Slowing Down The Hype Train
There a lot of things I have to manage to keep this blog running as it passes its 12th year in operation soon. First, I have to keep up with new stuff—steels, brands, trends, what form of Moku Ti to make fun of. Second, I have to avoid writer’s block, which, given that I have never missed a week even when my two children were born and my wife had surgery for cancer, is not much of an issue. Third, I have to find time to write. I am fast writer (hence the plethora of typos), so that is not an issue either. Finally, in some instances, have to really work to avoid getting swept away by hype.
I am a knife enthusiast. I love gear. And so when a good piece of kit comes in, it is hard, often very hard, not to get swept away by the impulse that says: “THIS IS THE GREATEST KNIFE EVER!” Given that I have yet to review a Michael Walker, that statement is, objectively, false, but the impulse is still strong. It also tends to override any semblance of reasonableness in a review.
One way to combat hype is time. There is something intoxicating about pulling a new knife out of a box (and the beauty of the packaging only increases that intoxication). But over time that buzz diminishes (hence the large collection of knives resting in a Gerstner chest just behind me). Often with stuff that really excites me, I just stow it away awhile before I start carrying it. That way my opinion is not hitched to a hype train that pulled out of the station the minute I unboxed the knife.
Another way of combatting hype is looking at other trusted reviewers for guidance. For some reason I got it into my mind that I really wanted the Drop Terzuola CFT. I bought the knife and when I got it I was pumped. But the following week changed my mind. Something was off. I couldn’t put my finger on it. The hype train was chugging along, but I had this nagging sense that something was wrong. Then I watched a few reviews and some of them put a pin on the issue—the handles were atrocious. They were sharp, blocky, and had cuts and curves in all the wrong spots. That was it. This was not a Terzuola made small, but a simulacrum of a Terzuola without any of the refinements of the original. The opposite occurred with the Spyderco Spydiechef. It looked so weird and so limited in its use, I was worried I would buy it and hate it. After a few good reviews, the exact opposite happened. Its one of my Top Ten Spydercos.
Finally, when the hype train is really moving down the tracks, I try some “palette cleansing” gear. For instance when the Native 5 Spy27 came in, my love for the steel overwhelmed by impression of the knife. So, when that happens, I go back to a classic and see how the new item compares. Carrying nothing but the Native 5 Spy27 and the similarly sized TRM Neutron quickly helped slow down the hype train. The Native 5 is a great design, but it is not quite at the upper echelon of folders because of its thick and chunky handle. Comparing it to the Neutron, which is unquestionably in that top tier of stuff, made that clear. I go back to certain pieces all the time—the Dragonfly, the Mini Grip, the Neutron, my Small Shamwari. Over and over again, these great pieces of kit help me avoid getting carried away by first impressions and instead focus me in on what makes great stuff great.
I write all of this ahead of the review of the Tactile Knife Co. Rockwall. This is an incredibly important knife for a bunch of reasons. It is made in the USA. It is the debut knife of a promising gear maker. It is direct challenge to the Sebenza. Its an ideal size and shape for EDC. All of these things make the review pretty fraught. The Hype Train is real. Hopefully my process has remove the hype from the review. Additionally, I hope that describing how I do that will inform your understanding of my review of the Rockwall and other subsequent reviews.
Beware the Hype Train, its last stop is Embarassing Opinion Station. Unfortunately, Embarassing Opinion Station is only visible in hindsight.
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