Interesting zero tolerance 0550 elmax blade??

mikepapa1

mikepapa1

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Jun 8, 2013
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Hey boys and girls, please excuse my ignorance but I am not a big ZT guy. Actually I know almost nothing about ZT Knives except what I have read or watched on the net. That being said, I often stray from my chosen path and acquire knives that are not really in my very limited, and I do mean limited range of knowledge and I guess you can say obsession which is CRK. I have a couple of XM-18's and XM-24's, Striders (don't tell anybody) and even a Grayman or two. I even ordered a RED BLADE KNIVES "PIG" recently because I just wanted to check it out. So, I recently acquired two ZT 0550's (Gen1) I purchased both new from a small retailer in the Northwest at a very reasonable price which seems to be dropping daily on these knives. I suspect do in no small way because ZT seems to come out with a "New" or updated model every other month. Anyway I didn't even take them out of the box until tonight when I was sitting around having a couple of adult beverages, just a little bored I guess. (I know I am taking the long way around the barn) Lets get to the point of this post (if there is one) both knives as expected are exactly the same (of course they are) with one very interesting exception.... The blade's!! The first one I opened is a I don't know later production model sn. 3662 s35v KAI USA. But the second one I opened is a much earlier sn. 0800 and is marked MADE IN USA and the steel is ELMAX... Both blades are marked 0550.. Neat huh!! or maybe not, I really don't know. So here are a couple of pictures and I would be very interested in any information and or commits. :)
 
I had a Gen 1 0550 (#296) that had S35VN, IIRC. Then, I got the 0551, which came with brown (rather than black) G10 and used Elmax, which was a limited edition and was purported to be an "upgrade" to the S35VN. I sold/traded both of those.
Now I have a Gen2 0550, black G10 and S35VN but with a low-ride pocket-clip. All were (are) good knives, although a lot of negatives are being written about the (purported) lack of edge-holding capability of early ZT's in Elmax...perhaps due to a lower-than-optimum heat-treat. A lot of speculation, and a few YouTube videos being bandied about. I don't know.
 
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Congrats. Your new Zero Tolerance 0550 Elmax is one of those rare mistakes and only 113 of them were made. See the following post by Thomas Welk (Director of Sales & Marketing at Kai USA):

ZT0550 in ELMAX ???
 
hmmm, so has anyone narrowed it down to how many were made? After reading the link by RamZar Thank you!!(one of the members kershawguy) has number 0849 "Hate to put a big wrinkle in the mix, but hey, I have a number 0849 w/Elmax and an 0858 with S35VN"
This is I guess old News but new to me and very cool stuff. Kind of like finding a needle in the haystack!!
 
mikepapa1 said:
hmmm, so has anyone narrowed it down to how many were made? After reading the link by RamZar Thank you!!(one of the members kershawguy) has number 0849 "Hate to put a big wrinkle in the mix, but hey, I have a number 0849 w/Elmax and an 0858 with S35VN"
This is I guess old News but new to me and very cool stuff. Kind of like finding a needle in the haystack!!
Click to expand...

Seems like they did not reset the serial numbers. Like it says in post# 32 of that thread Thomas W clearly says that just 113 were made.
 
Again many thanks RamZar!! When I opened the boxes and checked out the knives and discovered the "error" on knife number two. I went to the retailers website and ordered the last one he had in stock!! When I purchased the first one he had five I will let you know how the next one turns out. Can lighting strike twice? Ya never know...... Number 0801 with s35. Would that not be amazing!!

"Life is tough, but its a lot tougher if your stupid."
-John Wayne
 
mikepapa1 said:
Again many thanks RamZar!! When I opened the boxes and checked out the knives and discovered the "error" on knife number two. I went to the retailers website and ordered the last one he had in stock!! When I purchased the first one he had five I will let you know how the next one turns out. Can lighting strike twice? Ya never know...... Number 0801 with s35. Would that not be amazing!!

"Life is tough, but its a lot tougher if your stupid."
-John Wayne
Click to expand...

Remember I get first dibs plus I'm also a big John Wayne fan for extra credits. :D
 
You've got my word on it Pilgrim.. If and when I decide to sell or trade it you have first choice!!

"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them."
-J.B. Books
 
Thanks dude. One of my favorite John Wayne quotes: "Sorry don’t get it done, Dude." (Rio Bravo, 1959).
 
Without a doubt one of Wayne's best movies, my favorite as well. #2. "The Searchers"

"that'll be the day" Later made into a #1 hit song by Buddy Holly..
-Ethan Edwards (John Wayne)
 
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