Spyderco

Spyderco Gayle Bradley C134CF Review

Last Updated: August 26, 2019
The Spyderco Gayle Bradley (C134CF) is one of those knives that was built for use and abuse, but is so nice I wasn’t sure if I could bring myself to really scuff it up. I guess the only reasonable answer is to buy two of these, one for carry and the other to keep pristine in the bowels of the collection.

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The knife was named after its designer, Texas custom knifemaker Gayle Bradley. Mr. Bradley has been making custom knives out of his shop in Weatherford, Texas for over 22 years. He also has the distinguishment of winning BladeSports International Cutting competition in 2008 (he had the most points for the 2008 season).

The Spyderco C134CF is Bradley’s first production knife collaboration. The knife is made from heavy duty M4 steel – the same steel Mr. Bradley uses in his competition cutting knives. With Mr/ Bradley’s credentials and the use of such a high end steel you know that this knife has the potential to go the distance.

General Dimensions and Blade Steel

The Gayle Bradley has an overall length of 8.078″, a 3.438″ blade, weighs 5.5 ounces, and is made in Taiwan. This is a large and thick folder with graceful lines and a rock solid feel. The knife is manufactured in Spyderco’s Taichung Taiwan factory. Sure, I’d love to see this knife made in Golden Colorado, but I can’t deny that some of Spyderco’s best knives, from a fit and finish perspective, are currently coming out of Spyderco’s Taiwanese factory.

The Gayle Bradley has extremely high build quality – it’s difficult to describe on paper but the moment you handle this knife it all comes together. The dimensions and feel of this knife make it slightly large and heavy for EDC, although it would certainly work in that role. This knife is a work horse and it’s intended use is heavy cutting tasks.

The blade is a modified drop point with a high hollow grind and a sloping swedge. The blade has been given a beautiful satin finish that gleams in the light. This blade is a thing of beauty from any angle. Blade thickness is right at 3mm. It is thick enough for tough tasks, but is still ground thin enough to be a capable slicer. This blade is almost all edge and the long curving belly provides tons of room for cutting.

The blade is made from Crucible CPM-M4 steel. M4 is a high quality tool steel and Crucible’s version uses their Crucible Particle Metallurgy (CPM) manufacturing process to enhance the toughness and ensure the M4 has a consistent grain. What this means is that the knife will really hold an edge and is capable of getting extremely sharp (sharp enough to win Mr. Bradley a couple world records in cutting competitions). This is not a stainless steel so you will need to take care to keep the blade dry and (preferably) oiled.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The knife has a flow through, pillar construction handle made of textured carbon fiber and full-length steel liners. The liners have been milled out in an attempt to reduce the weight, but this is still a substantial folder. The handle is bolted together (rather than pinned) which is great if you ever have the desire to take this knife apart (perhaps you want to try and mill it out yourself). If you are thinking of milling the liners out I want to wish you good luck because these are some of the thickest liners I have seen. This is a very heavy duty handle.

The carbon fiber Spyderco selected is the textured version used on the Spyderco Sage (review coming soon). This has a “weave” like texture that provides decent grip considering it’s carbon fiber, a traditionally smooth material. There is light jimping on the lock bar and on the thumb ramp, which combined with the finger choil and flowing handle make for a very comfortable and ergonomic grip. This all helps to make the knife a great work knife. For those that intend to use this knife heavily I think the handle design and ergonomics will be great for that.

The pocket clip is also quite interesting. It has a smokey gray black finish that almost looks anodized although the clip is definitely steel. It is a unique looking finish that I really like and is another detail that makes this a special knife. I also like how the clip can be mounted on all four corners of the knife. The knife rides low in the pocket and the blackened clip won’t attract much attention (unless you are around a bunch of knife knuts).

Deployment and Lock

The Gayle Bradley uses an extra large (1/2″ diameter) Spyder hole and phosphor bronze bushings for deployment. This knife is very easy to open and it is super smooth. The deployment feels just as good as the rest of the knife which is great news indeed. The ultra thick liner lock sits snugly on the blade. This knife is constructed very solidly and with that extra thick liner lock I think this knife is capable of taking some abuse. Really the lock-up and deployment are both very impressive; it’s hard to put it into words.

Spyderco Gayle Bradley Review – Final Thoughts

Mr. Bradley said that he was very pleased with the way the knife came out, and he gave it his full endorsement. I have to say, the knife has my endorsement too. The beautiful design, the high quality materials and the excellent construction make this a great knife in my book. It also is a great value. The knife has a $225 MSRP but I am seeing it retail for right around $130. At that price I think it is a steal. Of course, this knife isn’t for every one. The weight may be an issue, and it may be on the large size as well, but overall I think this is a great knife and I look forward to more Gayle Bradley collaborations.

Spyderco Gayle Bradley Folder Carbon Fiber PlainEdge Knife

Made using the highest quality materials
Tested for quality and durability
The most trusted name in you cutlery needs
Carbon fiber handle. Screw-together construction.
4-way hourglass steel clip. Full-length internal liners.

I recommend purchasing the Gayle Bradley at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Spyderco Caly 3 Carbon Fiber Review

by Dan Jackson 18 Comments

Last Updated: August 7, 2019
Hands down the best part about operating a website like this, is the excuse to play around with bad ass knives like the Spyderco Caly 3.5 in Carbon Fiber. This special version of the Caly3 uses exotic Japanese laminated steel and carbon fiber handle scales to give the original Caly3 an extra touch of class. The original Spyderco Caly (short for Calypso) was introduced in 1998 and featured a 4″ blade and micarta scales. Spyderco has refined the knife over the years in their quest to get this knife to become “part of the hand”.

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Before I launch into the details of this review let me just say, this knife is really nice. I got one mainly as a collectible but this thing is built like a bank vault and Spyderco considered every detail so if you intend to use the knife for Every Day Carry (EDC) it will perform. My first impressions leave me with nothing but good things to say about this blade although I will do my best to find some weaknesses for those seeking the dirt on this high end production knife.

General Dimensions and Blade Specifics

The Spyderco Caly3 CF has a total length of 7 inches, a blade length of 3 inches, weight of 3 ounces, and is made in Japan. The knife is slender with a total thickness a hair under 3/8 of an inch. These strike me as ideal dimensions for an EDC knife and I think EDC is exactly what Spyderco had in mind when they put together the Caly3. It also makes a handsome gentleman’s folder.

The blade on this knife is very interesting. It’s a standard Spyderco leaf shaped blade with a thumb hole for deployment and a long curving belly for plenty of cutting space. The blade stock starts at 1/8″ thick and it tapers down to a fine, razor sharp point. The entire blade has been given a beautiful full flat grind and a 12.5 degree edge.

The blade steel Spyderco selected for the Caly3 CF is ZDP189/420J2, a Japanese laminated steel. This is accomplished by sandwiching a piece of ZDP189 between two pieces of 420J2. The 420J2 outer layers are incredibly tough. 420J is commonly used by high end knife manufacturers for liners due to the strength and corrosion resistance of the steel. The cutting edge is ZDP189, an ultra high end steel that is extremely hard. This steel gets incredibly sharp and holds it’s edge very very well. The problem with ZDP189, is that it’s extreme hardness makes it difficult for some to sharpen.

Another potential problem with the 420J2/ZDP189 combination is that 420J2 scratches relatively easily. That said, 420J2 is very stain and corrosion resistant, so the blade is less likely to rust. For those considering the Caly3 CF for EDC, scratching will happen with any knife. Arguments on the pros and cons of the 420J2 outer layer could go on for days, so I’ll just leave it at that.

And on the subject of scratching, one concern with this knife is that the tang rubs up against the knife when deploying and you get very fine circular rubbing marks on the tang. I’ve noticed that this doesn’t only happen with my knife, others have reported it too, and from a collectors standpoint it’s a bit problematic. Perhaps these marks can be carefully buffed out; I will update the review if I try this.

A very cool result of this laminated process is that you can see where the the 420J2 ends and the ZDP189 begins. At first glance, it almost appears as if the knife has been given a saber grind, but upon closer inspection you can see that it is in fact one full flat grind.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle has steel liners (that have been painstakingly and attractively milled out to reduce weight) and polished carbon fiber scales. The carbon fiber is lightweight and handsome however it doesn’t provide the kind of grip a textured G10 handle does. The handle does feel a little slippery when wet. Again I think if Spyderco was going for all out utility they would have selected a different handle material (they did in fact do that for their regular Caly3.5). Even with the lightweight carbon fiber the handle has a little heft to it.

As far as ergonomics are concerned, the knife has excellent jimping on both the thumb ramp and the finger choil. The design of the thumb ramp and choil make the knife fit very well in the hand. Despite the absence of textured handle scales when you are gripping the knife you feel in control, largely due to the excellent ergonomic design. The carbon fiber scales have been radiused and there are no sharp edges in the palm. I think Spyderco came very close to their goal of making the knife an extension of the hand.

The pocket clip is simple yet elegant. It is a single blackened piece of wire that is held in place with a star bolt. I like this style of clip for smaller knives because it is plenty strong and very discrete. Spyderco designed the Caly3 for tip up carry and the clip is reversible. The knife rides low in the pocket and the clip has good retention.

Deployment and Lock

The Caly3 CF uses the signature Spyderco thumb hole for blade deployment. I have found the deployment of the Caly3 to be slow. There is quite a bit of blade retention and it appears to be impossible to flick open. Maybe I need to loosen my pivot screw up? I’d love to hear some opinions. When you do open the knife it clicks in place very forcefully with a nice snap.

The Caly3 is a lockback knife and the lockback is positioned in the middle of the handle. There is absolutely zero blade play and it almost feels as if you are working with a fixed blade knife. This is one of the most solid locking knives I have handled and I am very impressed by the way this knife engages.

Spyderco Caly 3 Carbon Fiber Review – Final Thoughts

The Spyderco Caly3 CF is one hell of a knife. Beautiful materials, rock solid construction and an amazing attention to detail make this a near perfect EDC option. However, the steep price, slow deployment and non-textured handle scales may make people think twice about making this their go to blade. I will say that if you end up deciding on a Caly3 CF, you won’t be disappointed.

Spyderco Caly Prestige Knife with 3.40" ZDP-189 Stainless Steel Blade and Black Carbon Fiber Handle - PlainEdge - C144CFPE

Iconic Design: The Calypso is one of the classic mainstays that spawned numerous variations and converted legions of knife buyers to the benefits of flat-ground, thick leaf-shaped blades.
More To Love: Available now in a premium variant, is the Caly 3.5 with a ZDP-189 blade and carbon fiber handle. The Caly 3.5 combines beauty and functionality into a new Spyderco classic.
Superior Blade Steel: The leaf-shaped blade is made of three layers of steel. The core is high carbon ZDP-189 Japanese powdered steel, the outer laminated layers are softer, pliable 420J2 steel.
Pocket-Friendly: It comes with a gray carbon fiber handle and a mid-positioned back-lock. Its low-seated wire clip designed for right-hand deep-pocket, tip-up carry.
Ergonomic: Great Ergonomics means more control over the cutting edge. The Caly 3.5 accomplishes this with a substantial finger choil located where the handle and blade meet.

I recommend purchasing the Caly 3 Carbon Fiber at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for checking out the review.

Spyderco Military Review

by Dan Jackson 5 Comments

Last updated: February 14, 2019
Those in the military, law enforcement and contract defense firms require high quality gear designed to meet the rigorous demands of these types of positions. The Spyderco Military was designed to meet these demands as either a large utility knife or a full on tactical blade. In addition to law enforcement and military use, this could be an excellent civilian self defense blade or an oversize EDC knife. Lets take a look at what sets this knife apart from Spyderco’s more civilian oriented offerings.

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General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Spyderco Military has an overall length of 9.5″, a 4″ blade, weighs 4.2 ounces, and is made in the USA. It’s a large knife, but when you pick it up I think most will very surprised how light it feels. The knife is extremely light for it size, making it practical for both a hard working tool and as a dedicated self defense knife.

The blade on the Military is a modified drop point design. Spyderco started with 1/8″ blade stock, added a nice full belly, and applied a full flat grind. This is quintessential Spyderco blade, simple, elegant and entirely effective. There is no swedge or recurve – just a simple and utilitarian cutting surface. The tip is unreinforced, and is somewhat delicate if you aren’t careful with it, but I find the blade to overall be very well balanced and good at a variety of cutting tasks.

Spyderco selected CPM-S30V stainless steel for the blade. S30V is excellent stuff. It’s best known for holding a great edge, but it’s also fairly easy to sharpen and very corrosion resistant. I think for a combat knife S30V was a good choice here, provided that you are willing to occasionally sharpen and maintain the edge.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The Spyderco Military features a large handle, designed for serious use. As far as construction is concerned, Spyderco started out with large pieces of G10 and added nested partial steel liners. This provides a lot of strength and rigidity but is also what keeps this knife at an amazing 4.2 ounces. The steel liners are screwed into an aluminum backspacer. Everything can be taken apart and is extremely easy to clean. This is a simple and very effective handle design.

When discussing the ergonomics of the Military, the first thing to mention is how large this handle actually is. I can almost get a 2 hand grip on it – and I wear large gloves. This gives you plenty of room for forward or reverse grips with or without gloves. The G10 provides plenty of traction and Spyderco has done a great job of jimping the thumb ramp and choil. This is very aggressive jimping and it works very well. There is also a small choil so you can choke up on the blade. I’m a big fan of this choil – it allows the Military to flex between a defensive (or offensive) tool, and a straight up utility knife. The ergonomics on the Military are outstanding.

The clip is a simple affair, it’s been blackened and is made of tempered steel. One of the biggest complaints peole have with this knife is that the clip is tip down right side carry only. I know most people prefer tip up, and that would be my preference as well. However, there are no steel liners near the butt of the handle, so there really is no place to add a clip unless you want to significantly increase the weight by adding a larger liner. For people wanting left side carry, Spyderco has a separate left-hand version of the Military available here.

All in all, the clip is good. It rides decently low, it’s discreet and has good retention. Tip up carry would be nice but it’s not feasible given the overall design.

Deployment and Lockup

The Spyderco Military, utilizes an oversize thumb hole (or a “Spyder hole”) for deployment. Deployment on my knife is pretty fast. The thumb hole is a generous 14mm in diameter, which allows for easy access with bare hands or gloves. I can flick the blade out on my new Military, but it takes a little more force. With time the knife and it’s high quality phosphor bronze washers will break in, and deployment will only get smoother and easier.

After deployment the blade is locked in place with a thick steel liner lock. When the lock engages its sounds sorta like someone stepped into a bear trap – it makes a very crisp and satisfying “SNAP” when it locks in place. Lockup is very secure. There is no blade play at all. The partial liners are bolted together through the aluminum backspacer – this is just a rock solid design and again, I’m blown away by the fact that this knife only weighs 4.2 ounces. To have such a big knife with such a strong lock with this weight puts the Military in a class of its own.

Spyderco Military Review – Final Thoughts

The Spyderco Military is an amazing folding tactical knife. With its light weight, large handle and incredibly versatile blade, the Military is made with tactical use in mind. It’s a very well thought out design, and Spyderco has been refining the knife for years. I also really like how the Military is made in America.

In terms of potential criticisms, I would caution readers on the relatively delicate tip of the blade, and the fact that the pocket clip is designed for tip down carry only. If you want a folder that doubles as a pry-bar, I’d look elsewhere (the Zero Tolerance 0550 comes to mind), but if you want a practical tactical knife you will not be disappointed with a Military.

Spyderco Military Model Signature USA-Made Knife with 4" CPM S30V Stainless Steel Blade and Durable Camo G-10 Handle - PlainEdge - C36GPCMO

Iconic Design: Originally created to meet the demanding needs of forward-deployed military personnel, it incorporates all the best elements of Spyderco's unmistakable style while exemplifying our commitment to "Reliable High Performance."
Superior Blade Steel: Since the steel is the spirit of the knife, CPM S30V seemed the logical choice for the blade given its reputation for long-term edge retention and rust resistance. It is available in satin finish or non-reflective DLC coating.
Light and Durable: The Military Model is modified with a clip-point profile and a full-flat grind for balance strength and exceptional cutting performance.
Versatile: A defining feature of the Military Model is the fully accessible 14mm Round Hole. It ensures swift, ambidextrous, one-handed opening: even while wearing gloves.
Dependable: Each knife includes a nested Linerlock mechanism, textured G-10 scales, lined Lanyard holes, and right-side, tip-down pocket clips that keep your knife poised and ready for immediate access.

I recommend purchasing the Spyderco Military at Amazon or BladeHQ . By purchasing things through any of the links on this website you support BladeReviews.com and help produce future reviews without any additional cost to you. Thank you very much.

Spyderco Tenacious Review

by Dan Jackson 19 Comments

Last Updated: December 1, 2019
I found the Spyderco Tenacious when I was looking for a good sized EDC knife on a budget. I did some research and saw that the Tenacious ticked a lot of my boxes.

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At the time I was interested in a knife with a full flat grind, a large plain edge, G10 handle scales and pillar construction. The Tenacious had that and more – all for under $50. So I ordered the knife and had it at my door a couple days later. The following are my thoughts on the Tenacious after using it as a daily carry for several months.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Tenacious has an overall length of 7-3/4″, a 3 3/8″ blade, weighs 4.0 oz, and is made in China. The blade is not only long but it is fairly wide (from edge to spine) at almost an 1.5″ inches. This is a large knife for EDC (Every Day Carry), and people contemplating the Tenacious for that use may prefer it’s smaller brother, the Persistence or the Ambitious. Here is a size comparison with the Mini Griptilian and Kershaw Skyline so you can see what I mean:

It’s a big knife. Not so much how long it is, but the combination of how long and wide it is. It’s a little more at home next to a full size Benchmade Griptilian and a Spyderco Paramilitary 2:

For this reason, the Tenacious is more of a large utility knife than a true EDC. Sure, it can be carried every day, but it’s a good size knife.

The leaf shaped blade of the Tenacious is made of 8Cr13Mov Stainless steel. 8Cr13Mov is a more inexpensive steel that is comparable with Aus 8. However, Spyderco does an excellent job with the heat treat on this steel and my experiences have found that 8Cr13Mov sharpens well and holds a good edge. That said, compared to harder, more expensive steels you will have to sharpen the knife more frequently.

Also, I really like the full flat grind on this knife. It is like a small kitchen knife and is great for slicing, especially through cardboard. That full flat grind just zips through cardboard. The shape is fairly generic, but there is enough belly for EDC tasks

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle is a of pillar construction, which I really like because it makes the knife easy to clean. The handle is layers of steel with G10 scales. The steel has been milled out to reduce the weight, which is a great touch that I love to see on a cheaper knife. The G10 is lightly textured and feels good. It isn’t super abrasive so your pockets will be spared, but it offers nice tactile feedback. I haven’t had any problems with the knife slipping out of my hand, probably because the ergonomics are so good. The G10 has been contoured around the liner lock and there is very good jimping on the thumb ramp and the lock, this makes the knife very easy and comfortable to use.

The ergonomics on the Tenacious are quite good. It has a pretty big handle and it has been well designed. My palm fits nicely and the corners have been rounded slightly for comfort. Also the knife is designed to provide the user good traction, which I find to be important for a mid sized folding EDC knife like this. Since it is a cheap knife, I have a tendency to have it do my “dirty work” that I wouldn’t subject some of my more expensive knives too. The large thumb ramp and jimping really helps keep your thumb in place and maintain control when putting some power behind the blade. I’ve used this knife pretty hard and “Tenacious” is an apt name because it keeps on ticking.

Pocket clips can be a problem with expensive knives, let alone cheap ones, so I was really pleased with the clip on the Tenacious. It’s a signature Spyderco Hourglass shaped clip that provides good pocket retention without shredding your pants up. Also the clip is mountable on all 4 corners of the knife, so you can carry this knife in your left or right pocket, tip up or tip down. As a lefty on a budget, I loved this feature. The knife rides pretty low in your pocket.

I will say that my clip had a tendency to come loose until I hit it with some lock-tite. My guess is that you are going to want to do the same.

Deployment and Lock Up

The deployment on this knife is very nice. The thumb hole (“Spyderhole”) makes it easy to access the blade with bare hands or gloves – in rain or shine. The action is smooth, thanks in part to phosphor bronze bushings. The bushings on this knife are apparently pretty thin, but I’ve been flicking this knife open for months and it still deploys very smoothly.

Also, the lock on this knife is solid. The Tenacious uses a thick liner lock that bites deep into the blade. I detect zero up and down movement when the knife is locked and a tiny amount of side to side movement.

Here is a parting size comparison with the Delica and Endura:

Overall Fit and Finish

So one thing that kind of concerned me about this knife was that it was made in China. At the time the Tenacious originally came out, there was a lot of stigma regarding Chinese manufacturing and Chinese knives. Today, with the advent of high end Chinese knife manufacturers like Reate, there is less of a concern, although certainly some of that original stigma still exists.

I will say that the build quality of the Tenacious is impressive considering the price. I am pleased with the fit and finish and whoever manufactured this for Spyderco did a good job.

Spyderco Tenacious Review – Final Thoughts

As I turn to my final remarks on the Tenacious, I think we should consider the topic of “value” – as that often plays in to the commentary on the Tenacious, and many consider this to be a “value” knife. To be honest, I think the knife is well priced right around $30. It’s a good amount of knife for the money, it’s well designed, the materials are adequate, the fit and finish is adequate – I really cant complain. That said, I would likely not pay $50, or $75 for this knife, and think it is priced appropriately for what it is.

The Tenacious rounds out Spyderco’s product line nicely and is an affordable knife that has all of the design elements and features Spyderco is known for. I like the Tenacious and recommend it for someone seeking an affordable larger EDC knife, or a hearty utility knife that can be used hard guilt free.

Spyderco Tenacious Folding Utility Pocket Knife with 3.39" 8Cr13MoV Stainless Steel Blade and Durable Non-Slip G-10 Handle - Everyday Carry - PlainEdge - C122GP

Game Changer: Being tenacious means you are persistent and cohesive. It's being tough and tireless in achieving your best performance; all worthy descriptive words for a hard-use knife
Superior Blade Steel: The 3.39" 8Cr13Mov stainless blade is leaf-shaped and ground flat from spine to cutting edge for non-stop cutting performance.
A Secure Grip: It has a black G-10 laminate handle, Ergonomically milled with prolonged fatigue-free cutting in mind.
Easy-To-Use: The blade's shape coupled with an oversized Spyderco Round Hole and textured spine jimping allows you to open the blade and position your thumb on the spine in slip-proof confidence ready for work.
Pocket-Friendly: The Tenacious includes a Walker Linerlock and a 4-way pocket clip lets the folder be set in a variety of carry and draw positions: Tip-up/tip-down left-hand/right-hand.

I recommend buying the Spyderco Tenacious at Amazon or BladeHQ. Buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com and keeps the website going. Any support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.