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Where does one go for unbiased knife reviews? I see a recommendation like this (and I know Spyderco is a respected brand) and then have nowhere to get impartial

Where does one go for unbiased knife reviews? I see a recommendation like this (and I know Spyderco is a respected brand) and then have nowhere to get impartial confirmation of it. I just Googled "folding pocket knife edc reviews" and one of the top three results was "EDC.ninja". Now maybe they're the Consumer Reports of everyday carry products, but somehow I doubt it. So where can I go instead? https://www.google.com/search?q=folding+pocket+knife+edc+reviews&oq=folding+pocket+knife+edc+reviews https://www.google.com/search?q=folding+pocket+knife+edc+rev...

gautamcgoel 6y ago
I absolutely love Nick Shabazz's youtube channel. I also occasionally check out Michael Christy's channel, which is pretty hardcore and aimed more at steel/sharpening enthusiasts instead of your everyday joe types. Bladeforums has a lot of smart people discussing knives, but I wouldn't call it a site specifically for reviews per se.
evilduck 6y ago
Do you want reviews on specific knives or specific steels used in knives? /r/knifeclub generally has decent reviews from time to time on the knives themselves (build quality, design, ergonomics, annoyances) and there are some ok YouTubers that review knives as a channel (this sort of content gets really repetitive and common themes for a brand start to emerge) but in depth steel analysis tends to exist mostly on blogs like the article linked or YouTubers that are more focused on knife sharpening skills, or content that overlaps on industrial or academic metallurgy. Like most hobbies you can geek out on, you quickly reach a point of diminishing returns on your investment. If you don't plan on diving in completely and just want a single really high end pocket knife go budget $300-$400 (you may not spend it all), survey the landscape and buy what appeals to you most, otherwise you're going to sink a grand or two into sampling everything trying to discern the differences yourself.
snowwrestler 6y ago
It's pretty much impossible to get an unbiased review of everyday carry knives because personal bias is the whole point of the industry. If you just need a knife for regular things like cutting open fruit and boxes, then almost any cheap thing with a cutting edge will do. People who bother to hold opinions and do detailed reviews of pocket knives are coming at the subject from an essentially aesthetic perspective. It's sort of like looking for unbiased reviews of mechanical wristwatches. If you just want to tell time, a $20 quartz Timex will work fine. Once you step away from the criteria of basic functionality, you're entering the land of opinions. Edit: this comes across kind of judgmental, which is not what I meant. I just mean that the knife you like is going to come down to your own opinion, and the only way to form that is to check out lots of options and other opinions and see what you agree with.
- rdtwo 6y ago
  Is there a timex of knives? Rock solid, works forever with no/little maintenance but a bit dated and ugly?
  - gautamcgoel 6y ago
    The Buck 110 is widely considered a "classic" folding knife, but it is way too clunky and heavy to make a good EDC knife. I have heard lots of good things about the Ontario Rat II, especially the D2 version which you can pick up for about $40, but have never tried it myself. The Rat II is generally considered a good "starter" folding knife. Personally I'd recommend going straight to Spyderco - for $100 you can get something really high quality which you will enjoy and use. I got my brother a Para 3 LW and it set me back $98. He seems to like it.
  - germinalphrase 6y ago
    Spyderco Delica. Good steel that isn’t too hard to sharpen (VG10) and common enough that you don’t have to pay out the nose. Fiber reinforced nylon handle is strong and light. Edit: without getting into the deep details of different steels, just keep in mind that many ‘higher end’ knives tend to be harder/more brittle than your every day Walmart special. This provides real advantages in edge sharpness and retention, but you don’t want to go using them as a pry bar as they are more likely to snap. Knives are for cutting, not prying. Also, 20 min on YouTube to understand sharpening goes a long way.
  - snowwrestler 6y ago
    A Wenger or Victorinox base model Swiss Army knife is the classic cheap and useful, keep-it-with-you knife. If you want a dedicated knife with a bigger blade, a Buck folder with a plastic handle will cost about $30 and last a long time with minor care. Next step up from there would probably be the least expensive Spydercos, or a multitool if you want more stuff.
  - int_19h 6y ago
    For fixed-blade knives, Morakniv is extremely popular. They don't use the fanciest steels, and the design is outright boring... but it works really well, it's very cheap for what it is, and scandi grind is the easiest one to maintain.
severine 6y ago
DuckDuckGo gives me these domains in the first page: Domain specific: https://bladereviews.com/ https://everydaycarry.com/ https://knifedge.net/ https://knifeinformer.com/ https://www.bladehq.com/ https://www.bobsop.com/ https://www.gearhungry.com/ Apart from results from reddit, twitter, nytimes, popularmechanics.com. Search link: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffcm&q=folding+pocket+knife+edc+reviews&ia=web https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffcm&q=folding+pocket+knife+edc+re...

gautamcgoel 6y ago

I absolutely love Nick Shabazz's youtube channel. I also occasionally check out Michael Christy's channel, which is pretty hardcore and aimed more at steel/sharpening enthusiasts instead of your everyday joe types. Bladeforums has a lot of smart people discussing knives, but I wouldn't call it a site specifically for reviews per se.

evilduck 6y ago

Do you want reviews on specific knives or specific steels used in knives? /r/knifeclub generally has decent reviews from time to time on the knives themselves (build quality, design, ergonomics, annoyances) and there are some ok YouTubers that review knives as a channel (this sort of content gets really repetitive and common themes for a brand start to emerge) but in depth steel analysis tends to exist mostly on blogs like the article linked or YouTubers that are more focused on knife sharpening skills, or content that overlaps on industrial or academic metallurgy. Like most hobbies you can geek out on, you quickly reach a point of diminishing returns on your investment. If you don't plan on diving in completely and just want a single really high end pocket knife go budget $300-$400 (you may not spend it all), survey the landscape and buy what appeals to you most, otherwise you're going to sink a grand or two into sampling everything trying to discern the differences yourself.

snowwrestler 6y ago

It's pretty much impossible to get an unbiased review of everyday carry knives because personal bias is the whole point of the industry. If you just need a knife for regular things like cutting open fruit and boxes, then almost any cheap thing with a cutting edge will do. People who bother to hold opinions and do detailed reviews of pocket knives are coming at the subject from an essentially aesthetic perspective. It's sort of like looking for unbiased reviews of mechanical wristwatches. If you just want to tell time, a $20 quartz Timex will work fine. Once you step away from the criteria of basic functionality, you're entering the land of opinions. Edit: this comes across kind of judgmental, which is not what I meant. I just mean that the knife you like is going to come down to your own opinion, and the only way to form that is to check out lots of options and other opinions and see what you agree with.

rdtwo 6y ago
Is there a timex of knives? Rock solid, works forever with no/little maintenance but a bit dated and ugly?
- gautamcgoel 6y ago
  The Buck 110 is widely considered a "classic" folding knife, but it is way too clunky and heavy to make a good EDC knife. I have heard lots of good things about the Ontario Rat II, especially the D2 version which you can pick up for about $40, but have never tried it myself. The Rat II is generally considered a good "starter" folding knife. Personally I'd recommend going straight to Spyderco - for $100 you can get something really high quality which you will enjoy and use. I got my brother a Para 3 LW and it set me back $98. He seems to like it.
- germinalphrase 6y ago
  Spyderco Delica. Good steel that isn’t too hard to sharpen (VG10) and common enough that you don’t have to pay out the nose. Fiber reinforced nylon handle is strong and light. Edit: without getting into the deep details of different steels, just keep in mind that many ‘higher end’ knives tend to be harder/more brittle than your every day Walmart special. This provides real advantages in edge sharpness and retention, but you don’t want to go using them as a pry bar as they are more likely to snap. Knives are for cutting, not prying. Also, 20 min on YouTube to understand sharpening goes a long way.
- snowwrestler 6y ago
  A Wenger or Victorinox base model Swiss Army knife is the classic cheap and useful, keep-it-with-you knife. If you want a dedicated knife with a bigger blade, a Buck folder with a plastic handle will cost about $30 and last a long time with minor care. Next step up from there would probably be the least expensive Spydercos, or a multitool if you want more stuff.
- int_19h 6y ago
  For fixed-blade knives, Morakniv is extremely popular. They don't use the fanciest steels, and the design is outright boring... but it works really well, it's very cheap for what it is, and scandi grind is the easiest one to maintain.

severine 6y ago

DuckDuckGo gives me these domains in the first page: Domain specific: https://bladereviews.com/ https://everydaycarry.com/ https://knifedge.net/ https://knifeinformer.com/ https://www.bladehq.com/ https://www.bobsop.com/ https://www.gearhungry.com/ Apart from results from reddit, twitter, nytimes, popularmechanics.com. Search link: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffcm&q=folding+pocket+knife+edc+reviews&ia=web https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffcm&q=folding+pocket+knife+edc+re...