in terms of strength, who wins. choice A, or B?

bladeboss said:
this is getting out of hand here. lets all stop posting before a big fight breaks out.
50% of us like CS
50% of us like ZT
and i dont wanna hear that my %s are wrong.
theyre both great. its just that CS has corny-ass marketing
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Get a ZT...then your perceived percentages might change. Cold steel isn't a terrible company, its just that they sell low to mid priced knives and their high end knives are ridiculously priced in comparison to their competition. ZT on the other hand sells exclusively high end knives, with their one budget model still costing as much as 2 or more cold steel knives. Most zt knives run in the $200-300 range. For that price difference the zt should be a SUBSTANTIALLY better knife. I know from reading many of your posts that you are a big cold steel fan, and that's fine, but undetstand that zt and cold steel are not even in the same league and the only real similarity is that they both make hard use knives. Get a zt and I think you'll be singing a different tune.
 
BePrepared said:
hrm...i'm amazed this is still being talked about..

Cold steel is not even CLOSE to the quality of ZT... that's so obvious to anyone who has done any research at all on materials, construction, or fit/finish

CS knives aren't all trash, but their best folders don't come close to Kershaw, and Kershaw is the budget version of ZT...
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I love reading silly stuff like this. Good entertainment and it makes me laugh! :)
 
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mkjellgren said:
Get a ZT...then your perceived percentages might change. Cold steel isn't a terrible company, its just that they sell low to mid priced knives and their high end knives are ridiculously priced in comparison to their competition. ZT on the other hand sells exclusively high end knives, with their one budget model still costing as much as 2 or more cold steel knives. Most zt knives run in the $200-300 range. For that price difference the zt should be a SUBSTANTIALLY better knife. I know from reading many of your posts that you are a big cold steel fan, and that's fine, but undetstand that zt and cold steel are not even in the same league and the only real similarity is that they both make hard use knives. Get a zt and I think you'll be singing a different tune.
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ZT knives may have better fit and finish and slightly better steels, but a folder's locking system is much more important in real world use. The locking system is the actual mechanism of the knife, not just some fancy steel with .0001% greater strength or whatever. The difference between mid and high grade steels is much less important in real world use.

Cold Steel's Tri-Ad Lock is where Cold Steel excels beyond any other folder locking mechanism out there. I am not saying ZT's locking system is not strong, but it is highly doubtful that it's anywhere near the strength of Cold Steel's Tri-Ad locking system. Therefore, that makes Cold Steel folders significantly stronger overall, even though ZT folders might be plenty strong for most uses.

Many of us on this forum may like ZT folders, but I think we have to admit that, "corny" advertising or not and lower-priced or not, Cold Steel simply makes stronger folders.

By the way, I like Cold Steel's demonstration videos of their knives, and I don't think they are corny at all. The videos prove what their knives can do, and that says something about the quality of their knives.
 
Viper2 said:
ZT knives may have better fit and finish and slightly better steels, but a folder's locking system is much more important in real world use. The locking system is the actual mechanism of the knife, not just some fancy steel with .0001% greater strength or whatever. The difference between mid and high grade steels is much less important in real world use.

Cold Steel's Tri-Ad Lock is where Cold Steel excels beyond any other folder locking mechanism out there. I am not saying ZT's locking system is not strong, but it is highly doubtful that it's anywhere near the strength of Cold Steel's Tri-Ad locking system. Therefore, that makes Cold Steel folders significantly stronger overall, even though ZT folders might be plenty strong for most uses.

Many of us on this forum may like ZT folders, but I think we have to admit that, "corny" advertising or not and lower-priced or not, Cold Steel simply makes stronger folders.

By the way, I like Cold Steel's demonstration videos of their knives, and I don't think they are corny at all. The videos prove what their knives can do, and that says something about the quality of their knives.
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Agreed 100% ! I couldn't have said it better.
 
Viper2 said:
ZT knives may have better fit and finish and slightly better steels, but a folder's locking system is much more important in real world use. The locking system is the actual mechanism of the knife, not just some fancy steel with .0001% greater strength or whatever. The difference between mid and high grade steels is much less important in real world use.

Cold Steel's Tri-Ad Lock is where Cold Steel excels beyond any other folder locking mechanism out there. I am not saying ZT's locking system is not strong, but it is highly doubtful that it's anywhere near the strength of Cold Steel's Tri-Ad locking system. Therefore, that makes Cold Steel folders significantly stronger overall, even though ZT folders might be plenty strong for most uses.

Many of us on this forum may like ZT folders, but I think we have to admit that, "corny" advertising or not and lower-priced or not, Cold Steel simply makes stronger folders.

By the way, I like Cold Steel's demonstration videos of their knives, and I don't think they are corny at all. The videos prove what their knives can do, and that says something about the quality of their knives.
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you sir, deserve a prize. +300
 
Anybody saying that ZT has stronger folders should just bow out of the thread right now. I own a 0400 and the only folder I would be comfortable putting it against in terms of strength is my Crkt Hissatsu folder..it doesn't hold a candle to my espadas or spartan or even my Benchmade Bedlam.Some people apparently can't distinguish between there dislike of something and the truth.
 
BePrepared said:
Okay, let's consider that

why is the lawman a joke

the lawman is a joke BECAUSE it is made of Aus8 and has a price tag around $60 while a kershaw junkyard dog with similar size, shape and with MUCH better steel costs about $20 less

Cold steel makes themself a joke by selling even their "good" knives at the same price point as overwhelmingly superior offerings.

I don't necessarily think the Lawman is a bad knife, but it should be 30-40% less than it is priced... that makes it laughable
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And you have a lawman or a recon 1? You compared them side by side every day? I have a 0300 and a recon1 one right here, I have compared them every day for more than a year. My rotation is Sog Vulcan, zt0300, recon 1. All different animals, all impeccable and all superior fit and finish. The Aus-8 in the recon 1 is just as good as the s30v or the Vg-10 for EDC. Infact it has held an edge and keeps longer than the ZT. It is not normal aus-8 look it up.
 
BladeChick777 said:
ZT Folders Are Stronger Than Cold Steel Folders
Cold Steel Fixed Blades Are Probably Stronger Than ZT Folders.
ZT Fixed Blades Are Stronger Than Cold Steels Folders And Fixed Blades.

So Overall - ZT...
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Very well put and I highly agree. :D I usually don't post in these types of threads but seriously.....comparing cold steel to Zero Tolerance??

Sorry but cold steel doesn't stand a chance.
 
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i just dont understand how any of you would think that ZT has a better lock. its a framelock. FROST knives make framelocks.
cold steel has a tri-ad-lock that has been tested against hundreds of pounds...
 
I can't comment on the ZT knives - they look nice and probably have better blade steel, BUT after evaluating everyones propaganda i've come to really like my American Lawman. To me, a liner lock is ridiculous and i would *never* buy a folding knife with one. Honestly, the AL (tri-ad lock really) is the only folding/locking knife i'd trust to not unlock. The lock-up really is not hype.

The steel on the AL is OK - gets very sharp and easy to make it so, but i wish it kept that edge a bit better (though there's no free lunch - long lasting edge/easy to sharpen are mutually exclusive). Also, i know the blade/edge won't chip easily and will tend to roll when hitting something hard. The grips are G-10 and are very nice with excellent ergo's.

OK, so given that the blade steel gets crazy sharp and holds the edge fairly well, is a great blade/handle size, has an absolutely fail-safe lock-up, grippy G-10 handle ergo's and is available around $60 - why on earth would i splash out alot more for something that only promises a little better blade steel? This is a rhetorical question btw....

American Lawman FTW
 
Maddogg774 said:
View attachment 268232
my night stand:D
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Aw--look at them cuddling up together for the night! See guys? They all get along! :D:D:D:thumbup:

As far as I see it, Cold Steel is Cold Steel and Zero Tolerance is Zero Tolerance. Buy what you like and like what you buy. If it does what you want it to and you like it then comparisons are moot anyway, so long as you were aware of your available choices before making your purchase decision. ;)
 
BePrepared said:
Okay, let's consider that

why is the lawman a joke

the lawman is a joke BECAUSE it is made of Aus8 and has a price tag around $60 while a kershaw junkyard dog with similar size, shape and with MUCH better steel costs about $20 less

Cold steel makes themself a joke by selling even their "good" knives at the same price point as overwhelmingly superior offerings.

I don't necessarily think the Lawman is a bad knife, but it should be 30-40% less than it is priced... that makes it laughable
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This thread is about strength, not steel or fit and finish. Although I personally find the whole lock strength thing to be overrated anyhow (but that's a whole other argument anyway), but the Tri-ad lock is stronger than the lock on any ZT (liner or framelock). Not saying it is better than a ZT, because that would be subjective to your opinions.
 
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I'd like to clarify for the newb poster that Kershaw is NOT a "budget line" or whatever crap that was typed, implying it is somehow below ZT. Kershaw is ZT's parent company and has been around for a long time. Kershaw on its own has made plenty of high end hard use (including ALL of the ZT line!!) knives. I think the ZT brand has brought in a lot of people who would otherwise overlook humble Kershaw offerings.
 
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As far as folders are concerned the CS beats the ZT with the tri-ad lock

If I had to use a folder as a chopper (for eg) I'd trust the CS locking system over a ZT's any day

The ZT beats the CS in every other department

I have a ZT 0200 ST. I've cut a plant away, cut through cat 3 power cable 10mm thick twice and cut through plastic a few times (covers for my lanskey stones).
My blade didn't show the slightest sign of dulling.

My CS spartan cutting through the same plastic a couple of times (just a test) and started to dull a tad.
It was still incredibly sharp but you could see a little light reflect off the edge.

I do agree the Aus 8 on CS is not the normal Aus 8
Use to have a CRKT M21 14SF, also Aus8.
It didn't hold an edge nearly as good as my CS knives with Aus 8
 
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djjonny said:
As far as folders are concerned the CS beats the ZT with the tri-ad lock

If I had to use a folder as a chopper (for eg) I'd trust the CS locking system over a ZT's any day

The ZT beats the CS in every other department
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Exactly! It all depends on what the buyer/user considers most important in a knife.
 
Seriously dude with regards to the frost comment, if you want to continue to be seen as a troll keep posting stuff like this. You do know who invented the frame lock right? In case you didn't, it was Chris Reeve, the man responsible for the famed sebenza. Actually its called the Reeve Integral Lock, and the reason frost can use it is because Chris Reeve decided (as Michael Walker did wig the liner lock) not to patent it in order to share his invention with the knife community. Cold Steel has their triad lock patented so no other company can use it. Frost uses the frame lock on some knives because they can, but comparing a frost framelock to one on a zt is just plain ignorant.
 
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