A lot of the time, our preconceived notions and preferences tinge our perceptions and thus our reviews in ways we don’t know. For me, some brands are always fighting an uphill battle: I expect not to like something and look for things to confirm that bias. After the first SOG I reviewed left a bad taste in my mouth (the Spec Arc was pretty terrible), the next one I looked at a few years later (the Terminus XR) was absolutely swimming against the tide. That knife turned out to be great, but the whole time I reviewed it I was assuming it wouldn’t be.
I have less preconceived notions about Vosteed, since they’re a relatively new brand, but 100% of my experience with their knives has been positive. Both the uniquely-shaped Nightshade LT, designed to be a modernized Shilin cutter with an eye towards food prep, and the well-finished but utilitarian Raccoon left me flabbergasted with how good they were for how little they cost.
I have played around with this one. Quite a fun little folder.
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