Advice on zero tolerance/ benchmade

B

blakeleyla

Joined
Dec 8, 2015
Messages
3
Hi Ya'll,
So Christmas is coming up and I want to get my boyfriend something nice... for his birthday I purchased the Paramilitary 2 which he loved and said it was the best knife that he has ever owned. He also has a Benchmade Griptilian that he likes a lot... he also had a thing for flippers.

Basically I'm just looking to go up and get him something a little bit nicer and a step up from the Para 2 (If thats possible lol). I was looking at a 3rd generation 0550 ZT but it's s35v and I'm worried about sharpening...
Thanks in advance!
 
The para2 is s30v so there shouldn't be any measurable difference in sharpening for the majority of people.

If he likes flippers, stick with ZT as theirs are head and shoulders above Spyderco and Benchmade's offerings.

0562, 0808, 0452cf, 0900 all depending on what size he likes.
 
ZT has a great lineup of flippers. Which one would be best depends largely on the size he likes. If you buy from a reputable dealer (Knivesshipfree, Knifecenter, Bladehq, Knifeworks, usamadeblade...) he can return it for a different one if you mess up! I love the 0801 (relatively larger), the 0808 (relatively smaller), the 0450 (relatively thinner) and the 0770cf (assisted opening, which some like and some don't). The 0770cf has carbon fiber scales (hence the cf) and is incredibly light, yet strong. While I haven't yet gotten the 0562cf, it is universally loved by everyone who has one. Happy shopping.
 
If you are looking for a flipper I would recommend the 0562 over the 0550. The 550 was my favorite ZT until I got my 562 and my 550 hardly gets carried anymore now. Unless you wanna go with some of the larger offerings the 0770cf as well as the 0566 are also great knives but these two are assisted openers.
 
What's your price range?

I mean, 3 totally different knives by 3 totally different companies; some spydie fans swear by the para2 being the best knife around... Meanwhile ZT and BM have their fair share of die hard faithfuls as well, so hard to say a ZT is going to necessarily be a "step up", or just something new and different... Either way, you're an awesome girlfriend for being here and doing this in the first place, I'm sure he'll love it.

That said, s35v and s30v, while different animals, are not " that" far off from each other, (some people even prefer s30v still), and since he has a thing for flippers, I'd say go with something in Elmax rather then another similar cpm Steel. Just like the knife itself, he may or may not like it better, a lot of personal preference will come into play, but if going for something "different" high quality, give him something completely different. It performs great, and is actually a bit easier to maintain... Also I'd suggest a carbon fiber or "nicer" designed handle then the standard g10 on the para2 and the Grip... Gives it even more of a "difference" appeal to set it apar from the others...
ZT 0566cf and 0770cf woukd make great options.

Wilson Tactical Combat RRX is a sweet looking knife with good reviews also if you'd be will to up your price a bit. Definitely a "nicer" knife, and if your man is into guns at all, he may appreciate the name sake more as well...

wanted to be a REALLY GOOD gf, you could consider buying him a marfione custom???

Happy hunting...
 
While not a set-in-stone rule, ZT knives are often heavily built, heavy and big to carry while Benchmade knives are often lighter, narrower in profile and easier to carry. Both are excellent brands. There are exceptions in both brands.

Flippers? ZT makes several, Benchmade...not really. But the Benchmade Axis lock really equates to "flipping" when adjusted loose and opened with a quick movement of the wrist.

The 0550 is not a flipper. But it is about as smooth as a knife can get and opens with a quick flick of the thumb. Overall, it's a great knife, large and heavy but not so large and heavy it limits carry. It's also being discontinued by ZT so there may be some closeout prices.

Not enough difference sharpening S30V and S35VN to matter.

I'll make a quick suggestion. Look at the Benchmade 710 McHenry & Williams. Runs $153 just about everywhere with the black coated model costing more. It's a classic, been in the Benchmade line for over 15 years and it's still pretty popular. It's one of those knives knife people almost have to own. It's long in blade (3.9"), narrow in profile and carries very easily. The D2 steel is maybe a hair tougher to sharpen than S30V and S35VN but not much. There is another special model available from Knifeworks that has M390 steel which I'm totally unfamiliar with. It costs about $180, IIRC.

Merry Christmas.
 
Great knife but id recommend buying from a dealer. Try Kershawguy.com. His Prices are competitive and his service is superb.
 
The 0562 CF is a great choice, in addition to the carbon fiber, the blade steel is upgraded to CTS 204P. I second the recommendations for Kershawguy.com and usamadeblade.com
 
Another recommendation for the 0562 here. I have the Elmax version and I find Elmax to be very similar to S30V/S35VN for sharpening.

There is also the more expensive CTS 204P 0562 with carbon fibre scales, very nice indeed, although the G10 is more grippy and has a more purposeful tool look and feel to it to me.
And yes, look to the recommended dealers as stated above rather than turning to the big river site.
 
No need to buy a aftermarket scale if you get the 0562CF model that comes with slightly better blade steel. For $40 more I would get the CF model for the better blade steel and the CF handle. If he doesn't like the CF handle I am sure I can sell it off for $40 alone.

Try these sites they have both G10/ElMax and CarbonFiber/CTS204P in stock. Below are links to the Carbon Fiber model. Good Luck.

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Zero-Tolerance-0562CF-Carbon-Fiber--21521
https://www.knivesshipfree.com/zero-tolerance-zt0562cf-rick-hinderer-slicer-carbon-fiber/
 
Good choice. Definitely get the cf version and definitely buy from a dealer (any of the ones mentioned in the thread are solid). I've bought knives off of Amazon with no issues, but - I knew exactly what I wanted and it was always a less expensive knife (little risk). In your case, you'd be safer buying from a dealer (the prices will be exactly the same) in case your guy wants to exchange it or if there is any problem otherwise.
 
Kershawguy was the first place I looked but he doesn't have that exact knife, guess I can order from bladehq.
 
Christmas is over, but I just picked up ZT 562 and it's one very good quality knife. Now looking for a scale. Not readily available.
 
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