Help with Heavy Duty Folder

D

dan1942

Joined
Sep 16, 2007
Messages
12
This is my first post but I have been a member since 07'.
I am in the market for a heavy duty folder in the 250.00 or less price range. it needs to have a very strong lock and a strong steel for the blade. It will be used as an EDC but I am not to concern about size as it will be used mostly outdoors (hunting & fishing which I do all year).
I did consider just to EDC a fixed blade like a fallkniven F1 or one of the BRKT but the problem is I never wear a belt so it would not work out.

I have been looking at the Spyderco Gayle Bradly but am unsure about the M4 and being on the water pretty much all the time.

Thanks in advance for any help!
Dan
 
Welcome to Bladeforums!

Look at the ZT 0551 or 0550 and the HEST Folder.

The production HEST folder preorder can be found for about $180 and the ZT's are running right at $200.

Preorders are being taken by Knifeworks, BladeHQ, Knife Center, kershawguy, etc. Pretty much all of our favorite knife dealers . . .


I have a 0551 right now and it is a really good, beefy knife and it has ZT's and Rick Hinderer's name on it to boot.

When they are all here, I will have two 0551's a 0550, a limited edition Sterile HEST Folder and a Production model HEST folder.

Unless we get some unwelcome results after use, these knives stand to be a couple of the best heavy use folders coming out by two great MFG's, ZT and Lion Steel.
 
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I highly recommend the Zero Tolerance 0300 series. They make the 0300 (Black scale and blade), 0301 (green scale, striped blade), and 0302 (tan scale, striped blade). I owned a 0302 for several years and it never let me down. Very robust and well built for a production knife. I regret trading mine off and plan on getting another soon.
 
Thanks for the recommendations so far!

@Reeek I just was looking at your post for the 0551 ZT and that is a beautiful knife!! but how long is the wait to get one??

@tjsulli790 I actually had a 0350 I gave to father as a gift and it was a nice knife too
 
Since you are checking out the ZT's, might as well give the ZT0200 a look-see. This is the picture in the dictionary next to Heavy-Duty! Well worth more than the $128.00 it sells for!:thumbup::)
 
+1 on the ZT 0300 series and the ZT 0551. Not as much waiting time as you think on the ZT 0551.
 
Spyderco Military. Just rinse it out with WD40 when you get home. ZTs are beasts too, if you are cool with some more weight.

For a bullet-proof folder check out some Tri-Ad folders. You could do a bunch of work with a new AK-47 and then use the other $ on ammo...
 
If you still would like a fixed a blade check out ESEE knives. They recently released a new clip that works great for in-waistband carry. I know it fits the Izula and Izula II sheaths but I haven't tried it on an ESEE-3 or 4 yet. I suspect it will work. You'd get your fixed blade plus you'd still have another hundred bucks or more for a backup folder :) There are lots of good folders in that price range.
 
I would say that you should get a ZT 30X or a 200. they are chunky, good blade steel and really heavy duty. what other knife uses a 3/8 inch hex bolt, for a pivot?
 
dan1942 said:
This is my first post but I have been a member since 07'.
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Welcome aboard, Dan.

dan1942 said:
I am in the market for a heavy duty folder in the 250.00 or less price range. it needs to have a very strong lock and a strong steel for the blade. (edit) I did consider just to EDC a fixed blade like a fallkniven F1 or one of the BRKT but the problem is I never wear a belt so it would not work out.
Click to expand...

Cold Steel American Lawman, or have its creator, Andrew Demko, create you one with better steel. After using mine hard for the many months it still locks up like no other folder I own or have used and I highly, highly recommend it. As for EDCing a f/b, I've been doing just that with my Esee/Rat H.E.S.T for about 3 months now. I absolutely love this knife. It's the perfect size for me and it is a very robust knife. You won't do wrong with the H.E.S.T. I'm taking a leap here and saying this might be my end-all knife.
 
Benchmade 610 Rukus - They're out of production and you'll have to find one on the exchange or the auction site but they come up often enough.
It is a monster folder, perfectly suited for outdoors use, IMO.

pete
 
You can't go wrong with the ZT 0551; I can't get mine out of my hands most of the time.
 
Given your price point, you can't beat the ZT 0551. This thing epitomizes "heavy duty folder" and the Elmax steel blows the competition out of the water. Very nice package.

..and the dog's dangly bits to be sure. :D
 
The ZT 0551 is a great choice for the price. Though if you want more corrosion resistance you might consider waiting a little while for the ZT 0550 in Vanax 35 steel, which should have more corrosion resistance at the cost of some wear resistance(though it's doubtful you'd notice IMO).
 
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions!!
Well I decided to just get the ZT 0551 and I just put my name on the list.:D
thanks again!
Dan
 
tjsulli790 said:
I highly recommend the Zero Tolerance 0300 series. They make the 0300 (Black scale and blade), 0301 (green scale, striped blade), and 0302 (tan scale, striped blade). I owned a 0302 for several years and it never let me down. Very robust and well built for a production knife. I regret trading mine off and plan on getting another soon.
Click to expand...

I own one and agree completely.
 
Another vote for the ZT0551 ot HEST/f here.
both seem like they would suit your needs well.
Also the cold steel american lawman and the ZT0300 series would be great options too.
 
Salt water or fresh water?

I've been using a Gayle Bradley as my work/outdoors folder for a while now, and love the thing. I really like how the M4 performs, and I haven't had any issues with rust. I'll keep it as dry as I can between uses, and every few weeks it gets a good rinse and a drop of oil on the pivot. For the most part, I believe a lot of concerns about carbon steels to be exaggerated.

Regarding fixed blades, have you looked into pocket sheaths at all? There's some really nice stuff out there for smaller/medium fixed blades that could be of interest
 
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