Bradley Cutlery Alias 2

Reviewed 10/11/2010 by Jesse

-Price Paid: $190.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

I chose this knife because I wanted a small yet robust, high-quality indoor/outdoor EDC knife. A titanium framelock with S30V steel seemed to fit the bill and my budget, so I went with the Alias II.

Quick history: The Alias was created to fulfill some of the demand for the incredibly popular Chris Reeve Sebenza knife, at a lower cost. They share the same locking mechanism and most of the same materials, though the Bradley sports aluminum thumbstud and barrel spacers as well as a stainless steel pocket clip vs. the Sebenza which replaces those materials with titanium. I've owned a Sebenza but this will not be a comparison.

This knife is extremely comfortable in my small hands. The shape of the handle and the jimping on top assures a solid grip. The size strikes the right balance between strength and pocket space. Larger people may want to consider the Alias I but this one is literally perfect on my 5'6" body. My only real criticism of the handle and the knife is how the anodized titanium scratches so easily.

Bradley is owned by Benchmade, and although this is not an axis lock knife it certainly flicks open with the same near-automatic speed. I have noticed how the thumbstud is a bit pointy and slightly uncomfortable as it digs into your finger, but this is a minor issue. Once open, it's hard not to notice how light the knife is at 3 ounces, which only adds to its appeal as an EDC option. At the same time, it looks and feels very strong.

My Alias II required some adjustment to achieve zero blade play but now it is rock solid.

The blade itself is perhaps the most interesting part of the knife. The "modified spear point" is an effective shape and well-suited for slicing and piercing. It's also stonewashed which should help a bit in hiding scratches on the blade. I haven't used this knife much yet but when handed a package sealed with that thick plastic I was surprised at how easily it cut right through.

Overall, this is a very well-designed, solid, lightweight little (EDC) indoor/outdoor knife. It's not what I would call a "construction site knife," as it's a little too refined, but it should be comfortable in most other arenas.