New 2015 ZT lineup

willythekid said:
You'd do what to them if they pulled out a ZT in an office setting?
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Looks like a thumbs up and a fist bump haha. Must have been an iphone poster.

I keep looking at these new knives, and I'm already unbelievably anxious to see them out in the wild. I know it's gonna take a while. Good thing I'm a patient man!

I'm just having a hard time deciding which one is my favorite :D
 
I find it odd that the 0450 has a 3.25" blade and weighs 2.9oz, but the 0900 has a 2.7" blade yet weighs 4.3oz. The only thing I can think of is that the 0900 has a MUCH thicker blade stock and/or thicker scales.
 
Blues Bender said:
It's not about "more clean, less billboard", it's just the overall design I don't like.

They all lack character IMO, they just remind me of simple knives. Which is fine, some people like that.
But when looking back at all of ZT's offerings, there is a HUGE difference in the look they were aiming for this year.

I guess when I think of ZT, I think of a well built, tough design with a very small dash of "tacticool" on top. I always imagined a ZT being used hard, outdoors, on a construction site, etc... These remind me of something a cubicle worker would pull out of his khakis to open a Splenda packet for his cappuccino...:barf:
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That appears to be the mold ZT wants to boldly break away from, BB. But your point about dumbing down their designs . . . particularly their handle designs . . . is spot on. I for one like simple. Plain handles and straightforward blade shapes appeal to me. A good example of what I like is the latest iteration of the ESEE Izula folder prototype. So the direction ZT has taken in their latest offerings is A-OK as far as I'm concerned. But it doesn't surprise me that some ZT traditionalists would stick their noses up at them. As you said, they're not tacticool enough for them.
 
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If they're doing minor variations of existing knives (like the 0630), why not an update of the 0200 without the recurve and with better steel. That would be a winner.
 
K.O.D. said:
I find it odd that the 0450 has a 3.25" blade and weighs 2.9oz, but the 0900 has a 2.7" blade yet weighs 4.3oz. The only thing I can think of is that the 0900 has a MUCH thicker blade stock and/or thicker scales.
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If you look at the scallops in the 0900 handles, it's looks like it's going to be quite a bit thicker than the 0450.


bld522 said:
That appears to be the mold ZT wants to boldly break away from, BB. But your point about dumbing down their designs . . . particularly their handle designs . . . is spot on. I for one like simple. Plain handles and straightforward blade shapes appeal to me. A good example of what I like is the latest iteration of the ESEE Izula folder prototype. So the direction ZT has taken in their latest offerings is A-OK as far as I'm concerned. But it doesn't surprise me that some ZT traditionalists would stick their noses up at them. As you said, they're not tacticool enough for them.
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Yeah but people are acting like these are going to be the o my ZT s made from now on.

ZT now makes a knife for almost anyone in terms of size, shape, weight and design aesthetic. From overbuilt tanks to slim small edc pieces and everything in between.
 
Scurvy092 said:
ZT now makes a knife for almost anyone in terms of size, shape, weight and design aesthetic. From overbuilt tanks to slim small edc pieces and everything in between.
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And it's not like ZT didn't tell us they were going to do that. They did . . . emphatically. And I, for one, am glad they followed through.

You can satisfy all of the people some of the time and you can satisfy some of the people all of the time. But you cannot satisfy all of the people all of the time.
 
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With the discontinuation of the 0560/1, 030x, and 0200 ZT is definitely trying to reach a broader audience. They still are making some overbuilt knives in the 0801, 0566, 0350, 0550, and 0620. I think part of the reason they are coming out with these lighter, less monstrous knives is based on the success of the 0770. I believe the 0770 (especially CF versions) was a test to see if there would be a demand for lighter, less beastly knives.

Personally, I find this to be a welcome change. I love KAI as a company, and have been waiting for this. Don't get me wrong, I love my 0801 and 0560, but I generally prefer smaller, lighter knives. This why I jumped on the 0770CF (which is currently awol).

Benchmade pissed me off, I sold all of mine. Despite being a dedicated Spyderco fan, their "premium" ($200~) knives have not impressed me as of late ($200~ for VG-10? Really?). So I've been looking for "premium/higher end" production knives, and with the 0770 and these new models, ZT has really caught my attention. I'm a desk jockey, and don't need a knife that's the equivalent of an 800 lb gorilla.
 
K.O.D. said:
I think part of the reason they are coming out with these lighter, less monstrous knives is based on the success of the 0770. I believe the 0770 (especially CF versions) was a test to see if there would be a demand for lighter, less beastly knives.
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I don't think there's any doubt about it, K.O.D. The fact that a major ZT dealer would ask ZT to make a special run of 0770CFs in M4 steel seems pretty conclusive that the demand for smaller, lighter ZTs is there. Funny thing is, I think it's been there all along. It just took awhile for ZT to wake up and smell the dainties. ;) :D
 
bld522 said:
I don't think there's any doubt about it, K.O.D. The fact that a major ZT dealer would ask ZT to make a special run of 0770CFs in M4 steel seems pretty conclusive that the demand for smaller, lighter ZTs is there. Funny thing is, I think it's been there all along.
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I concur. And now I'm desperately missing my 0770CF. If it doesn't turn up, I may have to pick up an 0808 or 0450 when they come out. Hopefully they won't come out until after my wedding in July, as I'm dead broke at the moment.
 
I agree with the above. I never got the feeing this was a departure from their roots, but just flushing out the rest of what the market will bear.
 
Yep. On the other hand, their packaging still says "Proudly Overbuilt in the USA". Seems to me they're going to have to change their messaging if they're going to release the pigeons of their past. (Maybe "Boldly Built in the USA" would be more in keeping with their current direction.)
 
I think it's great that ZT is reaching out to a new customer base, but I hate how that's the only consumers they reached to this time around. Some of us want something new that still pays homage to what started it all.

I'm not acting like this is all they'll be making, I know there will be new models right around the corner. But seeing "new 2015 zt models" makes me imagine something a little more "tacticool", and when seeing these, it was a complete let down. I'm sure they're great knives, but...:rolleyes:

I don't like tacticool, but when a knife has a slight hint of it, it's pretty nice. Think of Umnumzaan vs Sebenza w/ wood inlays, that's how I look at this change.
 
The "overbuilt" line of ZT knives is anything but lacking. ZT obviously wanted to fill out the breadth of their offerings and they did so with their 2015 collection. Seems to me their decision was based on making up for lost time. I'd be surprised if their 2016 offerings contain nearly as high a percentage of lightweight folders as their current collection does. I don't think they've forgotten for a minute which side of the bread their butter goes on.
 
Yea, I just hope they don't go from one extreme to another.
From slimline, lightweight knives to "Overly-Overbuilt" flippers with 1/4" blade stocks. I hope they just keep making tough knives, then sprinkle a little "Tacticool" on top.

I'll just wait patiently for another RJ Martin Collab...
Too bad Kershaw didn't let ZT make the RJ Tactical 3.0, that thing would have some serious mojo with a Ti framelock and some decent steel.

At least the Kershaw Launch 1 looks promising, especially with CPM154, I love that stuff! I'll be keeping my eye out for one of those.
 
bld522 said:
Yep. On the other hand, their packaging still says "Proudly Overbuilt in the USA". Seems to me they're going to have to change their messaging if they're going to release the pigeons of their past. (Maybe "Boldly Built in the USA" would be more in keeping with their current direction.)
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Lets be real here... "over-built" is very subjective. I don't think any of ZT's new blades are going to be anywhere near flimsy. While not as robust as a 0560, my 0770cf is very strong knife that gets beaten on all the time in my rotation. I see no reason that ZT needs to change it's marketing just because it has released several smaller models. My opinion of course.
 
Curious on the choice of S35VN instead of Elmax for all 5 new folders. Is it pricing, availability, abundant supply, possibly a faster to market knife, U.S. made steel for a U.S. made knife or just got tired of the unfounded bad rap surrounding Elmax?

Mind you, although S35VN is no M390 or 204P it's still a great powdered stainless steel.

I'm in for 0450, 0452CF, 0808 and 0900. All KVT, fairly light and value-priced.

I have the 0620CF already, love it and my Emerson frame lock needs are met so no 0630 for me.

The pens do nothing for me! Seem bulky and personally lacking in aesthetics.

In the catalog, in the description for ZT 0900, it says: "Zero Tolerance’s KVT ball-bearing system makes it as easy to open as assisted. No springs involved". So, why bother with assisted opening then...
 
RamZar said:
Curious on the choice of S35VN instead of Elmax for all 5 new folders. Is it pricing, availability, abundant supply, possibly a faster to market knife, U.S. made steel for a U.S. made knife or just got tired of the unfounded bad rap surrounding Elmax?

Mind you, although S35VN is no M390 or 204P it's still a great powdered stainless steel.

I'm in for 0450, 0452CF, 0808 and 0900. All KVT, fairly light and value-priced.

I have the 0620CF already, love it and my Emerson frame lock needs are met so no 0630 for me.

The pens do nothing for me! Seem bulky and personally lacking in aesthetics.

In the catalog, in the description for ZT 0900, it says: "Zero Tolerance’s KVT ball-bearing system makes it as easy to open as assisted. No springs involved". So, why bother with assisted opening then...
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I sent in my 0801 a while ago and called them yesterday, they told me that they were out of Elmax and that they needed to order in some new steel and grind & finish etc. They gave me a month turn around until they even got the blades/steel etc. That might be a reason why.
 
Well, the 0392 went from m390 to 204p... The m390 0562/0620 have been hard to come by and the new knives use s35vn vs elmax.

Sounds like Bohler dropped the ball or something and crucible was there to pick up the slack.
 
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