First Look - ZT 0777

Not sure where Tony is...mebbe I can help.

Short version: difference in opinions,re: marketing,niche knives,target market,blade lengths,etc.

All conducted with civility and decency.

As is usual,here.

Now,back to drooling & admiring.
 
Noctis3880 said:
I think I see where you're going with this. This knife should have been released under the Kershaw name. The Zero Tolerance motto is "Serious Missions, Serious Knives", and this knife simply isn't serious enough. G10 dropped on the floor would get a scratch or two, while Carbon Fiber could risk cracking and chipping, though Strider uses it in their customs(not production). And damascus only exists for the looks.

Certainly, this knife strays too far from practical use to be in the same category as Zero Tolerance.
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Why do you say that Damascus only exists for the looks? It sure looks nice, but does that mean it can't be used in the same way as non Damascus steels are used? Also, why does this knife stray too far from practical use to be in the same category as ZT? I think everyone is getting a little hung up on the Damascus spine of the blade. Carbon fiber is used so often on knives now that I don't even see it as a special material. This 0770 has a 4" blade and a Ti subframe lock so I don't see it as a dainty gentleman's knife. It's a user that happens to have some flash.

Alpha, Gnarly pretty much covered it. Basically, some knife knuts out there want the same knives that ZT produces in smaller (3") versions and I was just trying to say that the retooling costs to produce those knives would outweigh the demand for 3" blades marketed as combat folders. The argument was put forth that CRK produces the Small Sebenza, Strider produces the PT, and Hinderer produces a 3" XM-18. I argued that these companies makes a limited number of models and that these aforementioned knives are flagship models so it is understandable that they would produce large and small versions.
 
Man this knife is awesome :eek:
really helps against that feeling that I probably won' t be able to get a Tilt;)
btw is this one gonna be regular production or limited as well?
 
well thomas said there will be a "couple hundred" tilts made,,,he also said doing the work needed for THIS knife inhouse is not cheap...not word for word though
 
There has been some spirited discussion about this knife, seeming to focus on size, and the way a knife like this fits in with the current Zero Tolerance lineup. Perhaps I can shine a little light on the subject (or maybe I'll just add to the confusion :D)

You small knife guys should know that we do think about you - every time we make a new knife, the size is a very conscious decision. We never want to alienate a potetial customer, but in this case we wanted a knife that was big, bold, and caught your eye. It was decided that the 0777 would be a large knife very early on.

In addition, people don't realize this, but it's much harder to scale a knife down than it is to scale a knife up. There are minimum sizes that we can machine, you end up adjusting all the hardware, and, in general, it gets harder to fit everything in. Nevertheless, your feedback is appreciated, and we really do try to listen to our customers.

Now, how does this knife fit in with the Zero Tolerance brand? It's obvious that this knife is a departure from what we have previously introduced in this category. However, if you think about the big picture, this piece fits better than one might imagine. Simply put, the Zero Tolerance brand represents the best of our abilities - the best materials, the best construction, and great designs. While this knife is more dolled up than our average ZT piece, it still represents the core values of the brand.

This knife showcases one of the best features of a composite blade - that you can use a fantastic cutting steel for the edge, and still have the beauty of damascus in the spine. Our composite blade technology has been tested to failure, and the blade will break before the weld does. Sure, damascus may not be the most corrosion resistant material we could use, but we are using stainless damascus, which helps quite a bit. People seem to buy and use plenty of Strider knives with damascus blades, and they have a pretty serious reputation for building tough knives.

Carbon fiber is used in everything from bicycles to rifles to military aircraft. It's much stronger than it needs to be to function as a handle on a hard use hand tool. It's also very lightweight, allowing this big knife to be deceptively light.

All in all, this knife represents the best materials, the best machining, and the best technology we have to offer. That's why it is marketed as a ZT product.

I hope this helps.
 
While you're here, Jimmer_5, can you let us know if this will be a regular offering or just a limited run of knives? Also, thanks for your point of view.

It seems to me that people believe carbon fiber to be weaker than it actually is.
 
Thanx,Jimmer_5!

Really love this ZT creation.

Please say a prayer for me; I'll need to sell stuff to buy one!
 
This doesn't fit the ZT line-up? I believe that it does. Perhaps better than it would Kershaw's. Maybe there is a new "Commander-grade" line-up in store for ZT or another brand entirely.
 
As to whether the 0777 will be a LE or regular production, I would say that as of today it will be a LE.
 
Tony8179 said:
Why do you say that Damascus only exists for the looks? It sure looks nice, but does that mean it can't be used in the same way as non Damascus steels are used? Also, why does this knife stray too far from practical use to be in the same category as ZT? I think everyone is getting a little hung up on the Damascus spine of the blade. Carbon fiber is used so often on knives now that I don't even see it as a special material. This 0770 has a 4" blade and a Ti subframe lock so I don't see it as a dainty gentleman's knife. It's a user that happens to have some flash.
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Surely damascus could be used as such. In fact, I'm pretty sure the ZDP damascus that William Henry uses would be comparable in performance to regular old ZDP. It's just that high quality damascus is even more expensive(from what I've seen) than premium steels like S90V and M390. I haven't heard too much about the performance of damascus, and I assume it's because people don't use them. I would also think that the damascus used can't compare to N360 in terms of corrosion resistance, being a nitrogen steel and all.

Carbon fiber is indeed used in many knives, though mostly to make it exceptionally light or to give the knife an exotic appearance. Not sure how much it adds to a big, thick, and heavy knife meant for hard use.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing the knife itself. I'll be on the thing like white on rice when it comes out. It's just that I don't agree that the knife has been filed properly. To describe it better, it would be like Benchmade taking a Gold Class 750-101 knife in damascus and putting it under their Black Class label.

And no, I am not an accountant:D.
 
Thomas W said:
As to whether the 0777 will be a LE or regular production, I would say that as of today it will be a LE.
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Thomas, since its going to be an LE, can you make a bunch(1000+)? If I missed out on this one, I'd probably fall into a deep depression where I'd rock back and forth on the floor for days(maybe even weeks) in the fetal position screaming at the top of my lungs, WHYYY!!! :D
 
Great relief! I thought that first image was the missing part from the production version of the ZT-0551 - the 0550. Whatever happened with that one (0550), anyway? My local dealer still has a pair of new 0551's in stock... maybe I should get another one? At least I could afford that one without selling a kidney... not that one this old has a market value!

Stainz

PS I wonder if I could afford a 0777 'blem'??
 
Did I mention the fact that I absolutely love this knife? New design, new steel, new ergos, Hallelujah! Bring it on, I'll sell some plasma to get the ball rolling ;)
 
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