Who are the best reviewers on Bladeforums?

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Donna V

Joined
Sep 6, 2007
Messages
69
I'm not talking about Youtube or other sites. Just here on Bladeforums. Ive seen alot of review in the past few months & some were good some were bad. Some were not even reviews just two pics and a brief website description. So in your opinion who are some of the better reviewers on here? Looking for 5 or 6 doesnt have to be just 1 person thanks.
 
Confederate has some well-worded reviews on good knives. Seems like a down-to-earth guy with real-world experience.
Nozh2002 (Vassili) has great picture reviews. I wish his reviews were a bit longer word-wise, but they're still better than most.
Sharp Phil has some really good reviews as well, with plenty of photos of the knife in various grips and carry options.
So-Lo is also a good reviewer of cutlery. Photos are good quality and the actual reviews are great.

I agree with the notion that a review should consist of more than a website description, copied and pasted, and "it fits into the sheath great and cuts nice". I like to see others' experience with using the knife, but overall impressions with the quality is also greatly appreciated. I've bought more than one knife because I was convinced by a Forum member that although he hasn't used it yet, the knife was well-made. Any of the people listed above will give you a good, honest review. I know I'm leaving some people out, but I simply cannot name all of the good guys on here who give fair reviews.
 
I'm a big fan of Buzzbait's reviews. Unfortunately he is past the "I want every new knife" stage, so he doesn't review that many knives. But for those he does report on, you get a really good idea of what that knife is capable of.
 
BeartheDog's reviews are great if you like the blades over on the W&SS ( bushcraft blades), but I believe he is living his dream somewhere on the other side of the planet. No new reviews for awhile I think, but you should take a look at his older ones.
 
It is probably of interest to ask what compels people to do knife reviews? I mean, really, there is a lot of work that goes into them. Some people go to elaborate lengths to test a blade or group of blades. I appreciate their efforts, but I sometimes wonder what drives them in their hobby. For example, it seems like some folks around here get so carried away with their own tests that they lose the focus of what they are trying to accomplish.

I guess I like seeing different perspectives from different folks on a given knife or set of blades by a maker. I rarely read too much into a single review, but take notice when their are trends and commonalities of reviews by many different people.

Another thing I like is to see reviews by people who do a long term assessment. Most reviews (and I have been guilty of this) occur when somebody just receives a knife. They give their initial impressions of F&F and handle comfort etc. However, nothing really compares to a review by somebody who has been using a knife over many years. Tests don't really duplicate that all that well either IMO.
 
JNieporte's review are my favorites. He reviews a lot of high quality low cost knives that are right up my alley. Maybe its just me but I'm not the kind of person who will pay $400 for a knife when there are tons of great options out there for under $100, and often under $50 and they can do anything a very expensive custom can do. Companies like Victorinox, Buck, Mora, Opinel, Kershaw, Spyderco/byrd, and Benchmade all make knives that are a great value but a good review can help you decide which one is right for you and save you time and money, so thanks to all you guys who take the time to write up reviews for us, you guys rock :thumbup:
 
I'll put a vote in for Horn Dog. He does great chop off and knife comparison posts in the Busse forum.
 
Joezilla does a great job reviewing wilderness/survival/bushcraft knives. He knows what he's talking about, and he knows how to write. He posts frequently in W&SS.
 
Top of my head. . .

Buzzbait: "meat and potatoes" approach without sacrificing relevant info.

JNieporte: simple and straightforward, not overly technical
 
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JNieporte said:
Sharp Phil has some really good reviews as well, with plenty of photos of the knife in various grips and carry options.
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Thanks, man. I appreciate the mention.

kgd said:
It is probably of interest to ask what compels people to do knife reviews?
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I think motivations vary. They range from wanting attention (some of the knife-breaking "destruction test" stuff comes to mind) to genuinely wanting to help and inform others. First and foremost, though, is the fact that it's simply fun to evaluate something, to define why you like it or don't, and to distill your thoughts about those things. I enjoy unlocking the puzzle, so to speak, of why something does or does not do its stated, designed task, and I enjoy knowing that others will benefit from that evaluation.
 
In 10 years. Buzzbait, SoLo and Neiport. I pretty much ignore the others.
Best period beyond BFC: Kim Breed.
 
There are a lot of folks in WSS that do a good job with reviews, but Jeff H always puts a lot of good thought and work into them. I get a lot out of them. Brian Andrews is another great one. Both take very good photos as well.
 
Slim Jim 77 said:
I will second JNieportew although I find some of his posts to be bragging 'look at me I'm a Navy Seal' Excellent work on the reviews thoughh.
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Thank you for the compliment, although I never claimed (here or anywhere else) to be a Navy SEAL :confused:

I also wanted to mention Joezilla; I'm amazed that I forgot about Joe. I had no idea that so many people read the stuff that I write (threads are useless without pictures, right?) Anyway, sorry for the thread de-rail, but
I had to mention Joe.
 
Bastid said:
In 10 years. Buzzbait, SoLo and Neiport. I pretty much ignore the others.
Best period beyond BFC: Kim Breed.
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Blown away by the shout out :D

I really like to look at every design element and ask why? What is it's purpose and why did they design it that way? Could anything make it better?

For those who have not done a review, give it a shot! You will learn a lot about the knife and what you like.



Video is where it's at though :D (plug) "SolosKnifeReviews" (cough YouTube cough cough) :D (plug)
 
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