Hard use tactical folder: BM 810 vs ZT301/561

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Lennyo3034

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Nov 27, 2012
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I'm looking for a hard use folder that I can take camping for chopping wood if need be. Maryland's stupid laws make fixed blades, even for camping a grey area. I wouldn't mind being able to add this knife to the EDC rotation as well, for going on walks/hiking [or scaring my sheeple friends].

I've been looking at the BM 810 contego and some of the ZT knives, specifically the 300-303 and the hinderer designs. I was looking for what people's thoughts were on those?

A friend of mine has a contego and I think it's awesome. I'm a big fan of BM's newer heat treat M4 and I have a thread showing how well a M4 grip is holding up. The only downside to the 810 was the ridiculously rough grips, but I guess some sandpaper can fix that. I have a ZT350 and I really like it's, and the other ZT, design. However I'm a bit let down by the S30v as it has chipped in just normal use. I'd be concerned about it for chopping wood if I had to. That's the main detractor from the ZT knives for me, which is why I'm considering going with the 810 instead. Thoughts?
 
I would bring a folding Gerber saw before I chopped with a folder. They are very light.
 
Lennyo3034 said:
Thoughts?
Click to expand...

You don't chop with a folder. Folders are not designed for chopping from a pivot/lock standpoint, and from a sheer physics standpoint. Not long enough.

If you are camping in a place where you can chop stuff (that's a big if....many public area do not allow gathering wood, and how could you be in a place where using an ax is legal but using a fixed blade knife isn't?), then dio like mjolnir suggested...bring a folding saw. :thumbup:
 
Magnumfloyd said:
The whole blade is sharp I've batoned with the whole thing most axe heads are curved and u still use the whole edge
Click to expand...

Yes, but batonning isn't chopping, and axes aren't recurved. You cannot use the whole edge of a recurved blade to chop.
 
If I go with a folding saw, or a hatchet, then I don't get a new toy to play with =). I'm not chopping a tree down, just cutting branches that are a little too big to break. And maybe whittling wood for burning in the stovetec.
 
the 0561 costs the most but I think it will hold up the best it has a bigger blade then the 0301 and no recurve to mess with from what I have heard the elmax steel holds up very well in rough situations such as what you want to do.
 
You have good taste those are very good knife choices but I think the 810 contego with that cpm-m4 blade just kicks ass its super smooth and opens way faster than my 301 which is assisted and the handle is not that bad but the 301 is alot more rounded.
 
Benchmade M4 is great steel but it's heat-treated pretty hard...for good edge-holding. Batoning is not something I would do with it...or any other folder other than maybe a Spyderco TUFF in CPM 3v.
 
Here's a video made by Benchmade putting the Contego through some paces. He batons with it in the video (sort of -- he basically pounds the blade into a piece of 2x6 with a mallet).
[video=youtube;V5N1dzv-zKI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5N1dzv-zKI[/video]

The ZT 0300 series are absolute tanks. There was a video (can't find it at the moment) where a guy was wedging it in-between 2x4's he nailed together and then prying them apart with the knife. I've not had the S30V on my ZT's chip on me, even when cutting plastic pallet straps (which apparently are prone to chipping edges).
 
I'm pretty biased for CPM M4 steel.

S30v is an absolutely tremendous steel that would serve you very well, but CPM M4 stands noticeably a few steps above it in my experience. Any knife nut owes it to themselves to try it out.

I can't really speak on either of the two knives, both have great reputations but I have no intimate experience with either. Though I generally don't favor ZT designs.
 
don't chop with a folder you will just mess up the pivot of your new toy. Batoning on the blade spine -- not the handle -- will work ok for light jobs.
 
If you want a new toy to abuse on a camping trip , you might consider a Cold Steel Rajah2 or American Lawman.
I use my R2 all the time for yard work, it will do almost anything a machete can do and light chopping.
But it's too big for whittling :)
 
The handle on the 810 really isn't all that rough, and sandpaper will smooth it out a bit. As nice as the 810 might be, I wouldn't chop with it for fear of damaging the lock.
I'll agree with the vote for cold steel. If you're going to use a folder for something it's not designed to do, I would use a less expensive one that you don't mind messing up.
 
Lennyo3034 said:
If I go with a folding saw, or a hatchet, then I don't get a new toy to play with =).
Click to expand...

Why's that? Surely not cost. A Bahco Laplander folding saw costs pocket change and leaves plenty over for a tough as nails folder. I can't speak to the BM, but I have a ZT 350 that I used a fair bit on our last camping trip for a variety of things, but certainly not wood processing. Since then I have scored a ZT 560 and it's my new favourite folder by a country mile. Great ergos, super fast opening and the Elmax steel is great under the limited strains I have placed on it so far.
 
I decided to go with the 810. I got it in, and immediately took it apart to polish the washers (I do this for all knives). It is now not only rock solid, but butter smooth. I think I made the right decision as this thing is very well built. As for those that don't think I should be doing woodworking with a folder, this is what I did with my griptillian:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1059857-CPM-M4-Griptillian-6-month-review

It doesn't show any hard use at all afterwards. That was just a test of what the knife could do, and I fully expect the 810 to be able to do the same.

I decided not to got with the ZT301 because I just didn't have the confidence in S30V. After I did this with the M4 griptillian, I tried sawing a branch with the serated edge of my ZT350. It chipped one of the serations off completely. Nothing against ZT, but S30v is rather chippy to begin with, and that knife is rather thinly ground. I've had chipping issues with a S30v Benchmade as well.
 
I love my 810 Contego. Sanding the jimping was a must for me.
I could be considered a steel snob.
But I've never heard of S30v being that "chippy".
 
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