercial fishing. I will write a pretty detailed review probably at the end of the summer. I find that using and carrying only 1 knife (because I am poor LOL) gives me the opportunity to really get to know what the knife excels at and what its limitations are.

"why don't you do a nutnfancy-style review?"
L O fricking L.

LOL I can think of a dozen knife reviewers that are more informative and better at reviewing knives than nutnfancy. You are one of them.

 

[schmalhaus]

- Have a look at the video reviews by Stefan Schmalhaus. We share similar non-tactical interest and attitude; and he puts serious preparation and energy in his video review production, the result being that they are probably the best ones on the planet.

Until now I didn't notice that you have a tendency to massively exaggerate. ;-) Thanks a lot for your very kind words! I had a great mentor (you) when I started my YouTube "career".

Stefan

 

[viper2788]

What I suggest after watching a bunch of video reviews:

-Spend less time on the sheath... give us a quick view, and perhaps a few pros and cons. Many times I would skip like half of the video to the part about the actual knife.

-Unboxing videos = LAME ("as you can see it comes in a box,theres my name and address on the top corner, its got some tape around it... some foam padding inside... heres the receipt... ")

-Plan it out a bit before reviewing. Some folks are like "Yea I think I covered everything... not sure what else to say about this knife" as they keep coming up with little things to add.

 

[jacksterp]

Watch a few of this guy's reviews. I think they are some of the best.

stschmalhaus on youtube.

 

[Oofa]

I think a good video review is one that stays away from the reviewers opinion on what he/she personally likes. Yes, we know you are crazy about your new knife. Now give us a review! Giving a knife a bad review because it doesn't have your favorite material for scales is silly and there are so many out there that do just that. Of course you can mention the short comings of materials, blades, shapes and lanyard holes but a reviewer should not take for granted that everyone wants a huge lanyard hole or no lanyard hole.
Staying professional and sticking to the facts instead of trying to be a comedian, getting overly emotional (like that load in the pants Nutnfancy) or asking the audience to "wait a second while I adjust my camera", turns me off and I just go find another review. It's also a pain when they start talking about their freakin' camera and how they just bought it and what they used to have and they can't afford a better one and "let's see if I can get it to focus...." Yes...... do your homework before reviewing a knife.

 

[schmalhaus]

Watch a few of this guy's reviews. I think they are some of the best.

stschmalhaus on youtube.

Thank you, jacksterp!

I think a good video review is one that stays away from the reviewers opinion on what he/she personally likes.

That's a very theoretical point of view. For example, I only review knives that I like. I would never waste my time on a knife that I don't like.

Stefan

 

[Oofa]

That's a very theoretical point of view. For example, I only review knives that I like. I would never waste my time on a knife that I don't like.

Stefan

If you only review knives that you like, you are not doing a review. You are telling us that you like your knife. A review focuses on the aspects of the knife. Not on whether you personally like the aspects of your knife.

 

[schmalhaus]

A review focuses on the aspects of the knife. Not on whether you personally like the aspects of your knife.

As I said, that's pure theory. I doubt that you can do a review (no matter on what item) without any personal opinion. And if it is possible I guess it would be very boring.

Stefan

 

[Oofa]

As I said, that's pure theory. I doubt that you can do a review (no matter on what item) without any personal opinion. And if it is possible I guess it would be very boring.

Stefan

That's an interesting point of view and I get what you are saying. It depends on why you read or watch reviews. Most reviews are incredibly boring if you are there to be entertained. I don't read/watch them for entertainment. I go there for information. Tell me what is there and I'll decide if I like it. Tell me what the jimping is like, tell me how rough the scales feel, tell me if you think overall quality is good or bad, tell me about the pocket clip........ but you don't have to tell me that you don't like the knife because it has a spear point and you like drop point blades. Or the knife sucks because it uses aluminum scales instead of G-10. I can decide if those things are good or bad on my own.

 

[schmalhaus]

I don't read/watch them for entertainment. I go there for information.

My goal is always to provide both.

Stefan

 

[Ebbtide]

JMHO...
YMMV...
My opinion may not match yours and that is perfectly OK for all of us.

3-5 sharp, clear photographs and a couple paragraphs of concise, well written copy.
More than that is perfectly acceptable, providing that it isn't a vomit of blurry photos and paragraphs of rambling meant to fill space rather than inform.

Many winters ago there were two fellows here that did awesome reviews.
Granted this was in the time before "easy video", but it bears revisiting.
Those bf members were "Gaucho" and "Sing"

Here is a review by Gaucho that I saved. Sadly I didn't save his photos.

Dragons Beware!

The Evans Dragon Slayer Bowie Cometh.

A review by

Mario Dominguez,M.D.(Gaucho)

Fighting bowie aficionados are constantly on the lookout for new makers to feed their addiction, and I am no exception. Ever since I did some bowie prototype testing for bladesmith Bruce Evans- http://bladesmithing.isfun.net- a year or so ago, I have kept a close eye on his work. And, like many others, I have been very impressed by the rapid evolution of Bruce's designs.

Several months ago, Bruce sent me pics of the new dueling bowie that he had made for our very own Riddle of Steel graduate Sing, actually based on Sing's design. Dubbed the Evans Dragon Slayer(EDS), this big bowie, with its unique recurved blade, slightly curved handle, and half-penny full guard, immediately struck me as a fantastic fighting design- one which offered the cutting abilities of a bolo as well as those of a bowie. So, as soon as I was able, I commissioned Bruce to make an EDS for me. Familiar with his terrific attention to detail, I asked Bruce to give my bowie real presence - the classic elegance of dress bowies of the last century.

Here is the piece Bruce made for me:



I'd say he achieved the design parameters and then some, wouldn't you?!

What an absolutely stunning bowie this is. As nice as the pics are, they in no way do it justice. From its slightly Asian lines to the loving attention to detail evidenced by its filework, guard, and handle treatments, Bruce has created a piece that is at once traditional and highly evocative.



The Specs:

Steel- 5160, 3/16th inch stock. Differentially heat treated by Bruce himself(using traditional methods) to an Rc of 58-59 from the ricasso forward along the primary edge to the tip and then back along the secondary edge to the proximal end of the swedge. The remainder of the blade was left springy soft. The guard is of 1018 mild steel.

OAL- 19".

Weight- only 17.2 oz.

Blade Length- 12"

Blade/Edge Geometry- flat ground with convex(saber type) primary and secondary edges. The swedge is sharpened along its entire 4" length. Not certain how sharp I would want it for the testing, Bruce sent the blade shaving but not hair-popping sharp. Five light strokes on each side with a DMT ultrafine diamond hone had the edges frightening the hair off my arms at a mere glance.

Point of Balance- Right between the guard and the notches.

Handle- 'Framed' tang type- i.e., a stick(hidden) tang was utilized to allow the placement of the guard, then this stick tang was inserted into a precisely cut slot in an outer frame of forged 5160 steel. Finally the whole handle, including the water buffalo scales, were epoxied and pinned together to create Evan's signature 'coke bottle' handle. The handle has a bit of a downward curve, palm swells, and slightly raised nickel pins to aid in grip retention during high speed maneuvers.



Feel and Maneuverability:

My immediate impression on picking up the EDS for the first time was how wonderfully light and well balanced it was for a full sized bowie.

The 'coke bottle' handle is very comfortable and quite ergonomic in hammer, saber, or reverse grip.

The EDS is wicked fast in the hand. It flows beautifully, maintains momentum well, and changes direction extremely well. Backcut flows are a breeze. This bowie moves like a smaller fighter, but has enough forward weight to really pack a punch. Plus, the handle remained secure in my hand throughout all high speed maneuvers. Finally, there was no rattle, wobble or 'play' of any kind to the framed tang handle.



Impact Resistance:

Bruce told me that he had whacked the blade on an anvil several times before putting a final edge on it and that it had sustained no damage, so I had hopes that it would do well in these tests.

As usual, I started by whacking the blade- flat, edges, and tip- very hard several times against the edge of an oak desk. The blade was not stressed in the least, and it had a lovely, crisp flex to it. There were no uncomfortable vibrations into my hand. The blade suffered no damage of any kind. The handle remained rock solid.

The Dreaded De Cuerdas- I executed full speed, full power checks, parries, hooks, clips, slashes, shaves, witiks, backcuts, and thrusts with the EDS against various swinging rattan targets. It moved extremely well, allowing me to fight the De Cuerdas without any thought at all to the bowie in my hand. Indexing of the edges was intuitive. The handle remained secure in my hand throughout, and the blade cut some wicked chunks and slivers out of the rattan. As you all may recall, this is a sure sign of a terrific blade. An outstanding performance.

The half penny guard, while not as pronounced as that of Rob Patton's Mandrita or Wendell Fox's Crossada, nonetheless functioned very well at catching the training blades secured on the ends of one of my De Cuerdas.

Finally, the EDS functioned beautifully as one blade of a double knife pair, or as the Daga in E y D karrenzas.

Afterwards, the blade was pristine. It showed no signs of wear at all and remained razor sharp.

The Training Dummy- I attacked my training dummy with abandon, using the entire repertoire of cuts, full speed, full power.

The EDS is a fantastic slasher, cutting down to the wooden core of the dummy through layers of duct tape and 'ten year' mattress foam with nearly every slash. Likewise backcuts, clips, snapcuts, and witiks were just as effective against the dummy. Finally, thrusting into the core was effortless. And even against such a dense target, the handle with its slightly prominent pins remained secure in my hand.

Afterwards, the blade remained unscathed- no nicks, chips, rolls, no tip damage, nothing. Likewise, the handle remained rock solid with no rattle, wobble, or play whatsoever.



Accuracy:

I hung a sheet of cardboard with lines and dots drawn on it with a Sharpie and set to hitting them. Here again, the EDS was very intuitive. Accuracy was terrific- I could consistently hit within an 1/8th of an inch or so of the dots and lines at will.



Cutting Performance:

Single Hanging Sheets of Paper- Nice clean straight cuts at all angles.

Single Sheet of 1/4" Cardboard- Nice clean straight cuts at least the length of the edge with either the primary or secondary edge.

Multiple Sheets of Cardboard- Here again, the EDS cut deeply into the cardboard with very little if any deviation to the cuts. Backcuts were truly awesome, consistently cutting in about 10" from the edges of the board.

Rolled Tatami Omote Mats(goza)- As I've stated before, the traditional Japanese practice of cutting goza is extremely useful for testing the cutting ability of a blade(and of the bladesman, for that matter). Goza made from new(omote) tatami mats provide a uniformly dense target that very closely mimics the resistance of cutting flesh and bone- dragon flesh, of course ;-).

For this test, I made several goza by rolling several 1/2 and whole tatami mats around 1" bamboo cores(to represent bone) and then prepped them by soaking them overnight for 8 hrs. The next day, I stood each vertically onto my cutting stand using a 6" long rattan spike, thus giving me a target 4 ft. long and 3-5 inches in thickness.

The EDS performed wonderfully in this test, cutting neatly and straight with no tearing of the fibers through the 1/2 goza at varying angles in single cuts over 50% of the time, as well as in a few double cut series. It also managed to cut almost all the way through full goza on single cuts. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this type of cutting practice, called tameshigiri in Japan, believe me this is an excellent result for a bowie length and style blade.

And, finally, the Piece du Resistance...

The Leg of Lamb Test- I chose the biggest leg of lamb that I could find in order to give me as much target as possible for multiple cuts. This bad boy measured a full 20" in length by 8" wide at its widest by a more or less uniform 4" thick. The femur bone was 1" in diameter at the distal (knee)end, and just over 2" in diameter at the trochanter. I drilled a hole through the distal femur and hung the shank upside down with the wider end hanging down.

First, I threw an exploratory #3 forehand horizontal slash through the bottom end of the shank. The EDS cut through it like it wasn't even there! Examining the cut, I found that the EDS had cleanly cut through the top half of the head of the femur as well as through 5" by 4" of fascia and muscle. Very nice.

Encouraged, I threw a #1 forehand diagonal slash through the widest part of the shank. Plop! The EDS had cut the shank in two- through 6" of fascia and muscle on the way in, then cleanly through 3 1/2" of femur bone, and then out again through another 3" of muscle and fascia. Absolutely outstanding!

I immediately examined the blade under a bright light for damage, and there was nothing. The edge remained absolutely pristine.

Now I was really happy, so I took another good swing, this time coming in with a #4 backhand horizontal slash. Plop! Again the EDS cut the shank cleanly in two, with no fracturing of the femur cortex. It was a thing of beauty.

Next, I threw a fast #2 to #1 to #4 backcut combo into the shank- absolutely devastating cuts. Each made it through 5" or so of flesh and at least an inch or more into the femur bone. The last #4 horizontal backhand backcut actually arced all the way through the leg, completely cutting through the bone, and back out again. Outstanding.

Next, I threw a series of fast clips, snapcuts, witiks, and backcuts at the shank, using only the very tip of the blade to test its strength. Beautiful cuts and no damage to the tip at all.

Finally, I ended with several thrusts into the shank, purposefully hitting the bone as often as possible to further test the tip. Again, there was no damage whatsoever to the tip. And the thrusts that missed the bone cleanly skewered the shank as far up the blade as I cared to go. An excellent performance.

After all of this cutting, the EDS remained razor sharp and completely unscathed, including its framed tang handle, which remained rock solid with no play whatsoever.

Of note, there was significantly less resistance moving through the target with the EDS as compared to other flat ground blades I've tested, most likely due to its slimmer 3/16" stock. There was, however, slightly more resistance through the cut with the EDS than with my benchmark hollow ground bowie.



Conclusions:

Bruce Evans' self proclaimed goal as a bladesmith has always been to make knives that are beautiful, knives which one can be proud to own, but that are also eminently functional- and to do so utilizing traditional materials and techniques that have been employed by master bladesmiths the world over for countless generations. Based on the above results(as well as those achieved by Sing with his EDS), I am thrilled to report that Bruce has achieved his goal in spades. This dueling bowie is not only drop dead gorgeous, demonstrating meticulous attention to detail, but is also World Class in terms of its feel, its maneuverability, its ability to withstand the rigors of combat, and most importantly, its ability to cut flesh and bone- dragon or otherwise.

Negatives:

The only suggestion that I had for Bruce for future EDSs is to consider improving grip ergonomics even further by either: 1. curving the pommel down more into a pistol grip or bird's beak; or 2. flaring the scales outward at the pommel behind the pinky. During testing, I discovered that after swinging the EDS for a long period of time, I'd have to grip the handle a bit more with my thumb and forefinger than I would like for accuracy and maneuverability. This occurs because the pinky is not as supported by the pommel as it could be. This slight problem only presents itself, however, after long use when the hand is already fatigued.

Bottom Line:

Bruce Evans, in executing Sing's terrific Dragon Slayer design, has created a truly world class fighting bowie.

You dragons lurking out there in the shadows...You have been warned.

IMHO that is a review.

No video necessary

I haven't found a video review yet that I can bear to sit thru.
My time is way too valuable to me to persevere thru 8-15 minutes of box opening, paper cutting, tree whacking, and fuzz stick making. Much less all the "uhhhh's and ummmm's"

Read the quoted review above.
Time your self.
Notice all the information you received in that amount of time and compare it to a video.
(you will have to imagine a few photos though...)

Video is easier for the presenter...
Well, easier to get something up on the boards...
But much harder on this audience member.

 

[The Logical One]

IMO don't sound boring and you won't be boring. I've watched a few knife review videos where the guy sounds like a stoner who just woke up.

 

[sherlockbonez]

Several things I look for in a good review.

Someone who has used the knife for an extended period of time, at least few months to a year to get a good feel for it. You don't need to be a lumbar jack or a high speed operator to give a good review. Just someone who enjoys using knifes and are knowledgeable in cutting a variety of things. Many of the reviews where the reviewer tries to somehow quantify how a knife is by taking a new knife out of the box and cutting up a pile of cardboard is not as useful for a potential buyer then someone who has carried the knife in a variety of pants, use it in different weather, used it in a pinch to make do with emergency at hand (ie making dinner at the in-laws aka land of dull blades!)etc.

Also of interest for me is how well certain knife cuts different materials. All quality knifes that are sharp can cut most things, but certain blade geometry are better at cutting certain things. This way, depending on what the potential viewers are looking for, can base their decision on the video maker's first hand experience. For example, someone working construction where they are cutting heavy duty pallet straps and insulation all day would have different requirement from someone else who prefer a more general pocket knife for cutting open envelop and cutting tomatoes. A ZT may not be the right knife for an older gent living in a quiet little town, nor is a case peanut the right tool for the heavy cutter. Each knife should be judge on it's own merit.

I find alot reviewers speculate on defensive ability of their knifes. While this is fun and we all like doing it from time to time, this should not take up majority of the video unless you have some sort of experience drawing blood from it. There are thousands if not more documented of defensive use of firearm, but I have yet to read about one case where someone successfully defend themselves in North America using some sort of defensive knife work (feel free to prove me wrong with news sources).

Of course cool background and settings will definitely make for a more enjoyable viewing experience vs a table under a desk lamp.