Gayle Bradley is Arthritis friendly

R

Ruff Cobb

Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Messages
239
I'd like to touch on an issue that receives little consideration in knife selection for the average knife user/enthusiast and that issue is arthritis and how it might affect knife selection and preference.

I have degenerative arthritis in my thumb joints & it inhibits a certain range of motion and the strength factor just says "adios" & is gone.

I've been reading with interest the many posts lauding the smooth & easy opening of the new Gayle Bradley & decided to pick one off the secondary market & give it a try.

I have to say it's one of the easiest opening, yet safe & "people friendly" looking knives I've owned. For me it simply works at so many levels that it's now my "go to" pocket knife. Sure there's compromises as with any pocket carry knife but for me it's about the easiest opening knife I own & it's attractive, smooth, quiet, & cuts around the kitchen like my military. Closing takes a bit of practice but it's in the range of motion I can accomplish.

Excellent item & worth consideration as a great alternative to Automatics & AO knives. Ruff Cobb
 
Opening it is easy, thats for sure, but what about closing it? I find the liner lock to be somewhat difficult to disengage, especially if done repeatedly. The purposeful lack of a cutout is the culprit. Its not horrible to close, by any means, but to me its far and away the hardest on the thumb of any of my many Spydies. JMO. :)

Edit: I like the knife and am keeping it. There really is no other Spydie in my arsenal quite like it. I just wish it were a little easier to disengage, but I understand that in the "hard use" genre, you don't want your folder collapsing on your fingers, either.:thumbup:
 
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Powernoodle, I think there is no such thing as "perfect" right now. I had been carrying a CRK U-zaan and it's also very easy opening with the same closing issue and maybe $250 more.

On both the Bradley & Zaan I prefer to change the knife to my left hand & drag my left thumb against the lock bar for closing. I can close it one handed, same hand as opening, but it's just easier as I described.

Seems like everything is a trade off or compromise & I'm faced with weighing priorities. In my case I value the quick & positive opening with the excellent lock and minimal risk of accidently closing due to unintentional pressure on the lock bar with the other Bradley refinements & price.

I've suspected for quite some time that there's a strong case for multiple flavors of ice cream. It's just that I've found my flavor of the month & I'm positive I'll be posting in the future as something more applicable pops on my radar screen. Ruff Cobb
 
powernoodle said:
Opening it is easy, thats for sure, but what about closing it? I find the liner lock to be somewhat difficult to disengage, especially if done repeatedly. The purposeful lack of a cutout is the culprit. Its not horrible to close, by any means, but to me its far and away the hardest on the thumb of any of my many Spydies. JMO. :)

Edit: I like the knife and am keeping it. There really is no other Spydie in my arsenal quite like it. I just wish it were a little easier to disengage, but I understand that in the "hard use" genre, you don't want your folder collapsing on your fingers, either.:thumbup:
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Same question here. Aside from the SlipIts and some very stiff midlocks like the Schempp Persians, opening is rarely ever an issue. At least for me, discomfort when using for more than a few cuts, and difficulty closing due to a hard to release lock are the the things which make me less inclined to use a given knife. While the Bradley does not appeal to me for a number of reasons, I'm inclined to think the stepped handle and buried lock would make using and closing it uncomfortable for me.

The FRN Stretch II offers a similar length and shape blade, with a full flat grind and no swedge, plus an easily operated ambi lock, in a handle I find very comfortable to use.

Paul
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while i dont have arthritis yet, lets hope i dont either, i did not like how hard it was to close the bradley. i did some mods and then did a few more after seeing 5150's mods that he made on a bradley. (i dont if he is registered on here or not) first thing i did was round out the scales and liners to access the liner lock. i followed the lines of the spyderco hole. i also added some jimping on the underside (not the straigtest lines but this was my first time so be kind;)). i think the following mods would help you enjoy your knife alot. if you have any experience with some tools and your arthritis lets you, you should try them.

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Wow, that looks nice, and no doubt improves access to the liner lock. Mr. Sal, I'd like to see it come that way from the factory.

Don't you love it when goofballs on the internet tell you how to make knives? :)
 
powernoodle said:
Wow, that looks nice, and no doubt improves access to the liner lock. Mr. Sal, I'd like to see it come that way from the factory.

Don't you love it when goofballs on the internet tell you how to make knives? :)
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It seems that the Spydie guys do cast an eye on what us goofballs say, which is a good thing.

I never thought I would be worrying about things like stiffness in my hands and fingers, buy 35 years of construction work are taking their toll. I will take all the help I can get.

If a knife is hard to deploy or takes too long to close, I won't use it.

Robert
 
tonydahose said:
while i dont have arthritis yet, lets hope i dont either, i did not like how hard it was to close the bradley. i did some mods and then did a few more after seeing 5150's mods that he made on a bradley. (i dont if he is registered on here or not) first thing i did was round out the scales and liners to access the liner lock. i followed the lines of the spyderco hole. i also added some jimping on the underside (not the straigtest lines but this was my first time so be kind;)). i think the following mods would help you enjoy your knife alot. if you have any experience with some tools and your arthritis lets you, you should try them.

100_2414.jpg

100_2416.jpg
Click to expand...

god job man, that is exactly how it shoulda come from the factory. I had my finger on the button to buy a bradley last night but I bought a pacific salt PE instead. I already have a para that I edc which is my "hard use folder" but I spend a ton of time around the ocean and lakes during the warm months (I'm a diver) so I thought the salt would see more action, plus its only three ounces for almost a 4 inch blade. (I will probly still get a bradley at some point, just not yet)
 
Most excellent mod, I would like to do the same but...knowing my handy work, it would be a mess :eek:
 
I'm one of the rare ones who has no problem opening and closing my GB one handed without a problem at all. I find that the closing part is all about where you place your thumb along the length of the liner lock bar.
 
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try using your index finger to disengage the lock while pushing the blade ramp with your thumb to half closed or so then switch grips to close fully with your thumb, sounds funny but I like this method best especially with a mili :D
 
tonydahose said:
while i dont have arthritis yet, lets hope i dont either, i did not like how hard it was to close the bradley. i did some mods and then did a few more after seeing 5150's mods that he made on a bradley. (i dont if he is registered on here or not) first thing i did was round out the scales and liners to access the liner lock. i followed the lines of the spyderco hole. i also added some jimping on the underside (not the straigtest lines but this was my first time so be kind;)). i think the following mods would help you enjoy your knife alot. if you have any experience with some tools and your arthritis lets you, you should try them.

100_2414.jpg

100_2416.jpg
Click to expand...

did you use a dremel cutting wheel? I could not even scratch the M4 with my files, nice mod.
 
I find the Bradley easy to close. I can imagine it would be difficult with gloves on.
I like the Bradley mainly because the fit and finish is impeccable.
However, I think its mission is a little confused. It calls itself a hard-use knife and has an awesome steel and a thick liner lock. But when I look at it I think - BLING! It looks like something a rapper would carry to show off. The lack of jimping, a finger guard or very grippy scales makes me think of the Military or Manix 2 as better choices for a hard-use knife.
 
the bradley is the smoothest of any spyderco i've used.the action rivals custom folders. add in the polish & fitting & i consider it to be in a class by itself.
 
I'm with you. I'm a lefty knife user and find the GB very easy to open and close, one-handed, with either hand. And, if you've seen my posts about the otherwise excellent Manix 2, you'll know I'm a crank about one-handed, either-handed, opening! :thumbup:

Reeek said:
I'm one of the rare ones who has no problem opening and closing my GB one handed without a problem at all. I fond that the closing part is all about where you place your thumb along the length of the liner lock bar.
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DennisStrickland said:
the bradley is the smoothest of any spyderco i've used.the action rivals custom folders. add in the polish & fitting & i consider it to be in a class by itself.
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I disassembled and cleaned mine, then reassembled with CRK grease. I expected it to slow up a bit, but it didn't, and it is now very, very smooth.
 
SCREEM said:
did you use a dremel cutting wheel? I could not even scratch the M4 with my files, nice mod.
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yep, and for the the rest of the mods i used a drum sander. i cant for the life of me remember what i used for those notches in the lock itself...i guess i shouldn't worry about arthrtis and more about senility..lol
 
I find myself reaching for a fixed blade easier than having to open and close folders.
 
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