The Beauty:
“The “hump” in the blade is there to house the opening hole. If Gayle submerged the hole, you couldn’t access it without a large cut-out, and Gayle designed it with no cut-out.” (Sal Glesser)

Last week, I ordered the C134 from a Canadian seller on eBay (great service from The Great Knife Shop BTW — 7 days door-to-door from Canada to France!). I had been enamored with the knife ever since I first saw it in the Spyderco catalog.

It was love at first sight.

Three Amigos:

On top is a BM800HS, the infamous AFCK in M2. It was the first “tactical knife” with a non-stainless steel blade to catch my eye 12 years ago… It looked like a space-age design fitted with a grandfather’s blade steel!

And also my good old Starmate (#776), which has been through hell and back and is still as solid as ever (thanks to its eccentric pivot adjustment)…

The GB is simply the smoothest knife I have ever handled straight out of the box. My previous experiences with Spyder-smoothness came from my C123 Captain, followed by my Paramilitary…

The fit and finish are top notch. This is a true custom knife experience: elegant and high-tech. The Taiwanese craftsmen behind such a jewel are true gems themselves, honoring Spyderco through their attention to detail and quality of production. They are jewelers!

Sal stated that this liner lock would be as solid as a Reeve Integral Lock. (quote: “The lock is .072 thick at the interface. I would guess it’s at least as strong as any Reeve Integral Lock (frame-lock) we’ve tested, and probably stronger.“) I believe him!

The thin blade, gentle belly, and deep hollow grind create a unique “pocket lightsaber” experience. You can whittle hairs with it!!! And that incredible CPM M4 High Speed Steel at RC 65! This is going to be fun!!!

Gayle Bradley is to knifemaking what Ferrari is to Formula One: performance-oriented. The beautifully grippy carbon fiber handle gives a real motorsport feeling. Mr. Bradley is truly welcome in Sal’s Scuderia, as we all know how much Mr. Glesser loves high-performance cars! (Even the “Spyder” in Spyderco comes from that love of racing and performance!)

The handle is square and heavy, but I love heavy-butt knives and square handles. My everlasting love for the Sharpfinger pattern has always reflected that.

The balance is perfectly centered under the middle finger. The knife feels very alive and agile in the hand. It screams to be used hard!

I also love how the choil is integrated into the handle. It’s almost invisible. The grip is extremely secure, and I never feel concerned about the blade closing on my finger or my hand slipping onto the edge, even with wet hands.

Most Spydies have an angle at the pivot that creates an arc, like the Military, the UKPK, or the Benchmade AFCK…

Others are straighter, like the Starmate or the Police…

The heart of the Gayle Bradley — where you hold it between thumb and index finger — has a very pronounced change of direction that breaks the general line of the knife. (The Marlin and the Harpy also have this, but in their case it’s an angle necessary to start the sickle-shaped blade.)

The GB is the first Spyderco to feature that “crank” line, which can also be seen in the beautiful Sukhoi 27 profile.

This may explain the fantastic ergonomics of the knife.

Also, as with the Starmate concept, the straight design of Gayle Bradley’s knife offers a very comfortable reverse grip or “edge-up” grip. I’m also a big fan of drop-point blades on folders. This one would make a great hunting knife.

The Ti Millie may be my SpyderGrail, but the Gayle Bradley is my dream EDC!

The C134 is a beast of a workhorse dressed like a gentleman’s slipjoint. Another little big knife by Spyderco, combining elegance and reliability.

Oh, and I can open and close this knife easily with both my right and left hand. There is a reason you can change the clip position after all!

cheers
Nemo

Now a quote from the designer:

First of all, thank you for your interest in my Spyderco collaboration. I thought I would address some questions I have read on the forums.

I chose a hollow grind because it gives you a thinner edge with less resistance while cutting.
The blade material (CPM M4) is so tough and strong that it allows for a very thin edge while still providing ample strength for a hard-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 situations.
The tip is slightly thicker for additional strength.
The handle is large enough to accommodate 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 the thickness of the liner material, I chose carbon fiber to reduce weight and add further strength.
One last thing about CPM M4: it is not stainless, but I have found that applying silicone to the blade will prevent most corrosion and staining.

Thank you for your interest in my workhorse design and your trust in Spyderco knives.

Stay sharp,
Gayle Bradley

Here is all the information about the C134 in the Spyderco catalog

Gayle designed it to be a monster cutter, but it also has subtle refinements that appeal to everyone. (Joyce Laituri — Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Spyderco Inc.)

For Gayle Bradley’s BladeSports site, click here

Quote:

Speaking of Gayle Bradley, congratulations on his new collaboration with Spyderco. We’ve been using CPM M4 for our cutting competition knives, and here is a chance to experience that steel in an everyday-use knife. We’d like to thank Spyderco for their generous support of our organization.

UPDATE — 18 months later:

The GB is one of those knives that never left my EDC rotation.

After one year, I can confidently state that:

– This is one of the easiest knives to open and close quickly. Access to the lock has never been an issue for me, and I can close it fast and confidently.

– I was never able to get any rust or real patina on it despite using it in the kitchen and near the sea. I got a light grey patina, but nothing more.

– The not-so-pronounced choil has never been an issue, and my hand has always remained securely anchored to the handle, even when wet. The hump around the Spyderhole prevents slipping.

– CPM M4 is a wonderful steel. I even managed to eliminate a nasty edge burr on a bidet!!! 🙂 (An Italian bathroom contains plenty of ceramic!!!!)

– My first-batch GB is heavier than the newer ones, but this heft proved useful when I was probing a wall.

– I was not able to scratch anything except the blade while cleaning it with dry Scotch-Brite. No big deal.

– CPM M4 responds wonderfully to stropping. Some compounds can work magic. Mine is kept razor sharp…

The GB goes into my pocket whenever I need a hardcore workhorse I can trust for any chore. The thin hollow-ground blade has proven extremely useful, even for some bushcraft duties where full flat grinds usually reign supreme.

This is truly one of the fastest folders to open (Spyder-drop in my case — smooth and controlled) and close, even with gloves. I still do not understand all the ranting and raving about recessed liner accessibility…

Those were my two euro cents. Your mileage may vary, but this has been my experience.

Cheers
Nemo

Pictures taken in June 2011: