Constructive criticism is what makes people grow and become better. Regardless of how we feel about Jason as a person, we need to stay objective about his products. It's clear that the knife has problems, and shipping a $160 knife with lock failure is simply unacceptable. Even if these knives were being produced in his garage, it only takes 5 seconds to check the lock before its boxed up and shipped.
I bought a Bionic 1 on ebay used, and it had blade play. I sent it in to Brous Blades to see if he could fix it. He couldn't so he sent me a brand new Bionic 2.0, free of charge. He also sent a ton of Brous stickers to me and returned my check for the shipping cost without cashing it. I'm not saying his knives are perfect, they aren't. But they keep getting better. He's earned my loyalty with his great customer service, so the next time I have $400 to spend on a knife, I'm getting one of his. The Sebenza can wait. I'm sold on the Brand and the owner, and the quality will only get better.
I like to support small business when I can, but not at the expense of quality. but it also depends on what's the negative part of said sevice or product.
I have not been collecting knives seriously long enough to be anything other than a novice and I always take a great interest in your reviews Rob. This young man Brous has caught my eye a couple of times with his designs, I especially like the look of his Division( is that right?). Now if he is catching the eye of an old limey like me, there is every chance I will purchase one of his creations in the future if he survives the American market. It would be nice to think that world consumerism cares about a potential supplier, in truth though its a hard world, oh what the heck I am a believer in a the individual with courage, so this old boy will stand beside your views on this subject Rob and have a look again at Jasons knives, anyway I love D2. God Bless all
Laurie Campbell The problem with Jason is not all his designs are his. Look at his Division series then look up a Poltergeist Works Haunter[circa 2009]........I know of at least one knife forum he has been banned from for lying about designs and originality.......just saying.
336W That Poltergiest argument is getting pretty old and tired. Other than the basic shape of the envelope design, the Division and the Poltergeist knife have very little in common. Furthermore, I don't think Poltergeist's hands are squeaky clean on this issue either, with other knives. In reality, no 21st century maker's hands are clean -- there's very little new under the knife making sun.
TheApostleP As you say Rob, there is only so much you can do with a knife, except maybe to make it a bit of jewelry, I must admit that a few of my American trads are only used on Sundays.Got a few larger knives I do not carry much, eg CS Espada, x Ti Lite etc.where as para 2, skyline, Sebenza and even Opinals are edc for me, use them at home and work, although most of my work knives are fixed blades. After saying all that, it always makes you feel Good to carry a sharp, dependable classy knife. Having a choice is Freedom.
Brous's work doesn't interest me except that he is an entrepreneur and doing something unique. Not reason enough to pick up one of his knives personally, but if a model comes out I'm interested in, I'll be a buyer for sure. Best wishes for his success in the meantime.
Folks need to stop stroking Brous. His designs are not all his. Some even stollen. If you do a search on USN you will see why he was kicked off and banned. We shouldn't buy a Brous for the same fact that folks boycott some Chinese knives. Calling something his when it's another makers design. Rob is uninformed at cost versus materials. His knives with less materials and fit cannot even compete with Spydercos or some Benchmades that have better steel along with steel liners.
I'm all for the man throwing all he has into a dream. And to say he isn't anything but fully invested in his work would be what I feel is a misrepresentation of him. Being a one man show was a major reason I threw my hat in his ring. Albeit the product I received was imo inexcusable in its issue I would still love to own one of the knives in his production line. But for me and my circumstances, I'll be holding out until I see the mistakes everyone has been screaming resolved. I make my money using hours of my life and will spend it only on a product that I feel is worthy of my efforts. With that said I'm looking forward to Jason's next chapter.
Firstly the Bionic 'Starts" at $159 and goes up to $199, secondly why should anyone be expected to spend their hard earned money on a knife that isn't right .. Give me a brake its a business and not a charity, no wonder these companies have the Chinese chasing the business and will probably win at the end of the day... !! I did go to Jason's website and saw a knife that I would potentially buy, I could accept some minor cosmetic issues.. But not the possibility of a Lock Failure, I suspect a lot of people watch and respect your videos for consumer information to make their purchases.. keep up the good and honest work..!!
Tony Hutton To be fair... I believe the lock failure that this particular Bionic 2.0 exhibits, while completely real and definitely a problem, will certainly disappear with use. The locking leaf is pretty thin, and with time and a few hundred cycles of the action, I'm sure the lock will wear in to perhaps 10-20% engagement. At that point it should have enough stability to not fold when in use.
Tony Hutton I think you missed the entire point of this video. No one is EXPECTING you to spend your hard earned money on anything. What Rob said is that if you want to see guys like Jason succeed, then it wouldn't be a bad idea to help support him while he's learning from his mistakes. I don't think anyone here with a heart could disagree with that. Does that mean that everyone should go buy a knife from Jason? Absolutely not. But if you want to see someone like Jason succeed, it's not a bad idea to buy a knife from him with honest feedback and criticism so he can help keep his business open and continue to get better. Just my 2 cents.
TheApostleP Rick that is a very fair and reasonable statement, just one point a better comparison might have been a Sage 1 (comparing a liner lock, with a liner lock)..:) I don't want to run Jason or his knives down either, I did like the ergonomics, design and esthetics of the knife ( a 3 inch blade is all I ever use for my EDC needs) and I would have been a serious buyer for one, its that time again to upgrade my small EDC selection ... :) Having said that when you are looking at spending $200 on a knife, that you want to use and have no worries about safety, its a genuine concern and will stop some people from buying one (like it has with me, at this point)... !!
Aneesh Sompalli I didn't miss the point and I understand it, the reality of the market can be cruel and its as simple as that, at the end of the day its a business... :) Rob is 110% correct, if the American and other European Manufacturers don't lift there game, the Chinese will overrun then without any compassion and we can already see that local buyers do NOT have the brand loyalty that they might have had in the past...!! If you think I am being cruel and blunt, try a Chinese Maker on for compassion, they have none and why should they....!! Hell I would welcome to hear from Jason himself, but I am not holding my breath, I am just an average guy that was looking at buying a knife ... in this case for EDC, his color selection was indeed great idea and I am also sick of Black Knives...: LOL From my personal experiences of life, you are more likely to give a young guy chance when you have some sort of a relationship with him with him and his company.. !! There is my 2 cents worth, if its worth anything at..LOL
Another thoughtful video Rob. When the Bionic 1.0 came out I was quite interested in it and probably would have gotten one had you not gotten one in for sharpening first. That scared me away. Now, same deal with the 2.0. That said... I would like to see Jason (& those like him) succeed, but I still probably wouldn't buy a Bionic unless I could personally hold & inspect it before hand. It if was a good one, I'd snag it because it's a cool design with good materials and I want to support an up & coming Free Market maker. Especially if I can see them learning from (& correcting) past flaws. I know this is probably a difficult time for Jason, but actually it's a golden opportunity. He can absorb this constructive criticism and fix these flaws (I'm both design & construction) and come out of it on top. That's what I was glad to see how well he handled himself in the previous vid's comments. It sure seems like he's got the potential for greatness. I hope he learns from all this a is stronger for it. Good luck Jason...great job Rob.
Honestly if there were more people like Jason investing their own resources and time, money and ambition to suceed this country would be better for it. Love the beauty that American manufacturers can produce even if it takes years of refining and process to perfectly produce quality long lasting goods.
You make some interesting points, however I feel that a reviewer should not be more lenient/harsh on a product simply because they like the manufacturer. If I pay $160 on a knife, I expect that knife's QC to be comparable to other knives in that price range regardless of whether or not the knife maker is nice.
Brett Neumann I'm not more lenient / harsh in objective content based on whether I like a maker or manufacturer. But how I characterize the strengths and weaknesses of a knife certainly is colored by my perceived character of the maker. Take the Brous Bionic for instance... It's pretty clear from my two Bionic videos that the knife has what I perceive to be grave issues, so much so in fact that I won't buy one for myself, even with the points made in this video in mind. But I'm still pulling for Jason.
I feel as though if brous wants to compete with the big midtec makers, then we should not pull any punches simply because he is only one guy with little experience. I know if I were him I would not want my customers to settle for a lesser product out of sympathy. This kind of mindset is ok for a little known maker on the rise, but brous is a huge player in the industry and his work should reflect that.
Hi Rob, great video and as always right on the money! As such I instinctively want to support the "little guy" even if it requires a "big price" However I have three conditions: #1 practical innovation in the design #2 high quality materials and construction #3 solid customer support and zero B.S. once you've invested your hard earned into that Person/Company/Product. If all those points are a yes. Well I'm a potential buyer and probable long term customer. If the first #2 are not quite right when I have said "tool" in hand I expect it to be put right in a timely and respectful fashion (the gate should swing both ways) However if #3 is not on script or non existent as I have recently experienced, in particular constant false promises and even outright lies. (strong words but true) Well for me it's game over... Period! As it just smacks of arrogance and profit before people! I've yet to try a Jason Brous Design, although I look forward to doing so in the not to distant future. Once again, thanks for the video which is very much in keeping with the current "zeitgeist" within this particular community! Grace and Peace Brother, Lee P.S. The edge on my SpecWar is "Bonkers" ultra sharp, very durable! 👍👊😉
Because of the likes of Brous Blades, I want to give my money to the guy who when I have a problem, he write to me and he helps me out. Not the BIG company that it takes weeks for them to reply to an email, thats just me though. Plus, I do like Jason and his designs which is a bonus lol
That's a very good point, a start up or younger companies do much better by building customer relationships and that personal touch, its amazing how a customer will put up with when they do, helping them with constructive criticism and often become over time the best Ambassadors and Advocates for their products...!!
Oh, where would we be without the featherlight hunter??!! I'm sure the review dug at him as it would anybody but at the end of the day, you're a straight shooter and he knows that. I'm proud of Jason as we all should be. He has a niche in the market for what he offers. Not many guys offer what he does. How many other knife maker's offer 500 pieces and price them at $150? There's a lot of custom guys that will do runs of mid tech but not a lot of mid tech guys that will do production. I find the need to modify every Benchmade I buy. I don't feel I should treat Jason any different. Takes a lot of stones, drive, and hard work to do what he's doing and I wish him the best.
Ironically, it was your Bionic videos that prevented me from purchashing. Thanks for that, by the way. I'm somewhat new to the channel and have been working through the collected content. Great work, love it. I agree that people should support young, innovative, risk-taking entrepreneurs - but not to their own detriment. As someone with limited funds - like most everyone else - for me to spend that purchase on a knife that I know is flawed, potentially to a dangerous degree, is asking too much in my opinion. The market works when its allowed (at least until we go full-bore socialist). Only right now, the knife market has gotten so silly that nothing gets weeded out, and what does becomes more valuable. The USN stuff ... I don't know enough, but I'll say this, anyone, regardless of nationality, that decides to steal intellectual property is who is guilty of taking food off someone's table, not someone who decides to take a pass on a poorly designed knife.
I am disappointed with my Brous Silent Soldier Flipper Frame Lock. It came from the factory with an off center blade, too stiff to flip, heavy lock stick, and the grind of the cutting edge is uneven. A heat gun and Abu Garcia Reel Oil fixed the stiffness, and the knife was useable. Then the knife developed lock rock and it took two trips back to Jason the get it right. The cutting edge is still ground unevenly, but for Jason's asking price, it should have left his shop this way the first time. $370 for this? I think Jason needs to slow down on his introduction of new models, and stick to a few unique, ORIGINAL designs and get them perfected before adding more. Just my $.02.
I love this channel and I'm so glad that I found it when I did. Thanks Rob, I've learned a LOT from you. edit: The black Ripple is priced online at $33 (shipping included) right now. I heard you call your blue one an "expensive Ripple," what's the difference?
***** The Ripple I saw was on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Columbia-River-Knife-Tool-K415KXP/dp/B0030IT794 It says it's 8CR14MOV, so it has to be Chinese right? Could you link me to a Ripple that's Taiwanese, if you have time? Thanks!
Aneesh Sompalli Sorry, Aneesh. I didn't read your entire comment the first time. The "black" Ripple is Chinese made with an aluminum handle, liner lock and the steel you referenced. The "blue" and "brown" Ripples are stainless steel framelocks with Acuto 440 stainless steel blades and are produced in Taiwan. Both are great knives for their price points.
The moral of the story is for Jason to keep plugging away and honing his craft. I highly doubt back in the day when Hinderer and Reeve started out, their knives were perfection. Mistakes are made, that's how we learn from them. I enjoy your constructive criticisms, Rob. They make me more knowledgeable as a consumer of these sometimes very expensive knives.
The most money I spent on a knife was actually from Jason Brous and I have no complaints about my VR-71 thus far. I definitely support him and hope he succeeds in the knife world.
Yeah, washers on knives can be bit of a hassle at times. Couple of my Balisongs contain washers, and it takes precise adjustment to align it just right. I personally haven't heard much complaint about taking the PM2 apart and putting it back together. However, I did hear few people mention that few of their knives arrived with off-center blade position and had to tinker wit the screws to align it correctly.
+Chris Shamy ive had tons of endura's and delicas over the last 10 years. still have 4. i think im going to go for a spyderco paramilitary 2, manix 2, military and police for my next few knife purchases. was also thinking about a benchmade 710 over the military but i dont know. i was also interested in something made my zero tolerance like a 350 or 450. gonna see what i can find locally to play with first
I would recommend that you check out some of Cold Steel products. They got great quality and price ratio for some of their fixed blades and folders. I would also recommend checking out Spyderco products. I personally EDC carry a Aqua Salt Fixed Blade Dive Knife (as part of my EDC set) daily. It will be bit over the amount you mentioned if you get one directly from Spyderco, but you could probably find one for the amount you mentioned at places like Blade HQ. You could also always check EBAY or other sources like that, but I personally steer clear from such places due to bad experiences from the past. Don't get me wrong, not everyone that sells knives at places like Ebay are crooked. But the chances of getting ripped off (whether faulty product or even a fake) from such sources are much higher than getting the knife directly from a company or authentic sources like Blade HQ/Knife Works etc.
+냄새꾸리꾸리한 발까락 i actually just got a paramilitary 2 and sold off my microtech ultratech. the cold steel code 4 is what i have my eye on next from them. i bought my microtech from bladehq, theyre great to do business with. ive had good luck from unitedoutdoors on ebay and i think supremesolution is another recommended ebay seller
I laughed at the comment on the para 2 as ive been doing this dance with mine for 2 days now, ive got it where I want but the blades off center, its not rubbing so im gonna let it be for now. Great vid as always sir.
I agree, we really need Jason and we need more like him and we also need to try and limit (as an aside) the wholesale theft of his designs by the Chinese who basically will buy one and clone it ad nausium and flood the market with copies that leech all funds away from him and dump the money into a culture and country whose goal is to gobble up our money and skills until they can totally bankrupt us so that we cannot afford to combat them for doing it. They absorb our money, jobs and our children's future of ever being able to be self sufficient. And even worse, the majority of people here see nothing wrong with it and will assist them. So, I take chances on Jason and I also buy Spyderco and Benchmade USA made knives.
These days we have so much exposure to to products via youtube, forums and the internet in general that theres so much opportunity to find flaws in products. That being said you have one guy trying to supply thousands of people that want his knives and thats not an easy thing to do. If you look at most knife makers earlier work you will find flaws, even very experienced makers/companies have their flaws. People need a chance to learn from their mistakes and correct them. Great video Rob!
I can understand the start of your argument, but I don't see how you can justify the rationale of not having ~$10, 000 in process control and thus we should tolerate less than ideal results. The obvious counter to this is to do end line QC because you know you don't have the process control. This balance of control vs correction is standard in industry. If you don't have one you get the other until you do. It isn't reasonable to just dump the load on the consumer and handle the issues in warranty/service as that is much more expensive. All of that being said. I would argue you should support the guy because of how he responded to your video. There are few makers that you can have a rational interaction with which is critical. If you don't support the people who do then you are in no position to demand/desire or argue a need for such behavior. The guy is learning and it looks like he will at some point be able to produce a product which is competitive. If you don't support him in this process he won't be able to get there. Nice video.
Cliff Stamp I love the beginning of your comment, Cliff. As a quality engineer in a former life, like you I understand the concept of a process statistically in control. I also understand that for a new knife maker, this might be a bit of a foreign concept, even one who makes his knives in his father's machine shop. Jason is definitely on a steep learning curve, not only in manufacturing knives, but also in dealing with his customer base. But he IS learning, and as you said, his willingness to have rational interaction with his customers and critics makes him worth supporting. Great comment!
Interesting thoughts provided. However, I will say the fact that Jason Brous being an entrepreneur is no way excusable for the issues in quality with the Bionic. Which is not in argument to your claims. There is a select, small population of individuals who would find justification in purchasing a Brous, given its quality issues, for the simple fact that Mr. Brous is an entrepreneur in the knife industry. While I have an utmost respect for an entrepreneur and a knife maker as well, I would hope Jason Brous soon owns the fact that the consumer wants a quality product every time and if he is incapable of doing that, his competitors will have no problem out-selling him. Because we all know the Manufacturing industry defines the word "competition". With that said, the Bionic looks like a beautiful piece of engineering and I have no doubt that Brous Blades will continue to grow and provide better products. The beautiful milling design on the handle is a cool feature!
apostle p great vid, and you are so right about Para2's. I literally own 2 that have given more headaches blade play centering wise compared to a 35.00 Kershaw blur. I still love it, but it's a love hate relationship 👌😜😍👍🔪🔪
I like most of Jason Brous Mid tech knives. The Bionic has never grown on me. I would rather save up for a T4 or a Division or Mini Division flipper and get a superior knife. If a knife maker wants to play with the big boys or be one of the big boys, there are going to be some growing pains. That being said, I refuse to buy a knife I don't like. The Bionic just doesn't do it for me. I wish Jason well, and while he may not like the criticism, he might as well get use to it if he wants his business to grow. There are bound to be hits and misses along the way. He cannot expect knife reviewers such as yourself to not give an honest review. You must think of your own credibility and even if Jason is a nice guy, if you just give positive reviews, that makes you just a fanboy and your credibility is shot. People read and watch your reviews because you are honest and knife makers should be thankful to reviewers like you if they are confident in their own abilities to make a quality product, since you are bound to give a good review when it is warranted. I do not know what goes into the making of the Bionic, but in my opinion it seems that Jason while making excellent custom and mid tech knives is having issues with going into the next level which is production knives. Sal Glesser was once a small knife maker too and his company grew, Saying that, his company makes a lot of stuff in China. On the other hand, there is a reason why Chris Reeve doesn't sell a 150 dollar knife. Jason, in my opinion needs to figure out what he wants his company to be and what he wants his reputation as a knife maker to be. It may be hard to make a knife to suit everybody's needs.
I think that we should definitely help support small companies, but when a person sacrifices quality for quick production it makes me rethink purchasing one of their knives. Take for example the Grimsmo brothers; their knives are perfection because they won't settle for less. If I produce something that has my name on it, I surely want it to be as close to perfect as possible. I would rather be known for the quality of the product, versus just the quantity of the product. Where I come from they call that being a SELL OUT. This goes for any large manufacture willing to make a quick buck by sacrificing quality for quantity.
No Emerson? I've been carrying an Emerson since 2004 and I still use it as an EDC, I like the company and the consistency in quality. Never have problems if I need to send it in for servicing either, just a great company. Love the video, and I do like new blade makers as well, Bradford makes some nice fix blades, and I love the Brous Silent Solider.
I own a Brous t4 and one of his large division flipper as well. I gotta say that his t4 out performed any sebenza I've owned, D2 can hold a great edge if treated right and Jason seems to have it down, much like Bob Dozier does. Easy to sharpen too. In fact, both of my Brous knives arrived free of any flaws, flip great and lock up very well. For the price, definitely blows away a Hinderer or a sebenza, I've own a few of each.
I am a big fan of Jason Brous. I have two of the silent soldier neck knives and love both of them. I like the look of his folding knives and was wanting to buy the bionic 2.0. That being said, I am a single parent who has to be very careful with the little bit if money I have. I can't afford to purchase products that do not function safely. I guess I have to wait for the bionic 3.0.
First I would like to say I watch your channel because of the knowledge you have of knives. But the main reason is you are a brother in Christ. I have had to drop from so many channels for file mouths. And very rude sub's. Your channel is clean and you have a lot of super nice sub's. I made a slurred comment on your channel the other day and that was very rude of me I no better. And I apologize to you the person I made the comment to and your channel and all sub's. May the blessings of the Lord be upon you all. Randy.
Randy Parker I'm sure I say things all the time that aren't exactly glorifying to God, Randy. I talk too much with my tongue of flesh not to. But we're both forgiven, brother ;)
I'd buy a Brous in a new York second if I had any idea where to find one and if I had not just got my Chris Reeves. I was once a new business man myself and every new business depends on it's start up. I didn't see anything really wrong with the Brous knife and to be frank how many knives do we have that get put aside and not used anyways. If he's going to fix the issues and it's a matter of time.i have plenty of time what I don't have is knowledge of where to find his knives.
Jason Brous has a brilliant mind and he is a talented knife maker with his skills and with his entrepreneurial business acumen. How many others have a turpin collab? Manaro collab? Mikel w. Collab? Tanium Collab? IMHO I WANT JASON TO GET A MUCH SUCCESS as CRK, Hinderer etc, but not as big as those companies!! From a selfish side I still want Jason to touch my knife, to tune the detent, to sharpen the blade. With all due respect I don't believe Rick Hinderer probably didn't even touch my XM-18, and Chris Reeve didn't handle my SEBENZA or Umnumzaan. He's also a really likable cool young guy with all the ability continue to grow. Let me put it this way. I'm going to buy everything he puts out!
Rene Chavez A fool and his money are soon parted. I gave Jason's knives a try. For the $$, until he gets control of his processes and QA, his knives are not worth it.
I'm familiar with the expression, but be careful how and with who you use it with. You don't want to sound like a online Troll. If you don't agree with my comments it's fine but take caution in your comments my young immature friend. To me the knife community is a lot better than that.
Rene Chavez Sorry, but I bet I am a lot older than you. And I speak from experience where Brous Blades is concerned. I have had nothing but issues with the 2 SS Flippers I own(ed).
Here’s the thing, a value of an object is subjective. In terms of strictly getting the best possible value for your money, yeah brous and many other makers aren’t gonna earn your dollar and that’s fine and should be made note of! But I agree with you weighing the abstracts that one would care about.
well, seems to me expensive knives, just because they open smooth and make a cool clicking sound hmmm?????...just because a dog cant do tricks dosent mean it has no personality. seriously 400 bucks just to flick it easy (,bridge for sale)!! peace
All I can say is "huh?" Was there a point? If there was, it would be "put up with inferior quality from Brous because he's a nice guy". Sorry. Wrong answer.
+Len Zielenski That would indeed be the point... And I completely understand anyone who doesn't want to "invest" in his improvement. I'm merely trying to help those who do to know what to expect as we wait for him to improve.
Interesting video... I'm far from a serious knife collector but I think the point your making can carry across many different products. I have to agree that some foreign companies do undercut American pricing and drive down the cost of goods. On the other hand some foreign companies make a better, cheaper more reliable product and force American companies to up their game to be able to compete (look at the old American car manufacturing vs. foreign cars). I would have to say that while I am willing and prefer to deal with American made products, I cant/wont support an inferior made product sold at premium price. IMO if we want to celebrate true American capitalism then the free market has to reign and if as a business owner you're putting out an inferior product you wont last long in the market! I see some peoples objection in that instead of letting the market determine that the price of a knife should be closer to 100.00 instead of 400.00 you are recommending the consumer pays the premium. That's not how the free market works or is supposed to work. Create a good product, charge a good price and people will pay what its worth. There's a reason I own Sig Sauer's an not Hi Points. I have found them to be incredibly reliable and IMO worth the money. Conversely I bough a Ruger GP100 over the SW since I think Ruger builds a heavier duty revolver and at a cheaper price.
God bless you in our Lord Jesus Christ as well sir. Well your an awful nice guy. I wish that the majority of Americans looked at American business owners like you do. I am a business owner an I can tell you that I find the majority of the people I deal with are sadly only concerned about cost over anything. Even being somewhat sympathetic with Jason Brous I can say that I expect more from his knives at there price point. That said I hope Jason succeeds and from what I've seen his knives seem to sell just fine.
People bash and hate on others all the time. Most people are just very unforgiving ruthless and hateful towards others with no remorse and that's all there is to it. Some, not all but some people take pride in hating on other people and their work. I am not perfect either but I try and think before I say stuff that can be detremental towards someone else.
I disagree with your judgement that consumers should pay premium prices for inferior knives because the maker must support his family. Entrepreneurs take huge risks in order to reap big rewards. Many fail and some succeed but consumers should normally follow their own best interests so the best of the entrepreneurs succeed. I enjoy your videos and insights but I just disagree on this point.
I'd support a decent entrepreneur no matter where he lives. If a Chinese entrepreneur is decent and has integrity and American doesn't - sorry mr. American, but I'd support a decent person with my hard earned money, not an American merely because he is American.
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Like what Jason is doing like his designs however I won’t spend that kind of money on D2 steel. Crying out loud why not s35 or CT’s xhp???
he made an advantage knife, he has plenty of awesome knives! the end. spyderco crkt and all those big names have made average or crap knives that they probably mass produced and have never sold. we should not pay 150 for this just because we want him to succeed. that is ridiculous. if this was 70 like the ripple maybe it wouldn't be so bad. good day sir!
I agree with you on some level but why buy a Jay B knife when there overpriced and so not thought out ,this is just ridiculous I wouldn't buy one because his knives are lacking in poor design.so the next thing I want to say is if you spend up to a hundred dollars on a knife it better be good that's just an opinion of mine to be heard but it probably doesn't exist in the knife industry lol. Now when you buy from benchmade or zt or any other well known been around manufacturers that they stand by there worthy company's trademark and they have proven this so being all said I buy and go with the one who knows the trade. This is just my opinion so don't take offense to my blog
Fly Guy 78 No offense taken, Fly Guy, and I completely understand. In fact, I'm with you. I've personally owned only one Brous knife, a Division Flipper, which I subsequently sold. My point in this video was to articulate a completely valid reason for someone to buy a Bionic or other Brous knife, while at the same time tempering their expectations with logic and cold, hard reality.
I'm not gunna lie I have owned 3 brouse blades and I wasn't happy with any of them for one reason or another. I dig his designs and I want to support american knife makers but I personally feel that he should slow down a bit. Do like crk and hinderer do. Pick the best models perfect them then once you have them perfect make a new model. If all he had done was perfect the silent soldier flipper and nothing else he would have done well and earned more respect in the community. I liked my silent soldier flipper but the grind was uneven. I feel like he grew to fast and his quality control suffered. Do we give the guy a pass because he hasn't been doing this for 30 years and he is very ambitious? Sure but if he doesn't change gears soon he will burn all his fans and potentially get a black flag from the knife community like Mantis.
I usually agree with everything you say but this video kind makes my blood boil with some things you say. So, according to you, I should buy a Brous knife because Jason is "a good guy, a entrepreneur, and puttin' it out there", even though it is sub-par,and it is well known now. I am just a poor schlub,and I do mean poor. It might take me 5 months to save up $300 for a knife I want. What I want for my money, is a good strong knife,that won't fail me when I need it most. Aesthetically pleasing is always a nice side benefit.I have purchased everything from D. Hoskins customs, to Emersons,Kershaws,CRKTs and so on. Will I, at some point,buy a knife made by Brous? It's possible, if the knife measures up, but NOT because he is a "Nice guy",a entrepreneur, or any of the other reasons you gave. I mean, SERIOUSLY?! Buy a sub par knife from someone because they are a nice guy?! Or because he is "Puttin' it out there"?!? It must be nie to have the kind of money you have.
Constructive criticism is what makes people grow and become better. Regardless of how we feel about Jason as a person, we need to stay objective about his products. It's clear that the knife has problems, and shipping a $160 knife with lock failure is simply unacceptable. Even if these knives were being produced in his garage, it only takes 5 seconds to check the lock before its boxed up and shipped.
I bought a Bionic 1 on ebay used, and it had blade play. I sent it in to Brous Blades to see if he could fix it. He couldn't so he sent me a brand new Bionic 2.0, free of charge. He also sent a ton of Brous stickers to me and returned my check for the shipping cost without cashing it.
I'm not saying his knives are perfect, they aren't. But they keep getting better. He's earned my loyalty with his great customer service, so the next time I have $400 to spend on a knife, I'm getting one of his. The Sebenza can wait. I'm sold on the Brand and the owner, and the quality will only get better.
if I'm dropping a mortgage payment on a knife..quality control better be phenomenal. Small, one-man, company or not. Absolutely zero excuse for that.
I like to support small business when I can, but not at the expense of quality. but it also depends on what's the negative part of said sevice or product.
I have not been collecting knives seriously long enough to be anything other than a novice and I always take a great interest in your reviews Rob. This young man Brous has caught my eye a couple of times with his designs, I especially like the look of his Division( is that right?). Now if he is catching the eye of an old limey like me, there is every chance I will purchase one of his creations in the future if he survives the American market. It would be nice to think that world consumerism cares about a potential supplier, in truth though its a hard world, oh what the heck I am a believer in a the individual with courage, so this old boy will stand beside your views on this subject Rob and have a look again at Jasons knives, anyway I love D2. God Bless all
Laurie Campbell The problem with Jason is not all his designs are his. Look at his Division series then look up a Poltergeist Works Haunter[circa 2009]........I know of at least one knife forum he has been banned from for lying about designs and originality.......just saying.
336W That Poltergiest argument is getting pretty old and tired. Other than the basic shape of the envelope design, the Division and the Poltergeist knife have very little in common. Furthermore, I don't think Poltergeist's hands are squeaky clean on this issue either, with other knives. In reality, no 21st century maker's hands are clean -- there's very little new under the knife making sun.
TheApostleP As you say Rob, there is only so much you can do with a knife, except maybe to make it a bit of jewelry, I must admit that a few of my American trads are only used on Sundays.Got a few larger knives I do not carry much, eg CS Espada, x Ti Lite etc.where as para 2, skyline, Sebenza and even Opinals are edc for me, use them at home and work, although most of my work knives are fixed blades. After saying all that, it always makes you feel Good to carry a sharp, dependable classy knife. Having a choice is Freedom.
TheApostleP
Well, it was enough that he had to lie to the admins on USN forum and got banned for it.
336W ahaha where are you getting your info?
Brous's work doesn't interest me except that he is an entrepreneur and doing something unique. Not reason enough to pick up one of his knives personally, but if a model comes out I'm interested in, I'll be a buyer for sure. Best wishes for his success in the meantime.
Folks need to stop stroking Brous. His designs are not all his. Some even stollen. If you do a search on USN you will see why he was kicked off and banned. We shouldn't buy a Brous for the same fact that folks boycott some Chinese knives. Calling something his when it's another makers design. Rob is uninformed at cost versus materials. His knives with less materials and fit cannot even compete with Spydercos or some Benchmades that have better steel along with steel liners.
TheAidansdaddy17 Exactly
+TheAidansdaddy17 just give me a grey turd sebenza. I'm done. Lol
I'm all for the man throwing all he has into a dream. And to say he isn't anything but fully invested in his work would be what I feel is a misrepresentation of him. Being a one man show was a major reason I threw my hat in his ring. Albeit the product I received was imo inexcusable in its issue I would still love to own one of the knives in his production line. But for me and my circumstances, I'll be holding out until I see the mistakes everyone has been screaming resolved. I make my money using hours of my life and will spend it only on a product that I feel is worthy of my efforts. With that said I'm looking forward to Jason's next chapter.
Firstly the Bionic 'Starts" at $159 and goes up to $199, secondly why should anyone be expected to spend their hard earned money on a knife that isn't right .. Give me a brake its a business and not a charity, no wonder these companies have the Chinese chasing the business and will probably win at the end of the day... !!
I did go to Jason's website and saw a knife that I would potentially buy, I could accept some minor cosmetic issues.. But not the possibility of a Lock Failure, I suspect a lot of people watch and respect your videos for consumer information to make their purchases.. keep up the good and honest work..!!
Tony Hutton To be fair... I believe the lock failure that this particular Bionic 2.0 exhibits, while completely real and definitely a problem, will certainly disappear with use. The locking leaf is pretty thin, and with time and a few hundred cycles of the action, I'm sure the lock will wear in to perhaps 10-20% engagement. At that point it should have enough stability to not fold when in use.
Tony Hutton I think you missed the entire point of this video. No one is EXPECTING you to spend your hard earned money on anything.
What Rob said is that if you want to see guys like Jason succeed, then it wouldn't be a bad idea to help support him while he's learning from his mistakes. I don't think anyone here with a heart could disagree with that. Does that mean that everyone should go buy a knife from Jason? Absolutely not. But if you want to see someone like Jason succeed, it's not a bad idea to buy a knife from him with honest feedback and criticism so he can help keep his business open and continue to get better.
Just my 2 cents.
TheApostleP Rick that is a very fair and reasonable statement, just one point a better comparison might have been a Sage 1 (comparing a liner lock, with a liner lock)..:)
I don't want to run Jason or his knives down either, I did like the ergonomics, design and esthetics of the knife ( a 3 inch blade is all I ever use for my EDC needs) and I would have been a serious buyer for one, its that time again to upgrade my small EDC selection ... :)
Having said that when you are looking at spending $200 on a knife, that you want to use and have no worries about safety, its a genuine concern and will stop some people from buying one (like it has with me, at this point)... !!
Aneesh Sompalli I didn't miss the point and I understand it, the reality of the market can be cruel and its as simple as that, at the end of the day its a business... :)
Rob is 110% correct, if the American and other European Manufacturers don't lift there game, the Chinese will overrun then without any compassion and we can already see that local buyers do NOT have the brand loyalty that they might have had in the past...!!
If you think I am being cruel and blunt, try a Chinese Maker on for compassion, they have none and why should they....!!
Hell I would welcome to hear from Jason himself, but I am not holding my breath, I am just an average guy that was looking at buying a knife ... in this case for EDC, his color selection was indeed great idea and I am also sick of Black Knives...: LOL
From my personal experiences of life, you are more likely to give a young guy chance when you have some sort of a relationship with him with him and his company.. !!
There is my 2 cents worth, if its worth anything at..LOL
Another thoughtful video Rob. When the Bionic 1.0 came out I was quite interested in it and probably would have gotten one had you not gotten one in for sharpening first. That scared me away. Now, same deal with the 2.0.
That said... I would like to see Jason (& those like him) succeed, but I still probably wouldn't buy a Bionic unless I could personally hold & inspect it before hand. It if was a good one, I'd snag it because it's a cool design with good materials and I want to support an up & coming Free Market maker. Especially if I can see them learning from (& correcting) past flaws.
I know this is probably a difficult time for Jason, but actually it's a golden opportunity. He can absorb this constructive criticism and fix these flaws (I'm both design & construction) and come out of it on top. That's what I was glad to see how well he handled himself in the previous vid's comments. It sure seems like he's got the potential for greatness. I hope he learns from all this a is stronger for it.
Good luck Jason...great job Rob.
It all boils down to quality control. The reputation of companies big or small depend on an effective QC program.
Wait so when you unlock the Sebenza the blade can come down onto your thumb?
It doesn't do that from the factory. He adjusted his so that it can.
Honestly if there were more people like Jason investing their own resources and time, money and ambition to suceed this country would be better for it. Love the beauty that American manufacturers can produce even if it takes years of refining and process to perfectly produce quality long lasting goods.
Hey Rob. What are your thoughts on Custom Knife Factory?
You make some interesting points, however I feel that a reviewer should not be more lenient/harsh on a product simply because they like the manufacturer. If I pay $160 on a knife, I expect that knife's QC to be comparable to other knives in that price range regardless of whether or not the knife maker is nice.
Brett Neumann I'm not more lenient / harsh in objective content based on whether I like a maker or manufacturer. But how I characterize the strengths and weaknesses of a knife certainly is colored by my perceived character of the maker. Take the Brous Bionic for instance... It's pretty clear from my two Bionic videos that the knife has what I perceive to be grave issues, so much so in fact that I won't buy one for myself, even with the points made in this video in mind. But I'm still pulling for Jason.
I feel as though if brous wants to compete with the big midtec makers, then we should not pull any punches simply because he is only one guy with little experience. I know if I were him I would not want my customers to settle for a lesser product out of sympathy. This kind of mindset is ok for a little known maker on the rise, but brous is a huge player in the industry and his work should reflect that.
Hi Rob, great video and as always right on the money!
As such I instinctively want to support the "little guy" even if it requires a "big price"
However I have three conditions:
#1 practical innovation in the design
#2 high quality materials and construction
#3 solid customer support and zero B.S. once you've invested your hard earned into that Person/Company/Product.
If all those points are a yes. Well I'm a potential buyer and probable long term customer.
If the first #2 are not quite right when I have said "tool" in hand I expect it to be put right in a timely and respectful fashion (the gate should swing both ways)
However if #3 is not on script or non existent as I have recently experienced, in particular constant false promises and even outright lies. (strong words but true)
Well for me it's game over... Period!
As it just smacks of arrogance and profit before people!
I've yet to try a Jason Brous Design, although I look forward to doing so in the not to distant future.
Once again, thanks for the video which is very much in keeping with the current "zeitgeist" within this particular community!
Grace and Peace Brother,
Lee
P.S. The edge on my SpecWar is "Bonkers" ultra sharp, very durable! 👍👊😉
well said Lee, our Rob is a real asset to the community, the truth sets us Free Brother.
Roger That Brother!
Because of the likes of Brous Blades, I want to give my money to the guy who when I have a problem, he write to me and he helps me out. Not the BIG company that it takes weeks for them to reply to an email, thats just me though. Plus, I do like Jason and his designs which is a bonus lol
That's a very good point, a start up or younger companies do much better by building customer relationships and that personal touch, its amazing how a customer will put up with when they do, helping them with constructive criticism and often become over time the best Ambassadors and Advocates for their products...!!
Oh, where would we be without the featherlight hunter??!! I'm sure the review dug at him as it would anybody but at the end of the day, you're a straight shooter and he knows that. I'm proud of Jason as we all should be. He has a niche in the market for what he offers. Not many guys offer what he does. How many other knife maker's offer 500 pieces and price them at $150? There's a lot of custom guys that will do runs of mid tech but not a lot of mid tech guys that will do production. I find the need to modify every Benchmade I buy. I don't feel I should treat Jason any different. Takes a lot of stones, drive, and hard work to do what he's doing and I wish him the best.
Ironically, it was your Bionic videos that prevented me from purchashing. Thanks for that, by the way. I'm somewhat new to the channel and have been working through the collected content. Great work, love it. I agree that people should support young, innovative, risk-taking entrepreneurs - but not to their own detriment. As someone with limited funds - like most everyone else - for me to spend that purchase on a knife that I know is flawed, potentially to a dangerous degree, is asking too much in my opinion. The market works when its allowed (at least until we go full-bore socialist). Only right now, the knife market has gotten so silly that nothing gets weeded out, and what does becomes more valuable. The USN stuff ... I don't know enough, but I'll say this, anyone, regardless of nationality, that decides to steal intellectual property is who is guilty of taking food off someone's table, not someone who decides to take a pass on a poorly designed knife.
I am disappointed with my Brous Silent Soldier Flipper Frame Lock. It came from the factory with an off center blade, too stiff to flip, heavy lock stick, and the grind of the cutting edge is uneven. A heat gun and Abu Garcia Reel Oil fixed the stiffness, and the knife was useable.
Then the knife developed lock rock and it took two trips back to Jason the get it right. The cutting edge is still ground unevenly, but for Jason's asking price, it should have left his shop this way the first time. $370 for this?
I think Jason needs to slow down on his introduction of new models, and stick to a few unique, ORIGINAL designs and get them perfected before adding more. Just my $.02.
I love this channel and I'm so glad that I found it when I did. Thanks Rob, I've learned a LOT from you.
edit: The black Ripple is priced online at $33 (shipping included) right now. I heard you call your blue one an "expensive Ripple," what's the difference?
Aneesh Sompalli Glad to have you aboard, Aneesh!
***** The Ripple I saw was on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Columbia-River-Knife-Tool-K415KXP/dp/B0030IT794
It says it's 8CR14MOV, so it has to be Chinese right? Could you link me to a Ripple that's Taiwanese, if you have time? Thanks!
Aneesh Sompalli Sorry, Aneesh. I didn't read your entire comment the first time. The "black" Ripple is Chinese made with an aluminum handle, liner lock and the steel you referenced. The "blue" and "brown" Ripples are stainless steel framelocks with Acuto 440 stainless steel blades and are produced in Taiwan. Both are great knives for their price points.
The moral of the story is for Jason to keep plugging away and honing his craft. I highly doubt back in the day when Hinderer and Reeve started out, their knives were perfection. Mistakes are made, that's how we learn from them.
I enjoy your constructive criticisms, Rob. They make me more knowledgeable as a consumer of these sometimes very expensive knives.
The most money I spent on a knife was actually from Jason Brous and I have no complaints about my VR-71 thus far. I definitely support him and hope he succeeds in the knife world.
excellent video. i wasn't sure what to expect when i started watching but, i found a lot of wisdom in your statements. thanks for sharing them.
Well put! I've bought a few of Jason's knives instead of other companies for that exact reason, for him to succeed.
from one brother in Christ to another, I didn't get it at first. I read it as "the world is sharp" lol. great "rant". subscribed!
Yeah, washers on knives can be bit of a hassle at times. Couple of my Balisongs contain washers, and it takes precise adjustment to align it just right.
I personally haven't heard much complaint about taking the PM2 apart and putting it back together. However, I did hear few people mention that few of their knives arrived with off-center blade position and had to tinker wit the screws to align it correctly.
what edc knife med-large do you recommend for $160? the brous?
+Chris Shamy ive had tons of endura's and delicas over the last 10 years. still have 4. i think im going to go for a spyderco paramilitary 2, manix 2, military and police for my next few knife purchases. was also thinking about a benchmade 710 over the military but i dont know. i was also interested in something made my zero tolerance like a 350 or 450. gonna see what i can find locally to play with first
I would recommend that you check out some of Cold Steel products. They got great quality and price ratio for some of their fixed blades and folders.
I would also recommend checking out Spyderco products. I personally EDC carry a Aqua Salt Fixed Blade Dive Knife (as part of my EDC set) daily. It will be bit over the amount you mentioned if you get one directly from Spyderco, but you could probably find one for the amount you mentioned at places like Blade HQ. You could also always check EBAY or other sources like that, but I personally steer clear from such places due to bad experiences from the past. Don't get me wrong, not everyone that sells knives at places like Ebay are crooked. But the chances of getting ripped off (whether faulty product or even a fake) from such sources are much higher than getting the knife directly from a company or authentic sources like Blade HQ/Knife Works etc.
+냄새꾸리꾸리한 발까락 i actually just got a paramilitary 2 and sold off my microtech ultratech. the cold steel code 4 is what i have my eye on next from them. i bought my microtech from bladehq, theyre great to do business with. ive had good luck from unitedoutdoors on ebay and i think supremesolution is another recommended ebay seller
Hey man, not sure if you're still looking for a blade, but a great offering by Jason Brous is the Sniper 🍻
+Danny Rios thanks, i just looked it up. i might go for it!
Muy buenos videos exelentes cuchillas
I laughed at the comment on the para 2 as ive been doing this dance with mine for 2 days now, ive got it where I want but the blades off center, its not rubbing so im gonna let it be for now. Great vid as always sir.
I agree, we really need Jason and we need more like him and we also need to try and limit (as an aside) the wholesale theft of his designs by the Chinese who basically will buy one and clone it ad nausium and flood the market with copies that leech all funds away from him and dump the money into a culture and country whose goal is to gobble up our money and skills until they can totally bankrupt us so that we cannot afford to combat them for doing it. They absorb our money, jobs and our children's future of ever being able to be self sufficient. And even worse, the majority of people here see nothing wrong with it and will assist them. So, I take chances on Jason and I also buy Spyderco and Benchmade USA made knives.
These days we have so much exposure to to products via youtube, forums and the internet in general that theres so much opportunity to find flaws in products. That being said you have one guy trying to supply thousands of people that want his knives and thats not an easy thing to do. If you look at most knife makers earlier work you will find flaws, even very experienced makers/companies have their flaws. People need a chance to learn from their mistakes and correct them. Great video Rob!
I can understand the start of your argument, but I don't see how you can justify the rationale of not having ~$10, 000 in process control and thus we should tolerate less than ideal results. The obvious counter to this is to do end line QC because you know you don't have the process control. This balance of control vs correction is standard in industry. If you don't have one you get the other until you do. It isn't reasonable to just dump the load on the consumer and handle the issues in warranty/service as that is much more expensive.
All of that being said. I would argue you should support the guy because of how he responded to your video. There are few makers that you can have a rational interaction with which is critical. If you don't support the people who do then you are in no position to demand/desire or argue a need for such behavior. The guy is learning and it looks like he will at some point be able to produce a product which is competitive. If you don't support him in this process he won't be able to get there.
Nice video.
Cliff Stamp I love the beginning of your comment, Cliff. As a quality engineer in a former life, like you I understand the concept of a process statistically in control. I also understand that for a new knife maker, this might be a bit of a foreign concept, even one who makes his knives in his father's machine shop. Jason is definitely on a steep learning curve, not only in manufacturing knives, but also in dealing with his customer base. But he IS learning, and as you said, his willingness to have rational interaction with his customers and critics makes him worth supporting. Great comment!
Interesting thoughts provided. However, I will say the fact that Jason Brous being an entrepreneur is no way excusable for the issues in quality with the Bionic. Which is not in argument to your claims. There is a select, small population of individuals who would find justification in purchasing a Brous, given its quality issues, for the simple fact that Mr. Brous is an entrepreneur in the knife industry.
While I have an utmost respect for an entrepreneur and a knife maker as well, I would hope Jason Brous soon owns the fact that the consumer wants a quality product every time and if he is incapable of doing that, his competitors will have no problem out-selling him. Because we all know the Manufacturing industry defines the word "competition".
With that said, the Bionic looks like a beautiful piece of engineering and I have no doubt that Brous Blades will continue to grow and provide better products. The beautiful milling design on the handle is a cool feature!
If I had the money, I'd buy Jason Brous's Silent Soldier in a heartbeat. Nothing of similar specification even comes close.
Very interesting and honest thoughts here! I do agree with you, and I'm still a JB fan and supporter... ;-)
I buy knives I like, period.
Where would we be without constructive criticism. And that goes for everything, not just knives.
apostle p great vid, and you are so right about Para2's. I literally own 2 that have given more headaches blade play centering wise compared to a 35.00 Kershaw blur. I still love it, but it's a love hate relationship 👌😜😍👍🔪🔪
I like most of Jason Brous Mid tech knives. The Bionic has never grown on me. I would rather save up for a T4 or a Division or Mini Division flipper and get a superior knife. If a knife maker wants to play with the big boys or be one of the big boys, there are going to be some growing pains. That being said, I refuse to buy a knife I don't like. The Bionic just doesn't do it for me. I wish Jason well, and while he may not like the criticism, he might as well get use to it if he wants his business to grow. There are bound to be hits and misses along the way. He cannot expect knife reviewers such as yourself to not give an honest review. You must think of your own credibility and even if Jason is a nice guy, if you just give positive reviews, that makes you just a fanboy and your credibility is shot. People read and watch your reviews because you are honest and knife makers should be thankful to reviewers like you if they are confident in their own abilities to make a quality product, since you are bound to give a good review when it is warranted. I do not know what goes into the making of the Bionic, but in my opinion it seems that Jason while making excellent custom and mid tech knives is having issues with going into the next level which is production knives. Sal Glesser was once a small knife maker too and his company grew, Saying that, his company makes a lot of stuff in China. On the other hand, there is a reason why Chris Reeve doesn't sell a 150 dollar knife. Jason, in my opinion needs to figure out what he wants his company to be and what he wants his reputation as a knife maker to be. It may be hard to make a knife to suit everybody's needs.
David Childers That might be some of the best advice Jason could read, David. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
TheApostleP Thanks for the kind words
I think that we should definitely help support small companies, but when a person sacrifices quality for quick production it makes me rethink purchasing one of their knives. Take for example the Grimsmo brothers; their knives are perfection because they won't settle for less. If I produce something that has my name on it, I surely want it to be as close to perfect as possible. I would rather be known for the quality of the product, versus just the quantity of the product. Where I come from they call that being a SELL OUT. This goes for any large manufacture willing to make a quick buck by sacrificing quality for quantity.
No Emerson? I've been carrying an Emerson since 2004 and I still use it as an EDC, I like the company and the consistency in quality. Never have problems if I need to send it in for servicing either, just a great company. Love the video, and I do like new blade makers as well, Bradford makes some nice fix blades, and I love the Brous Silent Solider.
I own a Brous t4 and one of his large division flipper as well. I gotta say that his t4 out performed any sebenza I've owned, D2 can hold a great edge if treated right and Jason seems to have it down, much like Bob Dozier does. Easy to sharpen too. In fact, both of my Brous knives arrived free of any flaws, flip great and lock up very well. For the price, definitely blows away a Hinderer or a sebenza, I've own a few of each.
Also, I have carried both Ripple2 and Bionic 2.0 and have loved both. My Bionic locks up really well. I did have to file down the heel of the knife...
I am a big fan of Jason Brous. I have two of the silent soldier neck knives and love both of them. I like the look of his folding knives and was wanting to buy the bionic 2.0. That being said, I am a single parent who has to be very careful with the little bit if money I have. I can't afford to purchase products that do not function safely. I guess I have to wait for the bionic 3.0.
First I would like to say I watch your channel because of the knowledge you have of knives. But the main reason is you are a brother in Christ. I have had to drop from so many channels for file mouths. And very rude sub's. Your channel is clean and you have a lot of super nice sub's. I made a slurred comment on your channel the other day and that was very rude of me I no better. And I apologize to you the person I made the comment to and your channel and all sub's. May the blessings of the Lord be upon you all. Randy.
Randy Parker I'm sure I say things all the time that aren't exactly glorifying to God, Randy. I talk too much with my tongue of flesh not to. But we're both forgiven, brother ;)
Ripple 2 has a redesigned blade shape that corrects the riccasso issue.
I'd buy a Brous in a new York second if I had any idea where to find one and if I had not just got my Chris Reeves. I was once a new business man myself and every new business depends on it's start up. I didn't see anything really wrong with the Brous knife and to be frank how many knives do we have that get put aside and not used anyways. If he's going to fix the issues and it's a matter of time.i have plenty of time what I don't have is knowledge of where to find his knives.
Jason Brous has a brilliant mind and he is a talented knife maker with his skills and with his entrepreneurial business acumen. How many others have a turpin collab? Manaro collab? Mikel w. Collab? Tanium Collab? IMHO I WANT JASON TO GET A MUCH SUCCESS as CRK, Hinderer etc, but not as big as those companies!! From a selfish side I still want Jason to touch my knife, to tune the detent, to sharpen the blade. With all due respect I don't believe Rick Hinderer probably didn't even touch my XM-18, and Chris Reeve didn't handle my SEBENZA or Umnumzaan. He's also a really likable cool young guy with all the ability continue to grow. Let me put it this way. I'm going to buy everything he puts out!
Rene Chavez A fool and his money are soon parted. I gave Jason's knives a try. For the $$, until he gets control of his processes and QA, his knives are not worth it.
I'm familiar with the expression, but be careful how and with who you use it with. You don't want to sound like a online Troll. If you don't agree with my comments it's fine but take caution in your comments my young immature friend. To me the knife community is a lot better than that.
Rene Chavez Sorry, but I bet I am a lot older than you. And I speak from experience where Brous Blades is concerned. I have had nothing but issues with the 2 SS Flippers I own(ed).
I'm sorry you had issues with your SS's. Lol my picture is when I was 16... I'm 37 now!👍😃 cheers🍻
Rene Chavez Still got ya beat
Here’s the thing, a value of an object is subjective. In terms of strictly getting the best possible value for your money, yeah brous and many other makers aren’t gonna earn your dollar and that’s fine and should be made note of! But I agree with you weighing the abstracts that one would care about.
well, seems to me expensive knives, just because they open smooth and make a cool clicking sound hmmm?????...just because a dog cant do tricks dosent mean it has no personality. seriously 400 bucks just to flick it easy (,bridge for sale)!! peace
All I can say is "huh?" Was there a point? If there was, it would be "put up with inferior quality from Brous because he's a nice guy". Sorry. Wrong answer.
+Len Zielenski That would indeed be the point... And I completely understand anyone who doesn't want to "invest" in his improvement. I'm merely trying to help those who do to know what to expect as we wait for him to improve.
Good video Rob....
hell yea we need American entrepreneurs in this knife industry
I'd have to agree with u sr. Just like I'd pay more for a knife made in the then save a little on overseas of the same quality
Interesting video... I'm far from a serious knife collector but I think the point your making can carry across many different products. I have to agree that some foreign companies do undercut American pricing and drive down the cost of goods. On the other hand some foreign companies make a better, cheaper more reliable product and force American companies to up their game to be able to compete (look at the old American car manufacturing vs. foreign cars). I would have to say that while I am willing and prefer to deal with American made products, I cant/wont support an inferior made product sold at premium price. IMO if we want to celebrate true American capitalism then the free market has to reign and if as a business owner you're putting out an inferior product you wont last long in the market! I see some peoples objection in that instead of letting the market determine that the price of a knife should be closer to 100.00 instead of 400.00 you are recommending the consumer pays the premium. That's not how the free market works or is supposed to work. Create a good product, charge a good price and people will pay what its worth.
There's a reason I own Sig Sauer's an not Hi Points. I have found them to be incredibly reliable and IMO worth the money. Conversely I bough a Ruger GP100 over the SW since I think Ruger builds a heavier duty revolver and at a cheaper price.
God bless you in our Lord Jesus Christ as well sir. Well your an awful nice guy. I wish that the majority of Americans looked at American business owners like you do. I am a business owner an I can tell you that I find the majority of the people I deal with are sadly only concerned about cost over anything. Even being somewhat sympathetic with Jason Brous I can say that I expect more from his knives at there price point. That said I hope Jason succeeds and from what I've seen his knives seem to sell just fine.
Never heard of Brous but they look nice. I just don't like liner locks.
After Sanrenmu and Ganzo, I think no one else will spend $ 500 on a knife...unless you have money to throw out the window
People bash and hate on others all the time. Most people are just very unforgiving ruthless and hateful towards others with no remorse and that's all there is to it. Some, not all but some people take pride in hating on other people and their work. I am not perfect either but I try and think before I say stuff that can be detremental towards someone else.
I disagree with your judgement that consumers should pay premium prices for inferior knives because the maker must support his family. Entrepreneurs take huge risks in order to reap big rewards. Many fail and some succeed but consumers should normally follow their own best interests so the best of the entrepreneurs succeed. I enjoy your videos and insights but I just disagree on this point.
I'd support a decent entrepreneur no matter where he lives. If a Chinese entrepreneur is decent and has integrity and American doesn't - sorry mr. American, but I'd support a decent person with my hard earned money, not an American merely because he is American.
Like what Jason is doing like his designs however I won’t spend that kind of money on D2 steel. Crying out loud why not s35 or CT’s xhp???
he made an advantage knife, he has plenty of awesome knives! the end. spyderco crkt and all those big names have made average or crap knives that they probably mass produced and have never sold. we should not pay 150 for this just because we want him to succeed. that is ridiculous. if this was 70 like the ripple maybe it wouldn't be so bad. good day sir!
That knife looks very H.R. Ginger/Alien-ish.
Same reason I bought a vipersharp system instead of kme or wickedsharp. 1 guy show, trying hard
I agree with you on some level but why buy a Jay B knife when there overpriced and so not thought out ,this is just ridiculous I wouldn't buy one because his knives are lacking in poor design.so the next thing I want to say is if you spend up to a hundred dollars on a knife it better be good that's just an opinion of mine to be heard but it probably doesn't exist in the knife industry lol. Now when you buy from benchmade or zt or any other well known been around manufacturers that they stand by there worthy company's trademark and they have proven this so being all said I buy and go with the one who knows the trade. This is just my opinion so don't take offense to my blog
Fly Guy 78 No offense taken, Fly Guy, and I completely understand. In fact, I'm with you. I've personally owned only one Brous knife, a Division Flipper, which I subsequently sold. My point in this video was to articulate a completely valid reason for someone to buy a Bionic or other Brous knife, while at the same time tempering their expectations with logic and cold, hard reality.
Fly Guy 78 Don't confuse design with execution. I love the design of my Brous Silent Soldier Flipper, but the execution left some to be desired.
336W ok you're right on this he does have cool designs on some of his knives but they just don't function well ? sorry for the confusion
TheApostleP good I'm glad that you're so opened minded to my comments
I don't like the sabenza, never will.
I'm not gunna lie I have owned 3 brouse blades and I wasn't happy with any of them for one reason or another. I dig his designs and I want to support american knife makers but I personally feel that he should slow down a bit. Do like crk and hinderer do. Pick the best models perfect them then once you have them perfect make a new model. If all he had done was perfect the silent soldier flipper and nothing else he would have done well and earned more respect in the community. I liked my silent soldier flipper but the grind was uneven. I feel like he grew to fast and his quality control suffered. Do we give the guy a pass because he hasn't been doing this for 30 years and he is very ambitious? Sure but if he doesn't change gears soon he will burn all his fans and potentially get a black flag from the knife community like Mantis.
I usually agree with everything you say but this video kind makes my blood boil with some things you say.
So, according to you, I should buy a Brous knife because Jason is "a good guy, a entrepreneur, and puttin' it out there", even though it is sub-par,and it is well known now.
I am just a poor schlub,and I do mean poor. It might take me 5 months to save up $300 for a knife I want.
What I want for my money, is a good strong knife,that won't fail me when I need it most. Aesthetically pleasing is always a nice side benefit.I have purchased everything from D. Hoskins customs, to Emersons,Kershaws,CRKTs and so on.
Will I, at some point,buy a knife made by Brous? It's possible, if the knife measures up, but NOT because he is a "Nice guy",a entrepreneur, or any of the other reasons you gave. I mean, SERIOUSLY?! Buy a sub par knife from someone because they are a nice guy?! Or because he is "Puttin' it out there"?!? It must be nie to have the kind of money you have.
his knifes r ugly silent soldier is nice looking