Farewell Zt0200

G

Garreth

Joined
Nov 4, 2013
Messages
57
I just noticed that this one got dicontinued. IMO it was a better design than say the 0300. More ergonomic. The first time i held a 0200 i thought wow this is the perfect knife. The handle is the best i've ever handled.

Obviously the 0300 is far more popular because it just looks so badass, so i understand they kept that one in the lineup. I always thought the 0200 was geeing to be a icon as well as the 0300. I'm kinda sad! i love this knife.

Good thing i hoarded 4 :)
 
Too bad, its such a great knife, it feels like you can put it through a wall or a door, the way its made and its handle.No other knife feels like that one,maybe ill hoard an extra one..
 
The 0200 feels like a fixed blade thanks to the deep handguard and 3D contoured G10 scales.

I don't EDC mine, honestly 8 oz is well past my point of diminishing returns for weight of a folder, but I do find myself using mine at least a few times a month. I'm glad I have a spare, I can definitely see myself still using one 20 years from now.

if I had to grab one knife and run out the door to tend to some emergency, the 0200 is on my short list of capable folders.
 
I guess you missed that the 0300 was also discontinued...
I agree, though, the 0200 is a great knife; and mine is always in either my pants or jacket pocket. For those that missed out - there are still a few floating around (check Knife Center, Knifeworks and Kershaw Guy) depending on which particular model you want. I didn't want the black blade, so I have the 0200kw and recently picked up the 0200sw as a spare. My only complaint about the 0200 is that the machined G10 scales are pretty rough (the knife was destroying my pocket during removal)...but that was easy enough to fix.
 
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A great, underrated folder, and the smoothest flipper I have ever handled, even without bearings.

As a former Emerson fanboy, it was the ZT0200 I bought to try out a flipper, that showed me what a hard use knife could be, with great fit and finish too boot!!!
 
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Wow, that is indeed sad news and I find it surprising. I like the 0200 so much that I have two of them already at least. I also have a 0300, but apart from preferring the lock bar on the 0300 vs the liner lock on the 0200, I've always felt the 0200 was a much better deal. :(
 
I wonder if there will be some special runs of the 0200 in different steels or handle colors?
 
To me, the 0200 was and still is the iconic ZT folder. It embodies everything the company's "overbuilt" motto stands for. I owned an 0200 for awhile but I eventually sold it. It was far too massive for me to ever consider carrying. But it left a lasting impression on me. From that day on, I knew that if ZT ever built a knife that worked for me, I would have to have it. I had to wait a long time, but eventually ZT got around to making a knife that fit my needs when they released the 0770CF. So I no longer have to wonder whether I'll ever be able to EDC a ZT knife.

For those who have the ability and the desire to carry a nearly 8-ounce folder, the ZT 0200 would be hard to beat . . . especially for the money. :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
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Don't discontinue it - bring it back with better steel and without the recurve!

Here is mine, suitably modified to get rid of the thumbstud (a feature I hate on flippers) and the Ken Onion 'nose' (a feature I hate on all knives - if it serves no purpose other than to stop me sharpening the last 0.5" of blade, I don't want it!).
9378879054_84c9c3c217.jpg
 
Quiet said:
Uuuhh...why would they do that on a discontinued model?
Click to expand...

Because their customers would give them money for it.

Most companies do short runs of discontinued models - Emerson, Spyderco, Benchmade, etc. They can charge more because of upgraded materials, and because there are fans out there who love the design.
 
grownstar said:
Please elaborate on this 'nose'
Click to expand...

I'm referring to the pointy, forward extension at the front of the handle scales that (in the case of the 0200 and many other knives) overlaps with the sharpened portion of the blade. It's called the 'Ken Onion nose' in my personal lexicon, because it used to crop up on all his Kershaw designs. It is only there for styling purposes, but it makes the handle unnecessarily longer and can often prevent easy use or sharpening of the full length of the sharpened edge. I used to have a Kershaw mini-cyclone in ti/zdp-189, but had to get rid of it as the nose just irritated me so much, despite otherwise being a great and highly sought-after knife.

If you look at the picture above, you'll see I ground off the promontory at the front of the handle scales - that's want I'm referring to.
 
This was the knife that introduced me to ZT. A former coworker who was a huge knife guy brought one to work, & I loved the feel of it. I bought an 0301 first, then another 0301 & an 0350 THEN I got an 0200ST.
 
The 0200 was my first $100+ knife and I consider it the one responsible for my addiction. That knife opened my eyes to the world beyond $50 Academy and WalMart knives. I don't carry it much anymore bc it's just too massive for me to EDC, but could never bring myself to sell it. Would love to see it shortened an inch and in stonewashed S35VN!
 
I think/hope it's being discontinued for the purpose of redesigning the knife with a suitable lock that is up the task. I love the feel and design of this knife but its well documented the liner lock is not up to the task.
This has kept me from purchasing the knife. If they remake it with a lock as strong and secure as the rest of the knife I will jump on it. So I take this as a good sign manufacturers are realizing liner and frame locks are not suitable for heavy duty use.
 
precisionshootist said:
I think/hope it's being discontinued for the purpose of redesigning the knife with a suitable lock that is up the task. I love the feel and design of this knife but its well documented the liner lock is not up to the task.
This has kept me from purchasing the knife. If they remake it with a lock as strong and secure as the rest of the knife I will jump on it. So I take this as a good sign manufacturers are realizing liner and frame locks are not suitable for heavy duty use.
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I think the 0200 liner lock is thick enough for any sane task. It is practically as thick as many frame locks.
 
This is a bummer.
This knife is exactly what I think of when I think ZT. Not all these fancy new flippers. I owned two of the 0200 models and they were crazy tough. They certainly took more hard use than I would give the newer flipper from this year.
This and the 0300 will always be my favorite ZT knives with the 0561 close by.
I payed no more than 80$ shipped for either on of them. Even at full price they are alot of knife for the money.
Matt
 
precisionshootist said:
I think/hope it's being discontinued for the purpose of redesigning the knife with a suitable lock that is up the task. I love the feel and design of this knife but its well documented the liner lock is not up to the task.
This has kept me from purchasing the knife. If they remake it with a lock as strong and secure as the rest of the knife I will jump on it. So I take this as a good sign manufacturers are realizing liner and frame locks are not suitable for heavy duty use.
Click to expand...

Maybe you could link us up to the well documented facts.
 
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