Are ZT's overpriced?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Kai Corp. said:
"Does anyone else feel that the zts are similar to the old higher quality Kershaws, but at 2-3 times the price? I don't think I would be allowed to post that question in kai's forum. Compare a Kershaw spec bump, which you could get for about $120, or the Tyrade, which was insanely good at about $200, to the zt 560, which you apparently can't expect to be perfect at $260".
Click to expand...

The OP's (the original scared off one) questions seemed more focused but many answers here are much more general and drifting!

That one comment: "zt 560, which you apparently can't expect to be perfect at $260" is borderline hearsay! S/he should've kept it to just the first question so I'll stay on that.

I'd assume the OP's question is relating to the Kershaw Limited Edition exotics like Tyrade 1850, Tilt 4001, Speedform 3500 and Volt 3600 from a number of years ago. Such exotics have now moved to ZT in knives like 0560CBCF, 0777, 0888, 0454 and 0801CF. From the few that I have or handled from both groups the quality is superb across all of them.

Are the latter ZT LEs overpriced compared to the former Kershaw LEs? Well, consider the Kershaw ones are from 5-6 years ago or thereabouts and in the intervening years we went through a recession. They're overpriced if you pay around MSRP or above as some did for the 0560CBCF but there was no need for that. Some got it for MAP and even below that!

Perhaps a comparison of the Kershaw Tyrdade 1850 versus the ZT 0561 is what the "OP" had in mind. I have both but paid $100 more for the Tyrade a few months ago. I like them both and both are worth the price. If anything the 0561 that I paid below MAP at the time from BHQ I consider underpriced.

In between all of these perception is important and subjectivity does come into it.
 
Remember when Skylines were $35, and Damascus ones were only about $55? Good times those were...
 
I vote no.

My ZT0200 cost me about $120.

A couple months ago I bought a couple Benchmade's - an Osborne Rift and large Griptilian for approx $140 and $90 respectively.

The Rift ws not too bad but I knew as soon I opened it and handled it wasn't staying. Not when I have ZT's in the house.

The Griptilian really surprised me. The plastic scales (you can call them nylon filled woo woo, but they are still plastic) were pitiful. I even went out and bought some g10 scales from Keven Wilkinson for another $120 in the hopes that it would lend some respectability to a relatively nice piece of steel. I mean, I really wanted to like this knife. But now I have a $210 Griptilian that can't hold a candle to my 0200. Had to sell it.

So no. When you see what other manufacturers are putting out in that price range ZT's are probably the best bargain going.

Oh, compared to older higher end Kershaws? Don't rightly know as I don't own any. I do own and have owned a lot of the lower to mid price point Kershaws - Skylines, Cryo's, a Knockout, Leeks, Scallions, Chives, Zing, Chill among others. They are different types of knives as far as I am concerned. They have their place but trying to compare them to a ZT is like comparing tofu dogs to filet mingnon.
 
Last edited:
I love my Tyrade and my Spec Bump, but I don't think the prices on them were vastly lower than a comparable ZT at the time. I honestly don't remember exactly what I paid for either, but I think it was right around $100. It's hard to make an apples-to-apples comparison since the new ZTs almost all have significantly upgraded steel, titanium frame (or subframe) locks, many of them have KVT and more machining. All in all I would say the value is still very good, but the end product has been significantly upgraded. That means a price increase and I'm okay with that.
 
The only high end Kershaw I have experience with is the 3600 Volt. I picked it up in a trade and other than one of the worst pocket clips I have ever come across that knife was perfection. I know that they were limited and I don't know what they sold for but I would pay current ZT street prices for that knife if brought back. Current ZT production and design have surpassed the Volt in many ways and the price seems more than fair.
 
Kai Corp. said:
Well apparently the current rules in this sub-forum have been taken offensively by some. Despite clarification, they feel you can't post topics that may be seen as negative or controversial. They don't want to participate now.

One of the questions that won't be asked (I'll do it for them today), is the following:

"Does anyone else feel that the zts are similar to the old higher quality Kershaws, but at 2-3 times the price? I don't think I would be allowed to post that question in kai's forum. Compare a Kershaw spec bump, which you could get for about $120, or the Tyrade, which was insanely good at about $200, to the zt 560, which you apparently can't expect to be perfect at $260".
Click to expand...

I don't think the guy who started that complaint thread ever answered questions about where he got his 0560. My guess is that it wasn't from an authorized dealer, and he's in denial of the risk of such purchases.

To answer the question of this thread, no ZTs are definitely not overpriced. They are very fairly priced (& some are quite a bargain - like the 0200) for what you're getting in terms of durability, quality, & functionality of design.
 
9blades said:
short answer: No, they are not over priced.

long answer:
thousands of the 0560/0561 have been produced (I assume) and I'm sure there are thousands of people that are completely satisfied. The problem is that the majority of people that actually take the time to start a thread have a tendency to post about the bad before the good. Which in my mind is a big problem, I'm not saying this is true for everyone, but it holds true for most. Here's a thread I started that (IMO) makes for an interesting read: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1078563-My-thoughts-on-the-recent-flood-of-warranty-threads

Using the 0200 for an example, you get 4 inches of 154CM, 3D machined G10, milled liners, stand offs, ect. compared to other knives with similar It's an amazing value. I guess that want much of a long answer:o but maybe it's better that way...Kirby
Click to expand...

This true about a businesses, trades, companies, and so on. You can do 100 things right and not 1 person will say a thing, but you make 1 minor mistake and it's all over the place.

A person, company, industry that stand behind there work, or product will always be paramount.
There are also always a few scammers out there too, and there is always 2 sides to every story.

I have not really seen to many bad things about kershaws/zt products. I have a zt 0561 I edc this knife the most, very happy with it and the great price kershawguy gave me and excellent service.
If I did read something bad it was canceled out by so many good responses, and my experience has been great with kershaws/zt. Keep up the great work, step out into the sun, and the dark shadows will not cross your path.
 
I'd say it depends on how much money is being put in to the ZT knives via sourcing materials, production, shipping, warranty work, etc. ZT has a certain amount that they "spend" through various forms to get the knives to the customer and at they end of the day they need to make a profit on that. Now if the profit margin is huge then maybe bringing down the price a couple percent on certain models would drop it into certain buyers' price ranges.

I think for what you get they are a pretty good deal, there are many other companies out there using lesser/the same materials and charging a higher price.
 
I would not call them overpriced for the quality you are getting, but they are expensive. That's the thing though... when you aim for high quality things get expensive. It is what it is; high quality materials, manufacturing and eye candy make for an expensive knife.
 
I bought my first Kershaw 6 weeks ago and now have four Kershaws (crown,skyline, echelon and piston) and four ZT's (0350or, 0200KW, 0550 and 0560). I am by no means wealthy and have virtually no disposable income, but through trading selling and the forum here I have been able to get a lot of really cool pieces.

For me the issue in the market is that there are a lot of really cool knives for 50$ and under (not "great", but clearly "neat"). There is a void between 50 and 100$ where, IMHO, the consumers are either paying too much for good steel and not enough features or vice versa. once I broke that 100$ mark things moved fast and I can clearly see the value of what ZT is offering.
 
Murky Depth said:
I don't think the guy who started that complaint thread ever answered questions about where he got his 0560. My guess is that it wasn't from an authorized dealer, and he's in denial of the risk of such purchases.
Click to expand...

Many asked connorr93 the OP in that Not impressed with the quality of my new ZT 0560 thread.

For instance:

Originally Posted by BradT85:

Did you buy it as new from a dealer?

Definitely cool ZT is taking care of it.
Click to expand...

He never responded to such questions. That's telling.
 
Just some rambling thoughts...

Older Kershaws: Boa (CPM 440V now called S60V), Offset (MiM technology), Ti/ZDP Leek, Ti/ZDP Mini Cyclone, S110V Shallot...

Now introduce Composite Blade technology: Tyrade, Speedform, Volt, etc.

Introduce the ZT line: 0200, 030x, etc. to present day.

Add Composite Blade technology to the ZT line and look what we have now.

Short answer is No, ZT knives are not overpriced. In my mere 10 years of buying, using and collecting Kershaw and ZT knives, I have had the pleasure of watching KAI grow exponentially when compared to other brands. I consider the current pricing of ZT knives to be a huge bargain considering what you get in the box. The 0550 and 0551 are nothing short of workhorses. The new LEs coming out (0801cf, 0454) are going to be huge for the collector. 10 years from now, I'll look back and ask myself why on earth I didn't get more of these when they were available, much the same as I do today regarding the 440V Boa, Offset, Ti/ZDP Leek and MC, Tyrade, Speedform, Volt, etc.
 
Just a few years ago, the super premium folding pocket knives coming out of Kai were the Volt 3600 and Speedform 3500. The Speedform was unique, with a specific machined pocket clip, composite blade, and every piece on the knife was unique to the design. The Volt featured what I would all the first 3d machining, a unique stamped titanium pocket clip, beautifully inset G10 inserts to match the stylish composite blade pattern.

These knives were selling for around $200, The Volt had an MSRP of $300 and the Speedform was similar.

Both knives are still high tech when compared to what many manufacturers are putting out.

Since these two knives were made, the Tilt brought us Velocity Technology, caged ball bearings, that have redefined smooth operation, yet the ZT0560 is still able to be found for around $200 if one looks for a deal. So, the 560 has titanium with 3d machining, ZVT, 3dd machined G10, Elmax, Hinderer design cues, and is still $200 street price?

I would say definitely no, ZT's are not overpriced.

If one sets their sights on the limited edition ZT knives, then one should expect to pay more. Recently, some people have been buying up the stock of ZT LE knives to try to cash in on flipping them. While this may be the American way and the market system in action, one side effect has been that dealers are no longer giving deep discounts on these LE's, only to see them flipped for hundreds more on ebay or the like.

So to summarize: No, ZT knives are not overpriced, and if people would stop buying them up to make a fast buck, even the LE's would be more affordable to more people.

best

mqqn
 
mqqn said:
Just a few years ago, the super premium folding pocket knives coming out of Kai were the Volt 3600 and Speedform 3500. The Speedform was unique, with a specific machined pocket clip, composite blade, and every piece on the knife was unique to the design. The Volt featured what I would all the first 3d machining, a unique stamped titanium pocket clip, beautifully inset G10 inserts to match the stylish composite blade pattern.

These knives were selling for around $200, The Volt had an MSRP of $300 and the Speedform was similar.

Both knives are still high tech when compared to what many manufacturers are putting out.

Since these two knives were made, the Tilt brought us Velocity Technology, caged ball bearings, that have redefined smooth operation, yet the ZT0560 is still able to be found for around $200 if one looks for a deal. So, the 560 has titanium with 3d machining, ZVT, 3dd machined G10, Elmax, Hinderer design cues, and is still $200 street price?

I would say definitely no, ZT's are not overpriced.

If one sets their sights on the limited edition ZT knives, then one should expect to pay more. Recently, some people have been buying up the stock of ZT LE knives to try to cash in on flipping them. While this may be the American way and the market system in action, one side effect has been that dealers are no longer giving deep discounts on these LE's, only to see them flipped for hundreds more on ebay or the like.

So to summarize: No, ZT knives are not overpriced, and if people would stop buying them up to make a fast buck, even the LE's would be more affordable to more people.

best

mqqn
Click to expand...
Well said
 
I'm my opinion ZT's are am extreme value for what you get - particularly those based on Hinderer designs. Anytime you can take a legendary knife makers philosophy and put it in a more affordable package while retaining a lot of strength/durability, its a win.
 
I think they are $192. Great deal for what you get. IMO text I sent to buddy yesterday asking him if he want one on my ZT 0801s. I'm on two preorder lists. Comparing to other production companies better or equal. Thanks. Emerson and Benchmade charge way too much for a lot of QC and finish issues. I'm former Army. If take a ZT any day in the sand over the priors. I'm not even a fan boy.
 
I just got my 0600 and I will say that even for full MSRP, the knife is a steal.

Is is equal to a real RJ Martin? No, but there is nothing you will ever see that is closer for under half the price of a real one.

It is everything I hoped it would be and more. The only thing it is missing is that signature RJ martin opening feeling, but again, at half the price it's utterly AMAZING.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top