The real reason Nick won’t show his face is because he’s secretly a Colombian cartel boss, how else can you explain that magnificent hat? Jokes aside, this was a great video, we love you guys!
When I was in the navy I carried a protech. Not for any tactical spec ops reason or anything but because it gets insanely cold and with gloves or just frozen hands it's easier to push a button especially on a larger knife. I used my knife to set up shooting ranges, do maintenance and repair, all in freezing weather where thumb studs and flipper tabs aren't always easy to use
@@BigShaneGillis that's more weight and length than most of us really ever wanted to carry. Even in the military its unusual to just walk around with a fixed blade during any given day. Even a small fixed blade doesn't give you as much cutting surface as a large folder. Plus working around heavy machinery and weapons one of the rules is that you have no watches rings or anything thing hanging off of your body that can get snagged so something in you pocket is more convenient that something strapped onto you
@@M240Bravo - your first statement is one of the key criteria for the Spyderco Autonomy auto. cold makes hands swell, get puffy and lose dexterity, this is particularly true of cold water, and the change is rapid. For the coast guard automatic knife, they had to manage this. The answer was a really large "dish" button that you can wedge your finger into - it takes 0 dexterity to open this knife. the safety on this is a small, yet raised up/down slider, so again, low dexterity buttons. the G10 is grippy, the scales are finger grooved, and the blade is made for salt water use. the mechanism itself can be completely removed if need be, and the knife is designed to be as "pass-through" as possible so that you can clean it out easily. A auto -- built for purpose.
I can confirm this. I had to cut open a box in the work freezer and my flipper tab was useless to my cold fingers after a few minutes in there. I had to pull it open.
Especially with a style of knife he's into and do it all tabletop. It looks weird as the others talk and show knives and I'm staring at the back of Nick.
@Big Timer It's a Blade Banter with Pro-Tech, and Shabazz happened to be in the area so he came on as a guest. So if it wasn't for circumstance, I'm sure he wouldn't be there. They took the opportunity to do the video with 2 personalities from California while Blade HQ had it's resources here.
@Big Timer I'm sure they will if/when they can hammer him down for an interview. You know he went to Blade HQ & no one even knew he was there right? He didn't even tell them he was there lol
I knew I shouldn't have watched this. Tell Melinda I'll be seeing you guys again soon. That tactical response is calling to me. That quick, one handed, "happy snappy" action of an automatic is very helpful in a pinch. And it makes my tummy tingle.
Great video! Just wanted to highlight that not only are Protech autos just feel right, it's nice to know you're buying from a cool guy like Dave. Keep em coming!
First off.... I love Nick Shabazz. I appreciate you having him in a video. I only have 1 auto knife and I just can't bring myself to buy another at this point. I have a Boker Kalashnikov and it's great. I just don't see the fun factor in it and I don't like how I have to close it two handed or get creative to close it.
You couldn’t have picked a better Guest! Nick’s reviews make and break a lot of knives for me when it comes to a purchase. Never steered me wrong and I have limited funds so I can’t stress how important that is.
The thing that got me the most about this video was the selection on the desk. There really wasn't a single bad looking knife here. That custom Newport looked like some type of treasure. It was such an impressive piece.
I carry an automatic knife because I have arthritis in my hand. In my particular situation it’s sometimes easier for me to push a button then to do a thumb sweep opening with my Spyderco Manix 2-
This video is an absolute gem! I’ll put it in the middle of a spyderco delica and an Ontario rat 1. It’s not too murdery. Lol! My life ambition is to see what Nick looks like. Darn it Nick you evil genius! You leave us always wanting more! Shot out to Bird an Frankie an Doc Frunky!!
sometimes it's obvious you guys need to market your stuff and that's okay, but sometimes when it's the maker themselves up there, it feels a lot more personal and special. People like to invest in people more than products.
@Nick Shabazz mad props to you for sticking up to your gut and doing this despite it might have been slight discomfort for you to say the least. And awesome of bladehq to have you on. You have my respect Nick!
"That hits like a proteck" The signature snap of a Proteck is well known. And I own other brands that fire well. But I really appreciate after the snap. Proteck's lock solid. My old stinger locked in place like a fixed blade. No wiggles. It was however, humidity sensitive. Yeah. I left it out at work and it evaporated.
Wait, that's not a daughter company? Really bad choice for a name. Like real steel when there is a Lynn T. Maybe I'm gonna start doing ergonomic knife designs under the label of Scorpico, with a Scorpohole that's oval and not circular.Ad Idea: You know what scorpions eat for breakfast? Spyders!
I was Soo excited thinking to myself, how is he going to pull off an interview, on camera, without showing his face..... ........well played my friend. You sir, are a gem.
My first auto was a TR-3 after I saw the female Terminator use it on the Terminator TV show. I contacted Dave and asked him what model it was because I was able to see the Pro-Tech logo. He told me they had provided the TV show with some samples. I've collected the TR-3 models ever since. I have many of the other models too. Love Pro-Tech!
I bought a 2003 protech godfather with carbon fiber/ aluminum handle and 154 cpm blade for about $350 and it is about ten inches about three ounces of badass!
Dave, an excellent commercial idea for you is to have a small squadron doing hardcore operator work and when they get back tired to a base camp, somewhere in the wild, while having a minimalistic barbeque sitting around the fire, this one guy opens his knife (auto) and evryone is dead silent, instincts kick in as if something bad is about to happen and you have this silence. Everyone's eyes are locked-on to that one individual; the camera focusing on the goosebumps of their arms, while nobody says anything. Day two arrives with a different hardcore scenario and when they are eating again, this one guy opens that auto with clear and loud click, a few seconds later the guys starts rubbing their own forearms cause goosebumps over again.
when I open my Boker Kalashnikov 74 (6 yrs old) and it makes it's SNAP as it locks open I think I have an Organism... I have been carrying a blade, not always an automatic of some kind since 1958 if not an auto it was a fixed blade. Everyone in my neighborhood knew I carried some kind of knife every day without fail. I have a good collection of 18 auto knives & a 54" Katana. I'm going to have to look into a Protech for my next purchase. Great video
I carry an auto because I know that under stress, your fine motor skills can go completely out the window. I train with my knives equally as much as my guns, but I won't go reaching for a gun if I'm trying to cut a seatbelt in a hurry. I know that in that situation, I can just pull out my knife and press a button and it's out and ready. A thumb stud, hole, flipper, just about everything else has a chance of you failing to deploy it; an auto takes out the human equation and just deploys regardless of how hard you pressed the button, or at what angle.
Never cared about autos that much but recently I bought a fishscale acid washed magnacut TR3 and love it and now i want more Pro-tech's and it's probably easier to get a clear photo of Bigfoot than it is to get one of Nick Shabazz
Same in nevada. I can conceal carry a fuckin machete if I want to. Most of the restrictions are in Vegas but nobody who lives in actual Nevada likes Vegas anyway.
Try living in UK we are fucked now . Can't even get barely any blades , don't even talk about flippers now , also no more home deliveries of any sharp item .
I really like this discussion in general about knives not just promotional stuff. I would like to see videos detailing more discussion based topics with a variety of people on things like blade steel, blade design, etc..
I come back to this video just for the entertainment. I like Nicks approach to reviews. Very polished. Great pace. Class act. Started watching him for his knife content (reviews) couple of years ago and ended up developing a huge interest in the finer quality of men’s watches as well. Love his channel.
“Investor collector”... love that! I’ve a few knives in their boxes in the cupboard that I’ve never taken out of their boxes and never touched. They’re all limited editions. I have user versions of most of them as well.
I own 5 Protect knives and I love them. One I carry a lot is a real beater a TR3 that has seen a lot of dirty use and has never not fired. I just like autos, one handed opening can be slow or fast. I press the button catch the blade in fingers and ease it open. In a bad situation you can press the button, hold the blade and deploy if needed by just letting the blade slide off your finger or if not needed press the blade closed. A wonderful tool, Protect!
I love my “Godfather “, I opened a box at my local Apple store, the store computer geeks reeled back, then stepped forward to hold it. The SNAP is just too cool!
for me the best way to explain it is automatics are like exotic cars (ferarri, lambo). They are not super common, they are super cool, and they turn heads while providing function.
Then when you think about how some manufacturers, like microtech, don't want us even performing maintenance on our own stuff the comparison gets even more valid.
.....a little late to the party...but I'm glad Nick brought up the fact that maybe someone doesn't have the dexterity with their strong hand to function other knives well. I cut my tendon and nerve in my right thumb (non knife related) making it difficult to "Flick" some knives.
I walked with a cane for several years after a partially successful back surgery. Add to that, some pretty limited manual dexterity problems with my left hand. That already meant nail nick openers were useless to me so thumb studs were great advantage when they became the standard. I still have days when moving around is difficult and very painful so the ease of opening auto knives without fumbling is a great advantage. My state dropped the restrictions on autos in 2014 so it's perfectly legal to carry them whenever I want. Recently bought a utx-85, it's a great knife but, as was mentioned in the vid, side fires can be deployed much more discreetly when the situation calls for it. My next purchase will most likely be a TR-3 but the SNG and Whiskers are also on my list. It'll come down to whichever one is available in a configuration that suits my needs.
I like how as they open up each new knife and flip it open it’s like completely hidden from view pictures of Nick’s back is in the way, so it kind of adds to the humor that not only can we not see his face, the whole discussion is incognito we can’t even look at it and it’s just a secret because he’s in front of the camera. I just thought that’s funny.
I'm an investor/collector and I carry an OTF (automatic) at work because as a mechanic I'm always cutting open plastic bags or tape from boxes and I usually have them in one hand before I realize I need a knife to open it, therefor I need an automatic or at least a one hand opening knife. I could never carry a slip joint knife. Even when I used to carry an LB-7 I could flick it open, sometimes flinging it across the room, so automatics have a safety factor too. Pro Tec look like well made knives, I'll have to get one. That titanium one was worth the money, hand engraved scales and a machined clip. For me, I like the black one with the scale look or the wisker and the godfather blade is nice.
You ask us why we carry an automatic knife? For me it's because even though it's illegal to carry in my area, I don't care what the government says. It's a disobedience thing for me.
Is that a fedora on Nicks head? I would have thought he was more of a urban sombrero kind of guy. Like the great Rodney Dangerfield once said "Buy a hat like this bet you get a free bowl of soup. Oh it looks good on you though." LOL
I carry the BladeHQ exclusive bronze and OD Böker Kalashnikov. 1. Because it looks sweet 2. It's cheap ($30) 3. It's my first auto and it works For $30, I have no qualms. It's a neat little way to get into autos, and a neat little defensive blade if that's your thing. Clearly the best knife banter episode.
My favorite auto knife ever is the Strider/Protech PT auto with stonewashed blade and black aluminum handles!!! It's a small knife that gives you a full four finger grip, choil also allows you to really choke up on the blade for controlled/precision cutting. I also really love how Protech does a deep carry pocket clip!!! The clip sits in a milled pocket in the aluminum handle and the screws are countersunk into the clip. So the entire pocket clip and screws sit perfectly flush with the handle!!!
I’m a cop. I bought my first TR-5 a couple months ago and I love it. I’ve used other knife while on duty and nothing compares to a protech. I ordered a second TR-5 today. Loved this video!
Neither really. I’m actually, technically, an incomplete C3-C5 tetraplegic. That is, I have a C3-C5 spinal injury, but my spinal cord isn’t completely severed, just damaged. As a result I have partial paralysis in all my limbs and my body. I can breathe, eat, sit stand and even walk, but all at a very limited degree. My left side is better than my right. I have around 40-50% use of my left and say 10-20% on the right. For example I have very good grip strength on my right hand, but I can’t let go of things. I have almost no fine motor skills on the right, whilst my left hand works close to normal, if normal was wearing a thick leather glove. Generally I use a wheelchair to get about, but to answer ŷour question, my right hand just sits on my lap or grips on to the handlebar of my disability scooter or my motorcycle or the steering wheel of my car. In the UK knives are all slipjoints and my hands are a real pain!
@@slick_slicers I sincerely believe Automatic knives should be legal for those that happen to be disabled. For everyone else, that button that gives the knife the "cool factor" is really an actual necessity for those who have a physical need for it. In fact, I think a knife that would be exceptionally fitting for you is an out-the-front automatic knife, seeing that the blade opens AND closes automatically. I don't see why this never occurs to lawmakers both in the U.S. and also in areas that have knife laws similar to the U.K. elsewhere in Europe that don't consider physical need to be an issue.
Doug Johnson thank you for your helpful advice, in 14 and a half years of paralysis, I never thought of that! Obviously, one, you haven’t read my post above, and two, you’ve probably never used a slipjoint knife with one hand, let alone one that’s part paralysed.
Having tried out a few smaller knives, the runt 5 is hands down the best and that’s because it’s auto. Yes, full size knives can open fast enough but if you carry a small blade, you know that’s not the case with them. You’ll be hard pressed to find a really small knife that opens quick, or dependably like a good auto. ..and that snap 😍 As for the larger options, I don’t know if they’d be my first choice to edc but have to appreciate the awesome engraved version. They’re like the Rolex of the knife world.
He didn't push it in far enough, so the blade swept past the button to open, but hit the edge of the lock when he relaxed his grip as it opened. Can happen if you barely press the button in anticipation of the knife opening quickly\firmly. The blade collides with the lock face, bounces forward, then pushes back against the lock which engages. It's way easier to see in slow motion. Good eye catching the snag though.
