Gayle Bradley or PM2

When I try to add them up and get the favorite, I get a tie: 14 to 14. Sure glad I have both. I love the compression lock on the PM2, and the M4 on the GB.
My two favorite Spydercos.
 
Hard choice. They both are in my top 3 Spydies, the other being the Military. I would go with the Para 2, then shortly thereafter get a GB.
 
i had 2 of every para2 sprint/exclusive at one point, bought a gayle bradley, and now i only have 1 blue para that i rarely use
 
I bought a GB and pm2 at the same time. The pm2 was always in my pocket and the GB ended up in a drawer....Then I got a ti military. Now the pm2 lives in the drawer and the GB has been sold off.

I really like my military!
 
Both are excellent choices IMO. I've had both for several years and still have both. personally I like the GB better for some reason. The M4 stays sharp a very, very long time. Still love the Para as well. Get both.
 
Tough call, I own both and like both. The Gayle Bradley can rust but I like knives that will rust. Just take care of them, as in a little oil now and then. The Para 2 with the compression lock is easier to open and close. It also carrys easier in the pocket, you hardly know it's there. i like my Gayle Bradley and would never sell it, but to be honest, I carry the Para 2 more often. Spyderco's texturing of the g10 scales is just right. I also like the big handles and the big lanyard hole and the bigger deployment hole. It's just a well thought out design. The only thing that might steer me away from the Para 2 would be if I were going to really bang on it hard. The tip can be a bit delicate and could be prone to break. It's not a pry bar. You can't really go wrong with either knife.
 
For daily EDC - PM2 - lighter, thinner and better ergos
For heavy duty use - GB - super tough blade but I'm not a big fan of the ergos. I'm going to modify mine some day when I get time.
 
I went to a knife store over lunch today and handled a GB for the first time. It appeared very well made, but in the end it wasn't meant for me. A Military ended up coming home with me. My first. Got home, and his new baby brother PM2 was sitting on the kitchen counter courtesy of UPS.

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As has been mentioned earlier... You're going to end up with all of them eventually :)
 
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GB for sure. The modified sheepsfoot blade is better, it can handle anything and look great doing it. The M4 is amazing and even thoug its a little tick it can out slice nearly any blade in my line up. It isn't light, the only time I choose not to carry it is sometimes during the summer cause the weight dosnt fit well with my nylon hiking pants.
Great blade
 
I own both. The quick and dirty:

Ergos: PM2 by FAR. The GB has next to nothing stopping your hand from sliding onto the blade, which is odd, considering its "intended use".

Blades: The GB can't be beaten in this category. By anything. The geometry is spot on, the M4 stays sharp FOREVER, and with a small amount of effort, may be the best slicer you'll ever know. The S30V on the PM2 is junk. This opinion doesn't make me popular in the Spyderco forum, but I've never had a steel chip and roll as much as that stuff (not running crazy angles).

Locks: The PM2 has it. It's near Axis-Lock easy. The lock on the GB is strong, but absurdly difficult to access. I had to Dremel a cutout into the liner and slab in order to make the knife EDC worthy.

Fit and finish: GB by leaps and bounds. I needed to disassemble my PM2 to remove a metal burr from the liner that was marring the bronze bushing. The edge grind was also funky, and the pivot tension took forever to set properly due to the number of screws in charge of the tension.

Weight: PM2.

Value: GB. The blade alone justifies the price, and I'd gladly spend $200+ on it. Although, I'm not crazy about the handle slabs being more of a carbon veneer on G-10, rather than full CF. The PM2 is a wonderful knife if you can find it for $100. I was impatient and spent $175 for a black blade/camo S30V version... Don't do that.

Use: Contrary to what most people think, I'd trust the PM2 for heavy tasks over the GB. Thicker blade, thicker behind the edge, and better ergos for imparting force. Also, when you compare them, the PM2 has a more robust tip. Unfortunately, force destroys the S30V, so that's a moot point. If Gayle had given his knife a deeper choil, some light jimping, and a blade as thick or thicker than a PM2, I'd trust myself with it a little more.

If the PM2 came in M4, it'd be perfect.
 
shqxk said:
You seems to be one from the very few people who has bad experience with Spyderco's S30V.
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I could have a lemon, or I could just be using it beyond its capacity. Either way, I'm not impressed with it.

But that's just like... My opinion, man ;)
 
I actually prefer the shallow finger choil on the GB Folder. It's a lot more comfortable than the deeper choils on, say, the Manix2, especially the extra deep middle finger choil, which I guess was made to be an index finger choil when not choking up on the blade. I really think Gayle Bradley got the choils right because it makes me uncomfortable when there isn't enough handle to wrap my fingers around. Don't think safety's much of an issue on the GB unless you plan on jamming the blade into things, but even then I think the handle provides adequate traction for it to not be cause for concern.
 
Orv said:
I need help deciding between these 2 knives. I have no way to handle them before purchase. The Gayle Bradley seems like a much better deal, but the PM2 has a great reputation. If you had to vote, which would you pick and why?

This will be my first spyderco.
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Para2!
 
RamZar said:
If the GB lost some weight it'd be perfect.
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Is it really that heavy? Only two ounces more than the PM2, but I guess in knife weight it's alot? I need to pick up both and handle them before I put down my money on one.
 
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sunandsteel said:
Is it really that heavy. Only two ounces more than the PM2, but I guess in knife weight it's alot? I need to pick up both and handle them before I put down my money on one.
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Here's a quick and easy way to gauge how heavy they are compared to each other: hold them both, one in each hand, then switch hands. Do this a few times and you will notice that the GB is slightly heavier. Too heavy? Now that's stretching it, for me at least. I like heavy and substantial knives.
 
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