Any Southard/Domino owners also have experience with ZT knives?

[BatCountry9]

Recently, I've been carrying a ZT 0561 in one pocket and a Delica in the other. I'm actually not a big flipper guy, but my two ZT knives are amazing and the Southard and Domino only piqued my interest further.

So, although the flippers from each company are quite different, I was wondering if any of you could compare the overall feel of the two? Smoothness of opening, lockup, ergos, etc. I think F&F goes without saying as the Taichung Spydies are impeccable.

All this Domino talk recently really has me champing at the bit. Any input would help. Thanks!

 

[SHKnives]

I own lots of ZT's and a few Southard's. ZT's are pretty awesome and probably win on smoothness but the Southard is just simply amazing.

 

[tomjr]

I own a ZT0560. I got to try a domino at the shot show. I remember the knife felt great and the blade opening was fast and smooth. Of the knives I got to see at the show, I liked the ZT0566 and ZT0770, but I remember the domino was one knife I really wanted to own. The knife I handled might have been a prototype, but if you are interested, check it out.

 

[nickites]

Southard is slim and the blade hides almost entirely in the handle when closed. Good amount of cutting edge for the handle length. It feels very sturdy and has really thick blade stock which may make it not quite as good at slicing (it pops apples open).

Domino is kind of chunky and there's a good deal of blade sticking out of the closed handle. Blade seems short for the amount of handle. This handle length/blade length ratio appears to be of great concern to some people. I don't think it's a problem if the ergonomics are still good.

They both have great action probably partly due to both having bearings instead of normal washers. So the actions are smooth. Southard has a bit weaker detent, so the speed from flipping it seems a bit slower, but it could just be an illusion from the longer, thicker blade having to swing farther. Domino has a tight detent, so the flip happens quick and snappy. The blade steel is thinner and it has a bit different sound upon locking after flipping, kind of a "click" versus the "thwock" of the Southard.

I've carried the Southard for months and I love the thing. It doesn't look like a classic Spyderco. It feels light, but burly at the same time. The Domino looks like the classic leaf-shaped blade Spyderco is known for. It may not quite be the hard use knife that the Southard is, but I think it will do just fine for most tasks. I think the Domino handle feels a little better in hand, but it's blade feels a bit dainty compared to the Southard.

 

[evilgreg]

I've carried the Southard for months and I love the thing. It doesn't look like a classic Spyderco. It feels light, but burly at the same time. The Domino looks like the classic leaf-shaped blade Spyderco is known for. It may not quite be the hard use knife that the Southard is, but I think it will do just fine for most tasks. I think the Domino handle feels a little better in hand, but it's blade feels a bit dainty compared to the Southard.

I'm with nickites on this, his comparison is IMO on target. My favorite ZT flipper is the 0801, and I also have the Southard and Domino.

The 0801 flips incredibly well, looks great, and somehow feels even tankier to me than other ZTs. It's not huge, but it feels like a stout little monster. Locked, it feels like it never folded up in the first place. It's also bigger closed, heavy and thick, heavier and thicker than both the Southard and Domino by a large margin (e.g. it's over 50% heavier than my Southard, 3.8oz versus 5.8oz).

The Domino is the thinnest of the three, even compared to my slimmed down pimped Southard. It's almost as bulky as the ZT 0801, outside of being thinner and lighter. It feels quite a bit bigger in the pocket than the Southard, but around as big as the ZT 0801. It has a huge handle area when opened, thanks to the finger choil, but it also has a very small sharpened edge (about two thirds of an inch less than the Southard or ZT 0801). It flips just as well as the 0801--both feature feisty detents that make them fire perfectly every time.

The Southard is smaller closed than the other two, and almost as thin as the Domino (at least my slimmed down Southard is). Between being so much smaller, area-wise, closed and also being lighter, it feels much smaller in the pocket. It's super smooth, and flips very well, but not quite as well as the 0801 or Domino. It has the weird quality of feeling too light for its size, yet sturdy and reliable enough at the same time for anything that you want to throw at it. I find that handle very comfortable, and the depression in the smooth back of the spine make for a nice thumb spot for choking up. It's an amazing knife, one that I was completely uninterested in until someone I love bought me one (I always thought it was too fugly to buy, even if everyone loved it).

IMO, the Southard spanks the other two handily for carrying everywhere all the time. I love the 0801, but it's too heavy (to me) to carry in loose shorts or dress pants. For me, the Domino is an interesting novelty at best. It flips great, and I personally love the textured checked scale, but it's just a Sage with a flipper (=lots of handle, not so much sharp stuff).

 

[RamZar]

Let me echo to a large extent what evilgreg and nickites said above.

ZT 0801 flips with the most authority and has an air of full-titanium coolness about. My favorite production ZT. The downside is the weight plus they could've made the clip, screws and pivot in chrome/titanium colors for better looks but that's just me.

Southard has a narrow and slim profile as opposed to ZT and Domino with wider stances. Southard can be made even less thick with an aftermarket scale. The flipper action is smooth albeit not snappy. I don't have an issue opening the Southard with the Spydie hole since I don't use the full thumb. Waiting for LSCF scale to come and that will definitely enhance the bland tan G10 look plus making it thinner.

Domino is closer to the 0801 in snappy flipper action. The only issue I have with the Domino is that due to its width it occupies too much of my pocket. A blade that is not as wide will do wonders for looks and width.

All three are winners. So, three thumbs up! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[evilgreg]

A few quick photos of the Southard, Domino and ZT 0801 together. They're all pretty similar in terms of closed length, but the ZT is tallest, the giant Spyderhump blade of the Domino makes it next tallest, and then the Southard is smallest by a wide margin:

From above, you'd think they were all the same size:

But open and lined up where the sharp stuff starts, it's a whole different story:

And totally off-topic, while I find the 0560 and 0801 too heavy for all-around use, I think I could live pretty happily with my requirements if I could only have two pocket knives to have something like these two:

The tanky 0801 for jeans, and the ultra-light, ultra-thin William Henry for days that I have to suit up. That wouldn't be too bad at all.

For all-around use, though, I love that damn Southard. Feels tough enough for whatever I throw at it, but at the same time it's light and small enough that I can get away with taking it almost everywhere.

 

[FCM415]

Very nice Evilgreg, thanks for sharing.

I passed on the 801... Because I have the 801CF on preorder

 

[RamZar]

For all-around use, though, I love that damn Southard. Feels tough enough for whatever I throw at it, but at the same time it's light and small enough that I can get away with taking it almost everywhere.

If I had to choose just one out of the three (0801, Southard and Domino) it'd be the Southard as well. Slim profile is what does it for me. On top of that it's light. My only gripe is the bland tan G10 scale but my LSCF scale should be here this week (are you listening ShepardCC?) to fix the aesthetics and a further reduction in weight.

 

[MEJ]

Why is one side thicker? I have seen people mention it and i noticed it a tad bit but havnet seen anyone give an explanation.

 

[evilgreg]

If I had to choose just one out of the three (0801, Southard and Domino) it'd be the Southard as well. Slim profile is what does it for me. On top of that it's light. My only gripe is the bland tan G10 scale but my LSCF scale should be here this week (are you listening ShepardCC?) to fix the aesthetics and a further reduction in weight.

After Barry H. pimped my Southard, putting on an almost completely symmetrical LSCF scale and overtravel stop, the weight dropped to 3.788 oz. It's not only pretty, and more pocket friendly (the stock G10 texture is really grippy) but I like that it's not asymmetrical anymore.

Why is one side thicker? I have seen people mention it and i noticed it a tad bit but havnet seen anyone give an explanation.

Of which knife? The Domino's lock side and scale side are pretty close in thickness, as are the sides on my pimped Southard. The stock Southard has a much thicker scale side (not sure that there's any reason, and outside of it looking a little odd you don't notice it when using it in any case).

 

[spketch]

I'm not sure about all this blade to handle ratio stuff... Did nutnfancy start that?
I have big hands and like the handle of my knife I free a full grip. Sometimes I want a shorter blade, but I still prefer a full handle. This is what I really like about the domino.
It's a medium sized folder that offers almost the same handle real estate as an 0560 if you use the choil.
I'm very pleased with it so far.

 

[evilgreg]

I'm not sure about all this blade to handle ratio stuff... Did nutnfancy start that?

I don't really know what this means, but I'm not a nutnfancy viewer. I did try to watch one of his videos once, but he just started rambling about his philosophy of life or something and I gave up.

I think in my case I may just be used to "normal" shaped pocket knives for everyday carry. Going from Benchmades (mostly 707 for tiny knife times, 940 for all the time, 710 for work time) to something like a PM2/Sage/Domino is sort of jarring. The knives feel twice as big in your pocket, then half as big when they're opened.

The tall blade is really more obnoxious to me than the IMO unnecessary finger choil making for a short sharpened edge (finger choils are great for making tiny knives comfortable, but on bigger knives you're just losing blade)--the tall blade makes the knife feel big in the pocket.

But we don't all have to like the same things, right? I never use my PM2 or Military, but I use my 710 and 950 Rift all the time. I'm not a Spyderco hater--I carry a Southard most days, after all, and I have a bunch of them. After three days of carrying the Domino, though, it's probably getting banished back to its box. Just doesn't do it for me. To each his own and all that. Luck these companies make knives in enough different flavors that there's one for all of us.

 

[Slice-N-Dice]

Very interesting comparisons EVILGREG !!! Thank you for going in depth and posting the pics of all three knives. I am trying to decide between the 0801 and the Domino, i've been going back and forth between the two. My current edc blade is my pimped spyderco Southard..... maybe I will just stick with it for now, as it looks to beat out the other two knives.

 

[spketch]

I don't really know what this means, but I'm not a nutnfancy viewer. I did try to watch one of his videos once, but he just started rambling about his philosophy of life or something and I gave up.

I think in my case I may just be used to "normal" shaped pocket knives for everyday carry. Going from Benchmades (mostly 707 for tiny knife times, 940 for all the time, 710 for work time) to something like a PM2/Sage/Domino is sort of jarring. The knives feel twice as big in your pocket, then half as big when they're opened.

The tall blade is really more obnoxious to me than the IMO unnecessary finger choil making for a short sharpened edge (finger choils are great for making tiny knives comfortable, but on bigger knives you're just losing blade)--the tall blade makes the knife feel big in the pocket.

But we don't all have to like the same things, right? I never use my PM2 or Military, but I use my 710 and 950 Rift all the time. I'm not a Spyderco hater--I carry a Southard most days, after all, and I have a bunch of them. After three days of carrying the Domino, though, it's probably getting banished back to its box. Just doesn't do it for me. To each his own and all that. Luck these companies make knives in enough different flavors that there's one for all of us.

Haha "philosophy of life"!
I am guilty of watching his videos when I first got into knives, and he would complain when a knife didn't have a "perfect" one to one blade/handle ratio. I just never understood that.
I prefer a handle that is a little larger than my hand, but of course that's just my personal preference.
I can see why you would dislike the tall blade if you prefer knives like the 710 and 940. They both feel too narrow in my hand.

Amen to the different flavors for all of us!

 

[BillOwen]

My Domino is the best production flipper I own. That being said I think I prefer the Southard (just because of the looks). I also have a ZT0301 which I don't really carry because it is pretty heavy and a ZT 0561. My 0561 has been giving me problems as of late. The titanium lock bar has worn down and gets stuck under the blade in the open position. I want to throw it against a wall.

 

[Carnage1]

Where you get those scales?

 

[whp]

Have a Southard a 561 and a 560. I have inspected the Domino at the store. While all seem to be fine knives, I believe the Southard has the best f and f , ergonomics , size and last but certainly not least blade steel. One of the best Spydercos ever made in my modest experience. Fine edc.

 

[RamZar]

My Domino is the best production flipper I own. That being said I think I prefer the Southard (just because of the looks). I also have a ZT0301 which I don't really carry because it is pretty heavy and a ZT 0561. My 0561 has been giving me problems as of late. The titanium lock bar has worn down and gets stuck under the blade in the open position. I want to throw it against a wall.

Send it to KAI under warranty: ZERO TOLERANCE WARRANTY INFORMATION

 

[Sonnydaze]

I've had two Southards...none of the others. I liked the action of the Southard, but I wished it were a bit heavier... I've owned quite a number of ZT's...excellent folders. Both 055x's and both 056x's and several 0350's in various dress. The only ZT I have presently is a gen 2 0550, and it's a nice compromise and size and "power." One of my favorites is a 0350 in ZDP-189...a great steel. But now you can get one in M390 which is a big step above ZDP. And it's NOT very expensive. They're all good choices; size depends on individual needs and cost.
Just my opinion.