Spyderco Gayle Bradley Folding Knife, CPM-M4, Carbon Fiber, C134CFP2
[C134CFP2]

I've had this for a few weeks and I've carried it every day since I received it (usually in tandem with a smaller folder). I never encountered a GB1 before, so the only comparisons I can make to it are visual differences. I don't think they were designed to fulfill the same roles though (albeit with significant overlap in usage), so I rather judge this knife on its own merits anyway.

Design:
I'm normally averse to large folders (as a single office edc option), but this one really does it for me. Between the CF/G10 scale, proud liners, and elegant lines, it's a very, very beautiful blade. My hand fits comfortably on the handle in a variety of positions, with or without gloves. The blade and tang all flow into and with the handle open or closed, and it makes me wish for this design to filter down to a small/medium size (Caly 3/Chaparral) too. The slight negative angle on the blade and the belly makes approaching material pretty easy on the wrist. The long flat of the edge gives it a good pull cut distance.

Fit and Finish:
Taichung fit and finish is easily one of the best _$400 displays of production craftsmanship and machining prowess out there. Everything on the knife, machining-wise was perfect. the proud liners are slightly rounded and polished, so it doesn't bite. The Spyderhole is quite crisp, but evenly done. Swedges line up perfectly in location and depth.

Not so great are my edge bevels; they were a bit off out of the box, especially about 3-4 mm out from the ricasso. It was very obtuse there, and especially so on the right side of the blade compared to the left. It still cut, but reprofiling to 30 degrees inclusive has been a chore.

Performance:
The hollow grind makes for a very slim edge. I don't have calipers but Gayle mentioned at Shot Show 2016 that they're thinner behind the edge than on the GB1. It's not as tanky looking as the GB1, but so far I've been soaring through cardboard and small sticks and pencils with aplomb. The working edge on the M4 stays there for a good long while without deformation at 30 degrees inclusive. I haven't brought the knife to outright dullness yet. The lock is rock solid but I haven't really stressed it with pressure because the edge is just cutting through material with less pressure than I'm used to applying.

Deployment:
My knife came out of the box slightly gritty. It was relatively easy to fix by simply running some floss through the pivot areas. Some G10 or CF dust was captured by the grease/oil that was applied to the blade for transit and made their way into the pivot/bushing area. I haven't taken it apart to really give it a full cleaning (I can't seem to open it), but it's so smooth right now I don't feel that is necessary.

The detent is a bit easy to overcome.

Unlocking the knife was tough the first few days. My thumb was already callousing from working the Positron's lock, but it got a whole new level of toughness practicing on the GB2. It's solid, but not overly difficult. The lock jimping really digs into the thumb meat during the push.

Carry:
The standard spoon pocket clip is harder to tuck into my jeans than the deep-carry wire clip that I'm used to. Quite a bit of knife juts out in tip up carry (less so in tip down, but displays a wider). The dip in the clip is in a great spot though when using the knife. The GB2 carries quite slimly in pocket in both dimensions and is really light for it's looks.

Conclusion
I think the GB2 is the best value for a medium/high end folding knife right now for the blade:length/weight/price ratios. It only costs a little bit more than a standard PM2 with more blade edge in a similar size, a more comfortable handle, and an arguably better steel beyond its corrosion resistance. For much less than a large Sebenza or 940-1, you get a similar sized knife with better/equal edge retention and a similar classiness of design. The Gayle Bradley 2 Folder is the complete package.