Hard decision between a few knives

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breakdown52

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Mar 17, 2014
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Hey guys! I have about $200 to spend and I have a few knives in mind. However, I won't be able to handle any before I buy them. So I'm hoping that some of you who have some experience with them can shed some light.
The list goes
Benchmade 940-1
Spyderco sage 2
Zt0770
Zt0566
 
Hands down ZT0770CF.

I don't feel 940 or the 940-1 are worth the price their charging.
I love my 0770CF (Elmax), great knife. I feel ZT's QC, F&F, and Warranty are better than Benchmade.
 
Hey guys! I have about $200 to spend and I have a few knives in mind. However, I won't be able to handle any before I buy them. So I'm hoping that some of you who have some experience with them can shed some light.
The list goes
Benchmade 940-1
Spyderco sage 2
Zt0770
Zt0566
 
Do you like flippers? Do you like heavy knives or lighter knives? What kind of work will these blades be seeing? What are your thoughts on assisted opening knives? These are things to consider when looking at these knives.

I must admit I'm partial to ZTs. I've owned both the 0566 and 0770, and can attest to their reliability. Like KOD said, the 0770CF is a beautiful option with a handy blade shape that will handle any work you throw at it. The 0566 is a beast with the stainless steel framelock and classic Hinderer drop point blade. You can find both for well under $200.
 
Bummer that you won't be able to try them out, I'll try to give my 2 cents on each.
940-1: Insanely light and small in the pocket. Lots of blade in a tiny package. I've seen a number of them with off-center blades if that bothers you. The tiny handle makes it very easy to carry in pocket but makes it not very ergonomic for extended use. A bit expensive for what you get IMO.

Sage 2: Don't have any firsthand experience with this one, so I'll skip it.

0770: The aluminum one is a bargain, but the handles are extremely slick. Feels great in hand w/ great ergos either way. The anodizing of the finish can get beat up pretty easily. With the assist on, the knife fires out very hard. The aluminum version deassists well, I'm told, while the CF version does not. The CF version is an incredibly handsome knife, that would probably be my choice from this list. There's also a new CF/M390 version if you want improved blade steel at a higher price.

0566: Hinderer designs always have great ergos. The assist works well, but the newest edition of the 0566 cannot be deassisted. Relatively light and a good EDC size. Lots of custom scales out there if you're into that. It's a stainless steel framelock, which I'm not a big fan of. Pretty heavy for its size.
 
grownstar said:
Do you like flippers? Do you like heavy knives or lighter knives? What kind of work will these blades be seeing? What are your thoughts on assisted opening knives? These are things to consider when looking at these knives.

I must admit I'm partial to ZTs. I've owned both the 0566 and 0770, and can attest to their reliability. Like KOD said, the 0770CF is a beautiful option with a handy blade shape that will handle any work you throw at it. The 0566 is a beast with the stainless steel framelock and classic Hinderer drop point blade. You can find both for well under $200.
Click to expand...
Yes I love flippers. I prefer lighter knives. To give you an idea I own the Para 2 and absolutely love it. The blade will be used for everything from hard use to light edc. Basically anything that comes up that needs to be cut. As far as assisted opening knives, I don't mind it as long as I can de-assist it if desired.
 
breakdown52 said:
Yes I love flippers. I prefer lighter knives. To give you an idea I own the Para 2 and absolutely love it. The blade will be used for everything from hard use to light edc. Basically anything that comes up that needs to be cut. As far as assisted opening knives, I don't mind it as long as I can de-assist it if desired.
Click to expand...

If you love flippers and prefer lighter knives, I'm going to say the 0770 is the way to go. You can certainly de-assist it, just keep in mind people have had varying results. Mine flipped quite well without the torsion bar. As for slick handles, you could always throw some grip tape on there.
 
Some comparison shots from other generous members. These don't belong to me. Just trying to give you a size comparison with the only knives I've owned.

0770 with a PM 2:



0566 with a PM 2:

 
The problem I ran into deassisting mine is that I could not get it to center. It kinda flopped around. But I've come to like the assist now anyway.
 
Of your list I would say the 940-1, especially if you can find it under MAP- you can if you look. I don't have any experience with the Sage but own an 0770CF and 940-1 and have handled the 0566. The ZT's are excellent knives but IMO, the 940-1 is in another league. Mine is perfection. It's light, small in the pocket with a great blade/handle ratio and looks amazing.

Also, if you're looking at the 940-1's price range and you love flippers, check out the Spyderco Southard.
 
Ok Ill weigh in. I've had all of those except the 940-1, but I've handled a 940-1

940-1: from just handling it, I thought it was a really cool knife. I don't much care for the blade shape, but the handle looks and feels great. I really liked the blue standoffs against the cf:thumbup:
But then again, when you consider the price, the knife kinda looses it appeal a bit

Sage 2: loved it for a while, then stopped using it. The fast lock wear made me a little uncomfortable using it hard. Every time I did anything harder than cutting paper, the pressure from my index finger on the lock bar would grind it further along the tang and result in a sticky disengage when I went to close the knife. The knife also felt a little TOO thin in hand for my liking.

0566: love this knife!!! It's one of my 3 favorite edc's. Compared to most other ZT's, it's really not all that bulky. If you can get past the weight, it makes a great knife that's good for both small things and harder tasks. Very versatile IMO. And unlike my 0770cf, after it was deassisted it became a dream flipper:thumbup:
Plus, it has a lot of options for pimping with aftermarket stuff

0770cf: great knife that I still love to carry. However for me, this is more of a classy knife for special occasions. I usually find myself reaching for something else when it comes to daily carry. I will say that the blade shape is EXCELLENT. It works great for all sorts of things, from food prep to package opening. The knife is also super light and thin, so I sometimes find myself forgetting that it's even there.

If it were me, I would go for the 0566, but not the g10 version. Get the one with the cf. That way you won't miss he 0770cf as much!:D
 
At $200 it's so hard to choose with so many options. I find that I end up renting a knife for a spell and then buying or trading them out. Each of these choices have solid demand. So if it doesn't work out you can get rid of them quick!
 
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I have all 4 of those (well, a regular 940, not the upgraded 940-1). My opinion...

1. 0770CF
2. 940-1
3. 0566
4. Sage 2

I don't have a shot of all 4 of those together, but here are a few that show them w/ a PM2 for comparison.

ZT0566_0770_PM2_open_800x434.jpg


ZT0566_0770_PM2_closed_800x532.jpg


940_Native5_Sage2_Tenacious_PM2_open_800x541.jpg


940_Native5_Sage2_Tenacious_PM2_closed_800x439.jpg
 
The 940 is a great pocket edc. It is the most knife in a small, light package available. If I could stick with one knife, it would probably be the 940.
 
from top down is Caly 3.5, Sage3 in c.f., Sage 2, and ZT0770cf/M390
There is a ruler which might help you also.
Note in a later pic, just how far you can "get up" on the blade when desired. The ZT is definitely limiting you in this regard.
They are all good folders; I like 'em all.

I did note that the Sage 3 in carbon fiber is much more grippy than the other three...which I consider a "good" thing.




 
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