Looking for Spyderco EDC Opinions

The Bradley is a tank - I have it and a Manix 2 in s90 - both are hard use knives. I think the Bradley would stand up to more abuse and hold an edge better than the manix in carpenter steel. As noted, it may require more maintenance - that being said, I have had no problem with mine. The one that I take out on really nasty jobs is my Endura in ZDP189. I hate to say it, but the Bradley is almost too nice to muck up - I have no problems with putting the Endura in the really nasty stuff. While ZDP189 may not hold an edge quite as long as M4, I have found it more than sufficient for my needs. It is harder to sharpen than M4.
 
I agree with what's been said here. The Military/Paramilitary in S30V seems like a good choice, but I would be hesitant to pry with them. A little $5 prybar that you stick on your keys would solve that and you could pry harder with that than with any knife. The GB works for everything except it will likely stain easier than the knife you already are using. If you're okay with recurves, the Zero Tolerance 0200 seems like a good choice. The 0500 is a great choice also, but those are discontinued and harder to come by.
 
This is why I love this forum. Thank you to everyone who posted a positive answer and tried to help. I think I am going to go with a Gayle Bradley, although I'm not sure how it feels in the hand - the Manix 2 appears to have the same ergos as the Tenacious that I am familiar with and like. I'm not afraid to use a knife regardless of how nice it is (have been skinning deer with a Randall for 20 years) and need something that is reliable. I rarely pry and when I do it is light. I do cut acidic fruit frequently, but I always wipe the blade afterwards and usually wipe it with a silicone cloth once or twice a week. I don't care about stains, but do care about pitting. There is a difference between using a knife and abusing one. I run up on the line frequently, but rarely, if ever, cross it. Thank you, again.
 
Acetylene said:
This is why I love this forum. Thank you to everyone who posted a positive answer and tried to help. I think I am going to go with a Gayle Bradley, although I'm not sure how it feels in the hand - the Manix 2 appears to have the same ergos as the Tenacious that I am familiar with and like. I'm not afraid to use a knife regardless of how nice it is (have been skinning deer with a Randall for 20 years) and need something that is reliable. I rarely pry and when I do it is light. I do cut acidic fruit frequently, but I always wipe the blade afterwards and usually wipe it with a silicone cloth once or twice a week. I don't care about stains, but do care about pitting. There is a difference between using a knife and abusing one. I run up on the line frequently, but rarely, if ever, cross it. Thank you, again.
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The GB is a hand tool meant for work and I believe the ergonomics reflect that.
You'll be happy.
Tip - Don't let the CPM M4 get too dull. It's easy to keep up, but a mofo to reprofile.
 
Even though everyone wants to spend a million dollars on a huge Spyderco I have found that the cricket is an extremely fast, lightweight, and cool looking folder. I picked up the SS etched version that I personally think looks sick but recently I discovered that the razor sharp claw point has chipped off!!! So now I need to send it in. I usually wear 501's so I just keep it in the upper coin pocket on my right side were it fits absolutely perfectly!
 
PPT, Bradley, Military and Manix 2 would all be good choices. A regular Manix 2 is the cheapest by $50, and would still be plenty strong.
 
Acetylene, with the M4, or really any other steel make sure to wash any caustic or acidic substances off the blade before drying and wiping off. This simple act will keep the non stainless and even stainless steels going without any rust or pitting. When I was growing up the only stainless blades available were not as high performing as the carbon steel knives, so we tended towards these. I still do even though there are literal "super" stainless steels available now.

No problem with keeping non stainless knives from rusting for decades even working them hard with just basic cleaning and oiling/siliconing.
 
For the work described a liner lock knife like the GB or the Military is good because the open construction lets you wash out the inevitable crud, and liner locks work well even when dirty. Most other types of lock are more affected by contamination.
 
GB sounds perfect, just have to be conscious of moisture and acids on the blade. One thing I've seen for landscapers is leaving dirt on the blade, but the dirt was moist, and this is a recipe for fast acting rust. My dad did this to a few(glad I stuck to giving him Opinels and Moras for work knives :p ) And just 'wiping down' isn't always enough, you just have to know what you're cutting. fruit juice will need to be rinsed, I've seen them wiped dry only to get some staining going on afterwards.

it's really not hard, and only takes a moment to take the precautions. but it's something people with stainless blades often overlook.
 
I really need to stay away from these forums. Now I want a Mainx 2, a Gayle Bradley, and a Paramilitary. And I was sure I had enough blades already!

Great suggestions. No doubt those are good knives, and I bet the OP would be happy with a GB.
 
If you were already leaning toward the CTS-XHP manix, I would go for it. I had one, then traded it cuz i didn't know what i was doing, and am really kicking myself now. From my experience, it had really good edge retention. Plus its a FFG blade, and that leaf style that you said that you liked. The ergonomics and jimping on the knife are just fantastic. I'm not sure if this is on your radar at all, but have you looked at the Paramilitary 2s? They use s30v, which is a pretty good steel...not a super like m4 or zdp, but it will still stand up to a lot of use.

I know a lot of people mention the sages. and i have to agree that they are just great. Even tho they are made with USA steel, it still bothers me when I see that Taiwan made lettering on the blade. They do have leaf blades and are full flat ground s30v. They are all in all a pretty good package. However, if you said that you don't like liner locks, then i'm not sure if you would care for the sage 1. It has a liner lock. It feels strong enough during use, but its not a blade that i would ever be using hard...thats a job for my buck 110. which I've cut sheet rock with, pried with, and done light hammering with. ITS A TANK!

Now to about the GB. It is a good knife and is shaped and looks like a hard use folder. It has a massive liner/frame-esque lock and a serious blade on the end. However, the cf is just not as aggressively patterned for hard use. I personally think that if they put some peel-ply cf like on the s90v sprints or on the stretch II cf, it would make it a much more heavy duty folder. Many have said after getting it that it is just a little too nice to use hard. Aside from that its probably a great blade....the Taiwan thing again.

The military is also a good knife, but i just find it a little too big to use in most places. People just freak out too much. Its also a pocket hog. Thats why a prefer the para 2. I like the compression lock system much better as well. It seems much stronger to me.

I guess thats all for now. A big thing is to really know all about the blades you are comparing. If you still don't know about x-y-z, then you should probs do some more research. This forum is a great place for that, and youtube is really good too.

happy hunting and good luck on your next spyderco buy!
 
Did you get the GB yet?

Based on your intended uses another option is a full-serrated Mili or Para.

I know the debate never ends on serrated versus PE and I have mostly PE and they are sharp...but I use my serrated Spydies alot.
 
I would not consider a Millie. They're just improperly designed. They have a HUGE handle, meant for working with gloves on, but the blade is short. WTF? They fixed this design flaw in the new para 2s. About frikken time already. The millies are still the same. If you don't mind carrying a 4 1/2 " knife with 3 1/2" blade go for it. Think about how often you would NEED to keep your knife out with gloves on. Thin gloves don't count. They don't require any change of grip. I've field dressed about 50 deer up here where it's colder than hell most of every hunting season. I've never once worn gloves to do that.

I just got my first millie along with a Gayle Bradley. Dude, there is no comparison. I carried them both for a couple weeks. Not 1 person preferred the millie- and it was one of the M4s with Ti frame lock besides! I like my CF ZDP Stretch a lot for sure, but the GB is so worth every penny of $130, I bought a pre-need replacement already.
 
The Gayle Bradley is a bit thick but it's built like a durn tank and it uses super steel at an affordable level so it's got a lot going for it. Add in the textured CF scales and the other perks versus the sensible price tag and you have a clear winner. That said, I'd overall recommend the Military. It just SLIGHTLY edges other Spydies out because, overall, it just does everything a little bit better. It's the overall winner by a whisker. The Military is like a racehorse that's slightly thinner, faster, healthier, and has just a little more heart. You got to remember, you're dealing with a knife company that rarely makes a dud. So their winners are usually surrounded by models that are PAINFULLY close to perfection. But the Military stands proud above them all. Get the Mil. Then get the Gayle Bradley. There's no way to go wrong with either but you'll be cheating yourself if you don't, at some point, own both of them. The Gayle Bradley took the pocketknife world by storm and became an instant hit. The Military has been around for a long time. Not trying to say the GB is a flash in the pan. Just saying the Mil has more "miles" on it. And it's available in so many more configurations and blade steels. Lots more of them on the used market also. I look for the Gayle Bradley model to stay in the lineup for many years to come and have many generations. I don't ever remember seeing a custom collab enjoying this kind of sales and popularity.
 
I love the GB. But, my only complaint is the darned liner lock is nearly impossible to get to! No way it can be done with one hand. Very difficult to disengage from the locked position. But, holy smokes, the blade swings open like it's on teflon coated ball-bearings.
 
I wouldn't pry with any knife blade - on a good knife. In fact, I wouldn't pry with a cheap knife blade. Hard steel can snap, and very hard steel can chip. If you want tougher steel, the the Gayle Bradley should do it.
If you want a lock back knife, the Caly 3 or Caly 3.5 will work fine in ZDP-189.
If I were doing rough work, I'd use a less expensive knife - either a Delica or Endura, depending on the blade size I wanted. You can pick your steel in these models - either VG10 or ZDP-189 (at extra cost).
 
There have been some VERY good opinions given and the fact that they come from knowledgable people that have walked in my shoes before, they mean even more. I am going to see if there is a GB or Manix 2 XHP under the tree in the morning. If so, that will be the winner by default. If not, I will hold off until Monday or Tuesday and see what other advice comes up on this forum over the next couple of days. I am learning more from each post and appreciate the warmth and expertise. Merry Christmas to all.
 
Paramilitary. I am in the landscape business, but more in irrigation, but a Para can get the job done, and then you can hose out the dirt and blow it off. Mine is D2 from the sprint run, but you can get a S30V and be pretty happy with it.
 
dalefuller said:
A couple of Spydercos that you might want to consider would be a CPM-D2 Para if you can find one, or a ZDP-189 Endura. The D2 & ZDP steels will give better edge holding than the Tenacious. CPM D2 isn't stainless, but it's close, maybe closer than M4. ZDP has great edge retention, but it will stain some.

OTOH, a GB that gets a daily wipe down with a marine Tuff Cloth may be just what you want. Great edge retention, easier to resharpen than ZDP-189, and a heavy duty liner lock on this folder.
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Great knife, I love mine, I hold it cloose to my M4 Millie and that is saying alot.
 
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