Spyderco Forums

So I recently got an I.T. job at an office-type environment. Apparently Texas offices aren't like California offices I'm used to, so sheeple won't make much noise about you using a pocket knife to cut some cords.

I love the looks of the gayle bradley (i've owned one previously) but the two things that turn me off are the lack of grooves to protect your hand from sliding forward, as well as the lock bar being a little tough to disengage after several hundred opens and closes. I realize you're supposed to cut with your thumb on top to keep your hand from sliding forward, but I still feel uncomfortable about that.

The ZDP endura is really cool, though I feel for the money (90 bucks) I should be getting something like a gayle bradley- carbon fiber, thick blade, etc. I prefer the looks and strength of the saber grind so I'm ignoring the FFG for now.

Let me know what you all think :D

IMHO, I think any blade over about 3 inches is really pushing the sheeple factor unless you're doing IT at Cabela's or REI. Further I wouldn't worry about your hand slipping forward for office tasks and pull cuts pose no risk.

Regarding price at a popular internet retailer the Endura is $89 and the GB is $139 so that's almost twice the money. M4 will hold to up to harder use but also will rust quite a bit easier than ZDP.

I don't think either is a bad choice :) . Go with your gut.

Either is a good choice. You might like the strength of the saber grind but I'll take FFG in ZDP. It's amazing stuff. The Gayle Bradley is probably more discrete, less intimidating if that matters at all. Still, either way you choose you have a great knife. Tough choice. :)

Joe

Blerv wrote:IMHO, I think any blade over about 3 inches is really pushing the sheeple factor unless you're doing IT at Cabela's or REI. Further I wouldn't worry about your hand slipping forward for office tasks and pull cuts pose no risk.

Regarding price at a popular internet retailer the Endura is $89 and the GB is $139 so that's almost twice the money. M4 will hold to up to harder use but also will rust quite a bit easier than ZDP.

I don't think either is a bad choice :) . Go with your gut.

The zdp endura (saber grind) looks like 99 bucks, I can't find it any cheaper, and I'd have to go FFG if I wanted cheaper. Gayle bradley is roughly 130 everywhere i look

Believe it or not there's some seriously tough plastic wrap out there, and my izula even had trouble opening some of it up- that's why I'd be concerned about the bradley slipping if I ever had to "stab" the point through to begin the cut

I'm not worried about too much blade as most of the time i'd be using it is under a desk, in the back, so people wouldn't care.

Also I am indeed in the Houston area of Texas so rust may be an issue, not sure if CPM-M4 will be alright- though I've never had a rust issue aside from AUS8 steel

I agree with Blerv, just go with your gut. To me as long as it is legal, I don't
worry about what anyone else says, especially if you are using it in your
job. The better the blade the less you will have to sharpen it.
Good luck and congrats on the new job.

By lack of grooves do you mean jimping? Or a finger choil? Not quite sure I understand that because the GB has jimping up top, and has a milf choil...while the Endura has no choil at all, and probably the same jimping up top....

And it sounds like you have made up your mind already about which you want.

My personal opinion is that the GB is a far far superior knife both in looks and materials as well as in functionality. But YMMV.

For what its worth, have you considered a hawk bill. Im an IT guy as well and for getting under zip ties and not cutting surrounding cables they are fantastic. Also nice for opening boxes too.

+1 on a hawk bill.

I think that the Harpy and Tasman are highly underrated as users.

Para2? :spyder: :)

Both steels/knives that you are considering happen to be great. I would veer another way and suggest a Manix 2 XL. Great for cables and those PC boxes.

Blerv wrote:IMHO, I think any blade over about 3 inches is really pushing the sheeple factor unless you're doing IT at Cabela's or REI. Further I wouldn't worry about your hand slipping forward for office tasks and pull cuts pose no risk.

Regarding price at a popular internet retailer the Endura is $89 and the GB is $139 so that's almost twice the money. M4 will hold to up to harder use but also will rust quite a bit easier than ZDP.

I don't think either is a bad choice :) . Go with your gut.

I agree. I work IT and Inventory Control in a warehouse/office environment so I have ample opportunity to use a blade almost daily. I've had no issues with anything the size of a Native 5 or smaller, but several times my larger or more visible carries, like a large Sebenza or a Para 1, have generated some questioning looks and/or comments. And I've never found anything at work that required more than a 3" blade to cut. Actually, getting underneath to cut some of the really tight strapping material has worked better with a narrower blade than a wider GB style blade.

As far as cutting the plastic wrap easily, some of that is tough to cut, but that may be partly a result of the type of edge you have (more polished vs. a "toothier" edge). My Izulas have been used at work, but those blades are pretty thick and don't make the best slicers. A thinner blade with a more pronounced tip like a FFG ZDP189 Delica 4 might be a better performer for the cutting that you're describing.

One more thing to remember (from one who has spent 20+ years working for companies in their offices and warehouses), company policy always trumps "what's legal", and company policy is driven partly by the comments of co-workers. Make enough people uncomfortable and they'll make enough noise to get management's attention.

Anyhow, between the two knives you've listed, I'll vote GB as well. It's an outstanding knife and a great bargain.

If money is a very important factor then that limits most other choices. If the price is quite a bit different like in your two choices but I can afford either I don't let price rule my decision much. If that's the case I don't think there is any choice other than the GB if I were in your situation. I have done that job you have before except I worked for a company that serviced other large companies and would always deal with the IT guys like you. BTW, you guys are invaluable in that situation no matter what the "know it all" visitor thinks. :) Anyway, I think both knives are larger than your position requires (most of the time). I think you should get the GB for two reasons. First, it is stronger than the Endura and that's saying a lot. The Endura is a GREAT knife. Second I don't think I ever want a saber grind again. They are good when a much stronger blade (sideways) is needed but I seldom do hard work any more. Finally, but not as important. If someone mentions or questions your having such a large knife I'd rather show him the stronger, classier knife. They may not know any difference between knives but if they know anything at all the classy quality of the GB is obvious IMO. Please don't think I'm knocking the Endura in any way. It's a top notch knife. I just like the GB more.

Jack

I think the Native 5 is the perfect knife for that kind of use in that type of environment.

"IT" can encompass a wide range of tasks. I guess I'd say my job is IT, but I'm a programmer, not network installer, so don't really have occasion to use a knife in my job description. When I used to do network installations though, a multi-tool with pliers and screwdrivers was probably the handiest.

"Legal" length in Texas is up to 5 1/2", but my company has a "no dangerous weapons" policy - they don't explicitly say what is a dangerous weapon. To me my knives are tools, but I don't want to give them any excuse to explicitly ban them, so I am careful about who I let see me with a knife -- always have a couple of ladybugs in one pocket (along with a flashlight and magnifying lens), easy to open and use without other people even seeing the knife. Caly 3 CF always rides IWB, but with the deep carry clip no one can really see it there.

Now if your job includes opening lots of boxes of supplies, and breaking down / cutting up the boxes for disposal, an M4 blade like the Bradley could be very handy!