BM 581 vs Spyderco Gayle Bradley

Stainless or not doesn't matter to me, I like both of these for their edge retention and design, I also already have several M390 and M4 blades.
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Well then you know what to expect for each. I havent handled the benchmade but i think it is assisted opening, and my gayle bradley is so smooth with a speed that my other production blades cant keep up with.

the bradley has carbon fiber but is pretty thick. the bm would be easier to carry but its not like the gayle bradley is unmanageable. if you carry two modern folders id say go with the bm but if your other knive is a slipjoint then either or.

iv been looking at the 581 myself, but i just dont know if i like the barrage
 
Something important to note is that the Gayle Bradley makes much better use of the steel than the 581. The GB uses a very thin, slicing grind, which they can get away with due to the steel's toughness. The heat treat from Spyderco is also typically better for edge retention.
 
The Benchmade is one of the hardest opening knives I have , including autos. We'll see how it lasts over the years. The Bradley is without doubt one of the best knives on the market. I say get both if possible. If not, the bradley has the slight edge due to it's better fit and finish, and better steel ( that's an opinion only, others would disagree) due to it's being run at higher hardness and is more wear resistant and tougher. The 390PM is a great steel but to get it's best performance IMO it needs to be run higher than Benchmade runs it. I do have both though and intend to keep them.

Joe
 
That's a tough choice, they are both great knives. I had the original 581 with the plastic handle and i liked it quite a bit, it has strong assist which is cool to play with, it is light for it's size, that G10/Aluminum one though is probably heavier. The Gayle Bradly was also awesome, the M4 steel they use is amazing. It had a thicker handle than i like though, in the hand it is perfectly fine, but it wasn't my favorite in the pocket. I think the Gayle Bradley has better blade geometry for utility use than the 581, it has more belly on the blade which i prefer, and it has a nice hollow grind great for slicing while still keeping a nice, thick spine and tip, that is the beauty of a hollow grind.

It is still a tough decision to make, but i'd probably personally go for the 581 with G10 handles because I've never had that one before.
 
I have a Bradley and I've played with a 581, and I would choose the Bradley. The fit and finish is outstanding, and the thin hollow grind is really well done. As has been noted, Spyderco runs theirs a little harder and makes better use of the steel's potentiial.

That being said, the 581 is a really nice knife, too, so you can't go wrong with this choice.
 
I carry a 581 on occasion. I find it to be somewhat bulky. It's not in my top 10 list of edc knives. Still, the Barrage family is pretty awesome as far as assisted openers go. With assist like this who needs automatic?

I've never carried a GB so I don't know it's any less of a brick in the pocket.

I wish BM produced a 586 Mini Barrage in M390 but for some reason they have not (yet). I also wish Spyderco would at least attempt to sell at least one model with assisted opening. Kershaw makes more assisted folders than non-assisted, so there's little risk of them not selling. Hell, Spyderco could sell (( XXXX )) as long as the bug logo was on them. But Sal Glesser & his minions seem to be adamant in their disdain for assist. C'est la vie.
 
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Went ahead an ordered a Gayle Bradley last night, the BM 581 is still on my list along with the BM 3800 when it finally comes out.
 
Nice choice. When I got my GB, I was so impressed that I immediately went and ordered another one for backup.
 
RandomAyes said:
I also wish Spyderco would at least attempt to sell at least one model with assisted opening. Kershaw makes more assisted folders than non-assisted, so there's little risk of them not selling. Hell, Spyderco could sell dog turds as long as the bug logo was on them. But Sal Glesser & his minions seem to be adamant in their disdain for assist. C'est la vie.
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i think in a way your right, they could sell a few more knives if they offered some with assist. But on the other hand all of my spyders open about as fast as any assist ive tried. The disdain might be no more than confidence in the ability of anyone handling one will be able to open it easily. this would mark the difference between many unassisted folders with studs vs spydey hole equipped. many with a stud need assist because the stud imo is more difficult to manage in comparison. this has held true in my experience.
 
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But Sal Glesser & his minions seem to be adamant in their disdain for assist.
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Minions huh?

What's the ratio for Minions to henchman? Thet get a benefits package unlike the Minions, right? Personally I'd rather be a henchman and if there are any openings I might apply. Seems like a cool job.

"Hench 4 Life! "
 
Try buying & using Navy k631 and Enlan EL02 to understand what a Spyderco vs BM feels given similar size vs design / ergonomics.

Having it in person & use it can't be represented by specs & pictures. Since the Chinese brands are much cheaper, you can get both, use them as comparison tools before making a decision.

The two are similar, yet a world apart.

One thing is obvious, hole is much easier to manage and use under stressful situation than studs, but YMMV.
With hole, your thumb is 'enclosed' and unless there's slippage, any force put will drag the blade out, even if the direction is not 100% accurate. With studs, if your direction of push is wrong, ypur thumb will 'leave' the studs, which is what all AO thing try to address. By nature, hole openig will not benefit from AO because the thumb is 'trapped' by the hole, so it will not allow AO to take over, but nor it needs AO to take over as the thumb will always be fully engaged.

In my view, the hole is a genius invention, as it allows full control over the blade opening action. Even among sheepies, you can open the blade partially, hold it in place, do the cut (assuming instant coffee package i drink) and close it. Very discreet.
 
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Chris "Anagarika";10015105 said:
One thing is obvious, hole is much easier to manage and use under stressful situation than studs, but YMMV.
With hole, your thumb is 'enclosed' and unless there's slippage, any force put will drag the blade out, even if the direction is not 100% accurate. With studs, if your direction of push is wrong, ypur thumb will 'leave' the studs, which is what all AO thing try to address. By nature, hole openig will not benefit from AO because the thumb is 'trapped' by the hole, so it will not allow AO to take over, but nor it needs AO to take over as the thumb will always be fully engaged.

In my view, the hole is a genius invention, as it allows full control over the blade opening action. Even among sheepies, you can open the blade partially, hold it in place, do the cut (assuming instant coffee package i drink) and close it. Very discreet.
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This. Plus 1
 
The Mastiff said:
Minions huh?

What's the ratio for Minions to henchman? Thet get a benefits package unlike the Minions, right? Personally I'd rather be a henchman and if there are any openings I might apply. Seems like a cool job.

"Hench 4 Life! "
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:p Doh! Here I thought I was doing pretty good for myself as a Kershaw minion. I should've asked for benefits!


Chris "Anagarika";10015105 said:
Try buying & using Navy k631 and Enlan EL02 to understand what a Spyderco vs BM feels given similar size vs design / ergonomics.

Having it in person & use it can't be represented by specs & pictures. Since the Chinese brands are much cheaper, you can get both, use them as comparison tools before making a decision.

The two are similar, yet a world apart.

One thing is obvious, hole is much easier to manage and use under stressful situation than studs, but YMMV.
With hole, your thumb is 'enclosed' and unless there's slippage, any force put will drag the blade out, even if the direction is not 100% accurate. With studs, if your direction of push is wrong, ypur thumb will 'leave' the studs, which is what all AO thing try to address. By nature, hole openig will not benefit from AO because the thumb is 'trapped' by the hole, so it will not allow AO to take over, but nor it needs AO to take over as the thumb will always be fully engaged.

In my view, the hole is a genius invention, as it allows full control over the blade opening action. Even among sheepies, you can open the blade partially, hold it in place, do the cut (assuming instant coffee package i drink) and close it. Very discreet.
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Pretty safe to say we'll never see thumbstuds on a Spyderco. It would have to be a flipper AO with at least the small token Spyderhole ala their fixed blades, but more likely a full sized functional hole.

Speaking only for myself, the hole has always been the drawback of Spyderco knikves. I love the choices of lockwork, the variety of steels, edge styles, everything but the giant hole with its hunchback spine. No need to charge me with Blasphemy. I've already been told ;)
 
Gayle Bradly does nothing to me. Wherever I have looked, still could not find any design in it! :D
 
They really do design their knives in the dark. The more I hold my gayle bradley the more I appreciate the design. And I would be all over a spydie flipper. I'm sure from them it would be manual, but with the bradley as an example assited opening wouldn't even be needed. Flipper trigger with spydie hole.
 
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