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I remember when I first saw an advertisement for this knife and said to myself. "wow that looks exactly uncomfortable to handle." I can't believe they are asking $90 for it. I completely agree with your review.
This looks like a knife that would be in a “Camping First Aid Kit” and that knife would be the only thing that made it a “Camping” one and cost $10 more.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by a couple James Brand models but it's pretty clear that they're more interested in selling bespoke minimalist pocket bling for people who shop at Whole Foods rather than properly made and/or priced cutting tools.
Just knowing how much the knife community loves to complain about every minute detail of every single knife in existence, I call complete BS on their 5-star reviews--especially considering the issues you pointed out. Any real review would blast that to hell and back. It's clear JB is primarily a marketing company selling a lifestyle. The actual quality or value of their gear is an after thought. Knowing the pains that actual mountain climbers take to selecting their gear (which is expensive as hell), no serious mountain climber would ever trust their life with that PoS knife.
I once bought a product that turned out to be pretty bad, so I went on the site to review it and found it was lots of 5 stars and a few fours. I left my 1 or 2 and I guess it went into some kind of pre-publish queue and very quickly I got back an email from the guy behind the shop, trying to tell me I didn't experience the things I just described, and the review never showed up. I think small companies that allow reviews on their own site must just think "why let bad press show up here?" and block or delete bad reviews.
@@JustKnifeThings Wow, yeah, it's those kinds of sleazy deceptive practices, like obviously hiding negative reviews, that make me never want to buy anything from JB. To hell with that. If a company isn't going to allow bad reviews, they need to remove the review option on their website. Two companies that does this correctly are BladeHQ and REI. Both allow all reviews, be they positive or negative.
Yep. Putting false reviews on their website is such a scumbag move, and just on that alone, I hope this brand goes away. Don't even get me started on every other aspect of the brand and their products. TRASH.
@@the808life Yeah, I'm sure a few are actual customers, but it's clear they're only showing positive reviews and probably having every employee and their family and friends leave a review. I hate it when companies do this. Either let all reviews show, or just leave them off the website. Stacking reviews is dishonest and manipulative.
I literally have watched every one of your uploads for over a year and a half, and I don't know if I've ever heard you say you "hated" a knife, especially multiple times. This thing is a complete dumpster fire.
I've struggled to get my head around this knife since it was released. It's absolutely a $10 gas station piece of crap all day long yet they're trying to market it as some $100 brilliant piece of design. Just a complete failure all around. I guess they listened to the complaints about being wildly over priced and wanted to figure out how to make a knife they can sell for $100.... and did so by making a $10 knife and selling it for $100.
Exactly what I was thinking. Just a gimmicky gas station knife. $90? I've got 3 QSP penguins that come in at $90 together. All 3 have excellent fit/finish, action and decent D2 steel. Sad that non-knife people don't know enough to spend their money on better stuff.
@@ljf29NH That's the other thing, when you bring in comparisons to other modern offerings made by OEMs in China they just make this knife look like a joke. I have numerous Real Steels, WE Knife Cos, and Kizers around this same price range that are vastly superior in every way. I mean for $100 you can get a Real Steel G-Slip... a titanium framelock flipper in S35vn with fantastic fit, finish and action. For that matter I'd prefer a base model RAT II over the Redstone for 1/3 of the price.
I was expecting you to say it costs $25. I was going to say that was overpriced for this PoS. This company really seems like scumbags. The Barnes costing $650 is honestly one of the most ridiculous things I've seen in the community in a while
I own a barnes and it is a sweet knife. I bought a 'used' one on ebay so I didn't pay $650. I own other integrals including an anthem so I'm not just falling for James brand hype. Yes it's high priced but I've felt others equally priced that aren't better.
@@logh7171 I’m actually the proud owner of the entire Simpsons family set of Pezz dispensers. They have a prominent position in my man cave/music room where it’s obvious old hippies hang out. 👍🏻
The lesson is, don't buy James brand. Even if they improved quality and pricing they're still a shady company that takes advantage of non knife people. If you want a knife for climbing and hiking buy a bugout or para3 lightweight
Very true, they don't make knives for knife people, they make knife for people who don't know about knives and stumble upon their marketing and think wow this is a quality knife!
What I found particularly galling about them was when the chapter was being released, their advertising copy went on about some mental gymnastics connecting their design to the stone arrowheads and knives made by indigenous American peoples... all while they were actively dodging the question of where their knives were made.
Coming from a climber, serrations are quite nice at times. I carry a quiet carry eddy with partial serrations in my bag. It’s worked quite well for what I need. That said, this particular knife does look like poop.
I've done some climbing. (I suck) and I always carried a fully serrated spyderco. If I need to cut a rope I want that fucker cut quick. This knife is too small for the serrations to be useful at all.
this is my favourite review you’ve put out, i hope James Brand has a meeting with their CEO about it tomorrow.. well done. *UPDATE* they had the meeting.. the CEO decided to fire the whole team and then himself.. success!
Surprised it doesn't come with organic beard wax. Like P.T. Barnum said, "There's a James brand buyer born every minute!" Good video per usual brother.
James brand is kinda like those “As Seen On Tv” products. They are advertised as soooo amazing and high quality, and then you get it and you’re like “oh”.
Taylor Martin praised them not lang ago..... I think the problem here are reviewers that take money from companies without declaration. So new people in this hobby think it's legit
I have the blue and pink model, and have had a slightly different experience. I agree with most of the comments here about the brand in general, but I do find myself enjoying the knife. My blade does free fall with the axis lock and I have not touched the pivot, so maybe that has something to do with the coated blade? I used to work in injection molding and the marks you are seeing on the scales are sink marks because of the ribs on the underside of the scales. They should have made the scales solid to prevent this. This may have to do with hand size/ shape as well but I actually like the was the knife feels in my hand. The axis lock is certainly not as nice as a Benchmade, I find this one can get off axis and make it more difficult to pull. I was going to try to shim both sides with a thin washer to see if this helps. Don't love the folded steel body but it seems to be straight and the blade is centered well. Not a fan of serrated blades in general but overall I find myself enjoying the knife for what it is, a cheap(er) beater knife so I don't need to beat up my Benchmade or sandrin at work. Appreciate the honest review and you have the knife a fair shake. And sorry for the essay!
Agreed, I have the same knife in stainless and orange, instantly pulled it out of my pocket watching the video and very easily one hand whipped the knife open and closed. Pretty critical review, its a lightweight backpacking knife, it is meant to be minimalist knife. The two island design allows you to squeeze on the small island like pen and feels great to me? I do agree the knife is expensive for what it is, but most lightweight items are.
The reviews for all of their knives are all 5 stars... curious. Those indentations are just sinks in the plastic - high quality! Oh! They raised the price on the normal Barnes $50...
Great review. It's refreshing to see a knife channel doing a negative review instead of this "always good" put on repeat knife reviews. Oh and thx because I had this knife on a list of maybe's.
While our aesthetic tastes may be a little different, I always appreciate your honesty and your objective reviews of quality and functionality. I have to totally agree on this one- it’s ugly and I can’t imagine ever relying on this thing, especially when hanging off a mountain with a rope. And I was genuinely shocked by the price.
No matter what they say, this knife was not designed for climbers; it was designed for Instagram. It is unique enough and has a kind of "adventure aesthetic" that it will make for interesting pictures. It's a prop, not a tool. If you want an actual tool that is similar in size, has an Axis-style lock, has very good action, and is about 2/3 the price, check out the SOG Terminus XR in D2 steel, or pay about $85 for the nicer version with an s35vn blade.
i think i've heard from another reviewer is that they give props to the James Brand company for pulling in non-knife people into the knife world for when they grow-up and advance into the better knife world. So from that stand-point if this gets a handful of non knife people to start buying benchmade or spyderco's and graduating upwards that is a positive thing, but agree this knife is poopoo town! ;-)
their knives cost a little too much to think that in my opinion. As he said there are far better knives that cost a lot less. What he's saying is very similar to what I think about their products.
Nah I wouldn't even give them that. They're not trying to "pull non knife people into the knife world". They're trying to separate suckers from their money
I bought the Carter XL and I am very happy with it. After one year I bought the Folsom…and shit- this knives was just shit! I love my carter but think I will never buy James brand again…
Glad I found your review. I hoped it would be decent because I really wanted a nice compact knife with neon blue scales. But way too much nope on that knife.
I was so excited when i saw this and I had a little thought in my mind that maybe it will be carryable but the action actually disgusts me and i hate the price tag for what i got. Such an interesting and nice concept but unfortunately it was a swing and a miss
I had a James brand Folsom. It had the same nasty little thumb hole triangle. The liner lock was very late. The blade play was not correctable. I had to send it in for warranty. The warranty was great, but the actual knife was really bad overall.
totally agree with the action, sitivien is a company on amazon and they have many models, most popular are the st109 and st110 with the axis lock and some others, and theyre on bearings, and are super easy to manipulate edit: and those two knives i mentioned are like 27.99 with d2 steel
Another fantastic option is the Harnds giant silkworm I handed it to my brother in law who collects benchmade and he agrees with me that the action is on par with a broken in axis.
Idk if anyone said this yet, but I’m pretty sure the axis style lock was made by Bill McHenry and Jason Williams and benchmade bought the patent (which recently expired) off them.
When I first saw pics of this model I thought the design idea was just something intended to use up scrap bits of micarta & g10 for the handle. Knowing it's injection molded plastic scale pieces kinda shoots that theory in the foot.
I definitely fell into the James brand trap when I first started looking at knives. Went with the Folsom in micarta. I do enjoy the knife, but I still cringe when I think about the other options I had for the same price or cheaper. Ya live and ya learn, right? haha
For $99 I’m not buying this knife but I also don’t think you understand the requirements and demands of a climbing knife at all. The ideal climbing knife is actually much cheaper than this and it is called the Petzl Spatha, the body is entirely plastic. A climbing knife needs to be as light as possible, the ergonomics do not matter. It should not be able to easily open at all, ever! Honestly it should be cheap, it gets dragged across rock all the time. Lanyards are definitely necessary, pocket clips are not at all secure enough for climbing, and a 2mm accessory cord lanyard is actually more than durable enough. I too hate serrations on my other knives but all climbing knives need to have serrations. Being able to slowly saw through a rope or a sling without much pressure behind the blade is crucial because you can’t have a knife swing through the air after it breaks through the material it was cutting through in a climbing scenario. I would buy this if it was $60, it would be better than what exists. TLDR: look up the Petzl Spatha and be horrified by its design and construction but also learn to accept that it is by far the best knife for climbing.
Plastic and steel make up the mass majority of inexpensive knives. There are also an overabundance of lightweight and ambidextrous models with serrations etc (everything this knife has). There are tons of options that will work. I understand that a lightweight knife is ideal for climbing. It's ideal for a lot of things. James Brand is laughing at its customers.
There is absolutely no excuse to buy this over the kind of stuff that brands like QSP and Civivi produce. I could understand people paying far too much money for this instead of buying from these other brands if this knife actually functioned well, but with such a complete lack of quality it just makes no sense.
Just because it was worth a few minutes of MC's time in the video discussing it (and for the benefit of the algorithm) - am I the only one who doesn't mind sharpening serrations? I find the whole process of sharpening to be very soothing and helps when I'm having particularly bad days anxiety-wise. That being said, I completely understand why most knife users would think it's a tedious and fiddly activity they'd prefer to avoid.
When you said $90 I paused the video and just sat in disappointed silence for a good minute. The whole time I was looking at that knife thinking that it looks like $20-$30. When you said the price, I immediately looked at my SRM knife which features D2 steel, G10 scales, and a smooth axis lock for $30. Wow.
I'm not a mountain climber, but I'm a backpacker/hiker enthusiast. Bailout in the pocket and a bk7 in the pack. I wouldn't look twice at this knife unless the price tag was in view and I did a double take...
I wonder what your thoughts are on spring assisted knives that are TECHNICALLY able to be operated one handed. I have the SOG Flash AT-XR and Trident AT-XR in D2, and the Kershaw Link in 20CV. The Trident is an absolute BEAST. If you haven't already handled all three of them, I'd love to see them on your channel.
As a person who climbed Kilimanjaro (the highest mountain in Africa) I can assure you no one would use this knife. We usually use fixed blades because we wear very thick gloves with thermal pads inside of them and hand movement becomes very limited as a result. The place where you stick your thumb on this knife is very very small for glove use, and this doesn’t have any protective mechanism against freezing shut in the cold when ice falls inside the unfolding mechanism. The only place we might use this is in the base camp and as far away from the top of any mountain as possible.
First time I saw a screen pic of that on video review, I thought it was a video on how to fix your busted scales. Irony is that since, I’ve actually seen knives with busted scales that actually don’t look quite as bad 😂
I bought one because i figured, as somebody who doesn't know anything about knives, barely ever uses pocket knives, really likes having stuff with a bunch of goofy colors, and felt like throwing a hundred bucks away for my birthday (they're $100 now!), this knife was made for me. It just came in today and i think the one you got just had bad quality control because on mine the lock works well, it's easy to flip open and closed, the scales are seated all the way on the frame, and there's no wiggle on the blade when it's open. BUT blade HQ sent me the wrong color so hopefully the next one i get is just as good. But then i guess if it's not, I'm mainly getting it for the aesthetic anyway. I might regret this later.
I’ve managed to catch mostly positive reviews with constructive criticism. This is amazing to experience for the first time. Good to know you won’t let this nonsense stand ! Fan for life Eric
I appreciate your perspective about marketing a knife as a specialized tool. I think that, if you're going to advertise a tool as highly specialized it needs to be either genuinely fine-tuned for a specific need (for example, the Leatherman Raptor seems like a reasonable tool for EMS) or it needs to be a good edc tool as well. For example, I don't spend much time around salt water but I still really like my Native 5 Salt. This seems like they designed it first then made up an excuse to justify using light, thin, and inexpensive materials.
Don’t care about this knife, but serrations are way underrated, imo. If you’re ever interested in giving them a serious shot, try something like a Spyderco Rockjumper that comes in full spyderdge and is a wharncliffe (easiest kind of serrated blade to sharpen). Use the corners of a Sharpmaker’s rods to sharpen serrations just like a plain edge. Go slow and steady, light pressure. Give it an aggressive edge. It’s simple, but there are videos and posts out there more thoroughly explaining the process (my go to would be the Spyderco forum, but that’s not the only source of info). If wharncliffes aren’t you’re thing, try an Endela. It’s serrations are nicely mellow/ less jagged. Recommend VG10 for ease of sharpening, but the steel also performs well for cutting as a serrated edge. Serrated edge has become my favorite for “Every Day Carry” type knives. I still like plain edge, but both have merit. It’s just that serrations are useful for lots of things besides cutting rope. From my experience and talking to others Spyderco rules the market for this edge type, in geometry, availability, blade steels used, sharpening equipment, and knowledge. Thats why I’ll speak highly of their products here. They’ve mastered the serrated edge and most every other knife company who whimsically markets a knife for a purpose that serrations are more commonly used for, like this James Brand thing, just tries and fails to copy Spyderco. The Rockjumper I mentioned is actually intelligently designed for climbers and useful for lots of things. Similar price too.
I own a Barnes-my father, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, used his veteran’s discount for literally the first and he claims last time in his life on it since he only legally qualified for veteran status by three days (medical discharge after getting commissioned in 1967; crohn’s disease and horrible survivor’s guilt since his bunkmate and buddy Chris was wounded in Vietnam and the guy across from him, Joe Heinz, was KIA)-and can thus tell you it’s what you’d expect from a Reate integral. I also own a Folsom that I got for credit with VG-10 blade steel, so again, not what the James Brand was asking of it. The Barnes is a magnificent knife…because of Reate and Reate alone. The Folsom isn’t terrible; the OEM is almost certainly the same one that makes the Spyderco Tenacious. The design is incredibly similar beyond the blade shape, right down to the number of peaks and valleys in the jimping on the linerlock. I like the idea of a VG-10 Mini-Tenacious with a deep carry clip, but the triangle opening hole in the blade is pretty awful. It’s not a bad knife, but neither is the Tenacious, and it’s absurdly similar. The James Brand is trying to do what Apple, BMW, and Shinola are doing, only without the track record of Apple, BMW, or Shinola. A sort of “we’re good because we say so and don’t touch anyone else’s knives, either.” It reminds me of Cold Steel’s marketing ten years ago (I used to joke I bought their knives in spite of the marketing when the knife community would lash out against it as silly and tacticool mall ninja fare, often without even looking), only Cold Steel had crossover appeal and understood a thing called “value”. These guys? They’re literally about sticker shock, and can thus never mainstream their designs the way Cold Steel did.
This is why plastic handles/scales get such a bad wrap. Companies like Spyderco make plastic handles feel solid and reliable. I've never once felt that a lightweight version of a Spydero knife was poorly made or designed even if they are not the value they used to be.
I cant believe how long you held out before you started saying what i was thinking the whole time you were showing it. And then you just went straight truth bomb. I cant believe they would charge $90 for this $30 at best budget knife with quirky and non-ergo design. Props to you for mentioning what James brand can sometimes do right, even when they get pricing VERY wrong alot of the time.
Hey man, I have a really important question for you, is S35VN magnetic and should it rust easily ? I'll explain why I'm asking after I find out whether or not what the truth may be.
@@metal_complex well I got a brand new quartermaster knife ,out of the box it had rust on it. I know the right conditions being like presence of salt water and not wiping it down but out of the box? No use from me and shouldn't have been messed with at all before me soo, I thought chromium, vanadium and niobium made it to where it is a true stainless steel knife
Stainless doesn't mean "rust proof". Steels that are impervious to corrosion would be like LC200N, H1, Vanax, etc. The truth is that the company who makes those knives is known for poor quality control, so it doesn't surprise me at all that it came with rust already on the blade.
To me every move the James Brand makes seems like the wrong move or a seemingly deceptive marketing move based around the idea of being “different” or “cool”. Maybe if there was a face to the brand or some kind of non-gimmicky social media presence then maybe the more niche/enthusiast side of the knife world would take it more seriously. Also the review thing made me wonder if there’s a possibility that they are giving out promo codes for future orders when a customer leaves a review and people are just doing it for that with no real investment or care. Although I wouldn’t have considered this knife even with 75% off code attached, I’m glad to see you being so straight forward with this because the purchase of an overpriced low quality knife like this could cause a first time knife buyer but potential enthusiast away from our world all together.
I just got the redstone from James brand for $29. It does not have serrations. It’s an ergonomic disaster, but I’d rather have it than an elementum. The quality on mine is much better than the one you got, to be fair. $29 is its fair price.
For new knife people looking to get a good knife on the cheap, just get a QSP Penguin in D2 for like $30. You most likely will never NEED more knife than that and they look cool on top of being affordable. I sprung for the $70 version in S35vn with marble carbon fiber scales. It's one of my favorite knives next to my Benchmade Adamas in CPM-Cruwear and my customized Opinel No.9 You don't need to spend a lot to get good knives, and don't fall for "quirky" branding and sales pitches from brands like James Brand. Learn what the knife community trusts and work within your budget. Start small and work up to something nice.
I'm surprised anyone would pay $90 for that knife, especially when for just a few bucks more you can get a TwoSun with m390 and a bunch of other premium steels and a premium knife action and feel.
Thank you...just thank you that you tell the truth. Once a JB Carter was gifted to me and compared to my other knives, this is the most pricey but also most badly in my collection. Can't understand what's going on in their head. Keep the good work up ✌️🦊
Seems like they r for sure focused on design visuals and nothing else. With a high price tag. But I gotta say I do like their simple sleek designs. Especially their more modern classic style knives. And they also offer a crap load of variations on each knife. U can get several color combos and a plain edge on all of them if u choose. I would buy this knife if the action didn't such and was like $70 bucks.
To play devils advocate, i havent got a single axis lock knife from benchmade where the blade fell shut on its own coming right out the box... I always have to do something or the other to make it smooth . And people say it will break in but i feel like i shouldnt have to wait a year or so for it to be smooth af
It is so much fun to have you share your unvarnished opinion of this tragedy of a knife. Is it a fold over steel “integral”? I wonder if the poor fold is putting extra pressure on the knife which is why the action SUCKS! Anyway, thanks MC for an honest review of this questionable tool.
I enjoyed watching you tear the marketing campaign for this company's garbage product apart. In my experience, if its marketed to you on social media, because of something you showed an interest in - its probably junk.
In a world where Civivi and Kizer exist, idk how a single Redstone could be sold. Even someone with no knowledge of knives could take this and a Kizer Justice and determine immediately which one is the better knife.
I love how one could tell where the review was going just by your tone of voice and cadence right way. "Ooooh this is gunna be good". Sure seems like James Brand is just a marketing company that thinks a BIG mark up is totally normal. As well as solely focusing on people who believe that price is absolutely indicative of quality. Yes...you get what you pay for...usually, if you make smart purchases. But some companies are trash and prey on people seeing a higher price and thinking it HAS to be the best there is. No one else is going that have it so that makes me cooler than then. I see it all the time in motorcycle industry.
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James Brand - gas station knives for people who shop at Whole Foods
LOL Right? While wearing Tom's and eating grass fed, free range, gluten free Almonds.
Lmfao
The Barnes is actually a phenomenal knife. That's coming from someone that owns Shirogorovs, Koenigs, Holts, Skiffs, and more.
Hilarious
Lol!! This a perfect comment.
James Brand is the MVMT of the knife world.
(Watch guys will understand)
Totally understand what you’re saying
Not a knife guy but big watch guy. I understand the comparison perfectly 😂
Daniel Wellington too 😂
I remember when I first saw an advertisement for this knife and said to myself. "wow that looks exactly uncomfortable to handle." I can't believe they are asking $90 for it. I completely agree with your review.
This looks like a knife that would be in a “Camping First Aid Kit” and that knife would be the only thing that made it a “Camping” one and cost $10 more.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by a couple James Brand models but it's pretty clear that they're more interested in selling bespoke minimalist pocket bling for people who shop at Whole Foods rather than properly made and/or priced cutting tools.
This is the most (justifiably) savage knife review I've seen in a very long time.
Just knowing how much the knife community loves to complain about every minute detail of every single knife in existence, I call complete BS on their 5-star reviews--especially considering the issues you pointed out. Any real review would blast that to hell and back. It's clear JB is primarily a marketing company selling a lifestyle. The actual quality or value of their gear is an after thought. Knowing the pains that actual mountain climbers take to selecting their gear (which is expensive as hell), no serious mountain climber would ever trust their life with that PoS knife.
I once bought a product that turned out to be pretty bad, so I went on the site to review it and found it was lots of 5 stars and a few fours. I left my 1 or 2 and I guess it went into some kind of pre-publish queue and very quickly I got back an email from the guy behind the shop, trying to tell me I didn't experience the things I just described, and the review never showed up. I think small companies that allow reviews on their own site must just think "why let bad press show up here?" and block or delete bad reviews.
@@JustKnifeThings Wow, yeah, it's those kinds of sleazy deceptive practices, like obviously hiding negative reviews, that make me never want to buy anything from JB. To hell with that. If a company isn't going to allow bad reviews, they need to remove the review option on their website. Two companies that does this correctly are BladeHQ and REI. Both allow all reviews, be they positive or negative.
@@ryejack Just to be clear, my experience wasn't with the JB site, it's just that it sounds like the same kind of thing. Instant DQ either way.
Yep. Putting false reviews on their website is such a scumbag move, and just on that alone, I hope this brand goes away. Don't even get me started on every other aspect of the brand and their products. TRASH.
@@the808life Yeah, I'm sure a few are actual customers, but it's clear they're only showing positive reviews and probably having every employee and their family and friends leave a review. I hate it when companies do this. Either let all reviews show, or just leave them off the website. Stacking reviews is dishonest and manipulative.
I literally have watched every one of your uploads for over a year and a half, and I don't know if I've ever heard you say you "hated" a knife, especially multiple times. This thing is a complete dumpster fire.
I've struggled to get my head around this knife since it was released. It's absolutely a $10 gas station piece of crap all day long yet they're trying to market it as some $100 brilliant piece of design. Just a complete failure all around. I guess they listened to the complaints about being wildly over priced and wanted to figure out how to make a knife they can sell for $100.... and did so by making a $10 knife and selling it for $100.
Exactly what I was thinking. Just a gimmicky gas station knife. $90? I've got 3 QSP penguins that come in at $90 together. All 3 have excellent fit/finish, action and decent D2 steel. Sad that non-knife people don't know enough to spend their money on better stuff.
@@ljf29NH That's the other thing, when you bring in comparisons to other modern offerings made by OEMs in China they just make this knife look like a joke. I have numerous Real Steels, WE Knife Cos, and Kizers around this same price range that are vastly superior in every way. I mean for $100 you can get a Real Steel G-Slip... a titanium framelock flipper in S35vn with fantastic fit, finish and action. For that matter I'd prefer a base model RAT II over the Redstone for 1/3 of the price.
100% agree !
it's dogshit
microwaved
on phull high
What else would you expect from china
I was expecting you to say it costs $25. I was going to say that was overpriced for this PoS. This company really seems like scumbags. The Barnes costing $650 is honestly one of the most ridiculous things I've seen in the community in a while
The Barnes is ironically their most fairly priced product
I own a barnes and it is a sweet knife. I bought a 'used' one on ebay so I didn't pay $650. I own other integrals including an anthem so I'm not just falling for James brand hype. Yes it's high priced but I've felt others equally priced that aren't better.
Fun fact: The OEM The James Brand utilizes is the same facility that produces keychains for tourist traps and McDonald's happy meal toys.
That’s hilarious. Probably the same company that makes Pezz dispensers.
dont talk down to the quality of pezz dispensors amd mcdonalds toys like that
@@logh7171 I’m actually the proud owner of the entire Simpsons family set of Pezz dispensers. They have a prominent position in my man cave/music room where it’s obvious old hippies hang out. 👍🏻
Who is the oem?
@@norrisfong6445 it’s a term more commonly used in things like auto parts. Original equipment manufacturer. There may be other meanings I don’t know.
The lesson is, don't buy James brand. Even if they improved quality and pricing they're still a shady company that takes advantage of non knife people. If you want a knife for climbing and hiking buy a bugout or para3 lightweight
This looks like a knife that would be included in a gift set sold at t.j. Maxx
Very true, they don't make knives for knife people, they make knife for people who don't know about knives and stumble upon their marketing and think wow this is a quality knife!
the only thing I've ever gotten from james brand was the titanium carabiner which has held up well, but everything else looks like shit lmao
@@tmjvtxtmjvtx you perfectly summed it up
What I found particularly galling about them was when the chapter was being released, their advertising copy went on about some mental gymnastics connecting their design to the stone arrowheads and knives made by indigenous American peoples... all while they were actively dodging the question of where their knives were made.
Looks like a $7 Ozark trail knife
And considerably worse than a $7 Ozark trail knife.
Somewhere there’s a guy that thought “Let’s send this to Metal Complex, he’s ALWAYS positive.” Today was his last day 😂🤣
LOL
Lol. The knife has to at least be super cool but just not practical to get the positive review. This is a $5 knife being sold for almost $100.
@@drfunkinstein1like most pocketknives
Coming from a climber, serrations are quite nice at times. I carry a quiet carry eddy with partial serrations in my bag. It’s worked quite well for what I need. That said, this particular knife does look like poop.
I've done some climbing. (I suck) and I always carried a fully serrated spyderco. If I need to cut a rope I want that fucker cut quick. This knife is too small for the serrations to be useful at all.
Spyderco fully serrated is exactly what comes to mind…👍🏻👍🏻
this is my favourite review you’ve put out, i hope James Brand has a meeting with their CEO about it tomorrow.. well done.
*UPDATE* they had the meeting.. the CEO decided to fire the whole team and then himself.. success!
How dare they, make product you don't like.
Surprised it doesn't come with organic beard wax. Like P.T. Barnum said, "There's a James brand buyer born every minute!" Good video per usual brother.
Gotta say I genuinely appreciate the honest reviews ✌👍 I guess at least the blade is centered and the pocket ia is made well.
James brand is kinda like those “As Seen On Tv” products. They are advertised as soooo amazing and high quality, and then you get it and you’re like “oh”.
It looks like the Wish version of a mini Grip
New to knives and happy to have stumbled onto your review :-) I looks good to a beginner, happy I haven’t purchased it!
Interestingly, the Rock-climbing stores near me sell mostly Spyderco lightweight knives. Not knives you have to fidget with just to open.
Taylor Martin praised them not lang ago..... I think the problem here are reviewers that take money from companies without declaration.
So new people in this hobby think it's legit
@@FRNMLDR exactly, and I bet that knife he reviewed won't touched after the fact.
I have the blue and pink model, and have had a slightly different experience. I agree with most of the comments here about the brand in general, but I do find myself enjoying the knife. My blade does free fall with the axis lock and I have not touched the pivot, so maybe that has something to do with the coated blade? I used to work in injection molding and the marks you are seeing on the scales are sink marks because of the ribs on the underside of the scales. They should have made the scales solid to prevent this. This may have to do with hand size/ shape as well but I actually like the was the knife feels in my hand. The axis lock is certainly not as nice as a Benchmade, I find this one can get off axis and make it more difficult to pull. I was going to try to shim both sides with a thin washer to see if this helps. Don't love the folded steel body but it seems to be straight and the blade is centered well. Not a fan of serrated blades in general but overall I find myself enjoying the knife for what it is, a cheap(er) beater knife so I don't need to beat up my Benchmade or sandrin at work. Appreciate the honest review and you have the knife a fair shake. And sorry for the essay!
Agreed, I have the same knife in stainless and orange, instantly pulled it out of my pocket watching the video and very easily one hand whipped the knife open and closed. Pretty critical review, its a lightweight backpacking knife, it is meant to be minimalist knife. The two island design allows you to squeeze on the small island like pen and feels great to me? I do agree the knife is expensive for what it is, but most lightweight items are.
The reviews for all of their knives are all 5 stars... curious. Those indentations are just sinks in the plastic - high quality!
Oh! They raised the price on the normal Barnes $50...
Great review. It's refreshing to see a knife channel doing a negative review instead of this "always good" put on repeat knife reviews. Oh and thx because I had this knife on a list of maybe's.
While our aesthetic tastes may be a little different, I always appreciate your honesty and your objective reviews of quality and functionality. I have to totally agree on this one- it’s ugly and I can’t imagine ever relying on this thing, especially when hanging off a mountain with a rope. And I was genuinely shocked by the price.
No matter what they say, this knife was not designed for climbers; it was designed for Instagram. It is unique enough and has a kind of "adventure aesthetic" that it will make for interesting pictures. It's a prop, not a tool.
If you want an actual tool that is similar in size, has an Axis-style lock, has very good action, and is about 2/3 the price, check out the SOG Terminus XR in D2 steel, or pay about $85 for the nicer version with an s35vn blade.
The knuckle crack!!! 🤣🤣 Thanks for giving this.... thing the review it deserves!
The review we’ve all been waiting for.
i think i've heard from another reviewer is that they give props to the James Brand company for pulling in non-knife people into the knife world for when they grow-up and advance into the better knife world. So from that stand-point if this gets a handful of non knife people to start buying benchmade or spyderco's and graduating upwards that is a positive thing, but agree this knife is poopoo town! ;-)
their knives cost a little too much to think that in my opinion. As he said there are far better knives that cost a lot less. What he's saying is very similar to what I think about their products.
Nah I wouldn't even give them that. They're not trying to "pull non knife people into the knife world". They're trying to separate suckers from their money
@@AudibleVisibIeya brother u rly kno wats ^ chyeah u tell em brother
I bought the Carter XL and I am very happy with it. After one year I bought the Folsom…and shit- this knives was just shit! I love my carter but think I will never buy James brand again…
Glad I found your review. I hoped it would be decent because I really wanted a nice compact knife with neon blue scales. But way too much nope on that knife.
I was so excited when i saw this and I had a little thought in my mind that maybe it will be carryable but the action actually disgusts me and i hate the price tag for what i got. Such an interesting and nice concept but unfortunately it was a swing and a miss
stating upfront that I don’t like how James Brand knives look….that said…your review is hilariously accurate and on point….to me.
I appreciate the honesty.. I had the same thoughts on the James Brand Rover Capsule.. 🗑️ and WAY overpriced
What is the silver and black knife used for comparison here?
I had a James brand Folsom. It had the same nasty little thumb hole triangle. The liner lock was very late. The blade play was not correctable. I had to send it in for warranty. The warranty was great, but the actual knife was really bad overall.
James Brand is the MVMT of the knife world.
Thanks for this review! I actually really like this design but have been so sketched by the blade steel and price...
totally agree with the action, sitivien is a company on amazon and they have many models, most popular are the st109 and st110 with the axis lock and some others, and theyre on bearings, and are super easy to manipulate
edit: and those two knives i mentioned are like 27.99 with d2 steel
Another fantastic option is the Harnds giant silkworm I handed it to my brother in law who collects benchmade and he agrees with me that the action is on par with a broken in axis.
What do you think about the tops MSF?
What is your favorite fixed blade? I’m thinking about collecting a few.
Idk if anyone said this yet, but I’m pretty sure the axis style lock was made by Bill McHenry and Jason Williams and benchmade bought the patent (which recently expired) off them.
When I first saw pics of this model I thought the design idea was just something intended to use up scrap bits of micarta & g10 for the handle. Knowing it's injection molded plastic scale pieces kinda shoots that theory in the foot.
12c27 and injection molded plastic, what a knife
I definitely fell into the James brand trap when I first started looking at knives. Went with the Folsom in micarta. I do enjoy the knife, but I still cringe when I think about the other options I had for the same price or cheaper. Ya live and ya learn, right? haha
For $99 I’m not buying this knife but I also don’t think you understand the requirements and demands of a climbing knife at all. The ideal climbing knife is actually much cheaper than this and it is called the Petzl Spatha, the body is entirely plastic. A climbing knife needs to be as light as possible, the ergonomics do not matter. It should not be able to easily open at all, ever! Honestly it should be cheap, it gets dragged across rock all the time. Lanyards are definitely necessary, pocket clips are not at all secure enough for climbing, and a 2mm accessory cord lanyard is actually more than durable enough. I too hate serrations on my other knives but all climbing knives need to have serrations. Being able to slowly saw through a rope or a sling without much pressure behind the blade is crucial because you can’t have a knife swing through the air after it breaks through the material it was cutting through in a climbing scenario. I would buy this if it was $60, it would be better than what exists.
TLDR: look up the Petzl Spatha and be horrified by its design and construction but also learn to accept that it is by far the best knife for climbing.
Plastic and steel make up the mass majority of inexpensive knives. There are also an overabundance of lightweight and ambidextrous models with serrations etc (everything this knife has). There are tons of options that will work.
I understand that a lightweight knife is ideal for climbing. It's ideal for a lot of things. James Brand is laughing at its customers.
Thank you for your review. I almost bought this knife.
Don’t know anything about the knife, but will definitely take your word for it.
There is absolutely no excuse to buy this over the kind of stuff that brands like QSP and Civivi produce. I could understand people paying far too much money for this instead of buying from these other brands if this knife actually functioned well, but with such a complete lack of quality it just makes no sense.
Idk man, civivi sucks. I have several and they’re all rattley flimsy garbage
Just because it was worth a few minutes of MC's time in the video discussing it (and for the benefit of the algorithm) - am I the only one who doesn't mind sharpening serrations? I find the whole process of sharpening to be very soothing and helps when I'm having particularly bad days anxiety-wise. That being said, I completely understand why most knife users would think it's a tedious and fiddly activity they'd prefer to avoid.
When you said $90 I paused the video and just sat in disappointed silence for a good minute. The whole time I was looking at that knife thinking that it looks like $20-$30. When you said the price, I immediately looked at my SRM knife which features D2 steel, G10 scales, and a smooth axis lock for $30. Wow.
I've got a Carter from James Brand. Very well made knife. I got it for a friend & Kept it for myself ,.! Carry it alot .highly Recommend.
Bad reviews will not post. I know, I tried.
Interesting. I kind of figured. Good to know 👍
"....this is about 90 bucks...let's keep going..." You're delivery and timing on that line were Bob Newhart-esque, 😆
I'm not a mountain climber, but I'm a backpacker/hiker enthusiast. Bailout in the pocket and a bk7 in the pack. I wouldn't look twice at this knife unless the price tag was in view and I did a double take...
I wonder what your thoughts are on spring assisted knives that are TECHNICALLY able to be operated one handed. I have the SOG Flash AT-XR and Trident AT-XR in D2, and the Kershaw Link in 20CV. The Trident is an absolute BEAST. If you haven't already handled all three of them, I'd love to see them on your channel.
As a person who climbed Kilimanjaro (the highest mountain in Africa) I can assure you no one would use this knife. We usually use fixed blades because we wear very thick gloves with thermal pads inside of them and hand movement becomes very limited as a result. The place where you stick your thumb on this knife is very very small for glove use, and this doesn’t have any protective mechanism against freezing shut in the cold when ice falls inside the unfolding mechanism. The only place we might use this is in the base camp and as far away from the top of any mountain as possible.
Lets get ready tooooo MC RAMBLEEEEEEE
First time I saw a screen pic of that on video review, I thought it was a video on how to fix your busted scales. Irony is that since, I’ve actually seen knives with busted scales that actually don’t look quite as bad 😂
I bought one because i figured, as somebody who doesn't know anything about knives, barely ever uses pocket knives, really likes having stuff with a bunch of goofy colors, and felt like throwing a hundred bucks away for my birthday (they're $100 now!), this knife was made for me. It just came in today and i think the one you got just had bad quality control because on mine the lock works well, it's easy to flip open and closed, the scales are seated all the way on the frame, and there's no wiggle on the blade when it's open. BUT blade HQ sent me the wrong color so hopefully the next one i get is just as good. But then i guess if it's not, I'm mainly getting it for the aesthetic anyway. I might regret this later.
You should start reviewing knee pads. Knee pads made by Benchmade
I was hoping they'd make a larger non serrated version with the blue and red handle. I like the way it looks enough to deal with the BS. Maybe.
I’ve managed to catch mostly positive reviews with constructive criticism.
This is amazing to experience for the first time. Good to know you won’t let this nonsense stand ! Fan for life
Eric
It's a real shame because benchmade seem to be discontinuing a lot of heir thumb hole mini griptilians and I've been searching for an alternative
If you’re looking to buy a James Brand knife I’d strongly recommend their Bugout model made by Benchmade!
I appreciate your perspective about marketing a knife as a specialized tool. I think that, if you're going to advertise a tool as highly specialized it needs to be either genuinely fine-tuned for a specific need (for example, the Leatherman Raptor seems like a reasonable tool for EMS) or it needs to be a good edc tool as well. For example, I don't spend much time around salt water but I still really like my Native 5 Salt.
This seems like they designed it first then made up an excuse to justify using light, thin, and inexpensive materials.
Don’t care about this knife, but serrations are way underrated, imo.
If you’re ever interested in giving them a serious shot, try something like a Spyderco Rockjumper that comes in full spyderdge and is a wharncliffe (easiest kind of serrated blade to sharpen). Use the corners of a Sharpmaker’s rods to sharpen serrations just like a plain edge. Go slow and steady, light pressure. Give it an aggressive edge.
It’s simple, but there are videos and posts out there more thoroughly explaining the process (my go to would be the Spyderco forum, but that’s not the only source of info).
If wharncliffes aren’t you’re thing, try an Endela. It’s serrations are nicely mellow/ less jagged. Recommend VG10 for ease of sharpening, but the steel also performs well for cutting as a serrated edge.
Serrated edge has become my favorite for “Every Day Carry” type knives. I still like plain edge, but both have merit.
It’s just that serrations are useful for lots of things besides cutting rope.
From my experience and talking to others Spyderco rules the market for this edge type, in geometry, availability, blade steels used, sharpening equipment, and knowledge. Thats why I’ll speak highly of their products here. They’ve mastered the serrated edge and most every other knife company who whimsically markets a knife for a purpose that serrations are more commonly used for, like this James Brand thing, just tries and fails to copy Spyderco.
The Rockjumper I mentioned is actually intelligently designed for climbers and useful for lots of things. Similar price too.
I know video is old, but I just got a straight blade version for $30- only reason I bought it
That knife reminds me of something Gerber would have put out a few years back like an AR 3.0.
“You’re going to want this thing tucked all the way into your pocket.” Lol
I own a Barnes-my father, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, used his veteran’s discount for literally the first and he claims last time in his life on it since he only legally qualified for veteran status by three days (medical discharge after getting commissioned in 1967; crohn’s disease and horrible survivor’s guilt since his bunkmate and buddy Chris was wounded in Vietnam and the guy across from him, Joe Heinz, was KIA)-and can thus tell you it’s what you’d expect from a Reate integral. I also own a Folsom that I got for credit with VG-10 blade steel, so again, not what the James Brand was asking of it. The Barnes is a magnificent knife…because of Reate and Reate alone. The Folsom isn’t terrible; the OEM is almost certainly the same one that makes the Spyderco Tenacious. The design is incredibly similar beyond the blade shape, right down to the number of peaks and valleys in the jimping on the linerlock. I like the idea of a VG-10 Mini-Tenacious with a deep carry clip, but the triangle opening hole in the blade is pretty awful. It’s not a bad knife, but neither is the Tenacious, and it’s absurdly similar. The James Brand is trying to do what Apple, BMW, and Shinola are doing, only without the track record of Apple, BMW, or Shinola. A sort of “we’re good because we say so and don’t touch anyone else’s knives, either.” It reminds me of Cold Steel’s marketing ten years ago (I used to joke I bought their knives in spite of the marketing when the knife community would lash out against it as silly and tacticool mall ninja fare, often without even looking), only Cold Steel had crossover appeal and understood a thing called “value”. These guys? They’re literally about sticker shock, and can thus never mainstream their designs the way Cold Steel did.
Paused at 1:33 to go make a bologna sandwich, because I like my snacks to stay thematically relevant.
This is why plastic handles/scales get such a bad wrap. Companies like Spyderco make plastic handles feel solid and reliable. I've never once felt that a lightweight version of a Spydero knife was poorly made or designed even if they are not the value they used to be.
Daaaang MC; Some star shade throwing!
LMFAO! Get that thing outtttta here!
🙏🙏Another⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review bruh!
I cant believe how long you held out before you started saying what i was thinking the whole time you were showing it. And then you just went straight truth bomb. I cant believe they would charge $90 for this $30 at best budget knife with quirky and non-ergo design. Props to you for mentioning what James brand can sometimes do right, even when they get pricing VERY wrong alot of the time.
Dude, I own $30 budget knives that blow this knife away.
Hey man, I have a really important question for you, is S35VN magnetic and should it rust easily ? I'll explain why I'm asking after I find out whether or not what the truth may be.
A magnet will stick to S35VN, yes.
S35VN is a stainless steel, but it will absolutely rust under the right circumstances.
@@metal_complex well I got a brand new quartermaster knife ,out of the box it had rust on it. I know the right conditions being like presence of salt water and not wiping it down but out of the box? No use from me and shouldn't have been messed with at all before me soo, I thought chromium, vanadium and niobium made it to where it is a true stainless steel knife
Stainless doesn't mean "rust proof". Steels that are impervious to corrosion would be like LC200N, H1, Vanax, etc. The truth is that the company who makes those knives is known for poor quality control, so it doesn't surprise me at all that it came with rust already on the blade.
Yet another fine piece from the James Brand!
To me every move the James Brand makes seems like the wrong move or a seemingly deceptive marketing move based around the idea of being “different” or “cool”. Maybe if there was a face to the brand or some kind of non-gimmicky social media presence then maybe the more niche/enthusiast side of the knife world would take it more seriously. Also the review thing made me wonder if there’s a possibility that they are giving out promo codes for future orders when a customer leaves a review and people are just doing it for that with no real investment or care. Although I wouldn’t have considered this knife even with 75% off code attached, I’m glad to see you being so straight forward with this because the purchase of an overpriced low quality knife like this could cause a first time knife buyer but potential enthusiast away from our world all together.
I just got the redstone from James brand for $29. It does not have serrations. It’s an ergonomic disaster, but I’d rather have it than an elementum. The quality on mine is much better than the one you got, to be fair. $29 is its fair price.
For new knife people looking to get a good knife on the cheap, just get a QSP Penguin in D2 for like $30. You most likely will never NEED more knife than that and they look cool on top of being affordable. I sprung for the $70 version in S35vn with marble carbon fiber scales. It's one of my favorite knives next to my Benchmade Adamas in CPM-Cruwear and my customized Opinel No.9
You don't need to spend a lot to get good knives, and don't fall for "quirky" branding and sales pitches from brands like James Brand. Learn what the knife community trusts and work within your budget. Start small and work up to something nice.
I'm surprised anyone would pay $90 for that knife, especially when for just a few bucks more you can get a TwoSun with m390 and a bunch of other premium steels and a premium knife action and feel.
Love this channel. You are fair and sometimes too nice. 😀
The scales remind me of rock wall indoor climbing knobs
most guys buy knife from this brand only gonna need it for Amazon boxes, so I think it gets job done plus it looks cool
Im brand new to the knife world, and i wanted to buy this knife on the james website in blue and yellow.
@metal complex they also raised the price on the barnes to 650
The Carter is really nice looking imo. But this one, just tics very few boxes in my case. I will say I appreciate it having serrations.
Looks like an integral? Bent sheet metal, does that count as integral?
No. It's multiple pieces
Yeah, I bought my 1st Bugout for less than this knife. And the Bugout has considerably better steel and action.
Thank you...just thank you that you tell the truth. Once a JB Carter was gifted to me and compared to my other knives, this is the most pricey but also most badly in my collection. Can't understand what's going on in their head. Keep the good work up ✌️🦊
Seems like they r for sure focused on design visuals and nothing else. With a high price tag. But I gotta say I do like their simple sleek designs. Especially their more modern classic style knives. And they also offer a crap load of variations on each knife. U can get several color combos and a plain edge on all of them if u choose. I would buy this knife if the action didn't such and was like $70 bucks.
To play devils advocate, i havent got a single axis lock knife from benchmade where the blade fell shut on its own coming right out the box... I always have to do something or the other to make it smooth . And people say it will break in but i feel like i shouldnt have to wait a year or so for it to be smooth af
Thanks for this, greatly appreciated.
It is so much fun to have you share your unvarnished opinion of this tragedy of a knife. Is it a fold over steel “integral”? I wonder if the poor fold is putting extra pressure on the knife which is why the action SUCKS! Anyway, thanks MC for an honest review of this questionable tool.
Reminds me of one of those fancy poodles with the poof balls hair cut
I enjoyed watching you tear the marketing campaign for this company's garbage product apart. In my experience, if its marketed to you on social media, because of something you showed an interest in - its probably junk.
In a world where Civivi and Kizer exist, idk how a single Redstone could be sold. Even someone with no knowledge of knives could take this and a Kizer Justice and determine immediately which one is the better knife.
I love how one could tell where the review was going just by your tone of voice and cadence right way. "Ooooh this is gunna be good".
Sure seems like James Brand is just a marketing company that thinks a BIG mark up is totally normal. As well as solely focusing on people who believe that price is absolutely indicative of quality. Yes...you get what you pay for...usually, if you make smart purchases. But some companies are trash and prey on people seeing a higher price and thinking it HAS to be the best there is. No one else is going that have it so that makes me cooler than then. I see it all the time in motorcycle industry.