Your recent opinion on Nick Shabazz ?

NickShabazz said:
Hah, thanks for the kind words, Nico! Three quick responses:



Yeah, this is something I've gained more sympathy for over time. And I'm doing my best to look now at slippies. But I also have to review in my own context, and a knife that's designed for a restrictive set of laws might be a gem there, but might feel pretty lacking if you've got a wider set of options. The empathy is there, but I have to come from where I am, so to speak.



It's absolutely true that my audience is mostly American, but I really hope I'm not coming across as being a "American knives are the only good knives" sort of guy. I try to keep an open mind, and very firmly believe that although I don't mind supporting folks from my home country, quality is about effort, not geography. But honestly, I just haven't been as impressed with Italian makers lately. Fox does nice work, but many of the other makers seem to have QC and detent issues (Viper), or crazy thick grinds (Lionsteel and Viper). I'd love to be blown away, but I've had too many so-so knives from the major Italian companies, even on great designs (Giant Mouse or Anso Orso), so I've been pretty reluctant to put down the cash. Any companies you can recommend that are really cranking out gems that I might be missing?



GOOD. DO NOT GET INTO WATCHES. :D
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Bob Loveless, Bob Terzuola and the original Lone Wolf Knives company like the Italian firm Fantoni.
 
Fantoni is great. I once had a Fantoni Hide. It is one of the early Tommaso Rumici designs and it is a nice knife. I instantly fell in love with it because it was available in a two hand opening version with clip - and those are rare. It is a good knife objectively. But there certain tiny silly typical Italian problems: The built quality, grind, etc is superb and then they take scale screws that are so long that they almost touch the perfectly centered blade. Why?
However, it was that knife that really made me wonder back then: A tiny company can come up with a decent American PM super steel knife while other bigger and better known Italian companies stick to simple tool steels. It was much later that I realized that they always could (and occasionally would) use steel like M390 but just chose not to.
 
NicoColt1911 said:
...The built quality, grind, etc is superb and then they take scale screws that are so long that they almost touch the perfectly centered blade. Why?...
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Funny you say that, my Fantoni built knife has the same quirk. But they don't touch and you gotta look to find the flaw :)
 
I thought a lot of Nick until I saw the video on the Hoback buster. The way you acted towards the PS.23 on the knife. I now have a different view of you. Jake Hoback is a stand up guy, and he's not ashamed of his believes. It's his knife he can do what ever he wants. He doesn't have to hide from the world while wearing a Batman mask either!
 
lzeplin said:
I thought a lot of Nick until I saw the video on the Hoback buster. The way you acted towards the PS.23 on the knife. I now have a different view of you. Jake Hoback is a stand up guy, and he's not ashamed of his believes. It's his knife he can do what ever he wants. He doesn't have to hide from the world while wearing a Batman mask either!
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I'm not really sure why you have an issue is with Nick personally over his opinion. Seems to me that if Mr. Hoback can have his "believes" on display by posting a bible passage callout on his knives, Nick's just as allowed to have an opinion about it.

Right?
 
Quiet said:
I'm not really sure why you have an issue is with Nick personally over his opinion. Seems to me that if Mr. Hoback can have his "believes" on display by posting a bible passage callout on his knives, Nick's just as allowed to have an opinion about it.

Right?
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There is no problem with Nick's opinion he can believe what ever he wants. But to me the video was just slandering Jake, like Jake was trying to push his believes on others. You can be a Atheists too if you want, all I said is the video changed the way I fell about Nick.
 
lzeplin said:
There is no problem with Nick's opinion he can believe what ever he wants. But to me the video was just slandering Jake, like Jake was trying to push his believes on others. You can be a Atheists too if you want, all I said is the video changed the way I fell about Nick.
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I think that what you're saying is that your beliefs are in line with those expressed by Mr. Hoback and are not in line with what you assume to be the beliefs of Mr. Shabazz? This appears to be the crux of why your feelings have changed about Nick? Either way, it doesn't seem entirely rational.

You can't "know" anything about the personal, inner beliefs of a person by an outward gesture.

Anyway, back to Nick.

I truly enjoy his reviews but I also remind myself of the "Nickpicks". Nick reviews the knives on his table in light of a specific set of preferences and desired executions. Those aren't always the same as mine. I take his input with that considered.

Nick is a valuable asset to the Knife Knut Community and I hope he keeps doing what he's doing.
 
lzeplin said:
I thought a lot of Nick until I saw the video on the Hoback buster. The way you acted towards the PS.23 on the knife. I now have a different view of you. Jake Hoback is a stand up guy, and he's not ashamed of his believes. It's his knife he can do what ever he wants. He doesn't have to hide from the world while wearing a Batman mask either!
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I sort of suspect you've already made up your mind about me here, as it seems like this really hit a nerve for you, but know that I agree that Jake's a stand up guy, and as a few other folks pointed out, my disliking that particular design choice is a personal preference, just as Jake has a preference to include it. You're, of course, welcome to dislike me for whatever reason you'd like, but I hope you understand that one can not care for a particular design touch while still acknowledging Jake to be a great knifemaker and a good human. But I know this is a touchy spot for many, and although I'm sorry to lose you here, I hope you find other reviewers whose beliefs on knife decoration more exactly mirror your own.
 
I personally enjoy his videos. Whenever I am thinking about getting a new knife I look to see if he has reviewed it. Yes he has his own personal taste for what he likes. The best part is the video quality and the close ups you can see. Plus he has disassembly video, which is the only way you can see that before you actually make a purchase.

If a restaurant has food I don't like I don't go there to eat. If you don't like the videos then don't watch them.
 
My opinion of Nick shabazz might be different than others. So here goes first off I think he is a coward! The way he hides his identity. I mean come on what grown man would wear a Batman mask in his own house while rambling on and on and on about knives?
Let's be honest were taking advice on a knife from and 140 pound weakling who never cuts anything more than a piece of paper at the office! Then he will criticize top makers like Chris Reese, Rick Hinderer, Jake Hoback. Hell maybe there knives are made for a little more than paper!
I'd like to see Nick turned loose in a machine shop all by himself and see the knife he would produce... My guess is it wouldn't be a gem.. Until he man's up and starts using a knife and quits hiding I'm out...
 
Stringtwister said:
My opinion of Nick shabazz might be different than others. So here goes first off I think he is a coward! The way he hides his identity. I mean come on what grown man would wear a Batman mask in his own house while rambling on and on and on about knives?
Let's be honest were taking advice on a knife from and 140 pound weakling who never cuts anything more than a piece of paper at the office! Then he will criticize top makers like Chris Reese, Rick Hinderer, Jake Hoback. Hell maybe there knives are made for a little more than paper!
I'd like to see Nick turned loose in a machine shop all by himself and see the knife he would produce... My guess is it wouldn't be a gem.. Until he man's up and starts using a knife and quits hiding I'm out...
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LOL!!:D
 
I hadn't watched many of Nick's videos until I started reading this thread. I like most of what Nick does and have overcome my distaste for east coast accents. One thing still smacks me in the gob, though, his use of "anyways" where "anyway" is appropriate. He's not alone in this habit but it is jarring when I hear it from an otherwise erudite source. On the plus side, his tasteful call-out of the religious message is a beautiful thing!

Grammar Deputy GronK over and out!
 
Man a lot of ignorant nasty posts directed at a YouTuber that I feel does a really fair job on things

I am a knife snob as many of you know ....a lot worse than Nick but I will say that if I’m looking for a prouduction knife review from someone that I know is going to give me a fair and bias review I prefer his videos over most

Some people don’t want their face out there ....that’s fine

He never claims to be a martial artist or combat oriented reviewer

He has a style all his own and this makes him an obvious standout

I will say to many that are critiquing his reviews and style ..... let’s see you do a knife review or watch review

I bet it would suck :)
 
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Wow, 13 pages. Keep up the good work Nick. While I may not always agree with his opinions I understand they are his. He does have enough objective information that should make his reviews valuable to all.
 
Does anyone really know Nick other than his screen name? I mean what does he work at or does he work at all? I know some of you really drink his Kool aid. He is doing good with the YouTube channel, getting good money of the pateron.
But has he proven that the money from sales is really being donated to charity? Or is he taking you for a ride. Jim Jones had some tasty Kool aid too. I don't think Nick is trying to scam anyone, but does anyone really know anything about him?
 
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Stringtwister said:
Does anyone really know Nick other than his screen name? I mean what does he work at or does he work at all? I know some of you really drink his Kool aid. He is doing good with the YouTube channel, getting good money of the pateron.
But has he proven that the money from sales is really being donated to charity? Or is he taking you for a ride. Jim Jones had some tasty Kool aid too. I don't think Nick is trying to scam anyone, but does anyone really know anything about him?
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Who cares

It’s not anyone’s business what he does for work or with his money

What cool aide ?

He has a YouTube channel and does entertaining reviews ....that’s it for most of us

Some people do reviews because they enjoy doing them

Some do it for money

Any idiot that knows knives knows what is a well made knife vs garbage

You are reading way to much into all this

You either like his style of review or not

What upsets you if people like his review style ?

What upsets you if they don’t ?

Whenever I see someone that for no apparent reason dislikes someone that has no effect on them personally it’s wreaks of jealously

Btw with three posts on this forum it took a Nick Shabazz thread to make you post

A bit of an agenda ?
 
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