Page 1 of 2

Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2017 2:30 pm
by SteveG
Based on this topic by snipes: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=157, we're suggesting the following review title conventions to standardize and make searches easier.

For a knife review title, please use the following syntax:

Maker / Finish or LIne Name / Steel / Size (mm) / Knife Type

Use capitalized first letters as shown below.

Examples:

Anryu Hammered Blue #2 210mm Gyuto
Kurosaki Megumi VG-10 150mm Petty
Konosuke Fujiyama Blue #2 240 Gyuto
Tanaka Damascus VG-10 240mm Gyuto
Tanaka Sekiso Blue #2 210mm Gyuto
Tanaka KU Blue #2 165mm Nakiri

KU = Kurouchi finish

Steels:

White #1
White #2
White #3
Blue #1
Blue #2
AS or Aogami Super
52100
VG-10
VG-5
Ginsan for G3 or Ginsanko
AEB-L
19C27
SKS93
HD2 (Konosuke)
Ps60 (Kanehide)
TK (Kanehide)

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2017 4:02 pm
by cedarhouse
I agree with this format.

I do have a question though. When it comes to subject lines, in e-mails or forum threads, I try to balance being concise with describing exactly what the correspondence includes. To that end, I have largely used this nomenclature for my reviews excepting cases where some piece of information is redundant. For example, the Anryu Hammered is a well established line and only ever been available in Aogami #2, so I omit the steel in my title. The Goko Nashiji is similar. Even in cases where there are multiple products, there are distinguishing descriptors that can negate the need for some of this information. For example, if I said Moritaka, I would feel pretty confident that everyone would understand without needing to say AS even though there are Aogami #2 Moritakas out there. They are rare enough that I would only list the steel if it were the Aogami #2 variety. Similarly, I would generally omit KU from describing Takedas since they are all KU, but I would be remiss if I didn't designate Classic vs NAS.

I know this reads like I'm trolling. In general I think this is perfect. Just curious to hear your thoughts on cases like these.

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2017 8:50 pm
by Kit Craft
cedarhouse wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2017 4:02 pm I agree with this format.

I do have a question though. When it comes to subject lines, in e-mails or forum threads, I try to balance being concise with describing exactly what the correspondence includes. To that end, I have largely used this nomenclature for my reviews excepting cases where some piece of information is redundant. For example, the Anryu Hammered is a well established line and only ever been available in Aogami #2, so I omit the steel in my title. The Goko Nashiji is similar. Even in cases where there are multiple products, there are distinguishing descriptors that can negate the need for some of this information. For example, if I said Moritaka, I would feel pretty confident that everyone would understand without needing to say AS even though there are Aogami #2 Moritakas out there. They are rare enough that I would only list the steel if it were the Aogami #2 variety. Similarly, I would generally omit KU from describing Takedas since they are all KU, but I would be remiss if I didn't designate Classic vs NAS.

I know this reads like I'm trolling. In general I think this is perfect. Just curious to hear your thoughts on cases like these.
I don't see it coming off as trolling because I was thinking about something similar. Well, rather than the omission of the steel my question was about knives that do not name the steel. I guess that is an omission as well because adding "mystery steel" sounds silly. Then there are lines where we all assume we know what the steel is but have no confirmation on.

As an aide, my Moritaka knives (x2) are Aogami #2 and I didn't realize this was a rare thing. That said, they did not come from CKTG so I wouldn't review them here.

PS: When we switch over to running this server live rather than in beta, how will site specific google searches work? I would assume that it would search this site only? I always run my searches via google because I have found that internal searches are much more finicky.

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2017 9:24 pm
by gladius
Site: chefknivestogoforum.com &
Site: chefknivestogoforums.com
Are different searches as they are different domains (note one is plural).

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2017 9:59 pm
by Kit Craft
gladius wrote: Fri Feb 03, 2017 9:24 pm Site: chefknivestogoforum.com &
Site: chefknivestogoforums.com
Are different searches as they are different domains (note one is plural).
Hah, I did not notice at all. Thank you for pointing it out. I simply click the book mark. :oops:

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2017 3:18 am
by SteveG
Ryan, you bring up some great points which are all valid. I just look at it as a way to help identify a knife more easily to the readers, especially newbies on the forum, and to gain some consistency in format. Feel free to adjust all this where it makes sense, as you pointed out.

And you're anything but a troll, dude :-).

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2017 7:37 am
by STPepper9
I would think that listing the steel would make it easier for newer and less informed people, as well as search functions hopefully. Personally I wouldn't care but I can see how it could help some people.

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2017 1:54 pm
by Jeff B
I think the first step to get more consistent searches would be to, in the subject line, list the item being reviewed exactly as it appears on the store item page. I believe the majority of people that are doing a search for a specific item often just copy and paste the title from the item page to run the search.

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 3:18 am
by Lepus
Jeff, that's a really good point. I guess some of it comes down to who the reviews are for. If they're for we the forum, the format suggested is ideal. Site specific cut and paste Google searches will still lead you to reviews and the forum's search function would be very effective. If they're for the public at large, using the CKtG product names will eventually lead more people to the forum.

I would appreciate it if the steel names were consistently in English or Japanese. If it's blue #2, it should be blue super. If it's aogami super, it should be aogami #2. I wouldn't mind if we used gingami #3, either, but that might be a stretch.

I do like the root idea of standardization behind this. It won't precludes me using different titles when I want to, but I don't think that's the intent. It's a little petulant, but the title is part of the review that can at times say a lot. When I wrote about the Nigara passaround gyuto I intentionally gave my review a brief title because I thought the technical details obscured my point.

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 11:00 am
by Kit Craft
I don't know, I almost never hear Aogami #2 but almost always hear Aogami Super. Not just here but everywhere and even from Japanese knife reviewers, this is how I hear it stated. Ginsan-ko on the other hand is a weird one. Here we use G3 or Ginasan a lot but on a few other sites I mostly see Ginsanko. I think I have only seen Gigami a handful of times as well. I get the idea behind trying to standardize things, I just don't know how effective it will be. But as was already stated by others, we have to start somewhere.

That said, I like Jeff's idea of mimicking what is seen on the product page as that is how I search. Not just here but for every product I search for.

There are examples where I think this would be more useful than others, though. An example would be with R2/SG2. If the maker uses R2 in the description then that is likely what one is going to search. Otherwise R2 would be more likely. For Tojiro I would skip VG10 and stick with simply DP for example as most places even Tojiro themselves do not use the term VG10. Then we have all of these brands that simply state VG steel and for some brands it is my understanding that the steel is AUS8 but for other brands this seems to be a topic of controversy all over the net.

Anyway my point is that what Jeff says makes a lot of sense to me.

As for what Lepus says about the title being part of the review, I can get behind that as well. There are a lot of times that I have clicked on a review because of a quirky title that I would have otherwise ignored. That said, I am totally cool with the standardization to make searches more fluid.

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 3:52 pm
by SteveG
Yeah, we're not trying to get all militant about it. Use your best judgement as you see fit.

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 5:28 pm
by mauichef
Lepus wrote: Sun Feb 05, 2017 3:18 am Jeff, that's a really good point. I guess some of it comes down to who the reviews are for. If they're for we the forum, the format suggested is ideal. Site specific cut and paste Google searches will still lead you to reviews and the forum's search function would be very effective. If they're for the public at large, using the CKtG product names will eventually lead more people to the forum.

I would appreciate it if the steel names were consistently in English or Japanese. If it's blue #2, it should be blue super. If it's aogami super, it should be aogami #2. I wouldn't mind if we used gingami #3, either, but that might be a stretch.

I do like the root idea of standardization behind this. It won't precludes me using different titles when I want to, but I don't think that's the intent. It's a little petulant, but the title is part of the review that can at times say a lot. When I wrote about the Nigara passaround gyuto I intentionally gave my review a brief title because I thought the technical details obscured my point.
Please correct me if I am speaking out of turn but isn't Aogami #2 just that, Blue #2. Whereas Aogami Super is a different steel with more Carbon, Tungsten and added Vanadium. Same with Blue Super, or Blue #3, different steel than 1 and 2. :?: But I do support the idea of having the entire info line, especially for new users who are not familiar with individual product lines and those doing global searches for steel or knife types.

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 7:43 pm
by cedarhouse
Jeff, your point regarding the product name as listed on CKTG is a good one.

Kit, I am partial to using Aogami 1, 2, and AS, and Shirogami 1 and 2. To be honest, it is kinda a hipster thing. I just like using the most esoteric jargon I can ;)

Maui, that is correct. There is an Aogami (Blue) 1, 2, and Super. There are three of them. I think there are thee Shirogami (whites) too but they are 1, 2, and 3. If I am not mistaken.

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 10:41 pm
by Kit Craft
cedarhouse wrote: Sun Feb 05, 2017 7:43 pm Jeff, your point regarding the product name as listed on CKTG is a good one.

Kit, I am partial to using Aogami 1, 2, and AS, and Shirogami 1 and 2. To be honest, it is kinda a hipster thing. I just like using the most esoteric jargon I can ;)

Maui, that is correct. There is an Aogami (Blue) 1, 2, and Super. There are three of them. I think there are thee Shirogami (whites) too but they are 1, 2, and 3. If I am not mistaken.
I prefer the use of Aogami and Shirogami as well. It is simply that I typically see people say white and blue for 1/2 but rarely hear Blue Super and it sounds funny. :lol:

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2017 1:24 am
by Jeff B
I think most people generally use the abbreviations of B#1, B#2, AS, W#1 and W#2, and a lot of the time without the"#" symbol, for carbon steels just because it is quicker when writing it out. It is generally only confusing to the true newbe to what they mean. The way the steel types are listed in the titles and descriptions of the product pages are very inconsistent. You never see Aogami or Shirogami in the titles and only in some of the descriptions while others just use the abbreviations.

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2017 3:20 am
by Lepus

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2017 8:19 am
by SteveG
@ Jeff B. I agree that the CKTG site is inconsistent on knife titles in the product pages, which can add confusion for newbies. The stats need to be more consistent in format as well. Sometimes on the videos, I'd like to use a different title, but I have to try and keep consistent with the product page labeling - at least for the most part.

Personally, since these are mostly Japanese knives, I like Aogami & Shirogami vs. Blue & White, but that might be less user friendly for non knife knuts like us.

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2017 10:27 am
by Kit Craft
Jeff B wrote: Mon Feb 06, 2017 1:24 am I think most people generally use the abbreviations of B#1, B#2, AS, W#1 and W#2, and a lot of the time without the"#" symbol, for carbon steels just because it is quicker when writing it out. It is generally only confusing to the true newbe to what they mean. The way the steel types are listed in the titles and descriptions of the product pages are very inconsistent. You never see Aogami or Shirogami in the titles and only in some of the descriptions while others just use the abbreviations.
I had issues when I first got into this as well because when you search and it is not limited to this site you get different results. I realize we can not control the internet, though. Example: Search W1 and W2 steel and you can and do end up getting results about W1 and W2 tool steel.

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2017 10:08 pm
by Jeff B
@ Steve. I have now real preference to expressing it either way. There just needs to be some consistancy, especially on the store site, as to how it is done to make it easier for the newbes to do a search.

Re: Suggested Review Title Conventions and Standards

Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2017 8:49 am
by snipes
Well this went out the window quickly....