Comparing the ZT 0200 and 0300...

B

Biginboca

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I decided to add one super beefy folder to my rotation, which currently consists of a Wilkins Ritter Griptilian and a D2 ParaMilitary.

Here are some gratuitous pics of my current EDC's since we all love a thread with pics :D :

Paramilitary2.jpg


Ritter2.jpg


I'm very happy with both these knives, but I have definitely now decided to give the ZT series a shot.


So now to my question...

I am now trying to decide if it's worth paying $100 extra for the 0300 vs the 0200? I don't mind the 154cm on the 0200, so now I am left weighing the frame vs liner lock and the $100 price difference. I am leaning towards the 0200 since it's lighter and a cheaper way to test drive the ZT line.

Any thoughts on how these compare? Also anyone have pics of them side by side, especially showing the liner lock thickness on the 0200?

Thanks!
 
I dont have a 0300 but I DO have 0200. Its a VERY good knife and I totally recommend it!

But since you already have small EDC knives, the 0300 wouldn't be a bad choice.
 
tdrussell said:
or....wait for the 350! :)

$130, S30V, Beefy Liner lock, 3-1/4 blade.
Click to expand...

:thumbup:

I actually pre-ordered a 350 since it's more like what I traditionally carry in weight and blade length, but right now I wanted to get something heavy duty in the 4" blade range so am looking at the 200/300.
 
They are about the same weight and bulk, so I guess it comes down to whether you would be willing to spend the extra $100 for the titanium frame lock and the tiger striped (or black) wider profile blade. I was.

As for the ZT 200 it's an excellent knife as well. And if there is one thing I've learned from handling ZT knives it's to not even worry about the so called "liner locks", they are always thick and lock up solid. The ZT 200 also has the flow through design going for it but I think the ZT 301/302 are the best looking knives they produce.

The ZT 200 can be got for a pretty reasonable price so that may be a good choice to get your toes wet, but since you said you have a 350 on order I think you should go ahead and jump in and get one of the 300 series. Keep a good look out on the For Sale area and you can normally pick one up for $170-$180 shipped.

BTW, I LOVE your black blade Ritter with the Wilkins Grips.
 
If it's any help I'm going thru the 0200 versus 0300 decision making process and it sure is 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.:o

As I intent not to use the winner for EDC but rather as a 'bump in the night' backup, their size and weight are not major considerations.

What concerns me is rust resistance rather due to long periods without use. Any thoughts on which would be best for this use?
 
I have both and I've got to say the 0200 is easier to carry. While both are basically the same length, the 030x has a taller blade, and takes up a fair amount of pocket space. If you're wearing jeans, you'll have a tough time getting your hand in a front pocket with the 030x stuck in there. The 0200 also feels better in my hand, and I have fairly large hands. It's not an AO like the 030x, but the flipper is fast, smooth and it locks up every time with an authoritative "twack". S30V on the Ti frame lock 030x, and 154CM on the 0.07" liner lock. As was mentioned above, I've seen frame locks that weren't as beefy as the 0200's liner lock.
 
How thick is the tip on the 200 compared to the 300? The blades look like they are almost the same on the web, but are there noticable differences in their geometries in person?
 
I know you didn't ask for it, but......................you might want to add the ZT0500 MUDD in with the other two for a heavy duty and beefy folder. The Hawk lock is as strong as the liner and/or framelock of the other two, (my opinion with no scientific research to back it up):D, and the blade length of the 0200 and 0500 are very, very close to even and both blades mic out at .156" thick. The weight of the 0200 is 7.7 ounces while the 0500 is 6.8 ounces, (not the 4.8 ounces that is listed on so many sites). It is a toss up between my 0500 and 0200 as to which I like the best. At one time it was the 0200, and then it was the 0500, then the 0200 again, and then the 0500 again, so on and so on. I have finally decided that they are both my favorite and have been givening them equal carry time for that reason.

Again, this is not something you asked for, but thought I should just point it out!!:D;):D
 
Have had both and prefer the 200, very beefy, not as tall a blade, fits my hand like a glove. Great thick liners, everything is perfect. I have much more expensive knives, but when I wanted a larger model, I went to the 200. Great value!
 
I have two 0200 (one is the KW model) and two remaining 030X (301/300). As much as I love the ZT 0300 knives I'd be remiss if I didn't say I think the 0200 is the better value knife of the two models
 
Are the thumb studs on the 0300 difficult to use?

How durable is the SpeedSafe assisted opening on the 0300? will it last years and years of opening? anyone ever had any problems with SpeedSafe?

and which opening do you guys prefer, Speedsafe or Manual?

Oh, and is the 0200 as tough as the 0300? if not, how much tougher is the 0300 compared to the 0200.. and has anyone ever made a side by side testing of toughness for these two knives?
 
knowsnoknife said:
Are the thumb studs on the 0300 difficult to use?

How durable is the SpeedSafe assisted opening on the 0300? will it last years and years of opening? anyone ever had any problems with SpeedSafe?

and which opening do you guys prefer, Speedsafe or Manual?

Oh, and is the 0200 as tough as the 0300? if not, how much tougher is the 0300 compared to the 0200.. and has anyone ever made a side by side testing of toughness for these two knives?
Click to expand...
I believe my coworker has an older version of the 0200 that uses a movable thumb stud to lock the blade in place rather than a liner lock.

Currently the torsion bar is either broken or loosened up so that the Assisted Opening no longer works and the blade is easily opened up with nothing holding it closed. That said, I believe he's had the knife for YEARS and used and abused it well beyond even what Ankerson does to the knives he uses in his hard use tests. And given that my coworker is a non-knife person who doesn't even sharpen his own knife, I sincerely believe that he probably snagged the knife for less than $100. All-in-all, I'd say he got what he paid for.

Ankerson reviewed the 0301 in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T51UfbfUXlU

I love how he keeps repeating "Zero blade play" all throughout the video.

I for one decided to go with a compromise as I felt uneasy buying another $200+ knife, so I went with the newer 0350CB model with Elmax steel. There will probably be a tradeoff somewhere regarding toughness, but I don't plan to shove my knife through a car door, so I think it'll serve me well enough for the price of $140.
 
knowsnoknife said:
Are the thumb studs on the 0300 difficult to use?
Click to expand...

I can't get my thumbs to quite catch the thumb studs of the 0300 but I am quite fine with using the back flipper to open the knife. On the 0200 I prefer to use the thumbstuds because the handle is shaped away from the thumb studs whereas the thumb studs sit against the handle of the 0300.

knowsnoknife said:
How durable is the SpeedSafe assisted opening on the 0300? will it last years and years of opening? anyone ever had any problems with SpeedSafe?
Click to expand...

I've got lots of SpeedSafe knives and I have yet to experience a failure but Kershaw will send you a replacement spring or you can send it in to get replaced without hassle. I feel kind of spoiled by SpeedSafe and assisted open knives but they're not must-haves.


knowsnoknife said:
and which opening do you guys prefer, Speedsafe or Manual?
Click to expand...

I feel kind of spoiled by SpeedSafe and assisted open knives but they're not must-haves.

knowsnoknife said:
Oh, and is the 0200 as tough as the 0300? if not, how much tougher is the 0300 compared to the 0200.. and has anyone ever made a side by side testing of toughness for these two knives?
Click to expand...

If I had to guess based on owning both the 0200 and the 0300 I would say the tip may be tougher on the 0300 because its a taller blade. When I look at both of them from the top the 0200 has a narrower and sharper tip compared to the 0300.

Based on my personal usage the 0200 and the 154CM steel loses it's sharpness slightly quicker than the S30V steel on the 0300, which probably isn't a surprise to anyone.

The thing that is nice about both the 0200 and the 0300 is that they both have the insanely beefy 3/8-in. hex head pivot shaft nut which you should never have to worry about stripping.

Another note about the 0200 is that it is slightly lighter and it does carry easier in the pocket than the 0300 and the clip location makes it a deeper carry as well.
 
Noctis3880 said:
I believe my coworker has an older version of the 0200 that uses a movable thumb stud to lock the blade in place rather than a liner lock. Currently the torsion bar is either broken or loosened up so that the Assisted Opening no longer works and the blade is easily opened up with nothing holding it closed.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing you are thinking of the Spec Bump, a nice knife but nowhere NEAR the sheer brute strength of the ZT200 (which never used the stud-lock)
http://www.kershaw-knives.net/Kershaw-Ken-Onion-Spec-Bump-KS1596.htm
vs
http://www.knifeworks.com/zerotoleranceg-10matteblackcompactfoldingplainedge.aspx

I keep buying the ZT200, then selling it b/c it's so big I don't carry it, then buying it again b/c it's so freaking COOL, then selling it b/c I need money, etc etc . . .

In terms of the comparative toughness of the 200 vs 300 - they are both so overbuilt that it's hard to imagine a realistic situation in which it could make a difference. If the edges on either one got dull you could just use them to club your assailant like a baby seal.
 
fishface5 said:
I'm guessing you are thinking of the Spec Bump, a nice knife but nowhere NEAR the sheer brute strength of the ZT200 (which never used the stud-lock)
http://www.kershaw-knives.net/Kershaw-Ken-Onion-Spec-Bump-KS1596.htm
vs
http://www.knifeworks.com/zerotoleranceg-10matteblackcompactfoldingplainedge.aspx

I keep buying the ZT200, then selling it b/c it's so big I don't carry it, then buying it again b/c it's so freaking COOL, then selling it b/c I need money, etc etc . . .

In terms of the comparative toughness of the 200 vs 300 - they are both so overbuilt that it's hard to imagine a realistic situation in which it could make a difference. If the edges on either one got dull you could just use them to club your assailant like a baby seal.
Click to expand...
It looks like the Spec Bump, but it has 154CM steel. Funny, I could have sworn it was ZT... Maybe he has 2 knives, the Spec Bump and a ZT.

And yes, flippers are cool:cool::thumbup:. I like flipping my Shallot open, but the handles are too small and slippery for any kind of use.
 
How is the liner lock with the 0200 compared with the frame lock of the 0300? Does it even come close or equal? or are they simply too far apart in strength?

I have read from another thread (http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=769889 )that some liner locks are not that good, and that in general, liner lock are weaker than axis and frame locks.. So i was really wondering how strong is the lock on the 0200.

Will it be enough for outdoor hard use tasks?

and regarding Speedsafe, has anyone ever experienced a breakage of the springs or the mechanism?
 
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knowsnoknife said:
How is the liner lock with the 0200 compared with the frame lock of the 0300? Does it even come close or equal? or are they simply too far apart in strength?

I have read from another thread (http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=769889 )that some liner locks are not that good, and that in general, liner lock are weaker than axis and frame locks.. So i was really wondering how strong is the lock on the 0200.

Will it be enough for outdoor hard use tasks?

and regarding Speedsafe, has anyone ever experienced a breakage of the springs or the mechanism?
Click to expand...

I own a 0200, a 0300 and a 0350. So far I'm vey happy with the three of them. The 0350 gets more pocket time than the 0200 and 0300 combined, I just find the size more comfortable to carry.

The framelock on the 0300 is much thicker than the liner locks on the other two knives. In theory it will take a lot more punishment than the 0200's liner lock, but in practice I don't think I'll ever do anything that comes even close to what it would take to really damage that lock.

For hard use outdoors, unless there's a legal issue, a fixed blade will be a better choice than any of this knives. You can get something like a Fallkniven F1 for a lot less money than a 0300 and it will be a superior outdoors tool.

I'm not a big fan of assisted opening knives, as I feel it adds nothing to their performance and the extra parts and work increase the price. I bought my ZTs in spite of the SpeedSafe opening system. However, it hasn't caused any problems so far. If the spring breaks you can still open the knife manually while you wait for a replacement part to arrive. I've disengaged the SpeedSafe in some of my Kershaw knives and they all work just fine.
 
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