Gayle Bradley Air - first impressions
Gayle Bradley Air - first impressions
Well, I just got my Air in the mail a little while ago, and this is definitely one of those knives in the "like it much more than expected" category for me. Once again, Taichung has built a beautiful knife with impeccable fit and finish, smooth functioning, and perfectly ground, razor sharp blade.
The scale material is interesting, with a nice shimmery silver weave, and also a translucent quality to it. The texture is very nice (especially compared to the slick, glossy CF). Also, this material doesn't seem to be prone to chipping or cracking around the screw holes. Another great scale material coming out of Taichung. With the twill CF and now this grippy glass fiber material, the Taichung made scales are an unmatched blend of looks and function.
The Air is feathery light in the hand, but solid and comfortable. It has a refined precision to it, and a very high quality feel.
I was a little disappointed to see no clip option, or even a lanyard hole on the Air. But, I discovered that the Kiwi pouch does fit (a little snug, but it seems to work well enough for now). Pocket carry is not my preferred method, so this will mainly be a home office knife for me. But, I can tell it will excel in that role.
Overall I'm very impressed with the Air, and I'll definitely be using it around the house. Thanks to Gayle Bradley, Spyderco, and the craftsmen in Taichung for another amazing piece of work. :D
The scale material is interesting, with a nice shimmery silver weave, and also a translucent quality to it. The texture is very nice (especially compared to the slick, glossy CF). Also, this material doesn't seem to be prone to chipping or cracking around the screw holes. Another great scale material coming out of Taichung. With the twill CF and now this grippy glass fiber material, the Taichung made scales are an unmatched blend of looks and function.
The Air is feathery light in the hand, but solid and comfortable. It has a refined precision to it, and a very high quality feel.
I was a little disappointed to see no clip option, or even a lanyard hole on the Air. But, I discovered that the Kiwi pouch does fit (a little snug, but it seems to work well enough for now). Pocket carry is not my preferred method, so this will mainly be a home office knife for me. But, I can tell it will excel in that role.
Overall I'm very impressed with the Air, and I'll definitely be using it around the house. Thanks to Gayle Bradley, Spyderco, and the craftsmen in Taichung for another amazing piece of work. :D
- razorsharp
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It is a very nice piece, the CF is nice... My mind however keeps trying to imagine what it would look like with polished wood scales... Coco bolo, lignum vitae, even mother of pearl... Think CRK Mnandi with a polished blade that would be soo classy! Of course the price would go up... But what a beautiful knife that would be! Just some thoughts. :)
Thanks.gull wing wrote:Is that wire under the G10? Clever!
Exactly that. Cut channels in the liners and just slightly notched the scale on the one side. It was plenty strong as it was but I added a drop of epoxy just for a bit of added strength. The design wasn't hard but there isn't a lot of real estate to work with. Would rather have put it on the pivot end but the cut out made that a non starter.
Ken
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I'm with you in the "like more than I thought" category. I wondered how the Air would fare compared with my red bone Kiwi. But the Kiwi has been a non-starter the past few weeks. The Air has become my favorite going out/dress knife. I really like the look and texture of the scale material and I don't mind that it's clipless since I think of it as a gentleman's pocket knife. I've never had a Wharncliff blade before but it's been great. Overall, I can't recommend the Air enough.
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