EDIT: My GB is here! (pics inside page 2)

M

m16a

Joined
May 16, 2008
Messages
69
Howdy there Bladeforums community, good to see you folks again.

I'm not a heavy poster here, but I read daily to get my knife fix. One year after my groundbreaking Manix 2 purchase and 2.5 years after my original "get me into knives" Skeletool CX and Mini Grip purchases, the time has come to add another excellent user to the lineup! I have been looking around, doing some pricing and research (youtube videos, user input etc) and I want some general input.

I EDC for the purposes of having a knife available to cut whatever might be needed. In my cause, this is often boxes, different forms of wrapping (plastic, tape etc.) and types of rope (actual string, twine, or that weird commercial stiff plastic stuff) at my job. Also, I use it for various cutting purposes around the house (opening packages and letters etc). My Manix 2 and Mini grip have done this job well for the past 2-3 years and now it is time to upgrade again :thumbup: Size wise, the manix has been perfect, so anything slightly larger or smaller would probably not be much of a problem, and of course, a pocket clip is an absolutely must. Finally, I have already pushed the envelope with price a few times in my mind, and I CANNOT spend over $150. With this (usage, price, and type of knives already owned) in mind, may I introduce you to my contenders.

  • Contestant number 1, In the right corner, standing in at an impressive 9.5 inches long with the well regarded CPM-S30V steel, may I present to you, the Spyderco Military black blade and plain edge. At $140, he's a fierce looking contender.
  • Contestant number 2, in the opposite corner is a relative newcomer. Standing it at a not to be sneezed at 8 and 5/64th inches long and featuring the extremely well thought of and impressive CPM-M4 steel, the Spyderco Gayle Bradley plain edge knife. At $138, he appears to be a great value.

  • Finally, the lighter underdog of this contest, standing in at a relatively small 7 and 15/16th inches long, featuring the extreme edge holding and edge taking ZDP-189 steel, the Spyderco Stretch ZDP with blue FRN handles and a straight edge. At $106, he's definitely the cheapest of the bunch.

With all the contestants introduced to you, I leave it up to the community but especially those with experience using all the knives mentioned to give me input and help one of these worthy knives make it to the top and into my right pocket. Thank you folks kindly,

M16a
 
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No contest.

And it's made in the USA

EDIT: No knife collection is complete without the big boy! If you going for a Spyderco collection, you'll need this one for sure.

blkmillie.jpg
 
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No hesitation here, the Bradley. Better steel (if you don't mind taking care of a non-stainless blade), better blade profile for EDC, beefier lock, nice textured CF scales.
It is, however, heavier than the Millie.
 
All three are great knives. I would say that the Military, despite being a fantastic knife, is one that will scare people if you use it at work. It's very "pointy".

My personal choice would be the Stretch, just because I prefer lighter to heavier knives, though the Gayle Bradley is damned nice as well.
 
jekostas said:
All three are great knives. I would say that the Military, despite being a fantastic knife, is one that will scare people if you use it at work. It's very "pointy".

My personal choice would be the Stretch, just because I prefer lighter to heavier knives, though the Gayle Bradley is damned nice as well.
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Weight is not an issue to me. I already EDC a Manix 2 (hefty knife as you might know) and a Ra Clicky flashlight (a quite hefty flashlight as far as EDC lights go) Out of curiosity, does that change your input here?

RafaelHerschel said:
Or you could get an Endura or Delica. If I could own just one knife I probably would go for the Delica.
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Already been a considered option and has been dismissed. Thanks for the input though.
 
I love my military just be warned that it has a VERY pointy tip that can be broken off without a whole lot of trouble. If this is a work knife that sees twisting cutting into zip ties and the like I'd probably go with the thicker blade on the gayle bradley. I love my military but it's a better slicer than beater in my opinion.
 
m16a said:
Weight is not an issue to me. I already EDC a Manix 2 (hefty knife as you might know) and a Ra Clicky flashlight (a quite hefty flashlight as far as EDC lights go) Out of curiosity, does that change your input here?
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Probably the Gayle Bradley, then. ZDP-189 is a notoriously difficult to sharpen steel.
 
Military is great and all but I'm gonna say FRN Stretch 2 ZDP 189. Especially if you dont need a serious hard use folder the Stretch is superior in ergos and gotta love the exotic steals. Especially when you can get them for under 100 dollars.
 
TLR said:
I love my military just be warned that it has a VERY pointy tip that can be broken off without a whole lot of trouble. If this is a work knife that sees twisting cutting into zip ties and the like I'd probably go with the thicker blade on the gayle bradley. I love my military but it's a better slicer than beater in my opinion.
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Interesting to know. In such a circumstance, what would my chances of breaking the tip be? Lets say a toy box with zip ties along the back> How would likely would it be to break in that circumstance? Is this trade off worth the added good traits of the Military?
 
m16a said:
Interesting to know. In such a circumstance, what would my chances of breaking the tip be? Lets say a toy box with zip ties along the back> How would likely would it be to break in that circumstance? Is this trade off worth the added good traits of the Military?
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Ok the Military has a delicate tip but nothing ridiculously weak like the previous poster mentioned. It wont break from normal use. It will break with any sort real prying with wood etc.
 
i think the best bang for the buck is the cold steel recon 1 ( 2010 triad lock )

spyderco military and para-military 2 also great choices :thumbup:

bye
tom
 
kawr said:
Ok the Military has a delicate tip but nothing ridiculously weak like the previous poster mentioned. It wont break from normal use. It will break with any sort real prying with wood etc.
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I never said it was "ridiculously weak" what I said was that it could be broken off fairly easily. There are MANY stories of people breaking off the very end of the tip of their military on this forum over the years. Furthermore many people when cutting things like zip ties (which are tougher than most people give them credit for) tend to twist with their blade to pop it and that can put enough pressure on a knife with a thin edge like the military to either chip small pieces out of the edge or damage the very end of the tip. Again search the forums if you don't believe me. The OP said he used his edc to cut "weird commercial stiff plastic stuff" so I just wanted to give him a heads up.

I have a CF BG42 military and it is one of my favorite knives. While it is more than sufficiently tough I also recognize it to be the slicer that it is and so use it accordingly. YMMV

To the OP. I really think cutting things like zip-ties and such comes down to how YOU cut them. If you're more of the "pry&twist" kind of zip-tie remover you may have to watch out. If you cut them off as a slice then things should be fine. That said watch out for those nasty plastic coated wire ties. I had a little resharpening to do one Christmas after one of those and they don't care which knife you use. :)
 
I've had a Stretch and I currently have a Military which I just got a couple weeks ago. I held out on the Military for a long time because of the price. It has it's pros and cons.

The cons include being pretty big for carry. It's the first knife I've had that I notice on me when I carry it (IWB.) Also, the clip is single-positioned, if that matters to you (doesn't for me; tip-down, right-hand is how I carry anyway.)

The pros include the steel, ergos, and cutting power.

The steel is S30V (for the standard model.) You ought to know about it by now. It's a great steel, and I find it to be much better than VG-10.

The ergos are a bit confusing at first because there's a lot going on with the handle. You have a cutout for easier access to the liner lock, and that puts your index finger in a different position when gripping. Then on the other side there's the clip. It took my hand a while to "understand" it, but when I did, I came to find it comfortable (especially during use.)

And speaking of use, this blade has a LOT of cutting power. The blade might be thicker than a Delica (4mm vs. 2.5mm), but it cuts so well for whatever reason (I'm guessing the angle of the blade in relationship to the handle in addition to the bigger handle for stronger grip and the larger blade for more cutting edge to work with.) It slides through cardboard with more ease than my Delicas and cuts plastic string much easier (weed whacker string, pretty much the same stuff as zip ties.)

So if you don't mind carrying a bigger knife, go for the Military.
 
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