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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.
looking for a new edc
- Thread starter bigphilbk7
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2008
- Messages
- 128
ive looked at the zt0200 many times online and compared the specs to other knives that i have and it just seems a bit too large for edc, other than that the 0200 looks like a great knife
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2008
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Yeah, the ZT's are not small knives for sure. I'm a somewhat large guy, 6' 2", 245 lbs. The knives fits me well but I typically only carry them when I'm in jeans and wearing my gun belt.
But ZT, I think, are one of the best value knives for the money anywhere and the 0200 is not as large as a 0300 series and is a good amount lighter. I'd wear my 0200 with casual shorts with no problem but most of the time I will go for a Kershaw Boa or the Benchmade Nitrous Styker when I'm summer dressed for light weight.
I wear jeans to work everyday so one of my ZT 0300 series knives is my EDC 90% of the time though.
In person and side by side most other knives I own, some very nice knives, you'll see that the ZT's are over engineered. The liners are usually thicker. The action is usually smoother and they lock up with a superior metallic thud. If you can deal with their size, and weight in the case of the 0300 series, I'm not so sure there is a better production option out there for $130 or less than a 0200 and same goes for the 0300 series for $240 or less. That double pumper Speedsafe simply rocks on those 0300 series ZT's. I paid $199 plus shipping for one of my 0300's. $209 shipped for the other and $205 shipped for my 0302. That's an unbelieveable deal for a knife of that caliber IMHO. The action is so smooth and big sounding that I find myself just playing with those knives in a trance sometimes, opening them and closing them . . .
I know this is blasphemy in come circles but apart from the Benchmade Skirmish I have, I think the ZT knives, compared to a competing Benchmade, kicks the BM's ass. The Skirmish I own is the only Benchmade I own or have handled that feels as beefy and studly as the ZT's I own. And I think the ZT's are much better priced than a comparable BM too.
Now go ahead and shoot me!
But ZT, I think, are one of the best value knives for the money anywhere and the 0200 is not as large as a 0300 series and is a good amount lighter. I'd wear my 0200 with casual shorts with no problem but most of the time I will go for a Kershaw Boa or the Benchmade Nitrous Styker when I'm summer dressed for light weight.
I wear jeans to work everyday so one of my ZT 0300 series knives is my EDC 90% of the time though.
In person and side by side most other knives I own, some very nice knives, you'll see that the ZT's are over engineered. The liners are usually thicker. The action is usually smoother and they lock up with a superior metallic thud. If you can deal with their size, and weight in the case of the 0300 series, I'm not so sure there is a better production option out there for $130 or less than a 0200 and same goes for the 0300 series for $240 or less. That double pumper Speedsafe simply rocks on those 0300 series ZT's. I paid $199 plus shipping for one of my 0300's. $209 shipped for the other and $205 shipped for my 0302. That's an unbelieveable deal for a knife of that caliber IMHO. The action is so smooth and big sounding that I find myself just playing with those knives in a trance sometimes, opening them and closing them . . .
I know this is blasphemy in come circles but apart from the Benchmade Skirmish I have, I think the ZT knives, compared to a competing Benchmade, kicks the BM's ass. The Skirmish I own is the only Benchmade I own or have handled that feels as beefy and studly as the ZT's I own. And I think the ZT's are much better priced than a comparable BM too.
Now go ahead and shoot me!
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- Joined
- Mar 22, 2008
- Messages
- 128
thats good to hear that it wears well with jeans and casual shorts(thats all i wear) how does it feel in your pocket? do you notice it or does it just kinda blend in ?
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2008
- Messages
- 5,911
In jeans, both the 0200 and the 0300 series knives are undetectable to me during my day but to be fair I've been carrying one or the other for nearly a year now.
Any knife disappears better in pockets that have more of a horizontal cant to them such as jeans and typically my casual shorts are more of a vertical slant to them so the clip will typically be at the bottom apex of the pocket with a 30 degree cant to it rather than straight up and down.
For shorts my carry choice is usually focused on weight because I don't wear a belt with my shorts. The waist is comfortable so I don't wear them too tight so heavy knives tend to keep me yanking my shorts up all the time. If I carry a ZT in my shorts it's almost always the 0200.
With jeans weight is not an issue. Hell I already carry a CCW anyway . . .
As far as size, I have enough room in "my" pockets to slide my hand in past the knife without too much effort. I wear my knives in my right hip pocket and carry my cash in the same pocket. So I'm reaching past my knife several times a day - no problems for me with jeans. (Levis mostly)
Key to me is the absence if sharp or rough edges when I reach into my pocket when my hand brushes by the knife. This is where the ZT knives work well for their size. They have no sharp or rough edges that hurt when I reach in. The opposite of them is the CRKT Triumph folder I have. That knife will almost peel your skin away when your hand rubs past it. (Anyone want to buy a 99.9% new Trumph assist folder with original box and papers? )
It's hard to notice the difference in size between the 0200 and 0300 knives unless you have them both in your hands. The length is about the same for both but the 0200 is narrower and basically shapelier if that is a word.
Any knife disappears better in pockets that have more of a horizontal cant to them such as jeans and typically my casual shorts are more of a vertical slant to them so the clip will typically be at the bottom apex of the pocket with a 30 degree cant to it rather than straight up and down.
For shorts my carry choice is usually focused on weight because I don't wear a belt with my shorts. The waist is comfortable so I don't wear them too tight so heavy knives tend to keep me yanking my shorts up all the time. If I carry a ZT in my shorts it's almost always the 0200.
With jeans weight is not an issue. Hell I already carry a CCW anyway . . .
As far as size, I have enough room in "my" pockets to slide my hand in past the knife without too much effort. I wear my knives in my right hip pocket and carry my cash in the same pocket. So I'm reaching past my knife several times a day - no problems for me with jeans. (Levis mostly)
Key to me is the absence if sharp or rough edges when I reach into my pocket when my hand brushes by the knife. This is where the ZT knives work well for their size. They have no sharp or rough edges that hurt when I reach in. The opposite of them is the CRKT Triumph folder I have. That knife will almost peel your skin away when your hand rubs past it. (Anyone want to buy a 99.9% new Trumph assist folder with original box and papers?
)It's hard to notice the difference in size between the 0200 and 0300 knives unless you have them both in your hands. The length is about the same for both but the 0200 is narrower and basically shapelier if that is a word.
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