Gayle Bradley Flipper!

New pic of my new love. This knife hasn't left my pocket since I got it. I've done some rope cutting and it performed great and have used it for plenty of general EDC stuff. It's been a complete joy to use and even more, the knife carries so slim! It just disappears in the pocket...way slimmer than a Delica even. This design is a total homerun!


 
That is one georgous folder bro... great score! Thanks for sharing
 
Surfingringo said:
New pic of my new love. This knife hasn't left my pocket since I got it. I've done some rope cutting and it performed great and have used it for plenty of general EDC stuff. It's been a complete joy to use and even more, the knife carries so slim! It just disappears in the pocket...way slimmer than a Delica even. This design is a total homerun!


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Such an awesome folder! Seems about as close to perfect as it gets...
 
Lance, don't know if it's my eyes or the pics, but is the flipper nub itself longer than other flippers? Does it get in the way while cutting at all?

BTW-I'm not trying to piss on your cornflakes, the knife is a beauty! Just wondering as I look at it...
 
rpn said:
Lance, don't know if it's my eyes or the pics, but is the flipper nub itself longer than other flippers? Does it get in the way while cutting at all?

BTW-I'm not trying to piss on your cornflakes, the knife is a beauty! Just wondering as I look at it...
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Don't worry man, my cereal is intact. ;) I am not an expert on flippers but I would say that the lever on this one is indeed a bit longer than many. After speaking at length with Gayle, I believe the "guard" aspect of the flipper was a very important design consideration for him. I have a feeling most folks (even long time flipper users) will be shocked by how well this knife opens. It is by far the most effortless flipper I have used. I believe some of the physics of that are due to both the length (and angle) of the flipper. Gayle seems to be a bit obsessed with precision and it is obvious (through conversations with him and actual use) a massive amount of thought and experimentation went into getting the physics/tolerances just right on this model. The end result is pretty amazing in its functionality.

Regarding your question about cutting, the length is not a comfort issue at all. I think just as much thought went into the ergonomics as the physics of this model. It was designed with the full intent of being a cutting tool rather than a show piece and I don't find any hot spots or discomfort in use. My hand sits perfectly behind the guard and even during prolonged rope cutting I have had no comfort issues. As far as getting in the way of any cutting? Not for me. When I cut things on a flat surface with a folder it is always with the belly of the knife. Heck, I didn't even notice it in the rope cutting tests and I was using this knife and two fixed blades on a cutting board. I don't recall the flipper nub even crossing my mind.

The one piece of feedback that I was planning to offer to Gayle was that I might break the corners just a tiny bit on the flipper nub. I believe it was kept square to offer better traction and I definitely would not want to change that, but I think you could round the corners just a hair without losing any functionality. This is not something that I have actually had any issues or discomfort with, its just the only thing I was able to come up with after 3 weeks of obsessively trying to find anything less than perfect. When I left the shop with my new knife Gayle told me that he welcomed user feedback and I have been feeling like a failure because I can't find anything that I would have him do different. :rolleyes::D
 
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Great photos Lance. I am really glad you are enjoying the knife and thanks for the feedback. I appreciate all the kind comments about your Bradley Flipper.
 
!! That one time that SurfingGringo made a thread about his new Gayle Bradley flipper, and GAYLE BRADLEY responded!!!
 
A few of the Gayle Bradley Custom Bradley Flippers with 3.45" PSF27 tool steel instead of M4 are showing up. I'm assuming they're the same dimensions, specs and weight as the OP's. Personally, some of the big attractions are the overall thinness in both blade (0.10") and handle (0.30") plus the light weight of 3.3 ounces!
 
Surfingringo said:
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Mike Rowe! Is it you?

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