Amsterdam Meet 2015 report of upcoming Spyderco prototypes

[gbelleh]

I have an early GB1, and its liner lock is very easy to disengage. Almost too easy.

[timlara]

I was actually hoping for something a little less stiff and easier to access, it could just be that my GB1 is still new and needs to be broken in a bit more, I know GB designed the liner lock the way he did intentionally but it sure is a bear on mine.

It seems like the slight variances in lock tension from knife to knife can be more of a problem when the lock release is more recessed/flush like this. For example, the lock on my GB1 has just the right tension and I have no trouble disengaging it, but my Navaja, which has a similarly flush design is very difficult to unlock.

So far the GB2 is my favorite in this thread as well, however I'm kind of torn between liking the thin/streamlined appearance and blade shape a little better than the GB1 but liking the forward handle ergos of the GB1 a little better. (Though it's hard to say for sure without handling, of course.)

The big question for me is the difference in the thickness/weight, which are the two things that keep me from carrying my GB1 more often. I don't really do any hard use cutting tasks, so even though I love the look and feel of the GB1, I tend not to carry it much because it's just a little too chunky in the pocket.

[ManixFan]

The GB 2 is very 550 Griptillian in appearance, not a bad thing, just my first impression

I also had BM in mind but to me the handle looks very 710 in appearance. Now that you mention Griptillian i can really see that too. It's almost like they married the two designs together.

JD

Take a BM 710 and put it upside down and then compare. Do you see it?

[Joris Mo]

I do believe the handle on the GB2 feels a bit slimmer, probably the same thickness but a little less chunky in pocket. The GB1 has somewhat of a bigger butt on the handle which makes it bigger in pocket. (especially for me carrying tip down)

The liner lock I would expect to be similar to the original, still without the cut out. I noticed on my GB1 that the liner was somewhat of a problem for me, especially during hard use. Had a hard time unlocking it quickly with cold hands and probably wouldn't have managed if I would've worn full gloves. (I was wearing the 'fingerless' type)
I've made a small cut out for the liner and it works perfect for me now, still gonna be very hard to disengage accidentally but also possible to handle with gloves or closing it a bunch of times in a row because of also using a saw and an axe.

And to Tvenuto thanks for your details on the meet and yes it is hard to be a Spydie freak abroad. I've been wondering if saving orders for a year and having them shipped to friends in the state might not just pay for a short trip over there, saving money on shipping and import taxes.. :)

[ManixFan]

Is the GB1 going to go away, then?

I would imagine the answer to this is yes once released. I have bought like 4 or 5 gb1 and sold them all. This seems to fix EVERYTHING i disliked about the 1!

I like the looks of the new GB but I'll have to wait and see how it feels in hand. But there is one more flaw from the original GB that seems to be translated to the new one as well - although I'm not 100% sure since it is hard to see. That is the scales that aren't fitted to the contours of the liners which was done to save on fit and finish time. Before anyone "flames" me, this was coming directly from the lips of GB himself in a Youtube video. Sorry, but I prefer knives that don't have such a sloppy, unfinished look to them and this is a deal breaker for me......hopefully Spyderco "fixes" this before release..... if that is even the case with the new version. Does anyone know whether the new GB scales are fitted flush with the liners .....or is it the same as the original?

Édit: Never mine.....got to a big screen.....sigh, still not too late to fix this before its released.

[Popsickle]

can some one clarify what the difference in the knife labels are? I notice the GB2 is a "production prototype". Is that considered something close to being released or would it fall under a different classification if so?

[PWork]

Kinda like this version of the Dog Tag. :cool:

[Brock O Lee]

Nice evolution on the GB2, looks like a refined version of the GB1. Still, I do not see myself buying one. I'm still happy with the old one and actually prefer the choil. Would rather spend the money on one of the other upcoming models.

No lanyard hole on the GB2? Not that I'm a lanyard guy, just an observation. They might still add it for production I suppose.

No interest in the Dogtag or Firefly I'm afraid... :o

[brj]

Man, this is awesome. I've been fortunate enough to handle the initial proto (concept?) of the GB2 at the A'dam meet back in 2011, been wanting it ever since - the fact that production was uncertain due to the continuous skyrocketing sales on the GB1 has been driving me mad ever since :D

[tvenuto]

Manixfan

The liners are indeed proud, but I believe you are misunderstanding GB. It's not that the liners don't follow the contours of (the shape of) the handle, they follow it perfectly. It's that proud liners, in Gayle's mind, create the effect of contoured scales (in the "Z" direction) without having to do 3D machining on the CF (like the Rubicon). This may have been what you meant, but it doesn't seem so. I can see not preferring proud liners in favor of the standard slab style (like the southard, say) but it's good to have options.

[twinboysdad]

The GB 2 is very 550 Griptillian in appearance, not a bad thing, just my first impression

Lol, are you on bladeforum, too?
I wrote nearly that exact reply over there. Crazy.

That is funny, not on Bladeforums at all! Just here and USN. With that said, we both can't be wrong!!

[ManixFan]

Manixfan

The liners are indeed proud, but I believe you are misunderstanding GB. It's not that the liners don't follow the contours of (the shape of) the handle, they follow it perfectly. It's that proud liners, in Gayle's mind, create the effect of contoured scales (in the "Z" direction) without having to do 3D machining on the CF (like the Rubicon). This may have been what you meant, but it doesn't seem so. I can see not preferring proud liners in favor of the standard slab style (like the southard, say) but it's good to have options.

tvenuto

Sorry but you are completely incorrect. I wouldn't have stated something like that unless I had heard it directly for myself. If you haven't seen the video and heard the comments for yourself on the interview then I don't possibly see how you can turn around and say that I'm "misunderstanding" GB - when you haven't even heard what he is saying in the first place. But then of course you seem to know what is going on "in Gayle's mind", as per your former comment. That sure is a nice trick! I can do it too, as I am sure that I can tell you what is going on in your mind right now.

"This may have been what you meant, but it doesn't seem so." - No, I stated exactly what I meant......you have just misunderstood what I've stated, which is a completely different story.

If you are going to tell someone that they are misunderstanding someone else's comments then it's upon you to have even heard those comments in the first place. Find the video yourself, view it and then come back and tell me that is I who is "misunderstanding" anything. But you are correct on one thing, which is about my not liking a sloppy looking liner/scale interface. But the whole reason for this - from GB's lips himself - was to have the benefit of not having to grind/polish the scales flush to the liners so that they are seamless from one another. I'm sure that with all the Spyderco fans on this site that someone else with a half decent memory could corroborate what I'm saying. Also, the video is out there if you want to go look for it.

https://youtu.be/Qk0IxU-fuW4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Actually, there you go - at the 3 minute mark. I "believe", as I don't claim to know what is actually going on in GB's mind, that this was the primary reason he did this. Although, perhaps he truly does also believe it looks cool, as well as the cheaper way to mimic a 3D contour - far be it for me to tell someone what they are thinking. I personally think, unless you are going to be telling me that I'm mistaken in my own opinion, that it looks sloppy. I was hoping that Spyderco would take the extra step in the manufacturing process this time around and "fix it". But then again, they probably won't because GB has stated that he intended it to be that way. Oh well, at least the forthcoming Bradley Bowie is a thing of beauty.

[Donut]

There are a lot of people who post nit picks about macro photos. The Gayle Bradley 1 is much more comfortable than it looks.

I don't usually spend my time complaining about something that functions very well.

[tvenuto]

Ah, but I did watch it you see. Not that I feel the need to prolong this conversation, you may jump to 2:30 below. I would also venture to say that you wouldn't take this tone with me if we were speaking in person, and I think that's something you should work on.

I don't usually spend my time complaining about something that functions very well.

Agreed, but some people seem to enjoy spending time complaining, so to each their own.

[ManixFan]

Ah, but I did watch it you see. Not that I feel the need to prolong this conversation, you may jump to 2:30 below. I would also venture to say that you wouldn't take this tone with me if we were speaking in person, and I think that's something you should work on.

If you saw it then why did you "correct" me when I was entirely correct in the first place - and yes I've already seen that video as I went back and included the link. Unless you posted your last comment before you saw my edit because although the software informs you of new posts I don't believe it tells you about edited posts. In any case, you've conveniently and selectively forgotten what he says at the 3 minute mark - why is that......because it actually supports the factual information I've provided that you've disagreed with?

But now you are also doing it again with the mind reading and telling someone else what they are thinking or what they would do. That really is something you need to work on. But trust me, I take would definitely be taking the exact same tone if I were speaking to you in person but perhaps the reverse might be true and you might not be taking your tone if you were to meet me in person - has that thought ever crossed your mind. Oh wait a minute, let me read it - nope.

I have never implied physical consequences in any of my disagreements or debates on the Spyderco Forum, however much I didn't like someone's attitude or response......because that wouldn't be right. Trying to tell someone what tone they would take with someone else in person over the internet, what they must have really meant by their statement or what someone else was thinking is one of the most condescending and arrogant things you can do.....perhaps that is why you didn't like the tone of my response - too bad.

<minor edit - pointless to remove as originally stated when it was already quoted by another>

[ManixFan]

removed - hit the quote button rather than the edit

[MacLaren]

So, on the new GB2, the closed length, the handle, is a bit shorter and the blade a bit longer. That's neat. If this has already been gone over then forgive me.
GB1 : overall length 8.078, blade 3.438 87, closed 4.687
GB2 : overall length 8.27, blade 3.54, closed 4.53

[tvenuto]

But now you are also doing it again with the mind reading and telling someone else what they are thinking or what they would do. That really is something you need to work on. But trust me, I take would definitely be taking the exact same tone if I were speaking to you in person but perhaps the reverse might be true and you might not be taking your tone if you were to meet me in person - has that thought ever crossed your mind. Oh wait a minute, let me read it - nope.

I have never implied physical consequences in any of my disagreements or debates on the Spyderco Forum, however much I didn't like someone's attitude or response......because that wouldn't be right. Trying to tell someone what tone they would take with someone else in person over the internet, what they must have really meant by their statement or what someone else was thinking is one of the most condescending and arrogant things you can do.....perhaps that is why you didn't like the tone of my response - too bad.

I've got to run off now and work. But I will tell you that you are out of line with that last comment and that you need to stand down......and I wouldn't hesitate to tell that to your face. Now you can childishly escalate things......where I will not be responding. Or, you can delete your last post and I'll do the same thing when I check back in around lunchtime or if I don't have time then when I get home tonight after work.

I wasn't implying any physical consequences. Allow me to rephrase: "I'd venture to say you wouldn't take that tone with me if we were face to face and Sal was standing next to us." Because that's what's going on here: we're in Sal's house. I try to speak with people over the internet as though I were face to face with them. I'm sorry if you feel I was out of line in my comments, but I find them to be accurate, and I don't believe they were rude. I'm sorry for those around you if you talk to them this way in real life, but I suspect you don't actually.

To get back to the knife: no one who handles this knife could possibly utter the word "sloppy." It exudes the typical Taichung quality.

[MacLaren]

If the GB2 is anything like my GB1, then its pretty much impeccable imo. Hopefully, the GB2 will be out sooner than later.

[jul]

will a G-clip fit to the ARK sheath?