A Short Rant About Zero Tolerance

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i'm not a zt owner yet but i'd like to see more unassisted opening choices, less bulkiness, and a little bit smaller blade. zt blades are a spitting image of the kershaw's so giving it a little less belly and timmer look would have me more interested.
 
cards94 said:
i'm not a zt owner yet but i'd like to see more unassisted opening choices, less bulkiness, and a little bit smaller blade. zt blades are a spitting image of the kershaw's so giving it a little less belly and timmer look would have me more interested.
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ZT knives are by design supposed to be heavier, thicker, tougher than your regular Kershaw models. To remove that key element is to simply broaden the Kershaw line and do away with the ZT line all together. Kershaw probably offers more variety than any other manufacturer out there ( the only competitors are probably Buck and Benchmade). This is like saying that you love Land Rovers, but would be more interested if they made a Toyota Prius like model. Please stop.
 
RevDevil said:
ZT knives are by design supposed to be heavier, thicker, tougher than your regular Kershaw models. To remove that key element is to simply broaden the Kershaw line and do away with the ZT line all together. Kershaw probably offers more variety than any other manufacturer out there ( the only competitors are probably Buck and Benchmade). This is like saying that you love Land Rovers, but would be more interested if they made a Toyota Prius like model. Please stop.
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well if they're suppose to be that way by design, the bulkiness and heavier, and don't plan on changing anything with newer sleeker designs, than i guess they're not for me.
 
cards94 said:
well if they're suppose to be that way by design, the bulkiness and heavier, and don't plan on changing anything with newer sleeker designs, than i guess they're not for me.
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You, along with many others.

Have you even seen the 0770? Thin, light, it's assisted, but last I heard it has a detent hole in it.
 
ksseabrd said:
Really the only thing that is bugging me about ZT, is the fact they seem to do a lot of "teasing". It seems to me there is a lot of "talk" about the knives that are "coming soon" and it seems to take forever for those knives to actually be produced, IF they ever do get produced.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think you really hear much from BM about new knives until they are actually available for sale. Seems a better way to go.

(Please correct me where I am wrong)
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Yeah it happens with BM, too. I have a 7505-132 on pre-order. It was supposed to be released "around Aug. 1" but not out yet. Had pre-ordered it back in June and it was announced well before that. Now, coincidentally, it is "coming soon". :D

Street Samurai1978 said:
I love my new ZT 0121, even if it does stink of Strider. I don't own any ZT folders, as I'm not the biggest folder fan the world has ever known. Still, this may make me a believer.
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I love my 0121. I only own 2 ZTs, the 0121 & a folder, the ZT0360. Both are great knives, but there isn't much else in the product line that interests me right now [Edit: although I do like 0777]. I've got a few Kershaws that I like as well, and my Wife owns 3 KAI scissors, so it isn't a dislike of the brand. IMHO, the OP makes a decent point.

But that is OK. Every mfg. makes a business decision about who and what demographic that they want to appeal to and then they tailor their choices in that direction. Business 101. In the case of KAI products, especially ZT, what they are currently offering isn't what I like, but enough people DO like what they are offering that they must be happy with their current direction. Meanwhile, there are more than enough companies producing what I want that I can't complain. :)
 
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Rival1314 said:
I really dont understand the rise in all these threads where people feel the need to "get something off their chest".

Here is something i need to get off my chest. I loved looking at the kershaw forum every day. I made great connections,learned valuable info, and was able to profesionally offer criticism & suggestions. That is gone because of a small minority of loud whiners. lets not continue to loos other great forms of communication with our manufacturers because the same BS keeps coming up.
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You really can't blame the whiners. Every manufacturer attracts a few disgruntled folks who enter threads with a negative agenda. Others handle them and continue on. As a matter of fact the Kai rep posted in this thread in a manner that did not ruffle feathers but made the point. Kudos for them!
 
the only knife i've had from zt is the 200 and i had loads of lock failure so i sent it in for warranty work and got it back and guess what? same problem. i think their knives look good including the 801 but, likely after all the heat with their elmax and everything else i will not be buying from them. there are loads of good knives out there just begging me to buy them.
 
buckgen5 said:
the only knife i've had from zt is the 200 and i had loads of lock failure so i sent it in for warranty work and got it back and guess what? same problem. i think their knives look good including the 801 but, likely after all the heat with their elmax and everything else i will not be buying from them. there are loads of good knives out there just begging me to buy them.
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My ZT200 has had some lock failures when muddy, usually resulting in the lock jamming.
 
Bugout Bill said:
My ZT200 has had some lock failures when muddy, usually resulting in the lock jamming.
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@buckgen5 and Bugout Bill,

I find this to be the case with pretty much all folding knives. Sand, mud, etc.. if they find a way between any lock surface, it'll cause a slip or jam. At minimum, debris caught up in the washers/bearings can slow the deployment and not allow the lockface to engage properly. I could be mistaken, but your expectations seem unfairly high. I like flow through constructions specifically because it's easier to clean through with running water or a can of air.

Maybe your solution to this would be a fixed blade.
 
TEFL0N_D0N_81 said:
@buckgen5 and Bugout Bill,

I find this to be the case with pretty much all folding knives. Sand, mud, etc.. if they find a way between any lock surface, it'll cause a slip or jam. At minimum, debris caught up in the washers/bearings can slow the deployment and not allow the lockface to engage properly. I could be mistaken, but your expectations seem unfairly high. I like flow through constructions specifically because it's easier to clean through with running water or a can of air.

Maybe your solution to this would be a fixed blade.
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My Glock 78 proved to be a suitible replacement.
 
cards94 said:
i'm not a zt owner yet but i'd like to see more unassisted opening choices, less bulkiness, and a little bit smaller blade. zt blades are a spitting image of the kershaw's so giving it a little less belly and timmer look would have me more interested.
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It's all personal preference and yours is as valid as mine but, for what it's worth, I really like the thickness and "built like a tank" feeling I get from ZT. I plan on getting the 0566 but I have the feeling from looking at photos that its not going to feel like what I've come to expect from ZT. I am thinking the same thing with the 0801 that I plan on picking up sometime after the 0566 (and my strider smf). I hope I'm wrong about the 0566 and it feels like I could cut a car in half with it :)
 
Locutus D'Borg said:
I was not aware that manufacturers were using solid ZDP-189 blades.
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IIRC, Spyderco was the first U.S. manufacturer to use ZDP-189 in their knives. They offer quite a few in ZDP. I am quite fond of the Stretch; have had several.
http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/list.php?blade=ZDP-189

"I guess I thought they were the same thing. I was referring to clad blades."

Hey, Locutus, I don't know a clad from a composite blade either. I have an excellent Kershaw JYD 2.2 that is D2 with copper brazing of the softer steels. Perhaps one of these guys can tell BOTH OF US.

And yes, I've had maybe eight ZT's, and they are great knives. Never had any problem with any of them. Smooth opening; never had a sticky one; strong as a bull.

Sonnydaze
 
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NeilB said:
I'm pretty sure it's still OK here in America to have a discussion about what we, the consumer, think a company ought to produce and why--we are, after all, the sole reason for their existence.
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*rolls eyes*

Hi Mr. Entitlement. Been wading around in the Me-Generation's pool a bit much?
 
sticktodrum said:
*rolls eyes*

Hi Mr. Entitlement. Been wading around in the Me-Generation's pool a bit much?
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What does this snarky comment have to do with the topic at hand?

ON TOPIC: most companies tend to diversify their offerings. it's not a bad thing. buy what you want.
 
sticktodrum said:
*rolls eyes*

Hi Mr. Entitlement. Been wading around in the Me-Generation's pool a bit much?
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Stuff like this is exactly why the subforum was closed and the main reason I won't buy Kershaw/ZT products. You guys had your subforum and you ruined it with drivel. Please don't bring that crap into the rest of the site.

On topic: I can appreciate ZT's want/need to branch out into other uses. You can only make so many huge recurve blades before you've covered it. I like the idea of innovation and advancement within a company... It's what keeps things fresh. I liken it to when Metallica cut their hair and released "Load". A lot of their followers jumped ship, but a lot of people (like myself) saw them finally "grow up".
 
Street Samurai1978 said:
I love my new ZT 0121, even if it does stink of Strider. I don't own any ZT folders, as I'm not the biggest folder fan the world has ever known. Still, this may make me a believer.

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I held off a very long time buying the 0121 as I was certain that the handle would be too short for my large hands but I couldn't have be more wrong...its now one of my most used (and used hard) fixed blades. Hell, I'm thinking about buying another just to have another one hand just in case...its a great knife and now it can be found at a great price.

I've yet to be disappoint in any ZT I've bought and I have more ZT folders than any other brand. I already have the 0300 and I'll be ordering a 0301 this weekend. Any knife I buy is going to be used and thus far I've had none of the problems that some have had with Elmax steel or any detent problems...that's not to say that I didn't have to get use to the action of a new knife but to me that's to be expected.
 
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I disagree. I like the direction. Im more into zts now then I ever was. 2 yrs ago I owned zero now up to about 6 and you better believe Im getting a 454 and using it just like I do all my keepers. If anything I feel they have made there line much more interesting as of late, keep it up yall.
 
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