In need of guidance

4

41milesout

Joined
Aug 12, 2012
Messages
137
Alright guys. I don't live around any knife shops so i really can't try anything out. I'm gonna rely on you guys and get some questions answered. With the holidays coming up i'm looking for a new knife. I have three options. First off a Kershaw blur. Love the looks and price but the liner is a bit thin. So then I thought why don't i spend the extra money and get a zt 350. Its like a better version of the blur. Finally i also really like the zt 550. Its very well reviewed on here and the blade shape looks ideal.
So the question is 'Is it worth is to just pop for a zt and if so which one'? I dont wanna end up buying a zt because i'm not happy with the blur. I would rather shoot straight to a nicer blade.I know there are a lot of these types of threads but i have searched and cant really find one that answers my question. So what does everyone think? Does anyone own all three and have an opinion?
Thanks so much for any insight. I appreciate the help.
 
I say go for the ZT0550 if your concerned about the liner lock.. It is an amazing knife Kershaw Guy has them at a great price! One of my alltime favorite knives.. I also have 10 blurs and love it too.. And he has them at a good price too... Guess my question is what are you buying it for?
 
chester22 said:
Guess my question is what are you buying it for?
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I want something that can do everything. But i guess that doesn't help to much. I would rather have a knife that can take some abuse and not need it than a broken tip on a blade. But is the blur pretty sturdy too?
 
Blur is very sturdy...but you want a knife that can go through allot get the ZT0550..it's a beast
 
At Kershawguys insanely low price on the old style 0550 you can't go wrong it you are looking for a do everything knife and don't mind a bit of a heavy beast.
 
I carry it in my right pocket..I don't find it to heavy or big.. I like the feeling of knowing the knife is there.. Not to heavy or light
 
oregonknifenerd said:
At Kershawguys insanely low price on the old style 0550 you can't go wrong it you are looking for a do everything knife and don't mind a bit of a heavy beast.
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I stick it in my waist band so weight generally doesnt matter. That price is great. Is the jump up from the blur justified.
 
its a mix of both. I have your normal edc tasks plus i go into the woods and have very light bushcraft tasks
 
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Carrying a knife in your waistband using the POCKET clip isn't safe without a sheath. I believe the inserts in thr Kershaw packaging even have a legal COA saying "hey, you slice your thang off, ain't our fault pardner" explaining how a pocket clip is meant to clip to your pocket.

0550 isn't super heavy, at least relative to the 0300s. It doesn't carry heavier than its size like a SS frame does as it is titanium and G10. It doesn't have milled out lightening holes like the 0560 so you have a large slab of titanium but there were some people whining about the 0560s holes when it came out. The 0560 is lighter for the size, those holes make no real difference in strength in normal use but cut the weight. The 0560 is a few pennies more though but a real deal compared to what we were paying for them when they first came out.
 
I think you're putting way too much stake into the lock toughness idea. The liner lock on the Blur is certainly not what I would call thin, and the lock up on that knife is perfection in every model I've ever come across. For a better steel, get the S30V Blur from kershawguy. They're not that expensive. The Blur is an excellent knife, and you're selling it way short considering what you say you're going to be doing.

I'm not really sure what you mean by bushcraft, as I'd prefer a more specialized knife for that, however if you mean carving wood and making fuzz sticks, then even then I'd say the thinner blade on the Blur is preferable. I hope you're not planning on batonning your folder to split substantial wood...because despite how tough the 0550 is, it does have its limits. If you're splitting small pieces, then again, the Blur will likely function fine anyway.

Don't misappropriate the function of a lock, as it's to prevent the blade from closing during cutting. Never has a Blur or similar knife failed on me. Also, you mentioned breaking the tip of the knife. The tip of the 0550 can indeed be broken off. Not easily, but it can be. (Ask me how I know)

They're both fantastic knives, and very much so. I love the Blur, and use the 0550 quite a bit. I also love the 0350. The 0550 is the least proficient slicer, by virtue of its thick blade, but it is very robust. I recommend trying the Blur. If you don't like it, you can sell it for almost all of what you paid for it.
 
If the liner lock on a Blur fails you were doing something you shouldn't with a folder. If you are like me and want a tank (just in case), get the ZT. Or then again, with Dave's sale prices you could get both!
 
Don't worry no abuse is gonna go on with the bush craft. light stuff like you described.
 
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I say go with the 0350 if you like the blade shape of the blur. The blur certainly isn't lacking in the lock strength department though. The ZT might be the better knife if you're planning to have one to carry, and that's it.

Regarding the price jump, in my mind, yes it is justified. You get premium materials and a tough as hell knife for a fair price. In the end, it ends up being how much you're willing to spend. Each knife has a price increase, and with it, increased durability and longevity. The steel gets upgraded with each "level" of cost, as does the overall materials it's built with.
 
Price is just a variable. Though in most cases, the more the price goes up the better the materials.
The Blur is a great knife, though with something assisted, I prefer a flipper. It has a decent steel, takes a good edge, gets sharp, and the lock is not an issue.

The ZT 0350 is awesome. It's a thick knife with a nice weight, thick liners, great s30v blade steel, sharp as a razor, tough as nails, and you can just get rid of the torsion bar if you want a manual knife over the Speed-Safe.

ZT 0550, is an amazing design with a flawless blade shape, making it easy to sharpen. s35vn blade steel takes a nice edge and holds it for a nice long while, and like s30v will hold its working edge for a very long time. Titanium is actually not stronger than steel but the ZT 0550 has a nice thick slab of ti. I have never had a problem with Titanium locks and actually prefer them. The knife is thick but this adds to the solid feel in the hand. The G-10 scale and design is very grippy, while not looking so bad either. I do not find the knife too heavy at all. The weight is well distributed. It's a beast of a knife, but not too large and not too heavy. It's a really great knife and this would be my choice.

I would pick up the ZT 0550 first. You'll likely pick the other ones up later on down the road. But for a do it all knife, the 0550 is great.
 
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