M4: Gayle Bradley or Contego?

kestrel57

kestrel57

Joined
Jun 4, 2012
Messages
193
Smallish vs. large. G.B. carbon fiber and maybe gentleman folder look. Yet good cutter. (Rockwell of 65?) Big, nice blade on contego and has a protective waterproof coating. (Rockwell of 64?)

P.S. Is M390 just as good but stainless? Tx.
 
The Contego doesn't really compare in my opinion. It's a quality knife but the GB is just quite a bit better quality and a lot better fit and finish. A lot better looking and almost like a gentleman's folder look with the textured CF and polished liners, but it's a beast and extremely well built. It's got one of the most robust frames I've felt. The liners are just very thick and the lock cracks open with authority. Such a confidence inspiring lock and it's not extremely heavy but does have a very substantial feel. It's just a very tough knife, it looks great, and it has better fit and finish than the vast majority of knives 2 and even 3 times it's cost. Definitely feels higher quality and has better fit and finish than probably any Benchmade I've held. For such a tank of a knife it actually has a perfect blade thickness. Not too thin, but definitely not thick to the point where it won't be a great cutter. The blade overall is just very nice. With the materials, construction, and fit and finish of the GB, it's an insane value. I can't recommend it enough.
 
A.Dragg said:
The Contego doesn't really compare in my opinion.
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I think I only agree with your first sentence. I have both the contego and GB and it's really apples and oranges with the same steel. I think the fit and finish of the contego is fantastic, however, the purpose of the knives are really far apart. The GB melts into your hand with a refined finish and the contego jabs into your hand with a rough purpose. Both are fine knives, but I think the "either/or" between the two is a little odd. YMMV.
 
i would go with the contego, easily !!!
i allmost prefer every thing on it ... except, perhaps the coating: i prefer a satin uncoated blade
the contego is my edc since i got it

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i had a gb but sold it: i didn't like how it handles ...
 
Both are awesome, and it comes down to preference really.

The Bradley is more EDC friendly than the Contego. I ended up selling my Bradley because disengaging the liner lock was annoying, but everything else on the knife was spot on. Fit and finish was right on the money and it just felt like it could do work, but at the same time retaining the ability to be a classy blade. The carbon fiber handle was beautiful looking and provided some sort of weave like feeling grip. The blade was perfect and thick enough that it could handle some tough tasks, making it much different than most spyderco FFG knives. A well executed production knife if you ask me.

Now, the Contego is gruff and grippy. Its larger than the Bradley and also weights a few ounces more coming in a 5.8 oz. I love the blade shape, it's sort of a bigger version of the Benchmade 940 and Rift, which makes sense since all three of those are Osborne designs. The g10 is like glue in you're hand, and once you get to using the blade it's not coming out. Some like the aggressive grip, I had to sand it down a bit. It definitely not as versatile as the Gayle Bradley, but great for hard use tasks.

I ended up keeping my Contego because I like the axis lock and its light weight for such a large size. I wish I kept my Gayle Bradley now that i think about it. I just wish they made a cut out near the liner to make it easier to access the lock.
 
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IMO better materials and the fit/finish is superb on the GB. Mine has lasted in my pocket way longer than any other knife I own.
 
Both are great choices, the GB is more of a medium size knife, very robust but more of a gentleman's folder, the Contego is a large sized knife, rougher/more grippy, more of a work knife, I'd say get the one you like the looks of most... then get the other later. ;)

Here's a size comparison and some other CPM-M4
IMG_2406.jpg
 
I haven't handled every knife out there but.... my GB is the closest knife I've ever used that feels like a fixed blade once it's opened up. One of the strongest feeling, most confidence inspiring knives I've ever owned. I had a Contego and sold it and I admit it is nice and feels great in the hand but nowhere near as great as the GB. One plus for the GB is that it is a worker in gentleman's folders clothing. It may be blade thickness or the way it opens and closes but it feels better made. The fact that it doesn't close easily is a plus for me. We all have different hands and personal preferences and I think where they may differ the most is in the locking mechanism so I'd go with the locking mechanism you prefer.
 
The Contego is pretty nice, but the handles are wayyy too rough and not very ergonomic. The GB is just great all-around.
 
With the Contego, after working on the handle like others have posted, it feels very good. The axis lock is imo fully superior to the liner/frame lock. The GB is extremely well made, but the Contego is great too, with a longer blade and stronger lock. The GB is better OOB, so the amount of tinkering you are willing to do may have a little to do with your choice.
 
I own both and like them both. Just to be clear about materials the Gayle Bradley's handle just has a carbon fiber veneer. The scales are mostly g10.
 
Maybe I'm wrong but look at the side of the scale. A carbon fiber military has almost a grain like waves. As does every other carbon fiber knife I have except the Gayle Bradley and sage 1, they look like g10
 
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both carbon fiber and G10 are laminates. It's going to depend on how the fabric is made and the way the layers are stacked with the binder
 
The contego is a freaking boss of a knife. It has to be one of the most under rated knives out there.

I think it's the sturdiest knife I've ever owned and this is coming from someone who has carried a ZT 0551, 560, and 300. It's just a really well built knife but it also has solid edge geometry for it's thickness and cuts very well.

You may need to Sand the edges of te handle a little bit but other than that I think it's a perfect knife for a robust EDC.

I've never owned a GB because I've had so many liner locks fail on me but it looks like a great knife. But the contego is just incredible.
 
ryanryan12 said:
Maybe I'm wrong but look at the side of the scale. A carbon fiber military has a almost a grain almost like waves. As does every other carbon fiber knife I have except the Gayle Bradley and sage 1, they look like g10
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IIRC Spyderco uses "twill" and "peel ply" carbon fiber. The peel ply one looks like G10.
 
Zookie said:
I wish I kept my Gayle Bradley now that i think about it. I just wish they made a cut out near the liner to make it easier to access the lock.
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Thanks for the knife man. :D

I'm loving my Gayle Bradley. Knife feels good in hand, and I don't miss the choil as much as I thought I would. The carbon fiber is great in hand and while not as grippy as G10, does the job just fine. The liner lock is a bit annoying, but its manageable. It wouldnt hurt to have a bit more cutout to close it.

I've held the Contego a few times, and man, its rough! I think it would be alright with gloves, but if i was really using it, it would probably tear up my hands. This can be remedied with a little sanding, so I still might get one in the near future.
 
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