Buck Mayo VS Bradley Alias II

S

seiryu

Joined
Jun 28, 2010
Messages
94
Hi Everyone,

Thanks to some awesome suggestions in one of my previous posts I'm considering purchasing one of these two knives for a friend of mine. This friend is being deployed overseas pretty soon and I want to get him something that he can use without thinking twice.

I was wondering if anyone has experience with these two knives and had an opinion on which one would be more for utility\medium usage? With my friend's position, I don't necessarily think the knife will see hard use but I want to pick the knife that may be a bit better suited for more utility tasks.

So, what do you guys think, Buck Mayo or Alias II? Any issues that would make you choose one over the other? They're pretty similar, would it just come down to aesthetic preference at this point?

Thank you!
 
I have handled the Mayo (but never bought one), and I have handled the Alias (and bought four of them). I prefer the balde geometry on the Alias -- it seems more utilitarian to me.
 
four_shore said:
derek,

what's your top 3 edc knives? i'm very curious caz I know you have many lol...
Click to expand...

Small Sebenza (any flavor) is always at the top of that short list. BM 940 is usually second. And then it's either a 635 Mini Skirmish or a Spydie Sage.

I love my Alias models, but I don't carry them anymore because they are becoming so difficult to find.

That may all change, though, because I have Umnumzaan incoming! So, stay tuned. . . .
 
Mayo all the way... fit and finish is much better.. the mayo is what led me to get the sebenza. It was my gateway knife.. so you could say. I found that I did love fit and finish and the sebeza are the kings. I was really never that impressed with the Alias's....

Anyhow... the mayo has a full height hollow grind that will out cut the living hell out of the alias and it has a rounded spine like the sebenza.. but the main reason to get it is that it has the S30V heat treated by Paul Bos... the best in the business. Benchmades heat treats are hit or miss... but even if they were all great they still wouldn't be as good as what Paul Bos does.

Sorry to contradict you Derek..... ;)

EDIT: I agree with Derek. The small sebenza is as good as you can get for an EDC. There is nothing else that comes close. (That is why the TNT is gone... and the only reason why..) There is a lot of blade in that little handle, yet the handle still fits the hand wonderfully, I was surprised. Plus it takes up just a sliver of pocket real estate!

You know you want the TNT!.....

IMG_6998.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Last edited:
Great choices Derek! I agree one the small seb and sage but haven't handled the others. I wanted to pull the trigger on a mini skirmish so many times but still have yet to do so :( I have a tendency to remove pocket clips and the skirmish clip is depressed into the handle so removing it kills the appearance. If only I could find a clip insert like on the sebs I would have 10 mini's.....dang. So you would recommend an alias 2 as a good EDC piece?
 
I'm actually waiting on my TNT as we speak but I had a small seb first lol. Aesthetics and material choices drew me into the TNT. It almost sounded like the next best thing to a sebenza for over a hundred dollars less!
 
It is... you will be surprised when you get it. If I didn't need the money to purchase something else I would still have it. It is a beautiful knife. I love how the Rounded spine immediately turns into the hollow grind. It looks wonderful. Plus the whole blade is polished, it is a beautiful speciman. But it still is not on the level of the sebenza, but it's as close as your gonna get with a production model. You will see it when you get it. I think that is the best representation of a custom knife brought forth by a productions manufacturer yet.
 
I'm stoked! Trust me, I don't expect many knives to give me the same level of excellence that my small seb has but I always appreciate just a good knife!
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. I actually wasn't aware of the BOS heat treat on the mayo.

How about 1 handed opening on each of them. I've read reviews that mention the thumbstuds on the alias being a bit inadequate, but I've heard the similar issues with the hole on the buck. Any opinions on either of those issues?

I really appreciate your opinions on this guys, thank you. This is a really good friend of mine and I want to send him off with something that won't let him down (but that doesn't cost *that* much :P)
 
No apologies needed, my friend. I like the Mayo's, I'm just not a fan of the swept clip point. The Alias has more of a drop to the point, and that's a big plus for me. The Sebs are a bit swept, but the drop is sufficient, and the rest of the knife's design is just so damn perfect . . . you can't go wrong!

Incahiker said:
Mayo all the way... fit and finish is much better.. the mayo is what led me to get the sebenza. It was my gateway knife.. so you could say. I found that I did love fit and finish and the sebeza are the kings. I was really never that impressed with the Alias's....

Anyhow... the mayo has a full height hollow grind that will out cut the living hell out of the alias and it has a rounded spine like the sebenza.. but the main reason to get it is that it has the S30V heat treated by Paul Bos... the best in the business. Benchmades heat treats are hit or miss... but even if they were all great they still wouldn't be as good as what Paul Bos does.

Sorry to contradict you Derek..... ;)

EDIT: I agree with Derek. The small sebenza is as good as you can get for an EDC. There is nothing else that comes close. (That is why the TNT is gone... and the only reason why..) There is a lot of blade in that little handle, yet the handle still fits the hand wonderfully, I was surprised. Plus it takes up just a sliver of pocket real estate!

You know you want the TNT!.....

IMG_6998.jpg
[/IMG]
Click to expand...
 
The hole on the Buck mayo is easier to open. Especially with gloves on. The Mayo also gives a tad more blade length then the alias. All I can say is that the Mayo has a much better impression when holding it then the Alias. There is a definite "WOW" factor to the Mayo. Not so much the alias. Actually the small alias almost looks too small, really. It looks like a midget knife.. lol. Kind of like if you too Andre the giant and made him 3 feet tall, but still in proportion, wouldn't look quite right would it? That is how the small alias looked to me. The Mayo looked gorgeous. Never gave a second thought about it. Holes are always easier to open then thumbstuds. Mayo is no exception.
 
Well I ended up doing something that I told myself I wouldn't... I called my friend and asked which he would rather have :P I wanted it to be a surprise but oh well.

He went with the Bradley Alias II... His primary reason was the thumb stud vs the hole. Thanks everyone for your input, hopefully this knife will work well for him.
 
I own both knives.
My Mayo TNT is the CF version. I also had a Buck mayo Waimea, which is an EXCELLENT little knife.

For more utilitarian tasks, the Alias is probably a better choice. The handle slabs are thicker; the blade is stouter due to its saber grind. The width of the handle is wider and thus, more comfortable to use in heavy cutting situations. Overall, it’s simply a more rugged knife.

The TNT, especially the CF version, is more refined. For an EDC/dress folder, it is fantastic. The action is easily one of the smoothest of any knife I’ve ever purchased. The handle is very thin, great for carry, but not so good for heavy cutting. Like many others have mentioned, the TNT is one of the best made, nicest finished, production folders ever made. It just isn't as rough and tumble as the Alias.

I keep my Alias in my outdoor go-bags. I keep the TNT in my pocket around town.
 
Last edited:
I have never handled a Buck Mayo TNT, but the regular TNT is a great design, and it seems similar enough to the B/M TNT to say that it has great ergos and a great blade shape.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top