YouTube Knife Reviewer Kevin Cleary The Knife Junkie Podcast (Episode 32)
0:00 - 05:06

I would like to see some more, you know, domestic producers doing in work, and just taking idiot doing a really good job in offering us, some really cool stuff. Like, you know, if the Kershaw hasn't CRT's of the world who would say, hey, let's make five awesome knives this year instead of twenty five mediocre west. I would love to see that. Welcome to the knife junkie podcast. You're weekly ghost of knife, news and information about knives and knife collecting, here's your hosts, Jim person, and Bob, the knife junkie DeMarco. Hello. Knife junkies. Welcome to the knife junkie podcast episode number thirty two I'm Jim person, and I'm Bob DeMarco from the knife. junkie dot com. Welcome to the show. Welcome to another episode weekly of the knife junkie podcast. We talk knives each and every week right here, we're on your favorite podcast player, your podcast app, or just right on the website, the name, chunky dot com where you can listen and from time to time we have YouTube knife, reviewers on and bought. That's what we've got here on this show. Yeah. We spoke with Kevin Cleary, one of my favorite YouTubers. He and I have similar tastes in knives, and we look for similar things in Nive. So I always gravitated towards him. He's also just a super nice guy. And that also comes through in his video. So yeah, yeah. Who's interesting guy to talk to, you know, very soft spoken, very thoughtful, very intelligence sounding about the knives. So I'll be honest haven't avenue. Seen any of his videos. But the way he came across on the interview, just real really thoughtful about it, and extremely opinionated, which is one of the things I like about. Oh, I mentioned to him. He reminds me of one of my favorite all time curmudgeon Andy Rooney just a little bit from the old sixty minutes shows. He really digs into the things that are substandard in knives that shouldn't be any more. So we get into that a little bit too. Okay. Okay. Sounds good. That interview is coming up, and I do want to remind you that if you are going to be shopping, and buying a knife online, especially, and you want to save some money, get some cash back than you wanna start using e Bates. And because you're a loyal knife junkie listener. If you're not already a member. You'll get ten dollars for joining if you go to the knife, junkie dot com slash cash back, it's easy. I even use the chrome extension for Ebay's. So whenever I go to EBay or an online merchant e Bates will automatically pop up and ask if I wanna use. There Lincoln saved money and I'm like, well, duh. Yeah. So shop like you normally would and get cash back. Go to the knife, junkie dot com slash cash back and sign up after you spend twenty five bucks, you'll get ten dollars back than I've junkie dot com slash cashback by what he say we get into that interview. Let's do it. Subscribe to the knife junkies YouTube channel at the knife, junkie dot com slash YouTube. I just wanted to start by saying a recent video of yours really resonated with me. I love your, your sort of rant videos and a hesitate to say rent, because rent implies some anger, I sense, joy in your raider and your most recent one turning from knifes in just it had me. It had me nodding my head the whole time and laughing and chuckling at your how how triggered you can get over these knife, pet peeves. And I think I think we all we all experience that any reminded me a little bit of Andy Rooney. Do you remember him a little bit? It probably a little before my. Yeah. You seem to be a young man when I was growing up. We watched sixty minutes when I was a kid that was the only thing we watch on Sunday. And they had their resident Kerr Mudgene was Andy Rooney, and he'd come on and say, so how come this and that. So tell me, how did you develop such intense opinions about knives? Well, I guess part of it is just, you know, using them reviewing them. I did a quick look at my channel in preparation for this. And I think there's like six hundred and some odd videos there. So I've handled a lot of knives. And, you know, sometimes you feel like you know, some of these things are known issues it. So that, that will video came from the idea that, you know, if we all know this is a thing then why do we keep doing it in a way? Why do we accept it as consumers, you know, shouldn't shouldn't these companies know by now to center their blades at cetera et cetera? Yeah. Yeah. Well, and some of the things feel like they. Shouldn't be that difficult. Now I'm not a I'm not a manufacturer. I'm not a mechanical engineer nothing like that. But you kind of feel like you know, if a thirty dollar rat one get it, right. Then I don't know. There's not much excuse for three hundred dollar whatever you wanna fill in the blank with he s. So how did you get into knives in the first place, as it's always been a thing for you? Or did it just come with the advent the YouTube? Well, it's kind of always been thing.

05:06 - 10:03

I you know, I had one of those dads who felt like a man should have a pocket knife on him at all times. And so certainly he did and ever since the time I was a little kid. I've, I've carried a knife, usually some kind of old slip joint, and so that's probably the earliest influence. In fact, he you know, my dad before I knew there was a whole world of knives. My dad had a custom fixed play that he used that a friend had made for him. No one you'd ever have heard of anything just, you know, he. Worked in a machine shop. And so there was some machinists there and one of the made knives. And so I I always in the back of my mind, or you know, it's always been a thing for me to have a knife and have a good quality knife. And so, you know, that was just something growing up. And then it the, the real rabbit hole moment came when I was carrying a Gerber para frame and in the thumb that fell out of it as like this sucks. I gotta get a better knife. And, you know, imagine my show. Yeah. And so, I started I started watching YouTube videos and back then it was like nothing fancy. Cutlery lover and the apostle. Rob was just a little bit around back, then probably Jim skeleton was starting around that as well anyway. So he just kind of led to this all, you know, rabbit hole of, you know, after watching all these videos, I think I bought a rat model one. And then. It just kind of mushroomed from there. So you're from Canada. Did you grow up a hunting and fishing and stuff like that is that or is my, my view of the Canadian lifestyle? Totally totally. I mean yeah there's it's a rare. You know, there was a lot of hunting and fishing, you know, when I grew up, certainly my dad was that way. You know, most Saturday mornings. We'd be up early in the morning fishing in the winter, it'd be hunting. But, you know, there's obviously, there's a big urban population like anywhere else too, that maybe isn't as into that. So is it difficult to acquire the kind of knives? By the way, our tastes are, are very similar. I like I like folding knives that are three and a half to four inches in blade length. And we, we kind of have similar tastes. Is it difficult for you to get your hands on some of these things I've in Canada? It's actually not that bad. I do I are a lot of stuff from the state, so there, there are some Canadian guys for, like, Nope. I'm not ordering anything not taking the risk of something coming across the border. The, the risk is actually not quite as bad as maybe some have made it out to be. I don't know how many knives I brought across the board. It would be hundreds. And I have had one confiscated it was. I, I don't even know if I should say the all leave the name out, it was a custom knife. The first time I was ever going to have a custom knife. I got it into trade, and it was stopped at the border and had to be sent back, but it's rare that that's happened to me. You know, one out of probably five hundred times what about they permissible up there? Oh, no. No automatics are. No, no, it's not. I know a lot of the states and even European countries. There are a lot of stuff you can own as long as you don't carry it around with you. But an automatic is considered a prohibited weapon here. So it's a charge just to be in possession of one. And so I don't even toy with it because I owned firearms in prohibited weapons charge would mean all my firearms go away. It would mean like criminal record a whole big issue. So of the knives, you've been looking at recently just looking at your channel what what are your favorites right now? I know you love the spider co amalgam. But what are the exciting newest night? Yeah. The amalgam is. Fantastic couldn't believe how good it is. I'm still pretty stoked every at least one day a week. I still care, the eighty ten even though I've had it for a little while. I'm really impressed with the mass drop orc that that night. Oh, yeah. The orca I should say that I've is really well done. And it's, it's a little smaller than I would like it to be. But it's great for, you know, if I'm going somewhere where maybe I'm afraid of larger knife, all stand out too much or something like that. So that's, that's I'm not. You know I it works well for those situations this four sixty or zero six forty let's get that, right. Near as Osiris against is really nice. I think I'm the only person in the world who actually likes that green carbon you probably are. It's like split. Yeah. I'm not in love with the carbon fiber. But I I'm hoping to have a different scale for it. So soon, he the so the oaks knife, yet the mass drop. I think that's very interesting because of that the whole sort of when you want to call it, the fake, bolster a Phobos ter- fo I guess.

10:04 - 15:11

Yes. And it, it looks like it's sort of made with a bunch of stipulating and then sort of separated with a little valley there. The, the look of that is very appealing. Also looks like it might really be nice in hand. It's really nice in hand. And that, you know I it's a little thicker. So if you're one of those guys who I don't know where skinny jeans or something, where your ski your skin-tight it may not work for you. But that, that would be about my only the only potential issue with is a little too little fat. So your view, I mentioned it before turning away from returning from knife sin. You have mentioned before and your videos that you're a minister. Yeah. So how if at all does your knife hobby intersect with your ministerial work. It doesn't allot certainly there are, you know, there have been some, some opportunities for maybe conversations with people where we can find common ground on knives. And then, you know, moving to other areas that that are maybe more serious that they wanna talk about. And I you know, so it's been a little bit of a help that way, probably the opposite. You know, because of because I'm a minister because I you know, I have to speak publicly on a regular basis that probably helped me and helps me a little bit with presenting on YouTube, so. Right. Right. So what are you carrying today? What's in your pocket today? So in my pocket today, I've got the pies on. All right. So you brought it up. Tell me about it. I mean it's so it's the second I think if I'm correct. It's the second integral from spider co. And it is also the second Peter resent, yet model. Yeah, it is in your estimate. I guess I could watch the video but I know it's just a first impressions. That's out how you feel about it so far. I love the design and I love the finishes. There's a lot that I really like it's incredible for, you know, it weighs like four point two ounces for a knife, with a full three and a half inches of blade. It's it carries like a dream, but there are a couple of misses the blade is the biggest one, I don't know why they grounded so thick. But, you know, I've had outdoor survival knives that had a thinner grind behind the edge than the pies on does. And it seems so out of character for spider KOTA do that, that I just can't wrap hat around it yet, especially when you look at it almost has a straight razor a feel or, or a, it just looks like it's a thin super thin sharp trying to raise her a knife. I'm surprised to hear that it's that it's thick behind the edge. Yeah. It's really an I don't know what to do about it, actually. Whether I you know, whether I should just sell it and move on with life. Or whether you know, I should find someone to, to put a hollow grind on it, man. You're gonna be in deep. You do that. That's going to be a lot more money into a knife. That's already expensive. That's, that's the one thing I, I've been on a little kid getting my Carter scales for various knives. Just because I'm a sucker for my current, and I'm sick lack deten, but once once you pay that, that my car to Bill, your monthly my car two billion, like, wow, I'm spending a lot more money on these knives than I, maybe I should just be buying different knives. And I definitely you know, my rule of thumb would be if someone said to me, you know, I don't like this knife, but I think it could be great if that right. Whatever whatever thing they wanna change. Normally I'm going to be like, don't do it, right. You're, you're never going to get that money back out of it. And if it doesn't work out the way you want it to now. What are you gonna do? Right. You're not gonna get your money back and you're going to have a knife that you hate like w yet. Yeah it. Reminder, a'shameful reminder. So you're talking about thickness behind the edge. Explain what that means I at the outset of all the knife reviews in two thousand eight when that first started, and I started paying attention. No one was talking about thickness behind the edge. Now you hear that all the time. Even so manufacturers listed in their catalog information. Tell us what the, the importance of thickness, or thinness behind the edges, and why it's desirable to have one or the other. Yeah. So, you know, if you I, I guess it can be desirable to have one or the other, you right about that generally speaking in any scene. I, I like to see something a little thinner. And that's because when you first go to, you know, push that blade into some kind of material think of trying to push a butter knife through, you know, your, your stick of butter versus going out to the garage and getting an axe right now you've got this huge hunk of metal in your trying to push it through. And if that butters. Cold because you keep it in the fridge, you can imagine which one's gonna work better, right. The butter knife. 'cause it's so slim it's just going to slide through. And so, and so you want that thin edge right behind the secondary Bebel so that you're not trying to push a huge amount of material through whatever substrate you're cutting.

15:11 - 20:24

So it's a it's a mere matter of being able to cut and slice into. So why would you want a knife, that's thick behind the edge? I have a couple of hinders than are prized and I have them super sharp, but no matter how super sharp I get him, you know, until I spend that hundred fifty bucks in have razor's edge thin them out a little bit. They're kinda like wedges, but they're still beloved but yeah, the and, and, you know, they're, they're knife, that just meant a really take a beating. And so, because, you know, then you want that extra stability and you want that extra strength so that there's less chance of breaking it depends a little on how you use your knives. I know a lot of people nephew would say. You know, I will never put any kind of lateral force on that played. So, you know, they can go as thin as they want. It's not going to be a problem. But if you're the kind of person who might you know, jam that played in between something and try to wiggle, it apart or something then that matters. Yeah. Yeah. I often wonder about that because I have, so I started getting into knives in the eighties late eighties with cold steel. They came out with their cold steel tanto fix played in it was a thing of legend among me in myself in mind young, you know, tween and teenage friend. So always in the back of my mind at also, you know, raised on, on Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Rambo movies. So that's. Back online that, that you're gonna need. You are going to need at some point to rely on your knife for, you know, life or death, and you're going to be hanging over the side of that cliff. You're going to have to wedge it between two rocks. Pull yourself up can your knife, do that if it can't it's garbage. We've so that being said, I'm trying to I think that's where my love of large pocket. Knives also comes from and I'm trying to, to I feel like I'm missing a lot. There are a lot of beautiful designs in the three to three and a quarter inch range that I'm missing out on because that foreign or three and a half inch Mark hasn't been met. What what's why do you have that size preference? Get what I'm sure that's part of it as well. Like there's some part of me that take some kind of weird pleasure from knowing that, you know, my cold steel that, that that's stupid law. Will hold a completely inordinate amount of weight that there's no business you should ever have on your life. Okay. So I definitely get that. And I totally agree with you, and I keep going back to the trough trying to find that small knife, that I'm finally going to say, hey, this one satisfies me. But it never does. And so he and there are some nice smaller knives out there. And, and I've tried a lot of them. And I've reviewed a lot of them. But every time I do it just reaffirms my previous conviction that yeah, it's gotta be three and a half inches or more yet. I made I made the idiot mistake of buying a knife, that I knew I wouldn't carry the we Rectifier it's the e I think you may have reviewed it but it's a little three inch. It's beautiful little knife, and something about the design always resonated with me, and, and I was buying one for my brother-in-law for Christmas. I was like jeeze I could just as easily click to. Yeah. And for myself, because I've been so good. And that's what I did, and I was just carrying it today. And just fidgeting with it. And I'm like, really this is this is this is literally a, a one hundred forty five dollar fidget toy oh, and I cut my general, so's chicken with it. You know, I, I have to I have to stop doing that because I don't need a collection of three inch knives. I'm not going to carry. Yeah. I feel the same way and there are some that are so good. You know, the bench made emissary is kind of right on that borderline. But one fantastic knife, and I just couldn't keep it, it was just I just felt inadequate when I carried it. I'm sure you, you know this better than than most as a as a YouTube reviewer, but it's an odd thing in the knife world. There's, there's a lot. There are a lot of polarizing issues could be makers that people like or dislike or designs that some find superior to others. Whatever it is in your experience, as a youtuber and up pretty popular. Knife YouTube or what, what kind of controversy have you stumbled upon or? What, what words, do you wish you? You never uttered. You know what I I have been pretty insulated? I feel like you know, my, my comment sections tend to be really tame, and, you know, I, I talked to other reviewers and, you know, they share these stories about just insane stuff where like, you know, how could someone ever get that animated about a knife, or even, you know, it and sometimes leaving get like racist comments, or, and I'm like, in a night video, I don't get it.

20:24 - 25:10

So, you know, I'm really, really fortunate that I have not had a whole lot of drama. There have been a couple of times where, you know, I said something and, and someone got mad at me and I and I have if I'm wrong, I'm happy to, you know, make a follow video and say, hey, guys, I blew it. I thought this worked this way, but it really was that way or, you know, I thought they had, you know, made this choice, but it. Turns out she take the whole knife apart. You can find, you know, a good example, is I thought that a knife had steel screwed into aluminum, and I didn't really like that idea. And I made the comment and the manufacturer emailed me and said, if you take the never part, you'll find their steel inserts in there. And sure enough there were, so I can had eat my words, but yeah, I'm happy to do that. Was that a company that freely allows you to disassemble their knives or? Now, I don't know what their policy is. Man. I, I just think it's so weird. You know, Microtek I only have one and I would like to get the L U D T two beautiful and, and a couple of their out the front to. But the one I have is the elite the so-called. So come elite. Thank you. And I gotta say the hardware on it does look cool, but managed sticks in my craw that they're just like, Nope. Not you. You're not you're not smart enough to take apart this night. It does little balmy out. Yeah. That's really frustrating. Now, I always think about. I wonder if I worked at spider co if I would feel the same way because I wonder how many knives they get back where they're like, what an idiot, you know, if this, if this guy would not have Danny sniper part, it would be fine. So I'm sure there is that as. Legitimate problem for manufacturer. You know, once you say, go ahead and take it apart. Then, you know, they probably say, look, we're asking for trouble increased cost the whole thing, and in micro Tech's defense, they I, I know from the outset they were primarily automatic knives. And I would imagine most people taking automats knives apart, especially at the front, our disaster on the for sure. So I could see them wanting to maybe wanted to nip that in the bud and, and just kind of lack it down with something you can't unscrew. But speaking of that we knives, you know, the head that for star. Yes with the star which actually kind of looks pretty corny too. I got to see that. But they've, that's a matter that's a matter of personal taste. But they've if sort of drifted away from that what do you think of we knives, and best tech and Riyadh in these outstanding Chinese manufacturers that are allowing the designs of these outstanding designers who we could never afford bringing that to market. Yeah. You know what I think that's fantastic. Sometimes they come up with some really nice in house designs. But that's I think that's where those, those companies especially struggle, you know, they end up making, you know, twenty five designs in a year kind of throw them all out there and hope something sticks. When they when they collaborate with a really good, well established designer that you know can do good work. I it's almost always a win right? I, I know very few cases where that kind of situation. Hasn't worked out, really, well, except for Fokker who tends to struggle with quality control, but for for like we Investec and even some of the, the new guys coming out there's one that stands out to me. They just like they came out in the first year with probably thirty designs and I just can't think of their name, it gives you option paralysis. It's like just give me three really cool. Yeah. Yeah. Things to choose from L by one. But when I see twenties. Like. Yeah. Did you put your heart into any of these or which one do you think is the best attack? You can tell what a company thinks is his a flagship, I wanna company is doing to sell knives. Yeah. Yeah this knife collecting hobby. I'm not sure if he would consider it a hobby. But how do you see it involving in your personal life as you, you know, as you age? Well, I I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this. I go back and forth a little bit. You know, there are days, when I think, to myself, you know, I should sell everything and own, like five really nice high end, you know, like I should own Koenig areas.

25:11 - 30:09

A three point five inch chamois Ari a hinder a couple savannahs and call it a day. Yes. You know. And then the next day though, I'm like, I don't know if I'd do I don't know if I'd want us in Carey though. Knives as much and you know, then something like a spider co amalgam comes along. And I'm like this is such an amazing knife, and it's not five hundred dollars. And so, you know, I go back and forth on that. And I'm sure many people do, yeah. It's like it's like I'm only going to cook with basil oregano, salt, pepper and parmesan. Okay. Arrest of my let you know eventually you're gonna you're gonna want to change it up. Yeah. That, that variety being the spice of life thing you know. And, and for a while I was so I'm pretty bad at selling off knives. I I'm very good at acquiring new ones, and then and then making plans. So now have this, it rounds this side of my collection? Now I can do that big sale, and I have a hard time getting around to that. But one of my justifications was well, when the bottom falls out, I'll be able to sell these or, you know, when the apocalypse comes this will be great trading material. All these knives, you know, you know, a better could get a ham sandwich for this for this. We knife air, but those are all just justifications for this weird propensity yet, you know, Ed, you know, the I always, I often think to myself, I wonder what my collection would look like if, if I if I didn't have a YouTube channel. Well, how does that work are all of the knives? You excuse me are all the knives. He review yours. Do you buy them and then sell them or how does that work about yet? Eighty. Eighty percent at least our knives, that I have bought and then have to resell to recoup, those funds to buy something else. So, you know, part of it, you just don't so dot that keeps some movement, right? Because even knife that I kinda like would like to keep, you know, I sort of have to go. Do I really wanna keep it and not have whatever the new thing is that would that, that all the viewers wanna see? So I, I really do kind of struggle with that every once in awhile, I'm fortunate enough to have a company who will reach out and say, you know, hey, we've got this coming out. Would you like one in candidate? That's a little tougher. I do get a fair number of offers and then the person goes, oh, wait. You want us to ship to Canada? I don't think we can do it. Can you meet the New York? Yeah. Exactly. So I get some of that I luckily, you know, I had there are a couple of retailers who will let me buy at a discounted price to promote them as a retailer. And so that makes it a little easier on the pocket book and it makes it a little easier to not lose money all the time. So that's, that's nice. But yeah there's, there's a good number of knives that I buy review and then sell down the road. So here's a big fear of mine, which is an and I feel this already. But the idea of knives, going out of style like fashion, yet or electron IX. I, I look at knives, that I was coveting five years ago, and I still have many of them and they're nice, but I never rarely carry them and why. Well, because, you know, I just don't carry that, you know, I don't carry two side. Heads of g ten anymore. I mean you know. So it's, it's gone out, like fashion. So do you have any concerns about that? You know what? It's I do. I don't I don't worry myself overly about it, because you can call me superficial ahead. You know, I just feel like you know, I'm kind of having fun with it, and I enjoy it now I do try to encourage, you know, friends and family and stuff like that to carry a knife. I'm a volunteer firefighter in so those guys actually, those guys get a lot of a lot of the stuff that comes in for free. I also give it away for free sometimes to the channel by offense to personal contacts. You know, sometimes I feel like someone who watches all my videos. It's nice to reward them, but someone who doesn't right? They don't have any good knives, where the person who's watching all my videos, probably already has fifteen good knives, and they probably don't need another one. So I, I would like for the Kabi to keep growing, certainly, I know sometimes as reviewers, we'll talk about the fact that, you know, I wonder if there's like a cap somewhere where, you know, there's, I don't know two million people that are into knives.

30:09 - 35:02

And that's it. And that's you know, once we split up those two million subscribe. Offers we're all done. Yeah, you can leave trait, so. You know, I think about it from time to time. For me. Luckily, I don't make a living off it. I'm sure, you know, sell Glasser has to stay up at night where he about it. Because it you know, it's a knife and really you only need one. So you think there's a huge portion of the population who is going to buy today Shas, and that's it for the next ten years. So my question is, how am I not just a, a materialist when all along? I've been convincing myself that none of this is materialism, this is something different, you know, it's an it's an aesthetic appreciation, blah, blah, blah. It's like collecting art, blah, blah, blah, but really is just materialism that I just my God spider. Go has a new knife, which I don't need. We'll never use. But I must have what is that? Yeah. I mean I always there are a number of what would you say? There are lots of things in life that we need to keep in check, I know people that, you know, spend an ordinary amount of. Out of money going to the movies like twice a week. Right. And, and, you know so if you're doing something as a hobby, and it's fun, right? Then I don't think it's, it's unhealthy to, to enjoy something and have a few it when it becomes what, what do they say? You know, here's the preacher, and become a note by the Postle, Paul said that there are lots of things that are fine for me to do, but I will not be mastered by anything. Meaning I'm not gonna I'm not going to be controlled by you know, that desire to buy the next knife. I'm not going to skip a mortgage payment for it or you know something like that. And as long as you're in control, and the object is not in control. Then I think it's, it's you've probably struck a decent balance there. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. That's the justification I was. There you go. School. Where do you see the industry headed when you look at where it's common in what, what is commonplace now in even inexpensive knives like ceramic bearings, and, you know, decent good steal, and great construction fit and finish. Where does it go from here? Are we just looking at new innovations in locks and that kind of thing or where do you think things will head? I, I mean, I'm sure they'll be trends. Like anything else where, you know, you'll start you'll you'll see patterns, you know, I would say, maybe what would you say twenty sixteen twenty seventeen? There was that sort of push of traditional, but with modern touches, you know, so you get a you know, Barlow designed, but it would have ceramic bearings in the lock in, you know, so I think we'll still continue to see trends in that'll be enjoyable. It's hard to imagine, you know the things that we're. Able to build these days and I know a lot of that is building overseas. But, you know, the, the quality that you can get for like thirty forty fifty bucks is incredible. And I remember I, I don't know. You know what I started doing this fancy was, you know, the youtuber to, to watch and it's funny as you watch other YouTubers, how many phrases and terms, a borrow from him even today, you know, he's always talk about having a, a high value knife collection and by that he meant by lots of cheap knives. And. And if you wanted to do that, today, you know, you could have just an unending supply of new stuff to add to the collection like every month and have all these fantastic knives. And, you know, the, the one thing I don't like about that end of it is, you know, you can sort of get this race to the bottom where, you know, I wanna buy a knife, that has a titanium frame, lock with ceramic bearings name three ninety steel for the lowest possible price. I can get. Yes. And it's like, well, make sure someone's making that. Yeah. So and you know what who and who knows what's going to happen with, with all of that stuff? Because, you know, Chinese economy's changing and those kinds of things. But I think it's a great time to be interested in knives. I, I would like to see that this is not my prediction, but it would be welcome, at least from my perspective. I would like to see some more. For, you know, domestic producers doing inhouse work and just taking doing a really good job in offering us, some really cool stuff.

35:02 - 40:01

Like, you know, if the Kershaw hasn't CRT's of the world who would say, hey, let's make five awesome knives this year instead of twenty five mediocre. I would love to see that. I don't think we will, especially you know, as I you know, I was know with Chinese manufacturing. It's ridiculous. What they're able to do in the price points. They're able to do it at. So I you know, I, I know companies exist to make money, and that's pretty lucrative thing to do. But, you know, I think that's just the knife lover in me, wishing I could buy knives from other knife lovers. Do you have a grill? Do you have a knife that you want more than any other you don't want? I don't know that I'd do any more. I would have said, you know, before I, I used to love the Bodega and. And I've, I've tried to I've almost had a mid tech a couple of times, and it didn't work out. But now had worry out. But I did. Yes. And it was it's tastic knife, and that's part of why I almost don't it. Some hard of me whenever I look at a really expensive knife, that I think is fantastic. You know there's a voice in the back of my head saying, you know, when custom knife, factory or react builds that it'll be awesome. And it'll be four hundred dollars. It kinda Rex. All that really fancy stuff for me. Yeah, I Riyadh knives. Our, our my, my favorite of those manufacturers right now. And I, I almost missed my opportunity, or, or maybe maybe by the time I actually want to pull the trigger. I will have missed my opportunity for the Kirby Lambert. Crossroads denied rate knife. I did have it. I ended up trading it for something else. But it's a fantastic now if it really is I have two Riyadh's, and they're both amazing and the design of that I'm just imagining, you know, the action of these others, and the fit and finish these others that I have in have experienced in that designed because that designed to me is just sit isn't something hits all the right notes. I would say it was it was the best Riyadh of. I, I don't know. I'm biased okay for sure. But since the torrent, I feel like that was the best Riyadh knife, that the best thing that they've done the torn in you have another Riyadh recently that you've been highlighting now it escaped a Jack. Yes. The Jack and that's a really nice knife as well. Now it's, it's big and heavy. All almost and you know, this is this feels wrong to say, but it's almost too big and, and too heavy snow. Like you're not going to be wearing that in slacks, or, or that's like a straight up jeans knife. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. We're gonna wrap up here. But I wanna I wanna do a little speed round with you. Sure. I, sometimes people are I'm just gonna ask you a one or the other question. And you just you just give me your answer. Sure. Okay. Fixed or folder, fixed flipper or thumb stud flipper washer or bearings washer tip for tip down tip up tanto or Bowie Bowie hollow ground or flat ground, hologram full-size are small full-size, gentleman's knife, or tactical knife, Tacoma automatic, or Bali song auto Geico or tough knives. Tough knives, Z T. Or we tougher choice there, probably T bench made or spider co who spider co. All right. Only five more. When pulling into the station, Kevin a mill titanium or spring clip that if it's a good, Milton him then. Yes. Carbon fibre or my Carta my Carta finger toil or no choice. Choice will form or function function. And finally, what would your desert island knife, be, and that doesn't necessarily mean you have to survive on a desert island with it? But it means you have one knife for the rest of your life. The torrent ooh that came so quickly that came quicker than many of your other answers, I guess the, the Riyadh torrent is a knife to look at people. Yup. That's a you know what I've thought about that a long time. And, and I don't know it just checks every single box for me. So what so is that knife? Thin behind edged the torrent. It is just right. It's, it's thin enough to cut well, but it's thick enough that you have total. In it. Well, there you hear it, ladies and gentlemen, the re weren't his the desert island knife of Kevin cleric, Kevin, thank you so much for coming on the knife junkie podcast.

40:01 - 45:00

I had a great time talking to you. I've been watching and listening a you are part of my after work ritual. You know as as I'm getting dinner ready, I'll put on your videos, and, and you're apart of my life. So thanks for everything you do can awesome man. Thanks for watching. Thanks for having me on. It was a lot of find. I you know, it's always fun to talk about knives. Hence the channel. But yeah, it was it was great to be on your. Have a question. Or maybe just have a comment. Give us a call at seven two, four four six six four four eight seven. We'll answer your question on an upcoming episode of the knife junkie podcast, that number again seven two four four six six four four eight seven where back on the knife junkie podcast. If you have any thoughts about this interview, or some of Kevin Cleary's knife, videos, or any other thoughts. We'd love to hear from you. Call the listener line that I've junkie, twenty four seven listener line seven two, four four six six four four eight, seven that number again seven two four four six six four four eight seven, please leave us a message. Leave us a THAAD leaves comment. We'd love to play back on an upcoming episode of the knife junkie podcast. Baba key. Takeaway thoughts from the interview, kind of turn it over to you for, well, just again, talking to someone I've admired for a few years, online, and watching their videos and trusting. The growing to trust their opinions. And then speaking with him, it just really occurred to me, how diverse the knife world, the knife community if you will is he is a, he's a minister. He is a guy who grew up in Canada may be doing some hunting and fishing. And but he's a minister and we've spoken with marines. We've spoken with martial artists. We've, I, I know plenty of artists and business folk who loved knives. It just it's an interest that draws a wide wide variety of people, Kevin was a joy to talk to. I really love how opinionated he is about how he can really get worked up over a free-standing of it or pocket clip that doesn't fit jeans, and he's right. And I love it. There's a there's a voice for my indignation. Will you know, it's not often that you hear people say, I love him because he so opinionated opinionated people you're like organic stand to be around that guy. Exactly. But that's what we need people like like Kevin. And like some of the other people, we've had on the show out there who can get their hands on a majority of these knives. So we don't have to go out and buy every single knife and try them out for ourselves. So not that you won't try. Yes. Exactly. I'm totally against the idea. Right post making about having people out there. Doug Ritter who's been a two-time gassed on the knife junkie podcast. He's one of those guys that are out there fighting for our rights to, to carry knives. Last time he was on the show, which was episode number twenty nine you can go to the knife, junkie dot com slash two nine. The I'm chunky dot com slash twenty nine. He talked about legislative updates but also the ultimate steel give. W-we and Bob, we are just past the early bird deadline, but still chance for knife, chunky listeners to get in on that ultimate steel giveaway. It is outrageous. I was on the page just today. And it's like a bottomless. Endless scroll of knives. You can win not only a manufacturer's donating knives to the cause and not only purveyors of knives, donating knives to the cause, but we have makers, like Andrew Dempo, just donating directly. So these are knives that you stand a chance to win. If you go to the ultimate steel twenty nineteen and donate money to help knife rights fight for our knife rights right to that. And I was really actually shocked by the amount, like the just the pure volume of prizes. They have it, it almost seems like it should be one per person, like what a hundred sixty thousand dollars or something like that were surprise. That's one hundred sixty thousand dollars worth of nine. Okay. There's some expensive ones out there. But I mean come on. That's. Yeah. So anyway, go, go donate and say, you know, you might just win some ho speaking of winning, you had a chance to have one of your YouTube viewers, be a winner recently on the thousand subscriber giveaway, you'll for right? We have we just we just did a drawing out Wednesday the twenty ninth for the thousands subscriber giveaway, which was a, which is a bench made bug out. One of my favorite knives last couple of years oddly enough, because I'm not a bench made lover and yeah. We have a winner while in another video coming out soon.

45:00 - 47:49

You'll be doing some kind of drawing or some kind of give away with the oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, the cog ring, and be snuggle tooth. M F from rob penna over at snack, tactical, right? So we'll be giving away that package. It's, it's the poll ring the Karamjit rang that you can put on a full sized physical side. Is cold steel recon one? And then the snuggle, tooth, M F, which is the pocket, deploying, a hook can fit on pretty much any knife with a remove removable thumbs dud. Yeah. That that's going out as a package. So if you're not subscribe to go to the name, chunky dot com slash y t subscribe, that'll take you right to the YouTube channel subscribe page, so you can catch all of Bob's videos when they come out and also for these upcoming a giveaway videos those kind of things you'll be able to to enter to win again. The ninth junkie podcast where we talk knives each and every week and Bob, you are the knife junkie. So I think it's only deserving give you the final word final Fahd on episode number thirty two as you wrap it up. All right. Well, I would say this week, go out and scratch that edge and buy something that is off your palate. Something that you wouldn't ordinarily by try out for we can always resell it. Get most your money back. But the reason I say, this is the bench made bug out. I saw it turn my nose up at it for a while. And then I got it just because I had a dividend at REI picked it up. And I've been hooked on it ever since. Try something just a little bit different Mahdi or wheelhouse. See how it goes. So you bought two wanted to give away one to keep the yes, yes. Yes, it was a great excuse. I'm giving away. I had to buy another one for myself. No me too. Well. No me too. Well. Bob the knife junkie DeMarco is the knife junkie and knives are his junk, his passion is what I was gonna say, anyway, I rambled long enough. Thanks for listening to episode number thirty two the knife, junkie podcasts for Bob, the knife junkie DeMarco. I'm Jim person, thanks. Thanks for listening to the knife junkie podcast. If you enjoyed the show, please rate review with review the podcast dot com for show notes for today's episode additional resources into listen to past episodes, visit our website, the night, joking dot com. You can also watch our latest videos on YouTube the night. Jokey dot com slash YouTube. Check some great night photos on the knife, junkie dot com slash Instagram and join our Facebook group at the knife, junkie dot com slash Facebook. And if you have a question or comment Email them to Bob at the knife junkie dot com or call our twenty four seven listener line at seven two, four four six six four four seven and you may hear your comment or question answered on upcoming episode of the knife junkie podcast.