- Joined
- Aug 20, 2009
- Messages
- 2,907
Hello everyone!
I got Zulu few hours ago and I had enough to to fiddle and test it to form an opinion: Its a keeper.
First thing I noticed when I unpacked knife was: Wow, its smaller than it looks in picture. Its tad smaller than Sage 1 and handle is shorter than Sage 1's. Even with my saucage fingers Zulu's handle was very comfy. No hot spots, no too crampt. It felt good.
Zulu's most destinguished feature is high hollow ground blade and its unorthodox shape. My greatest fear was that it would not have enough tip for my liking but it has more than enough tip. Tip is also thicker than my sage 1's tip
Lock is liner lock like my sage and it snaps with quite authority. With that snap which leaves no doubt about lock engaging. It locks up as solid as my Sage 1. Action is as smooth as is my Sage 1, though my Sage is tad broken in. Zulu is as smooth as Sage 1 was brand new. Very smooth and nice but cannot quite compeare Gayle Bradley, which is most smoothest Spyderco I have and shares most smooth opening knife with Benchmade mini-RSK 558 in M4 steel. Zulu is in top 3 of my smoothest one hand folders folders.
Despite being quite heavily shaped, I managed to fit it in my watch pocket. It carries surprisingly well, despite being slightly more thicker than Sage 1 Cf vs. Corrugated G10.
I found sharp G10 ridge near pivot, nothing that a file and 30 seconds wouldn't fix. That is minor gripe but considering corrugated G10 I am surprised no other hotspots or sharp ridges were on my scales.
There's no jimping in knife. I've read people would have hoped jiping on liner and top spine. However I am mostly tradtionalist and slipjoint lover so I cannot say I miss them. non-jimped liner lock works more than well in Zulu and Sage 1
What I do miss is deep riding clip... and corrugated orange or bi-colored micarta G10 to get full effect of the corrugation visible. Zulu would make awesome show stopper with bi-colored handle material.
So quickly:
+ Sharpness
+ Ergnomics
+ Size
+ Smooth Action
+ Solid lockup
+/- Blade shap
+/- No jimping
- Sharp ridge on G10 handle
I will post pictures when my cameras battery is loaded.
Now as thread is pretty much useless without pictures here are something for the starters. Excuse me for crappy photoso. I suck taking photos of people and knives (for some reason animals and landscapes work better for me)
Gayle Bradley, Sage 1, Zulu from top to bottom
Zulu, Sage 1 and Gayle Bradley from left to right
Sage 1's tip on left and Zulu's on right. Crappy photo but I hope it helps bit clear how Zulu's tip is: enough to accurate work but slightly sturdier than Sage 1's at least that is what my eyes tell me.
I got Zulu few hours ago and I had enough to to fiddle and test it to form an opinion: Its a keeper.
First thing I noticed when I unpacked knife was: Wow, its smaller than it looks in picture. Its tad smaller than Sage 1 and handle is shorter than Sage 1's. Even with my saucage fingers Zulu's handle was very comfy. No hot spots, no too crampt. It felt good.
Zulu's most destinguished feature is high hollow ground blade and its unorthodox shape. My greatest fear was that it would not have enough tip for my liking but it has more than enough tip. Tip is also thicker than my sage 1's tip
Lock is liner lock like my sage and it snaps with quite authority. With that snap which leaves no doubt about lock engaging. It locks up as solid as my Sage 1. Action is as smooth as is my Sage 1, though my Sage is tad broken in. Zulu is as smooth as Sage 1 was brand new. Very smooth and nice but cannot quite compeare Gayle Bradley, which is most smoothest Spyderco I have and shares most smooth opening knife with Benchmade mini-RSK 558 in M4 steel. Zulu is in top 3 of my smoothest one hand folders folders.
Despite being quite heavily shaped, I managed to fit it in my watch pocket. It carries surprisingly well, despite being slightly more thicker than Sage 1 Cf vs. Corrugated G10.
I found sharp G10 ridge near pivot, nothing that a file and 30 seconds wouldn't fix. That is minor gripe but considering corrugated G10 I am surprised no other hotspots or sharp ridges were on my scales.
There's no jimping in knife. I've read people would have hoped jiping on liner and top spine. However I am mostly tradtionalist and slipjoint lover so I cannot say I miss them. non-jimped liner lock works more than well in Zulu and Sage 1
What I do miss is deep riding clip... and corrugated orange or bi-colored micarta G10 to get full effect of the corrugation visible. Zulu would make awesome show stopper with bi-colored handle material.
So quickly:
+ Sharpness
+ Ergnomics
+ Size
+ Smooth Action
+ Solid lockup
+/- Blade shap
+/- No jimping
- Sharp ridge on G10 handle
I will post pictures when my cameras battery is loaded.
Now as thread is pretty much useless without pictures here are something for the starters. Excuse me for crappy photoso. I suck taking photos of people and knives (for some reason animals and landscapes work better for me)
Gayle Bradley, Sage 1, Zulu from top to bottom
Zulu, Sage 1 and Gayle Bradley from left to right
Sage 1's tip on left and Zulu's on right. Crappy photo but I hope it helps bit clear how Zulu's tip is: enough to accurate work but slightly sturdier than Sage 1's at least that is what my eyes tell me.
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