This is really about two quite different, but closely related knives. The original Gayle Bradley has a highly commited almost "cult" following. It is a classic knife, but is not for everybody, as will be described below. It is also surprisingly now out of production. At the time of this writing it is still available as old stock from a number of sellers, but this situation will eventually change. The new Gayle Bradley 2, despite the name is a very different knife. This is not to say that it is not a fine knife, but it is different and distinct, and not merely a tweak on the original Gayle Bradley.
After learning about this knife, I decided to pick up a copy of the original while it was still available. Someday I might also pick up the newer model, but there would seem to be no urgent rush to do so.
Both knives feature a blade made of M4 steel, which is what initially attracted me to the knife. Both have scales made from a G-10 and carbon fiber laminate, essentially a CF laminate over G-10. Both knives are fairly heavy, but the original more so.
So here are a list of differences:
Thinner liners in the new knife. Smaller hole in the new knife. Lighter (5.1 --> 4.4 ounces) Price, $144 for the new version, $170 for the original.
The original GB had thicker heavier liners and the beauty in many peoples eyes is that it is a "quirky" knife. The new GB-2 is much more mainstream. People say that the original GB was an absolute tank. Also note that the original had a lanyard hole. There is none on the GB-2. The original knife was intended to be a working mans rugged cutting tool. The new knife is more of a rugged gentleman's folder.
Some people get wound up by the fact that this knife is made in Taichung, Taiwan. I need to say two things about this. Number one is that Spyderco knives made in Taichung are held in the highest regard by the people who own them. The quality equals and even exceeds those made in the Golden, Colorado facility. Number two is that Taiwan is not China - so you are not buying a knife made in Red China if that is your concern. At any event, if you insist on an American made knife, Spyderco offers plenty of these.
It is reasonable to compare this knife (either version) to the Paramilitary 2 or the Manix 2 as far as overall size. One fellow made an entire video comparing it point by point with the PM 2. The blade size and shape is quite similar to the RAT-1 from Ontario Knife company, but these are very different knives. I think that the new Gayle Bradley 2 looks a lot like a super-sized Benchmade Griptillian (which is not a bad thing, this being my favorite Benchmade knife).
Many people who own the original knife don't like the newer version, but people who never got used to the original knife seem to like the newer GB-2 just fine. The newer version is a little less expensive, and a little lighter.
The Gayle Bradley 2 sells for about $144 at most sources. It seems like an impressive knive for the money, with M4 steel, and carbon fiber scales Currently the original sells for about $170 (although this version originaly sold for about $130). In truth the $170 price is probably due to demand for the somewhat scarce and out of production original.
Many Complaints about the knife focus on getting the knife open and closed. Once it is open, it is rock solid and fits the hand well. The difficulty of closing the knife is intentional and part of the design. The goal is safety and preventing accidentally disengaging the liner lock. I am all for this. I don't mind some effort to close a knife since my main purpose in owning a knife is not to endlessly flip it open and shut with one hand. If that is your purpose, there are plenty of other knives to suit your needs. It is pretty much accurate to view this as a frame lock knife with scale overlays for grip and cosmetics.
The Spyderco hole in this knife is an interesting topic for consideration. The original Gayle Bradley had a 13mm hole and a rather ugly hump to accomodate it. The Gayle Bradley 2 has a 12mm and frankly a blade that has a more pleasing appearance -- but function has been sacrificed for aesthetics. Note for the record that the Paramilitary 2 has a 14mm hole.
Another complaint is that the steel liners protrude past the scales. This works very well if you wear gloves. It is part of the design and aesthetic of the knife. I am OK with it, but it really puts some people off.
Yet another complaint is that the original knife had almost no choil and little prevents your hand from sliding up onto the blade if you use it to stab something. The answer here is that this is not a "tactical" knife, but a knife designed to excell at cutting. The new version has a grip that addresses this somewhat, so if you intend to stab someone, new version is a better choice. However if you want a "tactical" knife you should choose something else entirely.
As an aside on this topic. A fellow told me just the other day that it is common in the emergency room to have two people needing treatment when there is a knife incident. One is the person who got cut or stabbed, the other is the person with a cut hand who held the knife. So, if you really expect to be fighting with your knife, get some training and choose an appropriate knife.
I chose a hollow grind because it gives you a thinner edge with less resistance to the material being cut. The blade material (CPM M4) is so tough and strong it will allow for a very thin edge and still have ample strength for a rough use knife. (My competition knives have an edge thickness of about .014 before the sharpening bevel is ground.) The blade has belly from tip to ricasso for better cutting ability in most cases. The tip is slightly thicker for additional strength. The handle is large enough to accomodate any hand size and most types of grips. Some dimensions not covered in the spec sheet are: liners are .068; blade is .120; thickness is .517. Because of the size of the knife and thickness of the liner material, I chose carbon fiber to reduce weight and add furher strength. One last thing about CMP M4, it is not stainless, but I have found that applying silicone to the blade will prevent most corrosion and stains.
Benchmade offers one significant knife in M4, namely the Benchmade 810 Contego. This is a big stout folding knive (3.98 inch blade). Although I generally dislike "stud" knives, this one fits my hand well and I find it very intuitive to open the knife using the stud. I would have probably made this my M4 knife, except that my son owns one so I feel that it is "his knife" and I am reluctant to own one myself. This knife sells for almost $200.
A special version of the Benchmade Stryker was made using M4, but this sells for almost $250. The normal Stryker uses 154CM. The M4 version is the exclusive 908BK-1501. I would also like to try this in hand first, since I have so often found stud knives awkward to open.
Another option is to go on the Benchmade website and order up a custom Griptillian with an M4 blade. You can get it with a stud or a hole. Naturally I would choose the hole in a heartbeat. Using their custom knife designer, you can select either an FRN or a G10 handle. Doing this with M4 the knife will run you $155 with an FRN handle and $215 with a G10 handle.
I will note that the new version of the Spyderco Gayle Bradley 2 looks to me a lot like a super-sized Benchmade Griptillian and will run $145 with G10 and carbon fiber. I would probably go that route before ordering a custom Griptillian.The Benchmade Adamas uses D2 tool steel. This isn't M4, but it is an interesting and notable knife. I would like to try one in the hand first and see if the stud falls naturally under my thumb or not. M4 is said to be tougher than D2. But if we wander away from M4, we should start looking at Cruware, Maxamet, and other new generation tool steels.
Tom's Knife Info / tom@mmto.org