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Transcript: Episode 660 - CaptRikki
Announcer: Welcome to the Knife Junkie podcast, your weekly dose of knife news and information about knives and knife collecting. Here's your host, Bob the Knife Junkie DeMarco.

Bob DeMarco: Welcome to the Knife Junkie podcast, I'm your host Bob DeMarco. On this edition of the show, I'm speaking with Rikki Hernandez or Captain Rikki. Captain Rikki first came on my radar as the talented videographer and editor for a very popular YouTube EDC channel. And as the curator of his own Instagram page, which is just a continuous scroll of knife-related eye candy. Now with his own channel on YouTube, Captain Rikki is spreading his wings and telling the story of knives his own way.

We'll meet Rikki and find out all about his work and his new channel, but first, be sure to like, comment, subscribe, hit the notification bell, and download the show to your favorite podcast app so you can listen on the go. Also, if you'd like to help support the show, you can join us right here on YouTube or on Patreon and become a Gentleman Junkie. A quick way to do that is go to theknifejunkie.com/patreon or scan the QR code on your screen. And just a quick note, if you sign up for an entire year at once, you save 12%. All right, check us out on theknifejunkie.com/patreon. Again, that's theknifejunkie.com/patreon.

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Bob DeMarco: Hey Rikki, welcome to the show.

Rikki Hernandez: Hey man, thank you so much for having me. It is an honor.

Bob DeMarco: The honor is mine, sir. I want to talk all about your new channel and find out what your direction is going to be and where your interests lie there, but we got a lot to learn about you first. Have you always been a knife guy? How did you get into this?

Rikki Hernandez: No, I haven't at all. I started my career as a videographer first. I got into cameras and then I realized I don't know if I want to be a photographer or a video guy, but video ended up catching my attention, and then I found myself in the world of fitness. Just a really interesting world to be in. From fitness, I hopped around to filming for a music producer, and then I ended up filming for bodybuilders and wildlife. I did a little bit of everything.

As I got into more video stuff, a buddy that I was working with introduced me to Peter McKinnon, which is just another really big video photo photographer. I saw a video of his where he was talking about EDC. I was like, what the heck is EDC? Sure enough, it was just pretty photos of knives and stuff like that. I carry around a Zippo and a pocket knife. I didn't realize that there were photographers taking pretty photos of knives. Product photography was never even on my radar at first.

As a guy who's been doing video at that point for like four years, I'm like, man, taking photos might be kind of nice. Maybe be a little hobby and get away from the video side of things. So I started up the Captain Rikki account now maybe six, seven years ago, and I was like, alright, well, I'll just take pretty photos of knives. Then I started following other people and I'm like, oh, well, those are pretty nice too, like who makes those? And down the rabbit hole I went.

I learned about different makers and knife companies, and from that point on, I was just always really interested in the craft itself first. I was curious as to why did someone wake up in the morning and decide to make a knife in the first place? And that kind of just led me to where I am now where I really enjoy telling stories about the people behind the tools, behind the brands.

I got into it in a really weird, non-conventional way. My dad gifted me the buck that he carried, the buck 110 that he had in his pocket many years ago. But the knife didn't really inspire me to create an account. It was more so just through the lens of photography that really brought me into it.

Bob DeMarco: Well, for someone who covered so many different worlds and enthusiast groups in your videography, how do knives add up?

Rikki Hernandez: It's interesting because if we approach it from the point of view of me creating content, in the bodybuilding world, for example, I always had a subject. I was creating videos and trying to tell that person's story through my creative lens. With knives, you can go two ways. You can do the knife review aspect, which is very spec-forward. For me, I found a lot of joy in understanding why things were made the way that they were and why they were designed this way.

For me, yes the knife is kind of the topic of conversation, but I almost try to have it be the maker first, and the knife is almost last. It's almost like, this exists because of that person first. It's kind of similar in some ways but different in others, especially because a lot of the stories that I tell, I'm not there in the shop with a maker. So I kind of have to do a bunch of research, which is why when you emailed, I was really honored because I've watched so many of your podcasts. The reason that I've learned so much was because your platform, I mean, you've chatted with almost everyone.

Bob DeMarco: Well, it comes as no surprise to me that you would be interested in the makers and the stories behind the knives because you're a creative person. You're immersed in the creative world, that's how you make your living. I would imagine that is your temperament. Do people not go into that if that's not their thing? Is it something about the creative process of making and designing a knife or even having the gumption to do that in the first place and throw yourself behind that? Is that the interesting part?

Rikki Hernandez: Yeah, for me it's more so a lot of how did that particular maker's life story lead to them designing something. For me, I've always viewed life as there's different things that happen and it kind of leads you to doing something else. And when it comes to knife making, that's what I find so interesting. Some of the coolest stories are people who kind of stumbled upon it. Some people were jewelers and then they saw a knife in a magazine and they're like, well, I want to try and make a knife too. That's what I find so interesting because for me, in a way, like I can decide I want to make a pretty video on this. I want to understand that point of view from a knife maker's perspective too. What is it that inspires them? Why did they make the design choices that they made?

There's a lot of artistry in that too. Knives are of course tools at the end of the day, but decisions are made on aesthetics, on experiences that knife makers have had too. That's really what captivates me about it all, especially as a guy who's like using pocket knives to cut open boxes most of the time. I'm not hard using anything. I'm not going into the woods and beating my stuff up. So for me it's a lot of aesthetic choices behind certain things that catch my eye, and I'm like, what did that guy do to get to that point?

Bob DeMarco: Whose story comes to mind? What stories do you like the best? Who are your favorites?

Rikki Hernandez: Man, for me, one of the makers that I really gravitated to early on was Lucas Burnley or Bob Terzuola. I watched your interviews with Bob and when the Mariner 2 from Tactile Knife Co came out, I was able to interview him and talk about that knife. His story about that design to me was so touching because he designed the Mariner 2 as this knife that was inspired by his grandfather, cutting rope on tomato vines. He wanted something that didn't have a sharp point to it. That to me was super cool. And someone like Lucas Burnley, chatting with him, he has such an intellectual mind, and him going with that neo-Japanese design, I'm like, what is it about that that caught your attention?

Those two are some that come off the top of my head, but man, I've had the pleasure of just sharing so many recently. Shane Magnussen from Scorpion 6, his shop runs on solar, you know? Here's this guy who is a war veteran and he's gone through so much in life, and knife making for him was a way to beat a lot of different obstacles he was going through in life. And now he makes these beautiful custom knives. So those are a few that come off the top of my head, but that's the stuff I like to nerd out on.

Bob DeMarco: Yeah, and we all have our struggles and our victories. And when you can see that or talk to a knife maker and see how that is made manifest in their knives. Especially talking to knife makers, a lot of Marines, but also just a lot of former service members. I know that for a good many of them, the process of making was pivotal to them kind of re-establishing themselves here after combat. You can kind of really feel the heart and soul in that kind of a knife.

Rikki Hernandez: Absolutely. And it's an interesting time right now even in just my knife collecting. I've gone from somebody who was trying to discover my own tastes and styles in pocket knives, so I did what many people do, they went out and bought a bunch of production knives. And as of this last year, I really started diving into customs because like you said, there's just a certain soul to them. Knowing that there's a guy in a shop whose blood, sweat, and tears went into this thing, years of success and failure. There's something really special about owning that and also just being able to purchase something like that and knowing that it's supporting their love for the craft and all their hard work is also super special.

Bob DeMarco: I've noticed in your work recently you've gotten more into fixed blades, and for me, that was my entree into custom knives. I have two custom folders, and I have very little interest in custom folders, honestly. I don't need fancy materials. Production knives are fine, I don't need to go much further. But I have a huge love of custom fixed blades. I've noticed in your collection a lot of that, especially Winkler recently. Tell me about your love of Winkler knives.

Rikki Hernandez: When I first decided to give this YouTube EDC thing a shot, I was still very much a newbie. I had no idea about different steels and heat treat and handle materials. I made an Instagram story four years ago asking, "Hey guys, if I'm curious about fixed blades, what should I check out?" A buddy of mine was like, "Hey man, if you're gonna get your first fixed blade, get yourself a Winkler." So I went and looked up Winkler, and I was like, hey cool, that's like $300, that's a pretty damn expensive fixed blade. He was like, "Dude, it's totally worth the price point, get it. Winkler has a really rich history, he's done some incredible stuff."

So I bought that SC1. When I started my channel, my thought process was, well, I still don't know a lot about knives, so I don't feel confident talking about specs. Let me just research this guy. What has Winkler done? Then I learned about his obsession with the 1700s and 1800s fixed blades and making historically accurate stuff, and then that led to Last of the Mohicans, and his stuff is in movies and books. I was like, okay cool, I can really talk about this stuff. That was my first ever video doing a historical deep dive on a knife maker. It's funny watching that video now because it really did shape what I do now for content on YouTube. It's really just about, this is the guy you're supporting, this is why he did what he did.

Bob DeMarco: One of the custom folders I noticed you have is an absolutely stunning Attention to Detail Mercantile with a tortoise shell.

Rikki Hernandez: Yes! One of my very few custom folders is, I think it was his very first with inlays. It's beautiful. I saw that and I was like, that's a deep cut, that is such a sweet knife.

I have a really funny connection and story with Doug. A few years after that Winkler video, I was doing spec-driven stuff on pocket knives. I did one on an Attention to Detail, a Medium Mark II or something. It was $750, the first time I've ever handled a knife that expensive. I made this video and I was like, "Yeah, I don't know, it's a hard-use knife but 750 is just kind of expensive." I posted that YouTube video, and I get a DM from Attention to Detail on Instagram. He's like, "Hey man, this is Doug. Do you mind shooting me your phone number? I gotta give you a call." And I'm like, oh snap, I pissed him off, he's about to chew my head off.

I got on the call with Doug and he was just like, "Hey man, I enjoyed your video. I just want to kind of teach you a little bit as to why my knives are priced the way they are." That conversation meant a ton. At Blade Show Atlanta we met up, and now every time I see Doug at a show, it's just seeing a friend. I had the pleasure of doing the video on that prototype Medium 3, the one with the tortoise shell. It's funny how the world goes full circle.

Bob DeMarco: I hate doing that in a thousand different ways. 100%. I am curious how you got involved with Best Damn EDC and with Taylor. You described working in all these different fields, and all those other fields seem legitimate, whereas pocket knives and lighters... what was it like making that transition and what convinced you that was a good move?

Rikki Hernandez: It was just one of those stages of life things. Before EDC, I was doing wildlife. I was filming for Doc Antle of the Myrtle Beach Safari, the guy on Tiger King. I met that guy in a strange sequence of events, and he offered me a job. So I moved from Florida to South Carolina. I was still dabbling with my EDC Instagram account. Things were kind of going south for me at the Safari, and I was hunting around to see what else I could do. I was invited to Blade Show in Texas, and there is where I met Ben Petersen and Joseph Vero in person. Joseph Vero was one of the first EDC brands to offer me a gig. He was like, "Hey man, if you go to Atlanta, let's film a video, I'll pay you for it." Then Ben Petersen reached out.

At Blade Show Atlanta, I met Taylor, and I was like, "Hey dude, big fan of your work. It's because of you I've learned quite a lot." I shot my shot and I was like, "If you ever need a video guy, an editor, I live in Myrtle Beach, not too far from you, just let me know." He already had someone, but kept me posted. A few months later he reached out and was like, "Hey, if you're still interested in that editing gig, I'd love to maybe test the waters." We hit it off. I jumped into EDC just because I had the lucky opportunity to work with some guys and build up my resume, and working with Taylor pretty much just rocket-launched that.

Bob DeMarco: You had an amazing finishing school, basically, to launch your own EDC channel. What did you learn working with him the most? Did you learn most about how to have a successful YouTube channel, or was it more about the gear?

Rikki Hernandez: It was definitely more about how to have a successful YouTube channel. And a lot of life stuff too. It's truly been insane to do this now and reflect on us working together. I'm a big believer in wanting to do stuff with friends and wanting to grow something together. You learn a ton from the business point of view too. How to run the channel, how to make sure that you have sources of income to kind of keep doing what you do. How to not let YouTube comment haters ruin your day. Every little thing has been super important to my journey now. We're a pretty small community, we got to look out for each other. He taught me a lot about gear. I went camping for the first time with Taylor. He taught me the ins and outs of camping and design. It was a really well-rounded experience.

Bob DeMarco: With your own channel and getting to curate exactly what you cover, how do you decide the editorial direction?

Rikki Hernandez: For me, it's very much about wanting to get to know people first. Whenever something catches my eye, I try to do my research about the maker, but I also like reaching out to people directly to just kind of hear it from them. A lot of my approach is what's something that I've handled before, is there a new iteration, or if there's something brand new, I reach out to the maker and just hear it from him. What inspired you to make this?

With YouTube Shorts, that's kind of where I do quick unboxings and hit three or four things about it and then boom, we move on. But a lot of the long-form content, I base it around, is there something that captivated me first? If it didn't, and I'm not super excited to make the video, I just don't touch it yet. I'm a big believer that you just feel that energy. If I'm not super stoked about it, I don't pretend to talk about it.

Bob DeMarco: This is something I've struggled with off and on over the years. Do you feel the need to inform your audience of everything that's out, everything that's new?

Rikki Hernandez: I don't think that's my responsibility. I saw a comment somewhere that said as a reviewer, you are responsible for providing the content that tells us everything. I pondered on that for months. Is it my responsibility? There are plenty of us making very diverse content. Why is it my responsibility to give you the specs if you're watching what we create because you find us entertaining? If you don't, go watch someone else. How do you feel about it?

Bob DeMarco: My thought then was like, well, these are my channels and these are my videos and this is how I want to do it. You don't have the internet? Go to Knife Center, look at the specs. I hate math. I'm not your specs guy. If you're interested in why the knife was made, I may be your guy, but there are plenty of other dudes covering specs.

Rikki Hernandez: You gotta be all things for all people all the time. I try and talk about that with other creators too. There are so many features right now on YouTube, and a mistake I made early on was trying to be everything. I was trying to be the photo, the video guy, the audio guy, the editor. The problem was I was kind of half-assing a bunch of things instead of excelling at one. Once I dialed in my video and my storytelling, I really got in my lane. You build your audience on what feels authentic to you, and people respect that.

Bob DeMarco: There are things I can't afford. I'm not paying $250,000 for a Bentley. But for me, we are not pricing this stuff. We aren't in their shop making the knives. As a videographer, my set of skills took me 10 years to get to where I am now, so you're paying for those 10 years. In a knife maker, they're pricing a knife at 350 bucks. What time do they value their time at? You have to take that into consideration.

Rikki Hernandez: It's exclusive, and when you're a collector, that's something you aim for. When you buy a painting, you want a good Picasso. When you're buying a custom knife, and you're seeing a high price tag, it's for a reason. It doesn't mean it cuts as well as a $15 Kershaw, but that is not the point. I'm here to discuss the artistry, I'm not going to argue about price points.

Bob DeMarco: Let's talk about the artistry. Who are your favorites in terms of design?

Rikki Hernandez: For me, the CRK Sebenza design language is just iconic. It's simple, it is just the "knife knife." I've owned so many, I buy one, love it, sell it, and then buy another one months later. It's a never-ending cycle. I'm a big fan of Bob Terzuola, Lucas Burnley, and I recently picked up a Hinderer Eklipse. In the custom world, I'm checking out folks like Tactile Knife Co., Knafs... there's so much production stuff, it's impossible to keep up.

Bob DeMarco: You have to have ironclad relationships with them if they're sending it to you.

Rikki Hernandez: I get very picky about it. I don't want to cover everything. I just want to get really nerdy and niche in the EDC realm. I've been really excited finding discontinued knives. I'll go to Blade Shows and pick up one really nice custom rather than a bunch of production stuff.

Bob DeMarco: Are there always lotteries for these?

Rikki Hernandez: I don't participate in lotteries. If I see it and want it, I'll buy it, but I'm not a lottery guy. I just want to go buy what I like and then leave.

Bob DeMarco: About the Sebenzas, have you ever bonded with one?

Rikki Hernandez: The longest one I held onto was an Elder Burl inlay. I loved the grain, but if I need cash, something has to go. They're good for trades or cash because someone is always looking for a Sebenza. It's like the Rolex Submariner of the knife world. I told Tim Reeve I wanted to do a video, and he joked about it being a diss. I meant it in the best way, but it's true that the design hasn't changed much in 31 years. That's the legacy, they keep it classic.

Bob DeMarco: This has been a lot of fun. Tell people the best way to catch up with you.

Rikki Hernandez: Yeah, the ultimate goal, I would love to just travel and visit more makers and document their process. The best way to find me is Captain Rikki (C-A-P-T dot R-I-K-K-I) on Instagram, and Captain Rikki on YouTube.

Bob DeMarco: Thank you so much, Rikki, for coming on the show. It's been a real pleasure. Keep at it, man. I love what you're doing.

Rikki Hernandez: Thanks, man. It's been an absolute honor to be here.

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Bob DeMarco: There he goes, ladies and gentlemen, Rikki Hernandez or Captain Rikki. Do yourself a favor, give him a follow on Instagram and subscribe to him on YouTube. You will love what you see, great knife-related eye candy. All right, that does it for this week. For Jim working his magic behind the switcher, I'm Bob DeMarco saying until next time, don't take dull for an answer.

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