Spyderco Gayle Bradley - WOW!

S

stevewest

Joined
Nov 25, 2006
Messages
1,360
Well, I am somewhat reluctant to start another thread on the Bradley as there have been several already, but find it hard not to. I had been meaning to send in an order to my favorite onlline shop but found one on the sales forum that was too good to pass up. First impressions were very good - I think I have to say this knife has the best finish out of all the Spydercos I own (22-23?). There isn't anything on it that I can find as far as a blemish. I like the way the edges are finished/polished I really wanted to see what M4 steel was like as I don't own anything in that steel. Needless to say, I am very impressed. It came out of the box (2nd hand) as sharp as any Spyderco I have purchased. I have been carring it the last 4-5 days and have been using it quite a bit out in the warehouse and on the jobsites I visit. I noticed last night that it was showing a little bit of light on the edge. I got out the sharpmaker I recently purchased and hit it with 10 strokes on the fine rods and 20 on the ultra fines. Good Lord!! I have never been able to put an edge like that on a knife before - I now know what is meant by treetopping! Fantastic steel. I have read several comments concerning weight. While it is heavier than alot of the others I edc (para, endura, military, stretch), I really don't notice the difference. I have not experienced any noticible increase in sharpness in the spyderhole and while I find the edge on the lockbar somewhat sharp/tight, I appreciate the way the knife locks up when open - there is no doubt that this knife is locked open and is going to stay that way until you release it. Ergos are great - it definitely holds nicely in the hand. All in all, my new favorite in the spyderco line. Sal, you really hit it out of the park with this one.
 
I completely agree, I think this is the best value of any spyderco to date... amazing steel, and the knife is put together as well as any semi custom... I also find the edge to get incredibly sharp, I have the mule M4 as well and that also takes a mean edge, I took it camping last year and abused it a bit on some dry wood and I expected the edge to dull, but it did not dull in the slightest... excellent job spyderco, best value for the money right now, (I hope more models use this steel)...:D
 
My Bradley takes a beating everyday and somehow still looks almost new. But....seriously...you needed to sharpen it after 4-5 days????


I haven't sharpened my Bradley since I got it back in January. No joke. And I use it at work on construction sites. It has cut all kinds of stuff and nicked copper wire, aluminum, light to heavy gauge steel, glass, sheetrock, and it's still sharp enough to slice paper in half with a diagonal slash. That is exactly the reason I bought it. I wanted a knife I wouldn't have to sharpen every day and the Bradley does that very well. A great hard use knife indeed.
 
Same here.
i wasn't even able to get a patina even if it was used everyday in the kitchen and at the dinner table. I have cut hard plastic, cardboard, wood, rabbit's jointures, tarp...
Been strope a couple of time and haven't meet any ceranique rod yet.
Still amazingly sharp.
This is an incredible bargain for an hardworking hightech knife. Beautiful also !
 
I have a couple and the one I've carried for a few months now is a friggin LASER after each touch up. Amazing knife and top value!
 
I really want to like this knife but I went for the USA made m4 griptilian Insted!!! Why can benchmade make a knife in the states For roughly the same cost as a tiawanese spyderco? Don't get me wrong I love spyderco but I feel slot of their homerun designes are being lost to foriegn manufacturing!! One more thing ... People complain about benchmades prices but at least your getting an American made product !! By the way did I say I love spyderco knives? Lol
 
Go to your favorite dealer's website and check. They are making this year (gold class limited edition, though).
 
OK - I checked on the price of the gold class Griptilian with CF scales - $400 retail, and $340 as sale price on one well-known e-tailer. Ouch!
 
berserk87 said:
OK - I checked on the price of the gold class Griptilian with CF scales - $400 retail, and $340 as sale price on one well-known e-tailer. Ouch!
Click to expand...

Got my Gold Class Grip for $250. I think I got it from Knifeworks but I'm not sure. You have to shop around. Also, make sure to look for some fine print "coupon code" on the advertisement page that knocks off like $50 or so. It is intended to defeat MAP pricing.
 
The Gold class Grip is a way different knife than the GB.

I like my GB, mainly because it just cuts so well, but I really don't like the blocky feel of the handle and how heavy the handle is. I really think Spyderco kind of just missed with this one, except that everyone loves the blade so much they don't care (it really is that good a slicer). This knife is going to make me buy a drill press all by itself- after all this time of going without. The fit and finish is what I would expect in this price range and I'm not as impressed with it as some here (no offense, just offering a different perspective)- nothing to complain about though.

I got the impression it was billed as a "hard use" knife and the heavy and blocky handle would go along with that, but then there's the fairly thin hollow ground blade- they just don't really go together for me and so the knife is very unbalanced- literally and figuratively. I am hoping that drilling out the liners will help.

The Grip on the other hand is a very proven, very popular design, finally done in materials that it is worthy of. I haven't had my Gold class as long as the Gayle Bradley, so maybe some flaws will make themselves known as time goes on, but I kind of doubt it with the attention I've been giving this thing. It feels good in the hand or the pocket, no sharp edges, that nice "black chrome" or whatever finish, the Axis lock, really nicely textured, but smooth CF (I like what Spyderco did, too)- and finally, none of that d@mnd CLACK that ruined the full size Grip for me all these years.

I paid $300 at a B&M, so better prices are available, and to tell you the truth, I feel like I got my money's worth. I say this after having bought it not expecting it to be worth that much- but I wanted a full size Grip without the clack bad enough to pay for it. I'm really happy I did. Still, it's almost as strange as the GB in one way- a large, heavy duty classy gentleman's folder? Kind of an oxymoron as far as purpose, but I don't care- it's currently my favorite folder.
 
+ 1 on this!!! The GB is like the BM vex with premium steel in my eyes it could be refined to be an amazing knife but they really just missed the boat on it!!! Not yo mention the workers who
make them make like 10 bucks a day !!!

MVF said:
The Gold class Grip is a way different knife than the GB.

I like my GB, mainly because it just cuts so well, but I really don't like the blocky feel of the handle and how heavy the handle is. I really think Spyderco kind of just missed with this one, except that everyone loves the blade so much they don't care (it really is that good a slicer). This knife is going to make me buy a drill press all by itself- after all this time of going without. The fit and finish is what I would expect in this price range and I'm not as impressed with it as some here (no offense, just offering a different perspective)- nothing to complain about though.

I got the impression it was billed as a "hard use" knife and the heavy and blocky handle would go along with that, but then there's the fairly thin hollow ground blade- they just don't really go together for me and so the knife is very unbalanced- literally and figuratively. I am hoping that drilling out the liners will help.

The Grip on the other hand is a very proven, very popular design, finally done in materials that it is worthy of. I haven't had my Gold class as long as the Gayle Bradley, so maybe some flaws will make themselves known as time goes on, but I kind of doubt it with the attention I've been giving this thing. It feels good in the hand or the pocket, no sharp edges, that nice "black chrome" or whatever finish, the Axis lock, really nicely textured, but smooth CF (I like what Spyderco did, too)- and finally, none of that d@mnd CLACK that ruined the full size Grip for me all these years.

I paid $300 at a B&M, so better prices are available, and to tell you the truth, I feel like I got my money's worth. I say this after having bought it not expecting it to be worth that much- but I wanted a full size Grip without the clack bad enough to pay for it. I'm really happy I did. Still, it's almost as strange as the GB in one way- a large, heavy duty classy gentleman's folder? Kind of an oxymoron as far as purpose, but I don't care- it's currently my favorite folder.
Click to expand...
 
I'm very glad that the GB is made in Taiwan. The finishing is absolutely spectacular, and the price is kept fairly low while still using top-of-the-line materials.

I got to handle a GB repeatedly at a local dealer. The knife is very comfortable in hand, and I don't mind or notice the weight at all. The blade is thinly ground from tough steel, sounds like a winner. I don't care for the CF, but it feels nice, and looks good from certain angles. Sounds like a winner.

I've been fondling it so much that the dealer probably is annoyed...had to pacify him by buying stuff. Having my Stretch 2 (loved that knife :( ) pickpocketed didn't help either-the knife budget is blown.
 
+ 1 on this!!! The GB is like the BM vex with premium steel in my eyes it could be refined to be an amazing knife but they really just missed the boat on it!!! Not yo mention the workers who
make them make like 10 bucks a day !!!
Click to expand...

You don't have the knife do you? You also don't really know anything about Taiwan right? It would be funny to see you in Taipai trying to get by on $10 per day.

There's a real lot you don't know. That's pretty evident.

http://www.worldsalaries.org/taiwan.shtml
 
haha your link just proved my point !! i work in construction and i make as much as a doctor does in a month in taiwan... and no i dont have the knife because i buy american products that support our econmy.. by the way you dont need to be a dick to defend a knife
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top