EDC military service knife. Adamas vs 300

If an assisted is looked down on because it is faster to get pointy end out, what is a fixed blade. Already there, right? (Not to mention M-4's)

But we are probably not talking logic, like maintenance issues - more a matter of PC?
 
Thomas Linton said:
If an assisted is looked down on because it is faster to get pointy end out, what is a fixed blade. Already there, right? (Not to mention M-4's)

But we are probably not talking logic, like maintenance issues - more a matter of PC?
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That’s not why an assisted opener is looked down on. I look down on them because it’s one more mechanism to break. They aren’t illegal for the most part. Autos and assisted openers are not the same thing. There are federal laws governing “switchblades” not assisted openers. Has nothing to do with blade speed. Emerson knives with the wave are faster than everything except a fixed blade and are not illegal. I think you missed the point of my statement. In the desert, sand can and will get in to everything regardless of how hard you try and keep it out. A month after I came home I was still finding sand places I didn’t know were even exposed. I wouldn’t want that crap in a folder. The Adamas is cool because it’s axis lock would be less prone to seizing up yet it’s a beefy thick folder. It would be better carried in the included molle pouch... the OP said he can’t have gear like that exposed... You don’t want to spend the better part of a year in the heat with that log digging into your hip or outer thigh with all your gear on. It’s not comfortable.
 
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USAFSP said:
If you want to know what my MOS and mission was over there then PM me I’m not going to bump chests on an on-line forum. I just want to help the OP.
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I am not looking to either, the question was meant for his situation and if it will differ from yours. The Canadians I dealt with the most were all in staff positions. All the Germans were tech support and mapped printers or signed out thumb drives. An Estonian that stamped vehicle passes. Tons of US troops had no duties and could be seen four days out of the week minimum wearing PTs and sipping Green Bean.

I'm not questioning what you did or what your needs are, just wondering if the guy looking for an EDC to wear is assigning billeting and signing out meal cards. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but mechanism failure is unlikely in a climate controlled room, and a fixed blade Adamas will look a bit out of sorts at a desk.
 
hardheart said:
just wondering if the guy looking for an EDC to wear is assigning billeting and signing out meal cards. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but mechanism failure is unlikely in a climate controlled room, and a fixed blade Adamas will look a bit out of sorts at a desk.
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Agreed 100%. My last 2 weeks before going home they took us out of the field and had us working staff positions before transitioning out of country and I was in a air conditioned office. I didn’t carry my knife once ;) I remember all the Canadians that worked on the base we worked out of were intel troops. I have no idea what they did, but I do remember they had a better PX trailer than we did. I live in Canada now and have a lot of respect for the Canadian Forces. Their troops are very well trained from what I have seen. Hopefully we can learn more about what this trooper will be doing. I still say a small fixed blade though lol.
 
I would say the 300 because the frame lock. ALL of my axis locks develop blade play and require tightening after 2-3 weeks of EDC.
 
USAFSP said:
That’s not why an assisted opener is looked down on. I look down on them because it’s one more mechanism to break. They aren’t illegal for the most part. Autos and assisted openers are not the same thing. There are federal laws governing “switchblades” not assisted openers. Has nothing to do with blade speed. Emerson knives with the wave are faster than everything except a fixed blade and are not illegal. I think you missed the point of my statement. In the desert, sand can and will get in to everything regardless of how hard you try and keep it out. . . . the OP said he can’t have gear like that exposed... .
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Understood your point about reliability -why I mentioned it. But is that why folders that open fast - however - are barred by rules as well as laws? You are not the only one 'looking down."

Strictly in terms of function, there are small sheath knives that fit in pockets fine. Some carpet thread and a needle, and they are anchored so sheath stays put in pocket as knife comes out. Of course, comfortable is certainly important.
 
It's not folders that open fast, it's autos that are illegal...at least in garrison. Downrange, and this is very dependent on your chain of command, I didn't ever get any guff for my knives, and would have been surprised if they had frowned upon anything I brought short of a sword. My team was pretty far from the flag pole though, so we didn't have the kind of oversight others may have had...we were given a lot more independence to do our jobs the way we saw fit. Still had to give up my Converse boots though, which I wasn't too pleased about.

All that having been said, I'd probably go with the ZT, but might think about getting a non assisted version instead. The lock on them is much simpler (less to break), yet probably just as effective. The recurve's a bitch to sharpen in the field, but as a Canadian Officer, I'd be surprised if you end up out in the field for any extended periods of time. I'd also recommend getting yourself a decent fixie...maybe an Esee 5/6 to attach to your armor just in case. You probably won't use it all that often, but it's a nice thing to have. The MT's we were issued were Gerbers and weren't all that great, but came in handy every now and again. I never really used my fixed blades (I carried two...a small ka-bar and a CRKT Hissatsu...on my vest. The Kabar got used a couple of times, but the Hissatsu never did and was more for shits and giggles than anything.) More often than not, when i needed a knife, I used my ZDP Endura, and I never felt like I needed something tougher. Before anyone questions me about what I was doing, yes, I did go outside the wire on a regular basis. Anyhow, your mileage may vary.
 
I have the 0300, & 0301 I love them both. No problems carrying them, people make a big deal about their weight but it doesn't bother me. I think the Adamas looks sick as well, and it's going to be a lot less expensive. In my experience the difference between s30v and D2 is going to be negligible. Both will suck to resharpen if you let them get dull. And to me not much difference when doing touch ups. Do you have a way to keep your blades sharp? If not maybe go Adamas since its less expensive and pick up a Sharpmaker or something else. I have never served so I do not know how easy it will be to get your blades sharpened. Or if you can take extra stuff like a sharpening system with you. Good luck on your decision. I'm sure you will love either knife.
Be safe, and take care of yourself
 
USAFSP said:
Agreed 100%. My last 2 weeks before going home they took us out of the field and had us working staff positions before transitioning out of country and I was in a air conditioned office. I didn’t carry my knife once ;) I remember all the Canadians that worked on the base we worked out of were intel troops. I have no idea what they did, but I do remember they had a better PX trailer than we did. I live in Canada now and have a lot of respect for the Canadian Forces. Their troops are very well trained from what I have seen. Hopefully we can learn more about what this trooper will be doing. I still say a small fixed blade though lol.
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Joined an infantry regiment as your usual and basic grunt.
 
get the zt, the camo will keep you safe.
plus it cost more, gotta be better!

Doogoon said:
275BKSN.JPG
vs
ZT0301-2.jpg


Which knife would be more ideal in the military field? Both look like tough knives, but they both have their strength and weaknesses. Everything is good to discuss here; lock strength, blade strength, deployability, pin strength, price, quality of of manufacturing.


Go Go Go!
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I just thought of another con for the ZT, thanks to the user posting above... The ZT may get me laughs, and while I am all for fun and jokes, I am very insecure when it comes to my knives.
 
Doogoon said:
Joined an infantry regiment as your usual and basic grunt.
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The honest answer is you could get by with a Case Stockman for daily cutting chores. What I’m saying is you’re not going to be fixing bayonets and going hand to hand. Not saying it couldn’t happen but I’d wager that it won’t. I was issued a bayonet before I left for deployment and I didn’t even bring it with me. My job took me outside the wire every day and I rarely needed my knife for anything more than mundane cutting tasks. The reason I went with a fixed blade was ease of use, ease of care and it was less likely to fall out of my pocket and get lost. What you NEED and want are two different things. Just get what appeals to you and enjoy it. If you like the Adamas then you’re the one that has to carry it so go for it :thumbup: It’s crazy with the romance of the “tactical" folder and the marketing they use. A knife isn’t tactical, however a person can be tactical. A knife is a tool. All you really need is water, body armour, comms, ammo, food and your M-4. Everything else is a convenience;) OK I’ll leave it alone now.:D Enjoy whatever it is you end up with.
 
I know of not one person who brought or used a bayonet during their time there. My company, for some unknown reason, had over 100 bayonets MTOEd to us and they sat in a bucket the entire deployment getting lugged from one headquarters to another. Every single one of them was dull as a rock too.

All that aside, just get what you want. USAFSP is right, your cutting needs there will probably be pretty light and shouldn't be more than what either of those can handle. That having been said, a nice large fixed blade scares the natives and might make them think twice about messing with you. Showing good teeth out there is just as important as anything. Might want to pick one of them up too.
 
Honestly, for the money, you can have damn near two Adamas for the price of the 0300.

Don't get me wrong, I love the ZT's that I've got (0550/0551/0560) but the 0300 never really grew on me. Maybe it was the AO...
 
cutter17 said:
Wanted to add that the OP asked about which knife between the two he proposed. Why all the posts on choosing fixed blade's?
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There is a group of posters on these forums that will suggest a fixed blade for all situations, kinda their gimmick. Of course, in this case, it is a pretty legitimate suggestion, where they are using their experience to suggest that there is a whole category of blade better suited to the OP's needs, even if not exactly what the OP wants. I tend to agree that a small fix blade like an Izula/Izula 2 would be great to have. They should also say which of the two knives they would take as well, but thats just my opinion.

And on that note, I say the BM Adamas. I find axis locks much, much faster and easier to use for open/close than framelocks. I also think it has a more useful blade shape. As a caveat, I have owned neither, but I have owned ZT framelocks, and BM axis locks, and I am also active duty military with deployment to the sandbox under my belt.
 
Both are comparable in overall quality, materials, and durability. The adamas is half the price. So, if price is a factor, get the Adamas. If you have money burning a hole in your pockets, get what you like.

Personally, I like the Adamas better.

Edit: Also I prefer the Axis lock, I can turn the Adamas into a waved knife, the point on the Adamas is quite "pointy" without sacrificing tip strength, and the Adamas is a bit longer
 
If price isn't an issue at all, I'd say the ZT would be a tad better. But overall for me, I'd go with the Adamas because it's less than half the price with pretty much the same quality.

As some people have said, you are prone to losing your pens/knives while deployed, and it would hurt me a lot less losing a 120$ knife than it would losing a 250$ knife. I'd also be willing to put on more work on the cheaper blade.

I'd rather have ZT's S30V over the D2 which is more brittle and tons harder to sharpen (although recurve makes ZT harder to sharpen as well).

Overall, I'd go with Adamas, because I can put that 120$ I've saved into something else while still having a quality folder.
 
Zookie said:
I have the Adamas, bought it for 115$. Unbelievable price for what you get. It's perfect for heavy use and is what I'm giving my brother when he joins the Marines.

Fixed blades are a must, I think a folder is just nice to have as well.
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Where did you find one for 115? Been looking.
 
bobusx said:
There is a group of posters on these forums that will suggest a fixed blade for all situations, kinda their gimmick. Of course, in this case, it is a pretty legitimate suggestion, where they are using their experience to suggest that there is a whole category of blade better suited to the OP's needs, even if not exactly what the OP wants. I tend to agree that a small fix blade like an Izula/Izula 2 would be great to have. They should also say which of the two knives they would take as well, but thats just my opinion.

And on that note, I say the BM Adamas. I find axis locks much, much faster and easier to use for open/close than framelocks. I also think it has a more useful blade shape. As a caveat, I have owned neither, but I have owned ZT framelocks, and BM axis locks, and I am also active duty military with deployment to the sandbox under my belt.
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I was really being facetious as I've been around for a while and have seen this more than once. But I do appreciate that you defined it for me!:thumbup:

I agree that sometimes it may be a good thing to suggest something else, especially if the poster has been there, done that, and found that one knife worked better than another.

But I am still suggesting the Adamas as the folder to buy! Just an amazing piece of cutlery that has absolutely driven everything else out of my pocket.:)
 
I'm pretty sold on the Adamas at this point then :) Thanks for the input!

I already had an Izula, so if I suddenly decide I to go with a fixed blade, I'm prepared. No harm in getting a nice big folder :D
 
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