Do you prefer knife reviews as videos or text & images?

[vivi]

I enjoy sharing reviews on different Spydercos here and I'm curious which format the community prefers.

I prefer text & image & video reviews because I like being able to read at my own pace and easily skip parts I don't care about, but some things are easier to show with videos. Cutting demonstrations and sharpening techniques, for example.

I'm generally not a fan of video only reviews. They tend to be a little long winded for my taste, and it seems rare the knife gets used for anything in the video.

I did enjoy Lance's Siren Overview ( https://youtube.com/watch?v=10rr0qsXoiQ ) which is contrary to how I usually feel about 20 minute long knife reviews. I really enjoyed watching him cut up the fish at the end, as well as general insights from the designer himself.

[SG89]

Gpknives videos are my go-to and every text/photo review on the forum.

[Naperville]

For all decisions that I make I like to have as much information available on the subject as possible. This goes for every attribute on knives, to making decisions about other factors in life.

[MichaelScott]

Hate video “reviews” that are more about the reviewer than the knife and its functions. They are too long and too boring. One that I unfortunately watched part of, fast forwarding through the boring parts, it took the guy over five minutes to just open the **** knife.

With text you have to have something to say and it’s pretty obvious whether you accomplish that or not.

[vivi]

Hate video “reviews” that are more about the reviewer than the knife and its functions. They are too long and too boring. One that I unfortunately watched part of, fast forwarding through the boring parts, it took the guy over five minutes to just open the **** knife.

Giving me PTSD flashes of watching 20 minute knife reviews just to get an idea of how the handle sits in the hand.....and they never show the knife in a using grip :D

[Ankerson]

I hate video reviews as most of them are worthless and way too long as the people love to hear themselves talk too much...

Give me some good photos and a well written review any day.

[ChrisinHove]

A combination of all 3 works best for me. It IS very useful to see the knife manipulated in hand, in a video.

[TomAiello]

Text, then photos, then videos. I very rarely take the time to actually watch videos, and generally find them slow enough that I just end up closing them and looking for a written review.

[James Y]

I prefer text and photos.

Sometimes I like video, if it’s small on talk and big on showing the knife actually being used, and for more than testing the sharpness by slicing paper.

I generally dislike knife videos, for many of the reasons already mentioned by others. I don’t need to see it unboxed and hear about the dimensions. I will not listen to ill-prepared people who lack the ability to speak on-camera (which is a talent and a skill not everyone possesses) bumbling and droning on and on. So as far as video goes, it really depends.

Jim

[qwkzotc]

When I voted for "video" I'm thinking active youtube type videos where the person is doing something with the knife (firearm), not sitting there holding it in their hand talking about themselves and the knife. For example, if I may, Mr. Ankerson, you have some great video knife in action reviews.

Dan

[Ankerson]

When I voted for "video" I'm thinking active youtube type videos where the person is doing something with the knife (firearm), not sitting there holding it in their hand talking about themselves and the knife. For example, if I may, Mr. Ankerson, you have some great video knife in action reviews.

Dan

I stopped doing them a long time ago now...

Seemed people wanted the talking head unboxing videos so I just stopped wasting my time... :rolleyes:

If it wasn't for that I would have invested in a real good video camera etc and kept doing them.. I could have done a lot more with better equipment instead of using my DSLR..... But I thought it wasn't worth it...

Went back to photos and text reviews. :)

[dsvirsky]

I voted text and photos, although I mostly don't care. However, when I do, I want to read the review. I have no use for review videos.

[standy99]

Text and pictures.

Reviews by one or two decent reviewers

Rabbit hole research is usually my style but usually rare for a video unless it’s someone actually outdoors using the knife. ( you got Less than 5 minutes if your a video reviewer anything longer I don’t even open )

[wrdwrght]

I voted both, but I have presumed that they would be yours, or from others here. With rare exception do I find much help in YouTube videos or private blogs.

[DSH007]

I voted text & photos & videos.

Generally, I prefer the text & photo style review, a la bladereviews.com. However, a well-made video that is concise and informative is also appreciated. Longer video reviews where the reviewer goes in depth into their thoughts on a knife's design and its use are sometimes appreciated as well, so long as the reviewer is able to convince me why his/her opinion should matter to me..and therein lies the problem.. so few reviewers are able to convince me that their opinion should matter to me..

I will absolutely x out of any review were a list of knife specifications is brought out. Haha if I want to know specific measurement details, I can find them myself on the manufacturer's website, I don't need some long-winded snoozer to spend 17 min reading them to me! I do like a brief (BRIEF!!) video size comparison of the knife being reviewed to other popular models though. I think this can be really helpful, especially if the reviewed knife is a new model, because sometimes numbers on paper don't tell the full story with size comparisons. I also appreciate when a reviewer takes the time to show how the knife handles in a variety of grips. It astonishes me that so few take the time to do this as they pontificate for the camera..

Anyways, this is getting ranty, I'll stop now..

Vivi, I'd watch/read any review you put out. I've always appreciated your contributions to the forum and really enjoyed your recent Pac Salt 2 review. I think I referred to it as a "book report format" at the time.. I think that's an excellent way to review knives and hope you continue doing so! Thank you for the time and effort you put into it! :)

[Cambertree]

Text and photos.

At least they’ve generally been put together with some thought and reflection on the subject.

Ugh, I can’t stand video reviews where the ‘reviewer’ still hasn’t got to the point, after five minutes or more of pointless rambling. Also, peering at the knife to stumblingly read out the bladesteel aloud, or mispronouncing the model name or designer’s name. These things certainly don’t give me any confidence that the reviewer has any command of the subject or useful knowledge, or perceptive observations I can learn from.

Of course there are great video reviewers, but I find I watch fewer and fewer as time goes on.

A pleasant recent surprise on the video knife review front have been the Farmer E Youtube reviews. Engaging, well put together and with a refreshingly practical, user’s perspective on knives as functional tools.

[ladybug93]

all of them can be helpful, but it depends on what i need to know and the ability of the reviewer to get to the point (especially in videos).

in the end though, while helpful, no review is a substitute for getting something in your own hands.

[Evil D]

Depends entirely on the person doing the video and their.... etiquette. I realized even with my own videos that it's easy to get really long winded and nobody has the attention span for that anymore so I like videos that get straight to the point. These days I only do videos when words can't really tell the whole story, sometimes I think you need to "prove" things in a video rather than just say it and sometimes pics aren't enough.