Gayle Bradley a disappointment?

Reject · #1

I had seen photos of the Spyderco Gayle Bradley, read reviews here and other sites, I knew I had to add this knife to my small collection of Spyderco. When one came up on the net at a reasonable price, I could not resist.

I pick it up at the post office and took the package out to the work vehicle and with great anticipation I began the unwrapping. Undid the post bag and found another post bag inside it. Undid that and then came the bubble wrap and a mass of sticking tape around it. So out came the knife from the pocket and the slicing began, until I held a red and black box.

Then I held the Gayle Bradley in the hand. I looked at it and thought; I was expecting more, shouldn’t it to be bigger, more substantial, a heavy duty knife. It seemed to be no more heavy duty than other knives I was using.

Then another thought occurred to me. I looked at the knife I had used to open the packaging. DAM!
It was my Paramilitary 2, I was comparing it to the last knife I had handled. The Para is just a little bigger than the Gayle Bradley and also built for heavy duty work, so I reached into the other pocket and took out the Sage 1.

AHH YES! Now I can see it. Now it looks big, now I can feel the weight of it, now I can see how this was built for heavy duty work. The Sage is my favorite EDC and the Gayle Bradley has all its class but so much more bulk.

Lesson learnt; when a new knife arrives, choose carefully the knife you use to open the package.

PS. The sage 1 is still my favorite EDC, but it is from this point on it is always going to seem a little smaller.

dgulbra · #2

I opened the package of my Gayle Bradley with a Ladybug so my first impression was that this is a big beefy sob

Popsickle · #3

i got my gayle bradley and enjoyed it at first, but in the end i just thought it was too heavy so i sold it.

Evil D · #4

Basically everything you've pointed out is why i didn't buy one. It's a great knife but the lack of a heavy choil like the Para 2, the weight, and the hard to access liner lock are all no go's for me. I do think it's an exceptionally hansom looking knife though. Looking at your pics, i really wish the Para 2 had the fancy looking pins between the scales like the GB and Sage have.

Donut · #5

The Gayle Bradley isn't your typical Spyderco knife. Most other Spyderco knives can be used for anything and everything and will do good at that.

The Gayle Bradley doesn't have a very long blade. The blade is somewhat average length.
The Gayle Bradley is a heavy user that doesn't look bad. It is tough to find a situation where this is beneficial.
The Gayle Bradley is good for when you open a knife and use it for a long time.
The Gayle Bradley is not good for opening and closing frequently.

I will often choose to carry it when I don't expect to need a knife. If I need to use one, it will be there and ready.

DeathBySnooSnoo · #6

Though I don't own one, I have used a friends here and there...and I love it for a lot of reasons, but I really think that the blade needs to be longer, or the handle shorter. That is really the only thing that has stopped me from jumping all over over. It seems just odd looking and feeling because once in hand it just feel like no matter what you are choking up on the blade...as "gentlemanly" as it looks, I think that adding a 1/3 of an inch to the blade would be easy, wouldn't in any way compromise the look and feel and yet would make it a MUCH better knife.

Mr.Sparkitle · #7

I have a GB, among many other spydies and some other knives that are made for "hard work." At first I didn't really think much of my GB, it was nice, CF scales, liner lock and a fairly good sized blade. After carrying it and using it a bit more I have grown to like it a lot. I carry mine in tip down set up and I find its really easy to get in and out of the pocket and quick to get open. Mine opens up very smoothly. The protruding liners are a bit sharp but they allow you a pretty confident amount of purchase on the handle and you know you aren't going to let it go. Probably the best thing I have found about the GB is that it is a $100 dollar folder in M4. That steel is amazing in my mind, could be a little more corrosion resistant, but still a great steel. I'm sure if you play with it and carry it enough you will enjoy it for its differences from the para2.

Nemo3000 · #8

Great thread !
It's nice to see such great folders Down Under ! :cool:
Great comparaison pics too.

So how you are going to rotate between those excellent tools ?
How do you use them, what are each of their role ?

Reject · #9

I’m afraid the problem of EDC rotation is a little more involved an that.

My little collection of Spyderco knives has now reached 100 variations. :o

I haven’t used the Gayle Bradley much but am really starting to like it. The lockup is so solid; it may be a strange thing to say but if I were to describe it. I would describe it as a excellent fixed knife which you can fold up and put in your pocket.

But my current EDC is this:

I’m in a rural area not in the city and wear cargo pants, shorts most of the time.
(A lot of pockets)

Spyderco Poliwog money clip. Works well.

Spyderco Paramilitary2 heavy duty cutting.

Spyderco Sage Carbon/TI hybrid for all the clean cutting jobs, food and such.

Leatherman Wave used for everything I haven’t got the right tool for.

The SOG Flash 1 wallet companion, don’t know why, they just seem to get on well in the same pocket.

Nemo3000 · #10

It's goot to know how for what purpose the different EDC knives are used.

Here is my combo:

The Bushcraft G10 is my go anywhere FB and its performance in all terrain situation are spectacular !
The Paramillie 2 Sprint Run is the polyvalent user. (testing S90V on the long run and replacing my wonderful GB. )
The Michael Walker is my city tool and travelling friend. There is a lot of power in that gentleman folder. I mean a lot !
And the special Ladybug is my sacrifice to serrated edge. Great little claw for a lot of application from trimming the tiger hairs to remove labels on clothes.

(I got a Sage II as you and this knife can replace all this combo. Testing now a Sage III, this "blue" brother got a great handle and I'm currently reviewing it... Sages rocks !!!)

(Oh and the cell phone is a 5 years old Nokia E61, my "pocket typewriter" which got more bells and whistles than many so called "smart"phones even the fruity one...)