Is bigger better

J

jsciii

Joined
Jun 14, 2002
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I've always carried relatively a small, lightweight knife in my pocket but decided to try out something beefier. I bought a ZT550 and really like the extra cutting power so got to wondering if the ZT560 with its longer blade and lighter weight would be better.

Any feedback from anyone who's carried both?

Thanks
 
jsciii said:
better
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"Better" is so subjective that everyone has to figure that out for themselves. I have both knives (in my case the 0561), and don't carry either one of them. So for me, neither is "better". With its fancy looking sculpted titanium, I put the 0560 more in the realm of pocket jewelry. It opens like butter, and look great. Objectively, its an awesome piece of knife. But for me it just doesn't fire off the pleasure neurons in my shriveled brain like some other knives do. But many guys love the 0560, and I can't blame them.
 
If you are able to buy a 560 without selling your 550 you should try one.
This is kind of a question only you can answer.

I used to carry a 550 but moved up in size to a 301. The larger size works better for me.
 
I like med/large knives sometimes, smaller knives other times. But I deffinitely have an upper end limit. The 560 was too large for me to edc. If the handle sticks too far out of my hands I don't feel the need to carry it. Its all personal preference really. I like 4-4.5" handles, which usually come with 3-3.5" blades, so thats usually what I will carry. anything larger is more than I will need. But the 560 was a sweet knife and I did like it very much.

Some people carry Dragonflies, some carry Super Emersons. To each his/her own.
 
Is bigger better? Depends on how tight her...oh wait we're talking knives. Can't really answer your question. I use different size knives for different occasions. At work (office job) I don't carry a knife larger than 3.5" and it also depends on what I'm wearing. Last two days I wore slacks so I pocket carried my mini Tighe-Rod. Today I'm wearing black dockers and am carrying my full size griptilian. There are just too many variables to answer your question.
 
For something that has to be carried around all day, bigger is not better IMHO. I keep my wallet in the right front pocket, and trying to reach past a huge folder can be a real pain. I won't carry any folder with a blade over 3.5". Not counting camping stuff, I have never had to cut anything that couldn't be cut with my mini grip.

That being said, I would suggest getting the 0560 in hand. Ergonomics do make a difference, and you're the only person with your hands.
 
bpeezer said:
For something that has to be carried around all day, bigger is not better IMHO. I keep my wallet in the right front pocket, and trying to reach past a huge folder can be a real pain. I won't carry any folder with a blade over 3.5". Not counting camping stuff, I have never had to cut anything that couldn't be cut with my mini grip.

That being said, I would suggest getting the 0560 in hand. Ergonomics do make a difference, and you're the only person with your hands.
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I agree completely, plus if I need anything bigger it will be in the form of a fixed blade and for backpacking/camping use, not for edc.
 
I've had the 560, 561, and two 0550's. I now have one 550. A good compromise between blade, power, and carry size.
 
I have small hands, so most bigger knives just won't work for me. The biggest I'll generally go is a Benchmade 710 or an Endura...and even the Endura is a bit big for me. Bottom line? It all depends on what you want, what you need, and what your hand size can take.
 
PaulTR said:
I have small hands, so most bigger knives just won't work for me. The biggest I'll generally go is a Benchmade 710 or an Endura...and even the Endura is a bit big for me. Bottom line? It all depends on what you want, what you need, and what your hand size can take.
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Good point friend. What works for one person might not work for another, and vice-versa.
 
Depends on how your using it. Is an F-350 jacked to the sky better than a Smart car? Depends... can you drive the F-350 for a hundred miles on a dime? Can you drive the Smart car off road and put another Smart car in the trunk? No on both points. Depends on what you want to do with your knife... There's my $.02!
 
I have big hands and tend to use the 550 as a knife-like multitool. I do use it more for cutting than driving nails so the 560 with its lighter weight may be the way to go.

Christmas may come a little early.

Thanks all
 
I like a folder with a 3 inch blade the most for EDC. But big knives are fun so I've got some Cold Steel monsters too.
 
For those of us without an extensive knowledge of knife dimensions, a little clarification would be a considerable help.

Just how much "bigger" are we talking, in terms of fractions of an inch and fractions of an ounce?
 
I always liked the big blades, just short of swords. I find myself using more and more the smaller blades and selling off the big honking guys.
I get great use and even greater pleasure from my small blades, so I like them better and better and buy more of that kind. Problem is shifted but not resolved, if it ever needs to be (NO !). My idea of a big blade is one foot. A small blade would be 4 inches and down. Less is fine, some more... why not ? It's all in the hand.
 
550
Blade Length: 3.50"
Weight: 6.2 oz

560
Blade Length: 3.75"
Weight: 5.98 oz.

I like that the 560 is longer and lighter. The 550 feels heavy (IMHO)
 
I'll compare the Hinderer XM-18 3" and 3.5": I owned both but sold the 3.5 because the 3" was a better all round EDC knife for me, and I hardly notice it in the pocket. The 3.5" in comparison was a brick. But it all depends on your usage and taste.
 
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