Cypress
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2009
- Messages
- 1,742
I had been on the fence with this knife for many months due to the mixed reviews it gets, but then picked it up during a Cyber Monday sale that I couldn't pass up. I like to spread my reviews out over time, so I can cover the honeymooner phase of a new knife. This helps relate that "straight out of the box" excitement before it all wears off. Unfortunately, this honeymooner married a virgin...
When I pulled the GB out of the box, I thought "man, I thought it'd be bigger". This is not a big knife! In fact, it is almost identical in size to the Paramilitary 2, but weighs a great deal more.
It is definitely an attractive knife.
The blade is a unique shape, and almost all belly (no straight edge). The CPM-M4 was the whole reason I bought this knife, and it doesn't disappoint. The hollow grind provides a very thin blade behind the edge. The factory edge was sharp, but uneven, so I put a 17 DPS edge on with a 20 DPS microbevel. I finished both edges with an ultra-fine stone and a bare leather strop. The result is an absolutely SCAREY sharp blade. This is by far the sharpest knife in my collection. I went to test it on some hair and it shaved 3mm above the skin, and whittling almost everything it touched.
One qualm: The tip is actually thinner than the tip on a Paramilitary 2, which is already pretty thin to begin with.
Onto the biggest complaint about this knife other than weight: The lock. I have watched the Gayle Bradley interview where he explains why the lock is so hard to use, and I understand the reasoning, but damn... This lock will make a man out of your thumb.
Taichung products have been known to have "edges" on their finished product, and this is no exception. The edges of every surface, save the swedge, have not been sanded or rounded in any way. When I wish to disengage the lock, I am putting a fair amount of force onto a stiff lockbar, but more noticeably, the sharp edge of the liner across from the lockbar. I sat and played with the knife for a bit after I got it and after roughly 5 minutes, my thumbprint felt like it had been smashed in a door. If any of you have played a guitar after letting your callouses go away, it's just like that. I'm almost certain I will be doing the Dremel mod to this knife.
When I said it's almost the exact same size as a PM2, I wasn't kidding...
This is my PM2 sitting on top of the GB
The GB is a tiny bit wider in the handle, but the blade is slightly thinner
The GB next to my other M4 blade, the Benchmade 810. The 810 is basically just a sharpened M4 pry bar that folds. Cutting tasks definitely go to the GB, but "abuse" is the 810's MO.
So, the Gayle Bradley...
Pros:
- AMAZING blade geometry and steel will cut all damn day (and night, and into the next day)
- Very aesthetically pleasing
- Solid construction
- Fit and finish is above Colorado factory standards
- Don't mess with Texas
Cons:
- Absurd lock access (could be a pro to some individuals)
- Sharp edges all over the knife. I'm pretty sure the edges of the Spyder hole could cut paper.
- Near non-existent choil, or any method to prevent my hand from slipping onto the blade
- Weighs a lot for a knife of this size, but more specifically, this blade thickness
Once I do the modification that allows access to the lock, I'll get a better feel for what this knife is capable of. While I've got it apart, I'll also sand the edges of the liners.
Even though I have the knife in hand, I'm still out to town on it. My only compliant with the PM2 was the S30V steel, and there are enough sprint versions to get around that. If anyone from Spyderco reads this, MAKE AN M4 PARAMILITARY 2 ALREADY!
When I pulled the GB out of the box, I thought "man, I thought it'd be bigger". This is not a big knife! In fact, it is almost identical in size to the Paramilitary 2, but weighs a great deal more.
It is definitely an attractive knife.
The blade is a unique shape, and almost all belly (no straight edge). The CPM-M4 was the whole reason I bought this knife, and it doesn't disappoint. The hollow grind provides a very thin blade behind the edge. The factory edge was sharp, but uneven, so I put a 17 DPS edge on with a 20 DPS microbevel. I finished both edges with an ultra-fine stone and a bare leather strop. The result is an absolutely SCAREY sharp blade. This is by far the sharpest knife in my collection. I went to test it on some hair and it shaved 3mm above the skin, and whittling almost everything it touched.
One qualm: The tip is actually thinner than the tip on a Paramilitary 2, which is already pretty thin to begin with.
Onto the biggest complaint about this knife other than weight: The lock. I have watched the Gayle Bradley interview where he explains why the lock is so hard to use, and I understand the reasoning, but damn... This lock will make a man out of your thumb.
Taichung products have been known to have "edges" on their finished product, and this is no exception. The edges of every surface, save the swedge, have not been sanded or rounded in any way. When I wish to disengage the lock, I am putting a fair amount of force onto a stiff lockbar, but more noticeably, the sharp edge of the liner across from the lockbar. I sat and played with the knife for a bit after I got it and after roughly 5 minutes, my thumbprint felt like it had been smashed in a door. If any of you have played a guitar after letting your callouses go away, it's just like that. I'm almost certain I will be doing the Dremel mod to this knife.
When I said it's almost the exact same size as a PM2, I wasn't kidding...
This is my PM2 sitting on top of the GB
The GB is a tiny bit wider in the handle, but the blade is slightly thinner
The GB next to my other M4 blade, the Benchmade 810. The 810 is basically just a sharpened M4 pry bar that folds. Cutting tasks definitely go to the GB, but "abuse" is the 810's MO.
So, the Gayle Bradley...
Pros:
- AMAZING blade geometry and steel will cut all damn day (and night, and into the next day)
- Very aesthetically pleasing
- Solid construction
- Fit and finish is above Colorado factory standards
- Don't mess with Texas
Cons:
- Absurd lock access (could be a pro to some individuals)
- Sharp edges all over the knife. I'm pretty sure the edges of the Spyder hole could cut paper.
- Near non-existent choil, or any method to prevent my hand from slipping onto the blade
- Weighs a lot for a knife of this size, but more specifically, this blade thickness
Once I do the modification that allows access to the lock, I'll get a better feel for what this knife is capable of. While I've got it apart, I'll also sand the edges of the liners.
Even though I have the knife in hand, I'm still out to town on it. My only compliant with the PM2 was the S30V steel, and there are enough sprint versions to get around that. If anyone from Spyderco reads this, MAKE AN M4 PARAMILITARY 2 ALREADY!
Both of my thumbs have had industrial accidents that make them less functional than most other peoples' thumbs, but I have no trouble opening or unlocking the GB with either hand. 
