- Joined
- Oct 2, 1998
- Messages
- 44,916
Some time back, I recall reading the name Gary Bradburn on these forums. I was unfamiliar with Gary's work, and it wasn't until my friend and fellow neck knife enthusiast, Lewis, wrote me about a couple of knives he had had made by Gary that I set out in earnest to find out more about this maker.
I began checking out some of Gary's patterns on the Top of Texas website:
http://www.toptexknives.com/bradburn.htm
One of the first things I noticed was that Gary's work is extremely reasonably priced. In our correspondence back and forth, I learned that Gary's mission is to provide knife users and collectors with quality knives at working man's prices. An increasingly rare phenomenon these days.
Gary's preferred steels are M2, D2 and A2. Tells you something about the kinds of use his knives are designed for.
Gary and I kicked around a couple of ideas for knives and eventually ended up designing a nice "utility" based neck knife that we jointly named the "Harrier". The name was apropos as Gary is a former Marine.
The Stats:
OAL = 6.5"
Blade= 3.25" (tip to leading edge of scale)
Width= 1.25" (choil to top of thumb ramp)
Steel= 3/16" D2 @ 60-61 Rc
Finish= 800 grit handrubbed satin
Handle= Cocobolo; Stainless steel pins and thong hole liner.
Sheath= Black Concealex neck sheath with IWB belt clip and cord.
Impressions:
For the money, (under $100, contact Gary for further details), this is a LOT of knife. It is ergonomically designed and fits my hand very well. The thumb serrations on the spine only add to the security of the grip. The cocobolo scales are both attractive and provide very good purchase.
The blade features a SCARY sharp edge, LOTS of belly, plus a very useful point.
The satin finished blade is fully flat ground as well as distally tapered. There are a few minor spots on the blade that might have been cleaned up a bit better, but they are fairly insignificant and don't detract from the knife overall nor its utility.
This knife was clearly made/designed to be used and that's how it will be employed.
The concealex sheath is well formed, holds the knife snugly and can be employed in both neck and IWB modes. It comes with a blackened steel ball chain as well as a cord/clip combination for IWB wear.
When the knife was delivered today, I was shocked at the size of the box it was delivered in. It seemed way too big. There's a reason. Gary packed the knife and sheath in styrofoam which he had cut out to the shape of the knife, sheath, clip and chain. That's a heck of a lot of attention to detail for a knife costing so little. Shows me a lot of pride by the maker in his work, not to mention concern for the customer. I was impressed. Truly.
Gary also separately mailed me a little certificate giving details about the knife which he said he had forgotten to enclose in the box. Tells you something, no?
Bottom Line:
Gary is a very affable maker, fun to talk to and is willing to work with you on your own designs as well as his own.
For the money involved, I can't see how you could go wrong if what you seek is a good, strong, functional, attractive knife at a very good price.
Gary hangs out here on the forums, so why not give him a shout?
Blues
------------------
Live Free or Die
Some Knife Pix
I began checking out some of Gary's patterns on the Top of Texas website:
http://www.toptexknives.com/bradburn.htm
One of the first things I noticed was that Gary's work is extremely reasonably priced. In our correspondence back and forth, I learned that Gary's mission is to provide knife users and collectors with quality knives at working man's prices. An increasingly rare phenomenon these days.
Gary's preferred steels are M2, D2 and A2. Tells you something about the kinds of use his knives are designed for.
Gary and I kicked around a couple of ideas for knives and eventually ended up designing a nice "utility" based neck knife that we jointly named the "Harrier". The name was apropos as Gary is a former Marine.
The Stats:
OAL = 6.5"
Blade= 3.25" (tip to leading edge of scale)
Width= 1.25" (choil to top of thumb ramp)
Steel= 3/16" D2 @ 60-61 Rc
Finish= 800 grit handrubbed satin
Handle= Cocobolo; Stainless steel pins and thong hole liner.
Sheath= Black Concealex neck sheath with IWB belt clip and cord.
Impressions:
For the money, (under $100, contact Gary for further details), this is a LOT of knife. It is ergonomically designed and fits my hand very well. The thumb serrations on the spine only add to the security of the grip. The cocobolo scales are both attractive and provide very good purchase.
The blade features a SCARY sharp edge, LOTS of belly, plus a very useful point.
The satin finished blade is fully flat ground as well as distally tapered. There are a few minor spots on the blade that might have been cleaned up a bit better, but they are fairly insignificant and don't detract from the knife overall nor its utility.
This knife was clearly made/designed to be used and that's how it will be employed.
The concealex sheath is well formed, holds the knife snugly and can be employed in both neck and IWB modes. It comes with a blackened steel ball chain as well as a cord/clip combination for IWB wear.
When the knife was delivered today, I was shocked at the size of the box it was delivered in. It seemed way too big. There's a reason. Gary packed the knife and sheath in styrofoam which he had cut out to the shape of the knife, sheath, clip and chain. That's a heck of a lot of attention to detail for a knife costing so little. Shows me a lot of pride by the maker in his work, not to mention concern for the customer. I was impressed. Truly.
Gary also separately mailed me a little certificate giving details about the knife which he said he had forgotten to enclose in the box. Tells you something, no?
Bottom Line:
Gary is a very affable maker, fun to talk to and is willing to work with you on your own designs as well as his own.
For the money involved, I can't see how you could go wrong if what you seek is a good, strong, functional, attractive knife at a very good price.
Gary hangs out here on the forums, so why not give him a shout?
Blues
------------------
Live Free or Die
Some Knife Pix
