Gayle Bradley 2

[bleasure]

i guess i'm in the minority on this, but my gb2's m4 blade is a breeze to sharpen, and stays extremely sharp and bitey forever. i think cosmetic rust/pitting/patina are meaningless, especially for a tool, and one that you intend to maintain moreover, so it doesn't bother me whatsoever. every spyderco m4 knife i've had consistently surprises me with how much they want to cut for how long, compared to less exciting performance from many 'better' steels of various species. i wouldn't change it for anything that didn't offer the same properties in a steel - esp. in this strongly hollow ground blade - that has enough toughness i am not afraid to actually use it for indelicate tasks. my experience with magnacut leads me to believe that steel would not offer a measurable improvement over m4 so it offers little for me. i also like patina, especially for something like this, vs. an environment-specific knife like the salts or rescue knives where i can see stainlessness being meaningfully advantageous.

i also wouldn't hesitate to choose a gb2 over a 1 for the handle, which is potentially the best design in the entire catalog. its neutrality and choil-lessness provide the versatility that offers exactly what you want in a working knife that is not intended as a weapon, the latter being a design element that plays a significant role in so many of spyderco's designs that have dramatically less appeal to me.

[JRinFL]

MC + Micarta =

[ladybug93]

i guess i'm in the minority on this, but my gb2's m4 blade is a breeze to sharpen, and stays extremely sharp and bitey forever. i think cosmetic rust/pitting/patina are meaningless, especially for a tool, and one that you intend to maintain moreover, so it doesn't bother me whatsoever. every spyderco m4 knife i've had consistently surprises me with how much they want to cut for how long, compared to less exciting performance from many 'better' steels of various species. i wouldn't change it for anything that didn't offer the same properties in a steel - esp. in this strongly hollow ground blade - that has enough toughness i am not afraid to actually use it for indelicate tasks. my experience with magnacut leads me to believe that steel would not offer a measurable improvement over m4 so it offers little for me. i also like patina, especially for something like this, vs. an environment-specific knife like the salts or rescue knives where i can see stainlessness being meaningfully advantageous.

i also wouldn't hesitate to choose a gb2 over a 1 for the handle, which is potentially the best design in the entire catalog. its neutrality and choil-lessness provide the versatility that offers exactly what you want in a working knife that is not intended as a weapon, the latter being a design element that plays a significant role in so many of spyderco's designs that have dramatically less appeal to me.

stainlessness in a knife doesn't make it environment specific. even salt knives make great edc tools, regardless of environment. and to say they offer no measurable improvement is just silly. i understand you're speaking for only yourself, but increased corrosion resistance is still an improvement for a lot of people. and, finally, no one is asking for the gb2 to be made into a salt or for a change of steel. we're only saying it's a great design that could be enjoyed by more people if it were ALSO offered in a stainless steel.

[HolySteel]

i guess i'm in the minority on this, but my gb2's m4 blade is a breeze to sharpen, and stays extremely sharp and bitey forever. i think cosmetic rust/pitting/patina are meaningless, especially for a tool, and one that you intend to maintain moreover, so it doesn't bother me whatsoever. every spyderco m4 knife i've had consistently surprises me with how much they want to cut for how long, compared to less exciting performance from many 'better' steels of various species. i wouldn't change it for anything that didn't offer the same properties in a steel - esp. in this strongly hollow ground blade - that has enough toughness i am not afraid to actually use it for indelicate tasks. my experience with magnacut leads me to believe that steel would not offer a measurable improvement over m4 so it offers little for me. i also like patina, especially for something like this, vs. an environment-specific knife like the salts or rescue knives where i can see stainlessness being meaningfully advantageous.

i also wouldn't hesitate to choose a gb2 over a 1 for the handle, which is potentially the best design in the entire catalog. its neutrality and choil-lessness provide the versatility that offers exactly what you want in a working knife that is not intended as a weapon, the latter being a design element that plays a significant role in so many of spyderco's designs that have dramatically less appeal to me.

Well-said.

[Vamais]

its neutrality and choil-lessness provide the versatility that offers exactly what you want in a working knife that is not intended as a weapon, the latter being a design element that plays a significant role in so many of spyderco's designs that have dramatically less appeal to me.

I have noticed that too. Ideal tactical ergonomics and ideal working ergonomics rarely intersect, and while Spyderco's designs are often good at both, many of them lean more towards the tactical and less towards the working.

[Sonorum]

I like my GB2 and carry it every week. If I were to nitpick I too would prefer a stainless steel. It would be more comfortable to not have think about wiping of the blade, I've had it develop some nasty patina when I miss that. I love the design enough to use it regularly but everyday carefree use would make it 10/10.

[defenestrate]

I was fortunate enough, some months back, to find one in new condition at a great price that had already been upgraded.

I have almost the exact same knife, red micarta scales, titanium aftermarket clip, mine has the proesentation side linsers milled a bit for better access to the lockbar IIRC. Mine had a very full patina on it so maybe it had these scales plus a couple of changes.