I have been religiously carrying my Benchmade (Pika?) for over 15 years.
I bought this knife because of several reasons, two of which were that the blade is ATS-34 steel and the opening mechanism is very easy to open (I owned and carried a Spyderco before buying this knife). I continued to carry the knife because the grip was so comfortable, giving me a faux hilt, and the knife carried so easily on my pants pocket and in the waistband on my suit pants. The clip positions the knife low in the pocket, and the clip (being black) is very subdued.
However, I finally decided to update my EDC knife, as the lock-back mechanism has been surpassed by newer, stronger locking mechanisms (liner-lock, axis lock, frame-lock, etc...)
Years ago I held a ZT, and fell in love. Well, I knew the ZTs were pretty expensive, and frankly, it seems like everyone and their brother has one now. I decided I was going to get something LIKE a ZT, but something 'different'.
I have a Kershaw Scallion, and really like the flipper design with assisted opening. So, off I went in search of an assisted flipper.
First, I bought a Kershaw Volt II.
I bought the Volt online, and didn't realize how small it was. I really like everything about it, except that it is about 1/2-3/4" too short. Here is is next to my Benchmade:
While it was nice, and I would LOVE a full-size Volt, or better a true R.J. Martin, the Volt II was just too small for what I wanted in an EDC knife. In addition, the plastic scales felt cheap.
Off I went to find something different. I like Kershaw's quality, and they make good use of the flipper design, so I kept looking through their lineup. I decided I wanted G-10 scales, liner-locking mechanism, and a longer blade length and handle. I found the Junkyard Dog II, and ordered one.
The JYD is a much larger knife than the Volt II, but lacks the assisted opening "Speed Safe" mechanism. I opted for the plain blade, instead of the composite steel blade that incorporates D2 as the cutting edge. I like the JYD, but it just didn't "do" it for me. I didn't think I would miss the assisted opening, but I really did. In addition, the clip is the most awful thing I have ever seen. It is so bad, I could not bring myself to carrying it with nice pants on, as the clip was just so visually offensive (lots of metal, and too cheesy looking.) In fact, I switched back to my Benchmade the other day as its clip was less noticeable. I took this as a good enough reason to keep looking for something new. Yes, I could have just bought a new clip, but I couldn't find one for the JYD (I know I saw a thread about an aftermarket clip for the JYD somewhere, but couldn't find it again).
So, today I finally did it. I broke down when at my local cop-shop and just bought it. Even though everyone has one, I couldn't take it any longer. The knife I want is still the ZT. I decided to go with the 0350 instead of the 0300, as the price was affordable and offered me everything I wanted. One day I might still get the 0300, but for now, I am finally satisfied that I have found my new EDC!
So without further ado, my new ZT 0350ST!
I really love this knife. The S30V blade steel is a true upgrade over the ATS-34 in my old Benchmade. The liner-lock is better than the lock-back mechanism in the Benchmade. The G-10 is a better grip material than the plastic scales on my old Benchmade. The assisted flipper design is better than the Spyderco-styled hole opening system on my old Benchmade. The steel liners and blade with jimping are better than the jimping on just the blade of my old Benchmade. The jimping on the steel liners and scales on the butt of the knife is appropriate for defensive strikes, much better than the plastic butt on my old Benchmade. The scales are pre-drilled for the clip to be positioned on both sides of the knife, much better than my old Benchmade. The Tungsten DLC coating on the blade is superior to the blackened blade on my old Benchmade (which has scratched off pretty bad). The clip is equally subdued than the one on my old Benchmade.
This knife exudes quality. I love the blade design, including the "hump" on the back of the blade designed for the thumb to rest. I am so happy I finally got the knife I always wanted. I should have just bought it the first time. Oh well, at least I only had to go through two knives to find the right one on the third try!
I bought this knife because of several reasons, two of which were that the blade is ATS-34 steel and the opening mechanism is very easy to open (I owned and carried a Spyderco before buying this knife). I continued to carry the knife because the grip was so comfortable, giving me a faux hilt, and the knife carried so easily on my pants pocket and in the waistband on my suit pants. The clip positions the knife low in the pocket, and the clip (being black) is very subdued.
However, I finally decided to update my EDC knife, as the lock-back mechanism has been surpassed by newer, stronger locking mechanisms (liner-lock, axis lock, frame-lock, etc...)
Years ago I held a ZT, and fell in love. Well, I knew the ZTs were pretty expensive, and frankly, it seems like everyone and their brother has one now. I decided I was going to get something LIKE a ZT, but something 'different'.
I have a Kershaw Scallion, and really like the flipper design with assisted opening. So, off I went in search of an assisted flipper.
First, I bought a Kershaw Volt II.
I bought the Volt online, and didn't realize how small it was. I really like everything about it, except that it is about 1/2-3/4" too short. Here is is next to my Benchmade:
While it was nice, and I would LOVE a full-size Volt, or better a true R.J. Martin, the Volt II was just too small for what I wanted in an EDC knife. In addition, the plastic scales felt cheap.
Off I went to find something different. I like Kershaw's quality, and they make good use of the flipper design, so I kept looking through their lineup. I decided I wanted G-10 scales, liner-locking mechanism, and a longer blade length and handle. I found the Junkyard Dog II, and ordered one.
The JYD is a much larger knife than the Volt II, but lacks the assisted opening "Speed Safe" mechanism. I opted for the plain blade, instead of the composite steel blade that incorporates D2 as the cutting edge. I like the JYD, but it just didn't "do" it for me. I didn't think I would miss the assisted opening, but I really did. In addition, the clip is the most awful thing I have ever seen. It is so bad, I could not bring myself to carrying it with nice pants on, as the clip was just so visually offensive (lots of metal, and too cheesy looking.) In fact, I switched back to my Benchmade the other day as its clip was less noticeable. I took this as a good enough reason to keep looking for something new. Yes, I could have just bought a new clip, but I couldn't find one for the JYD (I know I saw a thread about an aftermarket clip for the JYD somewhere, but couldn't find it again).
So, today I finally did it. I broke down when at my local cop-shop and just bought it. Even though everyone has one, I couldn't take it any longer. The knife I want is still the ZT. I decided to go with the 0350 instead of the 0300, as the price was affordable and offered me everything I wanted. One day I might still get the 0300, but for now, I am finally satisfied that I have found my new EDC!
So without further ado, my new ZT 0350ST!
I really love this knife. The S30V blade steel is a true upgrade over the ATS-34 in my old Benchmade. The liner-lock is better than the lock-back mechanism in the Benchmade. The G-10 is a better grip material than the plastic scales on my old Benchmade. The assisted flipper design is better than the Spyderco-styled hole opening system on my old Benchmade. The steel liners and blade with jimping are better than the jimping on just the blade of my old Benchmade. The jimping on the steel liners and scales on the butt of the knife is appropriate for defensive strikes, much better than the plastic butt on my old Benchmade. The scales are pre-drilled for the clip to be positioned on both sides of the knife, much better than my old Benchmade. The Tungsten DLC coating on the blade is superior to the blackened blade on my old Benchmade (which has scratched off pretty bad). The clip is equally subdued than the one on my old Benchmade.
This knife exudes quality. I love the blade design, including the "hump" on the back of the blade designed for the thumb to rest. I am so happy I finally got the knife I always wanted. I should have just bought it the first time. Oh well, at least I only had to go through two knives to find the right one on the third try!
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