Stassa23 0:00
I like diving into different steals that interests me you know and I like to learn about them but it's not a make or break for me if if I see a knife and it's got as 30cv i can't buy that but you know I'll still buy it so still not a make or break but it's always a plus

Announcer 0:21
Welcome to the knife junkie podcast your weekly dose of knife news and information about knives and knife collecting. Here's your hosts Jim Person and Bob The Knife Junkie DeMarco

Jim Person 0:34
Hello Knife Junkie and welcome to episode number 90 of the Knife Junkie podcast I'm Jim Person.

Bob DeMarco 0:40
And I'm Bob DeMarco. Welcome to the podcast.

Jim Person 0:43
Welcome to the Knife Junkie podcast that is the place for nice newbies and Knife Junkie to learn all about knives and knife collecting and hear from folks in the industry like knife designers knife makers, manufacturers YouTube knife reviewers hint hint wink wink quenches somebody We're going to talk to you today that fits into that category. But if you're not in any of those categories and you love knives Will you still are in the right place? The Knife Junkie podcast Bob, how's it going? It's going great. How you doing Jim? doing pretty good. Looking forward to our interview today. It's our weekend interview show and I gave a little hint. I don't know if anybody caught it was way subtle.

Bob DeMarco 1:21
It was pretty

Unknown Speaker 1:22
much him, but I picked up on it. Okay, well, I figured you would

Bob DeMarco 1:26
Stassa23 we talked to stassa23 very excited to talk to him. He's a YouTuber most of you probably know him. He's got great taste in knives, great access to knives. And he's another one of these guys that I've watched so much of his videos I felt like I know knew him or know him and, and in speaking with him, and I got to know him greater. We're gonna see each other at play that great guy going to be seeing each other at blade to say

Jim Person 1:53
I love to see it played. That interview is coming up next. But I do want to remind you that The Knife Junkie does have a YouTube channel and you can find his videos his knife reviews his unboxing videos his collection videos all that kind of good stuff at The Knife Junkie comm slash YouTube as well as Thursday night knives live video show that you can get right there on the YouTube channel as well as at the Facebook page. But you can find that The Knife Junkie comm slash Facebook so two different places to watch Thursday night knives so we'll hope you'll check that out this coming Thursday. You're listening to the Knife Junkie podcast.

Announcer 2:39
If you've got questions or comments call the 24 seven Knife Junkie listener line at 724-466-4487.

Bob DeMarco 2:47
So I have staska 23 in the house for some knife therapy starts at 23 is one of my favorite YouTube knife reviewers staska thank you so much for coming on the show, sir. Thank you all I appreciate it. It's a pleasure. It's a pleasure. So, first, I gotta ask you, what do you what do you carry on today?

Stassa23 3:05
Oh, see? I got to armia I'm bad about that. I got the void. Sharp bydesign Boyd on me, man. And, uh, actually I'm a customer a pocket

Bob DeMarco 3:22
Machine Company Roosevelt. What is that is named oz Machine Company. Yes, the Roosevelt. And this year I haven't had any customers before this year and you know, after 20 some years of collecting, I was able to sell a bunch and actually afford some of them. That's, that is a great place to be. That's kind of where I am at the moment. I'm, I'm, I'm moving into Well, I'm slowly getting there. I right now I'm, I have I have to and it's a nice feeling to know that you have a knife that was 100% In in someone's hands, you know yes and and and by the way, just just to douse any confusion. I include CNC handmade knife makers as in their hands the whole time like a bright Yes.

Stassa23 4:14
That's just like the

Stassa23 4:17
CNC May. So how was that void at first? First out a few little minor issues but contacted Brian and he got back to me immediately and pretty much you know said if his fixes didn't work to let him know he'd send me a new one so can't complain there. It's a nice folder.

Bob DeMarco 4:41
I have I've never had myself a sharp by design I've never actually held a sharp by design and this past run of knives before the void the arch nemesis that amazing amazing. dagger is just about my favorite folding knife design Probably that I've ever seen. And every day on Instagram, it was like a new, a new stab to the heart seeing some beautiful new version of his knife roll out and go to someone else.

Stassa23 5:15
Yeah, that's usually the case. I'm not wanting to stop some of these makers on Instagram, like some people do.

Bob DeMarco 5:22
I mean, if you want to get your hands on these, you do have to keep your ear to the ground, because it's amazing how quickly knife models come and go.

Stassa23 5:32
Oh, yeah. especially women on demand. Yes, exactly. Exactly.

Bob DeMarco 5:37
You probably don't know much about me. I love the big, ridiculous Cold Steel knives. And that was the new Cold Steel, Voyager Chris. They keep kind of teasing that they make like seven or eight of them, and then get them out in the public and then it's like nothing for for weeks and weeks and I'm right there right now. Kind of like I just I just want to get this Chris in my hands.

Stassa23 6:01
You know, I thought I saw your video on it. I liked your video.

Bob DeMarco 6:06
That's a good one of the highlight. Chris is pretty sweet. But, but anyway, so tell me what got you into knives you said 20 some odd years you've been collecting what was the impetus? Why knives? Why not wrenches or little penguin figurines?

Stassa23 6:23
Well I live in the south south Louisiana. I have two older brothers we always went hunting together and just remember whenever I was, you know six or seven years old at the hunting camp, seeing my brother with the button I want to side You know, I just rolled over it I I've always been fascinated with from like I have a true passion for not know,

Bob DeMarco 6:47
yeah. Oh, yeah, I know.

Stassa23 6:49
I know that snowball effect after that. It just keeps getting worse and worse.

Bob DeMarco 6:54
So then what was your first knife? Was it a buck 110 or whatever your brother was?

Stassa23 7:00
No Actually it started out as a cheap gas station knife that I found in the woods. And then one that was actually given to me. My dad gave me a Boy Scout knife and then my first like night that I got the pic was like I think the buck 55 I think the little one

Bob DeMarco 7:20
you ever actually, Jim the man producing this very podcast showed me a picture of an auction lot and a buck 55 is in there and that was one of the few knives that I said oh yeah, that makes this lot worth it for sure. I love that little knife.

Stassa23 7:35
Yeah, took a little knife.

Bob DeMarco 7:37
So what is knife therapy? You always you introduce your videos, you say that you're back with some knife therapy. What is knife therapy? Explain that to me.

Stassa23 7:45
Well, see.

Unknown Speaker 7:48
Like I said, I've been into the collective for a long time. Four and a half years ago, I was in a really bad work accident. I was I was blown up in a chemical plant exploded. And I spent a lot of time in the hospital so whenever I got out finally got home you know the my coping with the PTSD of it was the knives so it truly means a knife therapy for me because everybody in the community is what got me through a lot of tough times thought of my family now. So it Some people think I just made it by you know, just showing eyes but now I truly mean life there before me.

Bob DeMarco 8:33
Well, you look at your, your logo too. You can see you can you can see the reference to I can't remember the name of the snakes, the Hippocrates snakes or whatever they are, but I mean that's what it is. It's it's about losing yourself in something so that you can forget the current moment.

Stassa23 8:51
Yeah, I don't know if you know, Tony meter on Instagram.

Bob DeMarco 8:56
Not sure I do.

Stassa23 8:57
he's a he's a good bit older than me, but I had asked people on my channel to help me design a logo. And Tony is a graphic designer. And he shot me that no and my story, so I'm gonna give all credit to him.

Bob DeMarco 9:12
Oh man it is it is beautiful. So did you start your channel, which is, you know, just been kind of just blowing up ever since you started did you start your channel after this accident? And is that when when the video started happening?

Stassa23 9:30
Oh, probably about well, it took me a good two years before I could, you know, really think about doing anything like that or two and maybe about two years. First year I was still open. wounds bad I'm burned 80% of my body. So it was bad for that, you know, first year and a half, two years. So once I was able to deal with the pain enough, I didn't want to you know, I don't want people to see that or have to hear that. So Finally kind of taught me I kind of talked to my friend about it, I was nervous to do it, you know, because I've never talked behind a camera before. And he's like, just take a few videos and don't post them and be comfortable. So that's what I did. And then it you know, gets easier and easy as you go.

Bob DeMarco 10:19
So does it is it to you now, sort of part and parcel of how you evaluate a knife does knowing that you're going to make a video about it force you to really look into the knife itself or not, whether you enjoy it, but how it performs and that kind of thing.

Stassa23 10:40
It's kind of funny because I always looked at not like that. So it's more so now I get to get it out of my head and let other people know. You know, I was big into the YouTube scene before. I'd say I got into YouTube as far as like watching it and consuming it about seven years ago, when they had a whole different batch of people, you know, yeah, yeah. And it was more so about, like, modding and stuff like that. That was the big thing back then. And

Stassa23 11:10
I gained a lot of knowledge through a lot of watching. Yeah,

Bob DeMarco 11:13
well, is that where your modding came from? You've done quite a bit.

Unknown Speaker 11:17
That's where I got my top thumbs with my answer inspiration back in the day and Alex deeds and all them guys, you know, I started back then, because I couldn't afford the more expensive knife. So I would make my own, you know, that's where I got it. That's where I got inspired to do that.

Bob DeMarco 11:35
Well, so I'm interested in how you evaluate a knife and kind of what your criteria are for any given knife. I mean, understanding that it might have one purpose or another. So I want to ask you about that to describe kind of how you go about evaluating a knife and and what you're looking for. And also, you've mentioned about How your hands are very sensitive from your accident. You know, you can see evidence of that in the videos that your hands were damaged. Yeah. And so how does ergonomics affect? How are the ergonomics affected?

Unknown Speaker 12:15
That's something that I can tell really easily before I even do my normal tests that I do, hey, it's a blessing and a curse. And they've gotten a lot better. I can hand it's just my dexterity is not the greatest thing, like having to work up, I can't charge them by hand anymore, which I didn't do a whole lot before but I was able to do it. But uh, you know, like now when I'm thinking about, you know, a scene in life that interests me visually, and I kind of have to have some stock in the company to if I'm going to buy it myself. And once I find that knife, it can be budget expensive. Whatever. Try I try not to go too expensive on the channel because let's be honest, there's not a lot of people who like to watch the most like super expensive stuff, because they can't afford it and understand. So I try to keep it you know, in that 200 and under you know all over the place it could be a $20 knife hollow mall is a nice guy, so doesn't matter what gun knife it is. It speaks to me now. Yeah, yeah. And when I first get it, I do a quick inspection of it. Check the lock up, make sure that no pull a make sure the detailed sound that you know there's no wobble and the detent and no no glaring flaws, like right off the back. Then throw it in the pocket, carry it and use it. And just so I can kinda like right before I do the video. Couple of days I spend on I got a few little set cut test. I do. Just to kind of see how this deal performed, making sure it's not, you know, garbage, or my sample and garbage. And I do like cardboard rope, plastic bottles. And for me when I test ergonomics, I carve into wood, because I find that that's the best tail, you know without having destroy your knife. Just doing a little wiggling and pushing hard into some audiophile hotspots quick right? And you know, once I do all that, I pretty much have my review done because you know, all the things I want to know about the knife, I find it and using it, how important are the aesthetics of the knife to you? I mean because you mentioned okay to me, it's very important. Yeah, because because that's just one of the aspects of my being a knife lover it's it's a very visual thing. So you said you're initially drawn to the design but then once you put it through this battery of tests, your you either like it or you don't so I I would get and I don't put it through that but battery of tests and so it makes it harder to get rid of when when you are finished, do you find that you are less attached to something because of how it performs? Uh, yeah, I guess you could say that because I find the ones that go in my pocket more often. Or the one I like a good slicer. I like a nice, thin, thin edge. And a good performer. It doesn't have to be the best deal in the world. I can sharpen and I can touch up a knife I can strap a knife. So as long as it performs well as far as slicing capabilities, and it's not going to go dog to cut now.

Bob DeMarco 15:39
Well, do you have a favorite steel? Are you do you? Do? You have preferences? Do you get snobbish about steel?

Stassa23 15:46
Uh, no, I'm not.

Stassa23 15:49
Don't get me wrong. I like I like the

Stassa23 15:53
I like diving into different steals that it interests me, you know, and I like to learn about them, but it's not a maker. Break for me if if I see a knife and I'm Oh, it's got as 30 v i can't buy that. But you know, I'll still buy it. So still not make a break, but it's always a plus.

Bob DeMarco 16:11
Right right. I like knowing that it's a good steal even if I'm not pushing it anywhere near Yeah, of course boundaries which is Yeah, yeah. So what are what are your favorite knives right now? Like what were your pics from 2019 what are you carrying the most?

Stassa23 16:27
Whoa. You know get new knives all the time between 19th and kind of roll back

Stassa23 16:34
already. So no.

Stassa23 16:37
I'll tell you lately this that Roosevelt was talking about this in my pocket. It's been in the pocket ever since I got it. And that's why I definitely always have two knives on me because that's in there. I'm been carrying a small sebenza 21 lately. With the inkosi blade shape. I like that. You know you can't go wrong with the Christmas Knife.

Bob DeMarco 17:01
Yeah. So you always you always carry two knives that's like One for you and one for the channel.

Stassa23 17:06
Yeah, usually 90% of time that's the case. I usually have, like, you know, one that I want to carry, unless, you know, unless the one I'm reviewing. I like it, you know, just as much as all the rest and might have to for that I'm careful review because I definitely have a backlog. That's outrageous. And I'm eating too, because I watched your videos. Like I said, Your backlog is forever.

Bob DeMarco 17:33
Yeah, yeah. Well, so where do you like where do you get your knives? You know, for me, it's a there. It's all my own personal collection. And there are a lot of knives I haven't done videos on but you have a responsibility, sir. I mean, like, in a sense, you reviewers, like yourself, you know, people count on you for for having new stuff. I mean, I would imagine there's a little bit of pressure for you to kind of be moving having a steady flow where do you get all the knives are they all yours? Well

Stassa23 18:05
most of them are about I'm really lucky because my local gun shop I become really good friends with them I go to blade show with the floor manager there and in the last probably 6667 years they really got a nice selection and I'm part of that so I'm y'all should go ahead and get this this

Bob DeMarco 18:28
nice well that yeah you've done a lot of videos from from that store yes I was like man This place has a killer collection I mean are you know selection and so you're you're kind of part curator of that.

Stassa23 18:43
Yeah, he like is it's funny as soon as they get any new knives and I don't care how many it is all sudden I get a whole bunch of videos pop up my phone. That's my buddy show me all the new stuff and I'm like, he's like, Yo, I'm gonna hold anything for you. Like I'm calling Give me a second I'll call it.

Bob DeMarco 19:03
So what are your What are your picks then for 2020 2019 is so old and cold 20 2020 What do you like the best? While you're thinking about this one of your videos, you were at Real Steel this year, right? I'm sorry, not real steel steel will I do that all the time, steel wheel and real still Real Steel. So steel will has out a number of really cool models. This year. The that new one, the little one I can't remember what it's called now is neat, but but there's one called the Scylla. That kind of has a unique extended Tang with a with a thumb stud. On the end of the extended tan kind of looks a little bit like a straight razor one closed, but you can use it to kind of wave it open and that's the kind of stuff I love. I mean, it's so high speed low drag. Yeah, for the suburbs. You know I need it

Stassa23 19:59
of course. Nothing wrong with that.

Bob DeMarco 20:02
Not at all. Not at all. So what anything, anything popped to mind?

Stassa23 20:06
As far as steel wheel? I know one that made it on my top 10 under $100 was the Sardis i'm not i'm a clip point fan. My all time I drool over clip points, especially the Landis' clip point. Yeah, yes. Just I don't own any but I don't want to land nice, at least, I did, but I don't want me on one now. And then as far as everything from civility, as far as budget goes, they listen to the market. You know, they hear all this crazy everybody wanting or a lot of the enthusiasts wanting thinned out edges and follow up. They have very thin edges, some of the thinnest I mean, I don't know another company that doesn't miss as they do, production wise.

Bob DeMarco 20:58
So I think you are one of the first people that I became aware of who measured right behind the edge.

Stassa23 21:04
I do that with a caveat is never a exact science. I mean, you know roundabout

Bob DeMarco 21:12
Yeah, right, exactly. I mean, I could I, I've tried, you know, not too many times for some reason. Maybe it's because my math skills are somewhat atrocious but the numbers when I hear people say call out what what the measurement is behind the edge. I'm always kind of like is that then? And then I hear it compared to a paramilitary. I'm like, Okay, I guess that's, you know, on the thinner side. Yeah. So is this something that you like came started doing because you were curious from like, from doing tests from cutting through cardboard and different mediums, or is this just a recent trend because people actually like to cut things and not just pray with their knives.

Stassa23 21:54
Well, I'll tell you that the trend that's going on now kind of helped me because I do it like you said doing the test always I mean I knew the thickness of the blade and you know stuff like that and I knew that geometry had a big part in it but I didn't know how much it all that stuff had to do with how well and I performed until I you know, I started really getting into it and he came out over it and troponin of all my second wicked edge already and you know, getting knives I would get certain nods just a sharper the next and they weren't cutting as good and as long you know, and it's because of steel and the geometry.

Stassa23 22:44
That's part of that's that's pretty much the reason why.

Bob DeMarco 22:47
So So you were making the edges as uniform as possible and, and then kind of taking it taking it from there.

Stassa23 22:56
Yeah, like two knives at 17 degrees per second. You know, but one of them being extremely thick behind the edge you know the SEC the primary bevel you know really thick and you're actually catching a ledge on there whenever you cut through some thick material and that's someone like you know one of my tests is cutting like through this this really thick rubber and if it's thick kissing your blades thing is not going through there it just embrace really quick but you know I'm not I'm not calling a company and asking them how thin their edges you know it's not gonna be a criteria me to buy it but you know, I know certain companies that do a good job of having at least a certain service serviceable edge.

Bob DeMarco 23:44
Right, well who are your favorites or who in your estimation are the best?

Stassa23 23:50
From my testing like that? Pretty much any company that uses PTC treat every spot on Riyadh does an excellent job. As far as for at least the ones I've tested I put one of their two four blades in the have a K two or whatever k three it's the harpoon ish shape in one shape one and I'll beat that thing crazy and it did not lose its keen edge at all. Wow, I mean it it actually recorded that one because I was like after the first few things I was kind of shocked on how well I was doing. But that goes with the heat rate you know how well it was done.

Bob DeMarco 24:36
Well, that's amazing. I have a I have the K two which is the the tanto it's kind of the most traditional Yeah, looking at that Donna handle. Yeah. Oh god. I love that knife. It is it is really an incredible knife and it's hollow ground in so very, very thinly hollow ground. Yes. I am not gonna bash mine. I am not going to do so mine but it Good to know that you did.

Stassa23 25:01
Well, saying that though the one that I have is a flat grind and it's kinda it's like 20 8000s, which is pretty thick main. It's our 25 whereas the Spyderco PMT is 20,000. So just a point of reference, right? It's a little bit thicker so maybe you know, that's part of the reason why I can handle some of the beating you know, like, right, hammer through wires and stuff,

Bob DeMarco 25:25
but it still proves that they're on point with their heat treat. So still, that means they're super thin ground as 35 is going to be probably about as good as as 35 Ian is gonna get great. What about American companies? Who do you like? American

Stassa23 25:43
Crk I like candor, a lot. I love their designs. I'm alone many of x ma teens, but I have gotten rid of all my accent maintains because my fingers can't handle that the jimping bond the flipper tab. Oh yeah, yeah. So I'm kind of debating on buying one and grinding it off but it's kind of hard to do that to that expensive knife.

Bob DeMarco 26:10
Yeah No kidding. I think the half track is

Stassa23 26:14
yeah that's just about to say I own half track now with a crime re grind on it.

Stassa23 26:20
I watch gear. I watch y'all do thing podcast with them. Oh man.

Stassa23 26:27
They're playing with that night.

Bob DeMarco 26:29
Oh my gosh, I had to. I had to like physically restrain myself from buying a $500 five inch crying I can't remember the name of it but it's you would love it. It's a Bowie a little five inch for him. That's one of his bigger models. Yeah, Bowie on blade forums and it was just like, you know, man, and then I thought of my of my knife chest with all these knives kind of sitting fallow that I can't get rid of because so damn cool. I'm like if I could just get rid of them I can own that crap Yeah, no doubt about it. You know speaking of regrets I have I have a hinder Xm 18 span too and it's always been sharp and I've always loved it but it's always been fat I mean just like a thick blade is thick there's not you know and and my lifestyle doesn't demand that that kind of robustness and a blade and I had Josh from razor edge on the on the show and we were talking about reground and I sent it to him and he sent it back a few months later and it it to his ground so beautifully thin now it's my by far my sharpest knife.

Stassa23 27:43
Yes. That's another guy that I want. I want to send some I've sent some not too long ago to he's a new make a new maker named Brian from transparent knives. Okay, he's a good guy. He would be interested in doing the podcast today. he's a he's an interesting guy. That's all I could say. He's smart. And I sent him three knives. Rex 45 para three bug out and benchmade non 40 and he reground all those for me and just a cut so there's just so much I I probably grabbed that bug out more than a lot of mother knives when I rap to break down bunch of boxes or something because it just glides through material like assignment there.

Bob DeMarco 28:32
Wow, we we see I'm sorry, can you list those knives that you got? reground again?

Stassa23 28:37
The bench may 940 Yeah, bench may bug out. And Spyderco pair three and Rex 45.

Bob DeMarco 28:46
Okay. Okay. So you mentioned first you mentioned the 940 I'm like well Yeah, of course. I'm not a huge fan of that knife, though. I have massive respect for it. But yeah, that's one that I could see like you that's a knife that just From a very profile, you want it to be thinner, like, yes, that blade. But then you mentioned the bug out and to me, you know, I have a bug out and it's so sharp and it's so small and light and thin. And to get that reground I'm like, would you get rerouted to like, you know,

Stassa23 29:15
well, it's, it's then, but when it's not, like standard is thicker than a pair pair two, so it was like 20 mine was 22,020 3000s before. Now with that thin blade stock, it's still cuts great, you know, at that thickness, but I just want to go ahead and try the 13,000 Wow, yeah, so it's nice and thin and like it's so that there's so many good qualities when you have a thin edge like that, as long as you know what you're doing, you know, you know, you can't cut hardwoods or something like that worth it. He's got to be smart, you know? Yeah, yes. So easy to sharpen after that. So as you described, because the Babel was so small after that,

Bob DeMarco 30:02
Okay, so now now I have a better understanding because you said, You said that a parrot two is 20 20,000 and you went we took it down to 13. That's crazy. Yeah. So tell me what you think from all the knives you've handled and from what you've seen this year, and what you see new coming out what what are the what can we expect what new trends are on the horizon, especially in folding knives.

Stassa23 30:29
Oh, man. It used to be really easy, easy to predict. I see is still kind of see some of these companies going into slip joints, modern traditionals. And I think you'll have a lot more companies trying to either a come up with a new locking mechanism because that seems to be the big thing. are putting their spin on benchmade exaflop

Jim Person 31:00
Yeah,

Stassa23 31:00
right, because I mean, everybody's trying to tap into it. And it's kind of sad to say, but a lot of companies are doing it better than benchmade they just started.

Bob DeMarco 31:08
Yeah. hoga hoga is killing it, man.

Stassa23 31:11
That's another that's another American company that kills it on their history. And their quality is exceptional.

Bob DeMarco 31:18
Yeah, yeah. And they build it all in house that yes, they their their stuff is cool. Their stuff is cool. I have a really awesome that the tomahawk I can't EXTEX to three or something like that. It's an intellectual. It's designed Tomahawk, and you know, it's ideal for home home defense.

Stassa23 31:42
Yeah, I can imagine that.

Bob DeMarco 31:44
Yeah, I love their stuff. Yeah, I think I think you're right about the lock. I think there will always be people trying to come up with the next lock, because there aren't too many ways to innovate. You know, I'm the oldest tool known to man but You can always kind of come up with a novel way of of locking it. Yeah, though, I feel like we may have reached peak lock. I'm like what? You know what else? Because the the new artists unlock the key. Yeah,

Stassa23 32:13
that's that's something that it's kind of strange. It makes the blade look kind of funny. Yeah, it's bulky. It's like, it's,

Bob DeMarco 32:19
it's too much. You don't. To me, it's not innovative if it adds extra, you know, in a way. And one exception to me is the SLT you know, flipper, that Gus Genie invented and that's on the the zero tolerance 0055 you know that? Yeah, it's like a stealth fighter. That is an interesting innovation and it adds an extra step which isn't necessary, but you could argue it is necessary because it takes the it takes the flipper tab away, kind of like the reverse of the kick stop. Anyway, that that's innovation. But is it necessary? I don't know. You know,

Stassa23 33:00
you talked about the GTC lock. And what's the difference between that and the kick stop.

Bob DeMarco 33:08
Okay, so the SLT has a tab. Yeah, it's spring spring loaded in in into a little nested spot you you grab it, pull it, and then it reaches a first stage and then you apply more pressure and then you feel the blade giveaway or the the detent giveaway and the blade fly open. But the same spring that holds it in holds the SLT the flipper in place when it's closed, holds it in place when it's open as well.

Stassa23 33:40
So it must have a cam or something in it.

Bob DeMarco 33:43
Well, I think it's just a while Yeah, yeah, I don't know. And then and then the it's magic to me. It's beautiful. And then the kick stop is like you can see when it's closed, you can see it the tab, like a regular flipper tab, but then you flip it and it doesn't not appear on the other side. magically again, it stays in.

Unknown Speaker 34:06
Yeah, I now see the difference because I've handled both I'm That's true. And the kickstart, is just a piece connected to the blade where you pull it back and it disappears good and pushes on the back of the blade and shoots it up. Right, right. Right arm. No, I don't get I don't get all over some of those things.

Bob DeMarco 34:28
Yeah, right. Right. It's neat. It's cool. The I like the the GTC just because the whole package is so damn bizarre. It's it's worth it's worth having. Because the whole thing is cool. Yeah, it fits that it should have some crazy mechanism, but in a way complicates things. And it's a very simple thing to begin with. So it seems sort of counterintuitive. So, favorite blade shape. You said? Definitely. It's the clip point.

Stassa23 34:58
Yeah, clip point, Bowie.

Bob DeMarco 35:00
So who does it best? Who does it? Cuz that is my favorite shape also and I have some opinions myself the movie shape the best

Stassa23 35:10
and and folders for me that the Godfather that would be the ladies clip which is Tony Bose but as far as like, you know, people that I maybe could obtain

Stassa23 35:24
Enrique Pena

Stassa23 35:26
he just his man, I actually bought one of his the X series blanes clip that he made, but it had a recurve in the blade and just

Bob DeMarco 35:39
Yeah, I remember that. I remember that. You made a video on that knife, I think.

Stassa23 35:44
Yeah, I did. It was a long time ago. But yeah,

Bob DeMarco 35:46
so did that recurve that was a deal breaker for you.

Stassa23 35:49
Oh, not necessarily. I think it was a combination of things because I didn't know he was going to come out with another run and I really wanted more So I bought, the last variation they had. And it was the all titanium with the jig pattern in it. And it just didn't do it for me. I don't know, it just, you know, as much as I like clip points and stuff like that. I think that along with the recurve just it, it was a turn off. So I got rid of it.

Bob DeMarco 36:24
too much of a good thing in one spot. Do you have this happen where you're so excited, and then you finally maybe save up but something big or something you get worked up about? And then you get it and it's just kind of he just want to love it more. But yeah, you can't.

Stassa23 36:40
Yeah, that happens about 90% of the time. Yes, I just find that you just, it's almost better to you know, just try not to get over excited about it because usually it might be a great folder, but you're just gonna it's not going to meet your expectations. What you hoped it was

Bob DeMarco 37:01
right right it is just a thing and I mean that's what these all are there we get so excited about but it is a thing and it's made by people and there's a community of people who love this thing what What's your feeling about the knife world the knife community as it's called in general

Stassa23 37:21
I've been around for a while through the forums and other stuff like that and it's very interesting to see the trends and shifts that go back and forth and and and then how much they influenced me without me knowing. You know, when I first got into knowledge is all about those hard use knives, you know, thick if I wouldn't buy it if I didn't have four millimeter stock. But at that time of my life, I was I wasn't using my knives. I wasn't cutting much. It literally probably wasn't till my accident that I I started using my knives like if I needed to use them, I use them. You know, I didn't worry about scratching something. Because I find now I find more enjoyment out of that, you know, before it was just seeing it breasting

Bob DeMarco 38:13
Yeah, yeah. Well when a knife accumulates honest where it's there's something very, very gratifying about that. Especially aluminum handled knives.

Stassa23 38:24
Yeah, they didn't take a nice nice character works, as I call

Bob DeMarco 38:28
so you've had good impression or a good good experiences with the people in the knife world.

Stassa23 38:36
Yeah. I hate to keep harping back on it. But after my Dr. While I was in, in the hospital, I said when I was in a coma. My wife knew she knew how much I you know, I loved the knife community and he posted on my Instagram telling everybody what happened and if they were interested in following On my progress to follow her, it's I mean, follow her on Facebook. And it was unbelievable the amount of people that my wife had no clue they were that were checking on me telling my wife stories of, you know, what they liked about me. And, you know, it just it was really heartwarming, and it made me realize how many great people we have in our community. So I try to give back any chance I can.

Bob DeMarco 39:28
I like hearing that. And I hear that a lot, especially a community of people grouped around something that can easily be misconstrued. You know, people love to misconstrue knives and guns and make people who are enthusiastic about them out to seem like psychos or whatever. So it's so nice. I just love hearing about people helping each other out. there's so little drama, it seems like relative to other areas of interest. I'd love love martial arts and there was a period of time I followed the arguments online and they're incredibly, you know, it's amazing how people can really get into their camps. And I feel like from everyone I've met doing this show, and I can't wait to meet people at blade show. It's just a bunch of really interesting, cool and diverse people who are interested in this thing.

Stassa23 40:19
Hey, you're going to bleachers here.

Bob DeMarco 40:21
Yes, I am.

Stassa23 40:22
I've been gone for the last three years and I shouldn't be there this year. So I should better meet you this year. Some I only meet you that that makes the community that much better because you get to see a face to the person you talk to online all the time. And just hang out like specially the funnest part to me is after the show, going to the pit and hanging out with everybody and their mama drinking beers and whatever. It's a great time.

Bob DeMarco 40:53
So who is your overall favorite designer slash maker slash you can make a manufacturer If you want but like who is your you know for me, Sir Ernest Emerson love Ernest Emerson

Stassa23 41:06
love his design now Yeah, he he's polarizing his designs are polarizing and even though they're they're not the type like the slicing machines that I like I still own I still own terrible and I own a few now that you know just something about their knives you know those are true hard use knives.

Bob DeMarco 41:29
Yeah, they're they're, they're inherently appealing especially especially to the young boy and me who is the knife collector? I guess I got it's, you know, it's you know that when you have that in your pocket, you're you're ready to go and, you know, for me, what does that mean? I'm ready to go pick up my daughter from school. Okay, but still, if something happens along the way, I got numbers in my pocket. You know what I mean? Yeah, no doubt. So who's here?

Stassa23 41:55
from me? I don't I don't have any one particular you know, as far as Hi and stuff I love box. Everything you designs I just love. I love the Marcin sleep Polish maker. And I'll tell you, the these French makers and whatever. I don't know what they put in the water there in South Africa. wow man, they are just unbelievable. Yeah, France

Bob DeMarco 42:24
and South Africa. Yeah. David Lispector right now. Yes. God, his his. His work is blindingly beautiful to me

Stassa23 42:32
like I just I just, I just found out about him recently. Because my buddy got you EDC on Instagram. He's got one. And I just started following him and man, I sat there for hours looking at all his C'mon blades and

Stassa23 42:52
no, probably won't ever own one but I'll drool over him for a while.

Bob DeMarco 42:56
So Nick, do you have a nice story you can share with me before we get to our speed round. Something

Stassa23 43:03
Oh,

Bob DeMarco 43:05
yes. could could be saved the day could be you stabbed yourself. I've done that many times my stories.

Stassa23 43:11
Now I got

Stassa23 43:13
me my wife, my wife. She's always, you know, either she's glad I got a laugh my pocket because we're in a sketchy part of town. Are you carrying a knife? Well, we were in Dallas, and we were going to the Dallas stadium. What is it? 18 t whatever, I don't know one of them stadiums. And we get to the thing and I look up and I'm like, oh, there's a metal detector. What am I gonna do? And I had a sebenza 21 in my pocket and my wife was like, in my car was miles miles away. I was like, What am I going to do? So I'm looking around, seeing if I can stash it somewhere but I was like, I can't do it. So I'll watch the couple of people in front of me. You know, they want their bike where their belt area was. And they lifted their shirt. No, I got a belt on and they okay and they did it so I was like I clipped it to my boxer shorts. When buckshots boys like, would you do it? I was like don't worry about it.

Stassa23 44:19
I'm gonna at least try because I might get rid of this $400 knife. Oh sweating buckshots but it work.

Bob DeMarco 44:25
Oh my God. That is funny. Yeah, among us that hasn't looked for a place to stash a knife. Oh my God. That is That's funny. But you could you made it through you made

Stassa23 44:35
it through and and you know, it's like now it's almost like I need up if we're going somewhere. I have to find out. Thank you all mountain.

Stassa23 44:44
Yeah, what are your feelings about knives because it happened to me again in New Orleans. We went to I didn't realize this museum was in a governmental building. And I literally had to pay the guard to hold my knife. She was she was like, I can't do it. I was like, ma'am, I'll pay you. I was like, I don't know what to do. I'm too far away. My wife's like, would you please stop bringing the knife?

Bob DeMarco 45:11
To cottage industry?

Stassa23 45:12
knife? Yeah. And I was like, it's just this. It's a second nature to me, though. You know, I can't leave home without one.

Bob DeMarco 45:18
Well, yeah, I mean, it's true. And not only that, but you were like one of very few people in that stadium with a knife at that time. So if if anything happened, they'd be glad you were there.

Stassa23 45:33
Yeah, at least I wasn't one of the belligerent drunk people with you know, have a knife on me so Oh, well, yeah, yeah, yeah, cuz I'm not a big drinker. So I was good. Yeah, I didn't feel I didn't feel really bad about it.

Bob DeMarco 45:48
So I have about 15 or so questions I want to ask you and it's just a one word answer. Okay. It's to sort of get the cut of your jib the kind of knife knife person you Alrighty, so first fixed or folder, folder, flipper or thumbs done. Tom said washers or bearings, washers, tip up or down.

Stassa23 46:12
Tip up, right?

Bob DeMarco 46:14
Yeah tip up yeah happens tanto or Bowie belly hollow ground or flat ground hollow full size or small

Stassa23 46:25
small

Bob DeMarco 46:26
gentleman's or tactical, tactical, automatic or badly song

Stassa23 46:33
okay that carry either but if I had to be auto zt or we

Bob DeMarco 46:39
we steal will or real

Bob DeMarco 46:41
steel.

Stassa23 46:45
Steel will.

Bob DeMarco 46:46
Okay, milled or spring clip.

Stassa23 46:50
spring clip

Bob DeMarco 46:51
carbon fiber or micarta

Stassa23 46:53
micarta

Bob DeMarco 46:54
finger choil or choil free

Unknown Speaker 46:57
Choil free

Bob DeMarco 46:59
that's on the blade By the way, yeah. form or function,

Stassa23 47:05
function.

Bob DeMarco 47:06
And finally, one knife for the rest of your life

Stassa23 47:13
Sebenza 21

Bob DeMarco 47:15
Wow, with such decision with such decisiveness I like it, you know, it might not be to me. I mean, I love my sebenza 21 might not be the one that gets my heart racing the fastest, the quickest. But yeah, I could see that being the lifetime knife for sure.

Stassa23 47:33
Yeah, that's that's the same way I feel me it's not it doesn't it's not the wow me type a night, but I know it's going to last me forever. Yeah. And and there's something inherently pleasing about that.

Bob DeMarco 47:48
Yeah. Well, Nick starts at 23 thank you so much for coming on The Knife Junkie podcast. It's been nice to know. Get to know the guy behind these awesome videos. And thanks for Keeping us all informed as to what's out there and like this new mini Archbishop you just did a video on now I really want to get hands on that I was not considering it and now I am so thanks for feeding the addiction

Stassa23 48:12
for our nobody you feed my addiction to when I watch your videos.

Bob DeMarco 48:18
Well right on anyway Nick again. Thanks for coming on.

Stassa23 48:25
have a good one.

Bob DeMarco 48:26
All right, take care.

Announcer 48:28
Follow The Knife Junkie on Instagram at The Knife junkie.com slash Instagram.

Unknown Speaker 48:33
Alright Bob back on the Knife Junkie podcast interview with staska 23. You can find him on YouTube and Instagram. Both of those same handles staska sta SS a two three and we hope if you're not subscribed to his Instagram or his YouTube, you'll go check him out there. What do you think about the interview Bob?

Bob DeMarco 48:52
You know I I walked away feeling to two things about stuff that I I kind of knew before hand but they were solidified just in this conversation one being that this guy knows a lot about knives and he test them a lot and uses them a lot and I frequently will readily admit that I am more of a collector and you know and enthusiastic user when it comes up in my life but it rarely comes up in my life, you know, legitimately for staska he uses his knives a lot and also the other the other thing I noticed was just how valuable it is to have an area of interest. When times get tough. He was talking about his accident at the chemical plant. It seems like getting involved with making night videos getting involved with YouTube the knife community more heavily knife collecting more heavily and seriously was something that really helped Nick kind of heal. So it's preaching to the choir but but this isn't just, you know, always about acquiring new knives and there is something a little bit deeper that goes into having such an appreciation four things

Unknown Speaker 50:01
well and you always hear about the power of community and you know living living example of that right there. So good good story. Absolutely. All right another interview show is coming up next week Don't forget our midweek supplemental podcasts were about gets a chance to dive into some of the knife news stories and give updates about the collection and talk about some other knives and that kind of stuff that's every Wednesday so two chances to catch The Knife Junkie so if you like knives you know where to go so for Bob The Knife Junkie DeMarco I'm Jim the knife newbie person. Thanks so much for joining us.

Announcer 50:38
Thanks for listening to the Knife Junkie podcast. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and review it review the podcast calm for show notes for today's episode additional resources and to listen to past episodes visit our website The Knife Junkie calm you can also watch our latest videos on YouTube at The Knife Junkie comm slash YouTube check out some great night photos on Knife Junkie calm slash Instagram and join our Facebook group with The Knife Junkie comm slash Facebook and if you have a question or comment email them to Bob at The Knife Junkie calm or call our 24 seven listener line that's 724-466-4487 and you may hear your comment or question answered on an upcoming episode of the Knife Junkie podcast.