Gayle Bradley Advocate First Impressions?

[Spydersense]

I've had mine for a few days now. I'll agree that the action isn't silky smooth. After dozens of flips, it already seems to be improving. I love the knife overall and plan on keeping it. It's one of my favorite Spydies for sure.

[nick800]

I got some Christmas money and decided to get one. The GB1 is probably my favorite knife that I've come across. I hope the Advocate doesn't disappoint.

[yablanowitz]

Why no spring assisted openers in the Spydie lineup?
Edit:non-auto

In the past, Sal has posted that he felt that market segment was already well covered by others. Although he has not actually said so, I get the impression he thinks as I do, that it is an unnecessary gimmick, more things to go wrong for no real gain over the Spyderhole.

[Surfingringo]

I don't have one of the Spyderco versions yet but I have the custom version of this knife and it opens better than any flipper I've ever used. One of my favorite knife designs ever!

[SG89]

Why no spring assisted openers in the Spydie lineup?
Edit:non-auto

In the past, Sal has posted that he felt that market segment was already well covered by others. Although he has not actually said so, I get the impression he thinks as I do, that it is an unnecessary gimmick, more things to go wrong for no real gain over the Spyderhole.

Gotcha. Thanks.

[toomzz]

I don't have one of the Spyderco versions yet but I have the custom version of this knife and it opens better than any flipper I've ever used. One of my favorite knife designs ever!

Hi, how is this original driven? Bearing or washers? What does mr. Bradley use in his own products?

[Surfingringo]

Mine has bearings. I've carried the knife a ton and have used it fairly hard and it still fires open like it did brand new.

[toomzz]

Are these the same used by Spyderco?

[Airlsee]

I just felt like this thread was missing some pics...etched & stonewashed the polished clip, and set bevel to 17 dps.









I'm loving this blade by the way!!

[Airlsee]

[Solved]

[zeroed4x]

This is all so subjective regarding the action of this knife. I'll have to get my hands on one before I even think about buying one. There are quite a few negatives for me........ for one.... Flat ground ? Come on guys..... **** it can we get back to hollow and saber grinds. This is the primary reason why I have slowed down to almost a complete halt and do not purchase new Spydercos. Flat ground, I'm really started to be insulted by the fact that everything has been switched to flat grind or is new with flat grind blade geometry. Unless the rest of you are sheep, there must be some others out there who feel the same. This new Advocate had better offer something special or I'll pass like I have with many others. I'm going to try and be open minded.

[Tyrdle]

I'm planning on getting an Advocate soon. My only worry is this: Is the edge of the spyderhole smoothed at all or is the inside edge left sharp? It's not a dealbreaker, but I would prefer a smooth(ish) hole.

[Airlsee]

It is smoothed out, unlike the GB1.

The whole knife is rounded and chamfered except for the inside of the lock bar stabilizer, which is why some have complained about closing the blade being uncomfortable...the lock bar has an interior edge for sure and you will feel it the first day, but after that it's not a problem. It is nowhere near as perplexing as the GB1's lock bar.

Hope that helps...

[Airlsee]

Duplicate post.

[Tyrdle]

Thanks. I noticed that the hole on my Mamba is sharp and uncomfortable while the delicas was very smooth.

[Bodog]

This is all so subjective regarding the action of this knife. I'll have to get my hands on one before I even think about buying one. There are quite a few negatives for me........ for one.... Flat ground ? Come on guys..... **** it can we get back to hollow and saber grinds. This is the primary reason why I have slowed down to almost a complete halt and do not purchase new Spydercos. Flat ground, I'm really started to be insulted by the fact that everything has been switched to flat grind or is new with flat grind blade geometry. Unless the rest of you are sheep, there must be some others out there who feel the same. This new Advocate had better offer something special or I'll pass like I have with many others. I'm going to try and be open minded.

I personally can't stand hollow grinds on working knives, hollow grinds are meant for shallow cutting alone, like straight razors. Saber grinds in big chopping knives or smaller fixed blade knives that are going to be abused are ok depending on overall design. For folding knives or fixed bladed knives meant for cutting and cutting alone I don't believe there's much that beats a thin full or high flat grind. This is all just my opinion and yours is different. That's cool.

[Mic1]

I have a Bradley custom and it flicks out fast and smooth. Like surfingringo I used and carried mine a lot and it's always been reliable and smooth.

As for saber Grind I avoided them like the plague. One of the very reasons I buy spyderco knives is the full flat grind. Almost every other knife company out there offers hollow or saber ground knives. Also you are way over reacting there are over 50 knives in the new catalog with saber or hollow grinds.

[ramasipsc]

I don't understand why Spyderco is using steel bearings still. It is the past now. If u want smoothness you should be using ceramic bearings and ceramic detents. It will cost 1$ maximum for them, but everyone's will be happy. Also is it too hard to mill deeper pockets in titanium and put tchicker metallic washers? I don't understand this. It is common problem for years. It is known that Taichung factory suck on bearings and detents balls, but they are good on finishing. So why make it ideal after few adjustments?

[zeroed4x]

Duplicated post.

[zeroed4x]

This is all so subjective regarding the action of this knife. I'll have to get my hands on one before I even think about buying one. There are quite a few negatives for me........ for one.... Flat ground ? Come on guys..... **** it can we get back to hollow and saber grinds. This is the primary reason why I have slowed down to almost a complete halt and do not purchase new Spydercos. Flat ground, I'm really started to be insulted by the fact that everything has been switched to flat grind or is new with flat grind blade geometry. Unless the rest of you are sheep, there must be some others out there who feel the same. This new Advocate had better offer something special or I'll pass like I have with many others. I'm going to try and be open minded.

I personally can't stand hollow grinds on working knives, hollow grinds are meant for shallow cutting alone, like straight razors. Saber grinds in big chopping knives or smaller fixed blade knives that are going to be abused are ok depending on overall design. For folding knives or fixed bladed knives meant for cutting and cutting alone I don't believe there's much that beats a thin full or high flat grind. This is all just my opinion and yours is different. That's cool.

I'm glad there are people out there who appreciate flat ground blades, they have their place but I don't believe that every single Spyderco knife that is currently being offered needs to be flat ground. There are too many flat ground offerings from Spyderco. Sal has forsaken the people like me, who throughout the years have repeatedly and loyally collected Spyderco and made Spyderco successful. I've been collecting knives since I was 10 years old. My first experience with a Spyderco when I was in my last year of high school, 1983, was a C01 and it was not flat ground. The Delica and Endura were not flat ground. The most successful offerings historically were not flat ground blades. Flat ground has its useful place in the knife world but it should not be the spotlight and should never be accepted as top shelf. I don't care if its faster at snag free cutting through newspaper, that's great for youtube videos but its not what true collectors want. It's true that new collectors will buy almost anything, they don't understand what they are missing if they don't know what it is that they are missing. Knives are supposed to inspire and be aesthetically pleasing like artwork. Flat ground knives are utilitarian and quite boring without any true character. Flats are for the most part, accepted simply because that is all that is being offered and they are cheaper to produce. The sheep will trot along with the flock, the wolves will standby watching and waiting. If you only get to chose vanilla flavor after you've been used to being able to chose all 64 flavors, it might make you feel betrayed, frustrated, insulted and maybe disgusted. Is it all about the money or is it all about making great knives ??? I want to stay loyal to Spyderco but **** it Sal you're making it almost impossible.