• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

I've finally done it, 300 time!

NjHart

NjHart

Joined
Jan 4, 2013
Messages
715
With great gravity, I've gone back and forth on this specific subject probably an embarrassing number of times. To make a very long story that I've told before somewhat shorter, I have a philosophy against owning more knives than I'll actively use- I have an airplane friendly knife, an EDC folder (our subject here), a fixed blade, etc and don't usually try to overlap in categories except maybe as a backup in the EDC category. Awhile back I bought my first high end knife- a large Sebenza, and though I won't dispute its quality, the longer I've had it the less it seems to suit me and my needs. Literally since the first week I started looking into good knives I've been intrigued by the zt300 series and I can't stop coming back to wanting one. Soon as my membership updates, my sebenza is going up for sale and I'll be shopping for a zt301. I'm not totally crazy for choosing this over my sebenza am I? Also how do you active heavy users (regular exposure to salt water, blood, and excessive grime) clean and maintain your ZT's? I'm not totally comfortable with my choice yet, but I think its the right one and I'm rather committed.


P.S. The replacement blade for $30 was sort of the kick I needed. I haven't been as satisfied as I should be and that was just a huge plus in the "just in case category."
 
Oh yeah, I just bought it 20 minutes ago via paypal so sadly it isn't up quite yet.
 
I carry mine almost daily and it suits me well. I just hope you have some large pockets lol.
 
ZT030x series - big heavy-ish knives. These are the brutes of the folder world. I have no doubt that it will hold up well under use. I don't edc my 301 because I work in an office environment. If I pulled that out during lunch the table would clear.....

My only complaint with any of the ZT's I own is the recurve. I have also found that while the factory edges will cut they do need some sharpening. I think they do this with intent, to allow owners to sharpen the blade to their own specs.

edit: I love my ZT's but have been considering a Sebenza. Unlike you I have multiple edc's for various situations and mood swings :rolleyes:. I do plan on thinning out the heard though. Some will never get used and should probably be sold.
 
ive been wanting a 0301 for sometime myself......i have money saved up now just having hard time spending that much :)
 
I went back and forth on a 300 series knife ever since I got my first ZT 2 years ago. Finally got one last month and now I have 3 (2 x 301 and 1 303). They are amazing knives. I will show people my collection and it seems to be the one people pick up and just LOVE the feel of. They are amazing knives and I'm so glad I finally pulled the trigger on one. Um, I mean 3. :)
 
I will weigh in here. I would say to keep you Sebenza if you are going to get a 0300 (if you can swing it). I have never had an 0300 but have handled a few. They are WIDE and HEAVY. They are the knives that I thought I wanted when I started getting into higher end knives, until I handled it. 8 OZ is noticible, 5-6 0z I can handle for edc, but any heavier becomes too much for me. As said before, they are the brutes of the knife world. If I were to have one, it certainly wouldn't be in place of a sebenza. I am much like you however and don't like to keep more knives that I will carry. Those two for me at the moment are a sebenza 25 and a ZT0550 (a tank in it's own right). Have you thought about that 0550? It is one of the best values in the folding knife world in my opinion. Especially if you can get it lightly used on the exchange for $130ish.
 
MRaymond said:
ZT0550 (a tank in it's own right). Have you thought about that 0550? It is one of the best values in the folding knife world in my opinion. Especially if you can get it lightly used on the exchange for $130ish.
Click to expand...

Totally agree on this point. I do carry my 0550 much more than anything else now that I took the time to figure out how to open with the thumb stud...
 
I hear you somewhat. I keep a stable of overlapping knives because I like everything from traditionals to tactical and believe in spares. Your methodology certainly is cheaper and keeps clutter to a minimum!

As to your sebenza. I have a small regular that I bought to find out what the mystique was about. I like the knife but that is all. I don't get the price point for what you get. A very simple, clean, S30V (mine) knife. Doesn't open particularly smoothly, fast or anything spectacular. What it does well is perform. Good knife, easy to clean, strong, good materials. Very good knife. Will never buy another one at full price though because I can buy multiples of other knives that I like. Benchmade, Spyderco, ZT. Everyone of those has comparable and better materials, are faster for me, and my BM's are easily one handed knives. I love the axis lock. Used them hard, broken one, fixed one, I am sold.

As for the ZT301. I have a 301 and 302 (different color scale). Big heavy knife with speedsafe. Very solid. I like it a lot. I dislike three very particular issues. It is needlessly heavy. The speedsafe makes this a beast of heaviness. Strike one. The recurve does nothing for me but make it harder to sharpen. I use an edge pro and I get the curve sharp but not as sharp as the rest of the blade. I have found I hate recurves. I know they add cutting length and whatnot but the disadvantage in sharpening is not worth it. Strike two. The last point is that the pivot is located shockingly close to the frame lock cutout. Like under an eighth of an inch close. I don't know if this is a weak point but it certainly appears to be. In the 056x series they moved the pivot bolt 3X further away from the cutout. Strike three.

Brings me to my last point. If you like the 301, check out the 056x. I bought two, 0560 and 0561. I like the earth color of the 0561 better. Everything I don't like about the 301 has been addressed in the 0560. It is lighter for the same blade length, no recurve, better steel to boot, and the pivot "issue" has been addressed. The flipper is simpler and just as fast for me as the speedsafe. Better knife all the way around for me. I haven't tried the 0550, but I would like to.

Pete
 
Re read some of the responses. Both my 301's and 0560's came with fantastic factory edges. They didn't need any touchups. They were as good as I have ever received from any factory knife. Handle a sebenza before you buy. I bought because I had the extra cash but in hindsight I will never be enamored of these knives. When they first came out I could understand the appeal. At this point, most makers have improved on the concept, even if it is only in the cost point. Nice thing about sebbies though is you will never have a problem selling them. Still, I don't get it. I would take most of my Benchmades over any sebenza and feel better about my choice. I beat the living crap out of a BM 94x during Hurricane Ivan. It was my EDC and was used hard prior to the hurricane as well. It took a beating. I handed it to non knife guys when they needed a knife and I used it cutting everything from paper and plastic to roofing shingles. At the end it looked like hell. It was a combo edge and I sent it back to BM for a re blade to a straight edge (my preference). With a new blade it looks like a new knife. The BM 94x should be in every collection. Looks like a gentlemen's knife and works like a Kabar. It is a tank of a knife that looks like a Sunday picnic knife.
 
It's been sort of an unusual trip. I ordered my sebenza after handling one in a sort of local knife shop. They really are great knives, but I there a couple of things that have slowly bothered me more and more. First, and I know I'm in the super minority, but I do not really like the sebenza clip- since my sebenza fell out of my pocket I don't trust it like I should. Second, the sebenza despite being super smooth isn't all that fast sadly. I really miss having a flipper/speed assist option. My JYD was just too handy in that aspect. And finally, I still found myself shying away from harder use tasks. I know the sebenza can handle them but it does feel a bit too delicate in my hands at times.

I've looked at the 560 series and I like them. I handled both the 560 and 300 the same day I first handled a sebenza (the guys at house of blades were super helpful and accommodating). I don't have anything against it, but I have a preference for the 300. Weight is one of those things that doesn't even vaguely bother me and my folder only has to share a pocket with a few keys so it's no big deal. The recurve was a huge worry for awhile, but as I've gotten into freehanding (and I use small stones), I'm not all that worried!
 
NjHart said:
It's been sort of an unusual trip. I ordered my sebenza after handling one in a sort of local knife shop. They really are great knives, but I there a couple of things that have slowly bothered me more and more. First, and I know I'm in the super minority, but I do not really like the sebenza clip- since my sebenza fell out of my pocket I don't trust it like I should. Second, the sebenza despite being super smooth isn't all that fast sadly. I really miss having a flipper/speed assist option. My JYD was just too handy in that aspect. And finally, I still found myself shying away from harder use tasks. I know the sebenza can handle them but it does feel a bit too delicate in my hands at times.

I've looked at the 560 series and I like them. I handled both the 560 and 300 the same day I first handled a sebenza (the guys at house of blades were super helpful and accommodating). I don't have anything against it, but I have a preference for the 300. Weight is one of those things that doesn't even vaguely bother me and my folder only has to share a pocket with a few keys so it's no big deal. The recurve was a huge worry for awhile, but as I've gotten into freehanding (and I use small stones), I'm not all that worried!
Click to expand...

I understand what you are saying about shying away from really hard use. I also know that the sebenza could handle anything that my 0550 can handle but when I KNOW my knife is going to be used for the harder stuff or get super dirty, that is when the 0550 is in my pocket.
 
Get the 0301. If you've handled it, you know the weight. I like the weight. Much better than that of my 560. I've got my 0301 in my pocket right now, as I sit in the office. Doesn't bother me one bit. I have two "tank" knives that I dearly love: my 0301, and my Benchmade Adamas. I also have a 560 and 550. I love the 550, too. I kinda have to force myself to carry the 560. It isn't a safe queen, but it spends a lot of time in the drawer instead of in my pocket. For some reason, I prefer the weight of the 0301 over the overly-long 560.
 
Hey Rock, you need to pull out your 0560 and 301 again. I am sitting here with both of them in front of me. They are both exactly the same length and have exactly the same blade length. I don't care what ZT says the specs are. The 301 is wider in both blade and handle and obviously heavier. If you think the 0560 is overly long then so is the 301, the exact same dimensionally lengthwise. Don't believe me, pull them out and check it for yourself. If you want a heavier knife with the exact same blade length then the 301's are for you. The 0560 may "seem" longer but it isn't.

Pete
 
pedropcola said:
Hey Rock, you need to pull out your 0560 and 301 again. I am sitting here with both of them in front of me. They are both exactly the same length and have exactly the same blade length. I don't care what ZT says the specs are. The 301 is wider in both blade and handle and obviously heavier. If you think the 0560 is overly long then so is the 301, the exact same dimensionally lengthwise. Don't believe me, pull them out and check it for yourself. If you want a heavier knife with the exact same blade length then the 301's are for you. The 0560 may "seem" longer but it isn't.

Pete
Click to expand...

DANG! you're correct! I did not realize that!
Technically, the 560 IS longer, but only by about 1/16th of an inch, which really is negligible. So the question became, "Why does it not fit in my pocket? It is way ore uncomfortable in my pocket because of that identical length than the 301 is!"
Then I realized it is because of the other reason I prefer the 301, and the reason I prefe the old 550 to the new 550: the deep carry clip. I don't like the deep carry clip on any of ZT knives, or really I should say I much prefer the standard clip. It is stronger than the deep carry, and it doesn't bury the knife in my pocket like the deep carry clip. That is the reason the 301 fits my pocket better. The 560 rides about a HALF-INCH deeper in my pocket than the 301, which is why it feels like I have a board stuck in my pocket, I guess.

So yeah, if you are worried about length, then the difference is null. If you worry about weight, the 560 is lighter. If you worry about covert, the 560 wins. But for me, if the concern is ergonomics and comfort-of-carry, the 301 wins hands down.

Thanks for pointing that out, Pete.
 
I've gone back and forth in the discretion of knives, but I'm not threatening and don't look it so it really isn't an issue. I do really value a nice good strong clip though, and I suspect the 300 fits that bill. I know the big flat shape is something of a turn off for some people, but when I handled it I just noticed that it fit the hand nicely. Hopefully I find someone who is interested in trading or my subscription is updated sooner rather than later so I can get one this!
 
No worries. I don't use lanyards or fobs usually but I added one to the 0560 because its harder to get out of my pocket because of the deep carry clip. I like that for this big knife however.
 
pedropcola said:
No worries. I don't use lanyards or fobs usually but I added one to the 0560 because its harder to get out of my pocket because of the deep carry clip. I like that for this big knife however.
Click to expand...

Best use of a lanyard I've read.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top